Mai Studios: The Art of Real Music

SHADOWS-A STORY YOU MUST READ AND BE PART OF IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE
WELCOME TO YOUR WORLD AND MINE. THIS IS A STORY I WROTE SOMETIME BACK AND WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU.

TITLE: SHADOWS(INSEPARABLE COMPANIONS)
PLOTS: ACROSS THE WORLD.
CHARACTERS: FROM ACROSS THE WORLD.

GENERATIONS. FAMILIES. LOVE. HATE. PASSION. BETRAYAL. GUILT. SUICIDE. ABUSE. VENDETTA. DESIRE. LUST. WEALTH. POWER. INFLUENCE. PAIN. MANIPULATION. CRIMINAL MINDS. CORRUPTION. WOMEN...SHADOWS.

“People sometimes forfeit the very best for their lives. We usually never realize the consequences of our many life’s decisions immediately...”
“The best in life are often so ridiculously uncomplicated. There are some decisions we make that'll haunt us forever despite our growing influence and affluence...and the many women in our lives”.
“Welcome once again to my world”
“Enjoy the story”.
“Shadows... Inseparable Companions”.

(MANY YEARS AGO)

Luke Lenski was born into a relatively unknown but wealthy and highly powerful family.
His paternal great-great-grandfather was of black African origin; his great-great-grandmother, a true Russian-beauty, had a strong, aristocratic lineage dating back to over a century.

Luke was of above average height, slim-built, very good-looking and most charismatic.

Luke Lenski gained admission to study Medicine and Surgery in a renowned, private university at 15.
His charisma among other qualities drew the attention of the noble, the high and mighty, from diverse races and cultures toward him, as a young medical student.

He made his own first quarter of a billion dollars at 18.
He was a most unusual and shrewd creditor. Many who were indebted to his parents were consequently indebted to him. His parents no doubt handed down to him a secret list of strong and powerful businesses whose owners and majority stakeholders had run foul of the law in many ways and at many times. It was now his duty to capture such as the years passed by.

Several wealthy and perhaps, attention-craving widows, cheerfully ceded huge portions of their wealth and inheritances-cash, buildings, ranches, company stakes, jewelleries, among others-willingly to Luke Lenski when he was barely 21, in return for his companionship and sexual favour.

Luke Lenski considered several queer proposals from several rich, powerful families around the world-he was offered the status of a beloved son-in-law on a platter of gold from each of these families. His final acceptance of any of such proposals would consolidate the empire of his intending parents-in-law. He was no doubt considered as the most eligible son-in-law whose present and future fortunes would secure their own generational interests in diverse ways, even long after their demise.

An average of a hundred thousand dollars was wired daily into each of his foreign accounts by his many secret and sexually thankful admirers.

Luke Lenski thrived on escalating scandals, particularly those of people and companies he had interests in. Many thus feared the damages such scandals could cause to their careers, families and reputations. He was thus despised and hated by his victims, yet he cared less.

He had a network of privately hired and shrewd men and women who worked and thrived solely for his own personal interests.
These men and women were ruthless debt-collectors-their own personal comfort was hinged on their collective impact on their victims.

Luke Lenski had huge stakes in secret clubs for gambling, orgies, and the likes
He simply knew how to gain grounds in these ventures regardless of whose ox was gored. Nonetheless, he had a well experienced team of men and women who were handsomely paid to keep him out of trouble while his stakes increased significantly as the years went by.

His discovery of some well documented and highly incriminating, dark secret documents-audio, graphic and visual-in a safe, on just about everyone that could matter to his increasing wealth and influence, while holidaying in a beach house bought for him by his parents several years before and for his 21st birthday, plunged him into incredible fortunes overnight.
These were incriminating documents that could ruin even the most revered living and dead legends across the world, and their respected and respectable families.
“God bless you, dad; you were simply great dear mother”, quietly muttered a most amused and handsome Luke Lenski dressed in a dark tuxedo suit as he ran one of his fingers across a sealed envelope. “Just what I need as a send-forth package from medical school”, he chuckled dryly. “However did you two know so much on just about every matter I need?” he wondered with a dry smile as he looked slightly away from the envelope. “’Hit and run’, otherwise, ‘crush to death’-?” he chuckled dryly. “The world sure needs the crush”, he concluded rather philosophically and with deep meaning.

He had many women in his life-they were all picked for different purposes. Most of these women had strong influences in their respective societies across the world. Most of them were dire, desperate lovers ready to do anything for him-they were most useful as pseudo preys for his intending victims, the high and mighty across the world. Desperation was a potent tool he employed with most remarkable success. He cared less if anyone got fatally wounded in this game of his.

Luke Lenski soon graduated from medical school and then became a practicing medical doctor.

This story isn’t all about Luke Lenski. There were other men who seemed rather indomitable in their respective worlds, conquering men and women in various ways.
There emerged in the lives of these men women who would affect the lives, perhaps, forever.

Everyone in life has his own share of pain. These characters definitely weren’t left out.
Everyone hurts...

(FEW YEARS AFTER)

(EUROPE)

"Get real, Bobby, get real! I can bet you already ravished the virgin beauty-certainly no daughter of Eve can resist your charms and fortunes for long", laughed a young, cocksure and handsome Latino. His smile vanished at the dry smile of a no doubt tall and handsome blond standing closely opposite him inside a posh living room. “A 22 year old within your reach and yet unreached?” he laughed with mocking disbelief as he studied a silent Bobby. “No-no, no, no, no-I say no!” laughed a disagreeing Latino in utter disbelief.
Bobby dropped his glass of wine on a centre stool between them. “Shut up, Manuel”, mocked a doubtless arrogant Bobby with a corner smile.
"My God, my God! So, it's true? You want to keep her till your wedding night while you hit and run over other daughters of Eve?" posed a man who soon burst into amusing laughter while Bobby watched him with arrogant pride. "Ya da bomb, man, you are! I, Manuel, would do anything to possess her even before 'our' wedding night! Anything can happen before the wedding day-heartbreaks, bitter quarrel..."
Bobby laughed rather harshly as he watched Manuel pick up his glass of drink from a stool. "You believe I'm going to be faithful, loving and unadulterated when Desola eventually becomes my wife, hmm?" chuckled Bobby with arrogant mannerism.
"No. That's totally unacceptable," laughed Manuel. "Women need us-for sex, for companionship, for guidance, for pleasure... "He broke into a cocksure smile as he watched a doubtless self-assured Bobby. His smile broadened as he watched Bobby drop his glass on a stool.
"Bobby deserves her worship", Bobby laughed dryly. "I washed her clean and made something meaningful out of her life", he remarked with shocking cocksureness. "Orphans rarely get such rare privileges you know, buddy", he chuckled throatily and with male arrogance. "The wedding night thing is just one of the many ways she'd learn to repay me, Manuel for as long as Bobby McClaire find her 'useful' for my many purposes", added an overconfident Bobby.
A suddenly shocked Manuel looked over the right shoulder of a still self-assured Bobby for a split second. He muttered incoherently as Bobby spoke on boastfully. "I-"
"-I'm always in control of my women, Manuel, I always am", Bobby broke in, still failing to notice Manuel's sudden apprehensive look. "Women are designed to be used, and when spent, dumped”, he remarked with male pride. “Are you alright?" laughed Bobby suddenly, quirking his brows in askance. "You look like you just saw a ghost", ridiculed a rather irritated Bobby. “A demon from the pit of hell, perhaps?” he laughed with growing irritation.
“I did, man; I think I just did”, Manuel muttered rather numbly, his eyes still fixed past the back of a staring and doubtless disgusted Bobby. “I just did. Look who’s here, man?” he finally muttered with increasing tonality, his eyes still fixed to the distance.

Two slender and stunning legs of an undisclosed figure quietly stepped forward.

“Come on, man; don’t spoil my fun tonight. It’s my engagement night tomorrow, remember?” laughed Bobby in his usual male arrogance. “We’ll get all the fun tonight-babes, babes, and babes”, he chuckled amusedly as he stepped a foot towards a rather transmogrified Manuel. “No guilt trips, man, no need for any”, he laughed dryly, patting Manuel on the shoulders. “Just some fun you know-I’m not guaranteeing you that would be last for me you know”, he chuckled with cocksuredness. “It’s a man’s world, man; it always will be, man”.
“Hmm, hmm”, gulped a rather resigned Manuel as he looked into the eyes of a soon quirking Bobby.
“No need growing green with envy over my possessing a virgin who'd forever lick my feet in humble adoration for all I've done in her life?" he mocked with laughter. “Tuition fees, free meals, clothing, shopping...name it!” he boasted throatily.
Manuel nodded in the direction behind Bobby who soon turned around with a quirked expression.
Bobby's quirked expression deepened as he looked straight ahead. "You should have called before coming. I could be positively engaged right now-?" posed an unashamed Bobby as he continued to look straight into the eyes of a silent and doubtless stunning black Desola.
Manuel sighed gently as the silence in the room lingered.

An engagement ring slid down a beautiful finger.
Two beautiful fingers dropped the ring gently on a stool.
The same fingers dropped a car key beside the ring.

A teary eyed woman stood to her full height as she looked straight at an angry and pride-hurt Bobby. She turned around as if to walk out of the room in a moment.
"Step out of this room, Desola, and consider yourself down and out!" quietly hissed a self-assured Bobby behind a departing woman. Rage filled his eyes as he looked down at the ring and key on the stool.
A self-assured Bobby looked up and smiled with annoying mockery.
"You may leave", merely spoke a most annoying and self-assured man.
“I will, Bobby McClaire-at least I spared myself the heart aches of your many sexually transmitted diseases”, she laughed throatily, stunning both men.
“How dare you? How dare you speak to me with such disdain, you good for nothing-!” Bobby raved as he stepped towards an undeterred woman.
“Hey, man!” cautioned a rather disturbed Manuel at Bobby’s advancement towards her.
The couple stood face to face in anger and wounded pride.
“Take back your words right now, and I’ll just pretend this never happened!” Bobby advised arrogantly with gritted teeth.
“You sure aren’t man enough for me, Bobby McClaire, the top football star!” Desola hissed with annoying and shocking conclusion, her eyes meeting those of a silently raging and murderous looking man.
“You whore!” Bobby spat out as he quaked with sheer rage.
“You dog!” she hit back at a man who soon grabbed her neck in fury.

"Damn!" cussed an emerging and horrified Manuel as Desola struggled on the floor with a strangling Bobby. “Jesu Christo!” he muttered in horror as Desola became still suddenly. He reached for a murderous Bobby shortly after.

Blood tickled from the corners of the mouth of a still Desola on the floor as Manuel struggled to overpower a raging and murderous Bobby some feet away from her.

(MANY DAYS AFTER)

A badly bruised Desola lain on a hospital bed on a life-support.

(NIGERIA, WEST AFRICA)

"Hi”, spoke a young, simple dressed and very charming Luke Lenski to a young, attractive, black woman closeby as they both stood opposite their respective shop attendants on the floor of a shopping mall. “Luke”, he added with a warm smile.
“Hi-Mabel”, she replied with an air of snobbery that merely amused and a silently watching him. “Let me have another of those”, she directed her attendant with an air of arrogance as she pointed to a bottle of perfume close by. She quirked her brows in arrogance as a complying attendant reached for the bottle of perfume.
A dryly amused man watched a rather arrogant woman order for more times while his own attendant walked away.
“Hmm...interesting. Highly entertaining”, he muttered dryly in silence as he watched her attendant package the new items. “Thank you”, he mumbled calmly as a returning attendant handed him a small wrapped gift.
Mabel and Luke conversed with their respective attendants, seemingly unaware of the presence of each other.

“The car key”, muttered a rather arrogant Mabel stiffly to her silently displeased attendant. She threw the key on the counter. the key soon slid towards a seemingly calm attendant.
“I’ll get someone to do that, madam”, muttered an otherwise calm attendant, quite to Mabel’s irritation.
“Whore!” Mabel silently cussed as she felt the eyes of Luke on her briefly. “Damn! He saw this happen! You slut!” she cussed irritably under her breath as she turned towards an otherwise calm attendant direct someone on a phone nearby.
“Someone will be with you shortly, madam’, informed an attendant who smiled warmly.
“Whore!” Mabel spat silently with disdain at an otherwise calm and smiling attendant who soon got herself busy. “Loser!” she hissed under her breath, a moment before the arrival of a tall, handsome uniformed man. “Hmm, handsome, and good to eat”, she remarked under her breath in amusement. She soon looked in the direction of Luke who was passing some directives to an attentive attendant behind the counter. “You haven’t done enough, boy”, she silently addressed Luke. “I’m hot and sizzling!” she spoke with pouted lips. “Hot and highly exciting!” she boasted as if advertising herself.
“Good evening, ma’m”, spoke a doubtless good looking attendant closely beside Mabel.
“Oh!” Mabel merely mumbled with quirked brows as she appraised a calm, young male attendant. “Take my purchase out!” she directed with her right fingers rather snobbishly.
“Yes, ma’m”, responded a polite and soon complying man.

“Thank you”, muttered Luke calmly as he picked a tiny box placed before him by a doubtless happy and dutiful attendant opposite him.
Luke and Mabel studied each other in silence for a couple of seconds.

“Good evening, sir. It’s really an honour having you here!” spoke an emerging, young, handsome, polite, male figure closely opposite an attentive Luke. “Thank you for doing business with us, sir”, added a strangely informed man, getting the attention of a seemingly departing Mabel some feet away.
“You’re welcome”, remarked Luke with dry amusement. “And you are?”
““I’m Mr. Michael Yori, the Branch Manager”, introduced a doubtless respectful man as he stood closer to a friendly looking Luke.

“Damn!” muttered a rather apprehensive Mabel as she watched both men shake hands warmly. “Something’s missing here! I’m not getting something here!” she laughed to herself, as she shook her head severally. “What’s so special about him?” she laughed with disdain, though not feeling any better inside. “No, I feel I’m wrong this time!” she laughed dryly to herself as she tactfully watched the manager speak politely to a silently attentive Luke. “Who could he be then?” she laughed irritably to herself. “Certainly, he really can’t be that important around here?” she laughed throatily without believing herself. “Nothing really new and sensational happens here in this city without my knowledge! Nothing happens without your knowledge, babe girl, nothing” boasted a self-assured woman to herself as both men spoke on. “Hmm, I must not be dull! You must not be dull, babe girl, you sure must open your eyes-shine them!” she urged herself irritably, and then made to return to the counter.

“Thank you, doctor! I’m sure this would be most useful for my wife and me!” laughed a thankful manager as he kept a small note in his breast pocket. “Thank you, doctor; thank you so much”.
“Thank you!” replied a rather dramatic and humorous Luke.
“Doctor? Not my type, nope, not my type!” she muttered rather dryly, as she shook her head severally, closely beside the counter. “Syringe master”, she laughed caustically, as if discarding any thought of relationship with Luke.
“May I be of assistance to you again, ma?” posed the same attendant officially. She smiled dryly as she awaited the reply of a silently resentful Mabel.
“Get out!” Mabel waved her off with her hands. “Ouch! Ouch!” Mabel cried in sudden agony.
“Trouble there, doctor!” quickly muttered a concerned manager, pointing in the direction of a still anguishing Mabel. He looked at a strangely amused Luke with appeal as an attendant reached the side of Mabel.
“Damn! Damn you!” Mabel hissed irritably under her breath as she tactfully eyed a seemingly distracted Luke some metres away. "Damn you!" she cussed at an approaching attendant with gritted teeth.
"Are you ok?" posed a rather smiling and mocking attendant as she reached the side of a doubtless hostile Mabel.
“Get here now!” she hissed irritably under her breath as she hopped on one leg and soon leaned on a counter nearby.

“She’ll be ok”, Luke spoke calmly, easily restraining a now somewhat disturbed manager from moving towards Mabel. "The attendant would do", he added, nodding in the direction of Mabel and the attendant now standing standing beside a rather hostile and rather dramatic Mabel in the near distance. “Not that anything was ever wrong with her”, he spoke with silent amusement.
“Hoops!” remarked a suddenly amused manager with understanding. “Sprained her foot, my foot!” laughed a dryly amused man. “I can’t bet my whole year’s pay that she didn’t spray no ankle!” laughed a mocking man.
Luke chuckled dryly in amusement as he watched an amused manager compose himself. “Michael”.
“Nothing really”, he spoke plainly.
“Ok, doctor?” replied an attentive and still dryly amused manager.
“Thanks, doctor. I must attend to some other unfinished ‘business’”, he laughed and soon departed from a silently amused Luke Lenski.
“Hmm”, Luke mumbled dryly in amusement as memories of his treatment of a supposedly hurting Mabel came calling.

“Hello, Tracy”, spoke a new-look and calm Mabel on the phone.
“Hello, Mabel. Any new catch?” chuckled a dark attractive woman seated behind a desk.
“Trust Mabel”, chuckled a proud Mabel, “Trust me, babe. I’m ever ready, ready for exploits in the world of men”.
“I trust you, babe, I really do!” chuckled an amused Tracy.
Silence.
“I need you to check on someone important for me: Dr. Luke Lenski”, Mabel breathed determinedly.
“Sure, babe girl”.
“You are on the console, Tracy”, Mabel spoke rather arrogantly. “Yeah-you need not remind me of how competent I am with facts finding on men who matter”, Tracy laughed throatily. “However I need more facts about him...from you”, she spoke rather officiously.
“Hmm...ok”, Mabel consented.
“I’m all ears”, laughed Tracy rather dryly.
“You can’t corner me and won’t-slut!” Mable cussed hatefully under her breath. “He seems kind of new in town to me...and loaded”, Mabel expressed to herself firmly as she looked straight ahead.

“All I need to do with the found facts from that slut Tracy is certainly my business!” Mabel told herself assuredly as she stepped forward calculatedly, her eyes fixed to the distance. “All you need do babe is certainly up to you-your business, babe girl! Hmm, I must do all I have to do before any other whore steps out for the same mission”, she spoke with finality. “I don’t even trust you, Tracy-whore!” she spat out contemptibly.

“The sauce’s good for the goose; it’s certainly sauce and good for the gander”, Tracy spoke firmly in her mind as she stood looking out of a window some feet away from her desk. “I’d rather be dead than have you have this newest sensation”, she chuckled with great pleasure. “The boy isn’t yours, Mabel Whore! He never has been; he never will be...!” she avowed with utmost sincerity.

(EUROPE)

"Take a break, child", came the gentle voice of a middle-aged black woman over a phone. "I'm so glad the relationship didn't work out, Desola. A man who is convinced you are indebted to him for his 'investments' on you isn't worth spending the rest of your life with, Desola", she chuckled with an undertone of sarcasm.
A wry smile curled up on the lips of the figure on the other end of the line.
Both women chuckled dryly over the line some seconds after.
"How are you really feeling, now, Des?" pressed a concerned older woman.
“Living”, Desola replied with a tinge of sadness that didn’t go unnoticed by the other woman.
“The break up still hurts, hmm?”
“Kind of, doc; kind of”, Desola laughed dryly. "Thanks for the concern, Dr. Meg", she added thankfully.
"Just doing my job, Des", laughed Dr. Meg, a much older woman with dry amusement.
Silence.
"It hurts; it really hurts", Desola choked in true confession. She sighed deeply as she looked out of a window.
"I understand, sweetheart, really I do", replied a kind-hearted, Dr. Meg. "It sure hurts deeply, but see a whole future ahead of you. Refusing sex or co-habitation may seem crazy in this new age, but believing in your dignity as a woman means more than the whole wealth and comfort Bobby or anyone else could ever give you. What's the point of basking in opulence and yet feel unloved and be unloved?"
"No use, doctor", mumbled Desola dryly. She chuckled dryly as a warm smile curled up on her lips.
"You aren't ashamed of being 'dumped', or are you?" Dr. Meg posed gently.
"No, I'm not ashamed; I’m just deflated at the turn of events, that’s all. I really thought he was different; but I was wrong", Desola chuckled with a wry smile.
"No doubt you were wrong", silently chuckled a strangely self-satisfied Dr. Meg. "You could start afresh, child. A vacation in Africa could do", she suggested with a tinge of humour and sincerity that puzzled a soon frowning Desola.
"Africa?" Desola posed amusingly.
“Africa. A whole new world where true love could be found-no; rather where love meets and destinies are sharpened for forever”, Dr. Meg posed rather philosophically.
“Doubtful”, Desola laughed rather sarcastically. “No”, she laughed affirmatively.
"I have a couple of contacts down there. Nice. Cool. Inspiring. Banjul, Douala, Jos, Dakar...” Dr. Meg drooled on.
A strangely amused Desola awaited the next words of Dr. Meg.
"Those lands are green, child, really green; that's one solid reason to hearken to the words of elders, you know? she filled in with a tinge of amusement.
"Green lands", chuckled Desola dryly. “Could reconsider, Dr. Meg”, she conceded with a dry smile.
"Ever thought of living far away?"
"No, Dr. Meg-not really. The idea sounds appealing now-I really can't explain why", Desola laughed dryly.
"Hmm. Perhaps your root is calling deeply now", spoke a strangely emphatic doctor. “Africa, sweetheart, Africa it is. A touch of Africa should do the magic”.
“I don’t believe in magic- I only know my Redeemer lives”, Desola expressed with gentle simplicity.
“Whatever! Whatever!” Dr. Meg spoke with nonchalance. “What I believe at the moment is that you, Des could step into the game of love too! I know you well enough to bet with my medical licence that you would never regret your soon-to-be-made decision of settling down somewhere in ‘Africa’ after your proposed vacation in Africa!”
“I never agreed to vacating in Africa, doc!” laughed a rather mocking Desola.
“Meg-Call me, Meg”, put in a strangely sincere older woman. “If only you knew”, she spoke silently with passion.
“Meg...I’ll try”, Desola conceded rather reluctantly.
“Believe me, sweetheart Desola; nothing will spoil your joy. I just have that feeling, that pleasant feeling in me that you will turn out to be totally in charge of your own life once you choose to follow my advice”.
“And relocate to Africa”, Desola filled in with amusing laughter.
“Exactly! That’s what I’ve been trying to say all along!” posed a humorous Dr. Meg.
They both laughed dryly in a moment.
"Why not spend a month or two down there? I have been having this craze about the African continent lately, and I just can’t figure out why! Anyway, it’d do you a lot of good to be far away from here. All you need do is say yes, and bingo-bam, you’re in Africa!” laughed a strangely pressing, older figure.
“I’ll reconsider”.
“Please do”.
“I will”.
“Let me know when your mind’s made about the vacation, Des”.
“I will. Thanks”.
“You’re welcome, babe, you’re welcome”, concluded a strangely self-satisfied doctor.
They both hung up shortly after.
“I wish you the very best of vacation, child”, muttered a strangely passionate Dr. Meg under her breath.
“Thanks, doctor. You kind of sound like a mother worried about her dearly beloved daughter” Desola chuckled dryly.
“There are so many things you don’t know, child, many things”, silently spoke a sober doctor.
“There are many things I want to know about me; there are so many things I want to know about you, Desola”, an emotion-laden Desola spoke silently to herself over the phone.

Midnight.

“The truth has to be told. The truth about your root, where you came from and how you did cannot be concealed forever!” silently muttered a passionate Dr. Meg as she sat in the centre of her bedroom. “I’m not really an angel out to reach out to you, Desola. “How could anyone ever have thought of dumping a babe you? How could anyone in her right senses, how could any sane man ever have allowed such a wonderful package from heaven-you- be left in the garbage to die?” posed a passionate woman in anger, tears filling her eyes.

A strangely determined Desola reached the side of a window.
She flustered her eyelashes with slow determined movement as she made to stare out of the window. “I must be free!” she avowed determinedly under her breath as she continued to stare out of the window. “I sure am walking away from the troubles in my life!” she breathed meaningfully. “I must get my whole life back. Breaking up with a man who sees you as an object to be showcased is not the end of the world”, she chuckled with a wry smile. “My tomorrow will be fine. It’s left for me to prove that I, Desola Martins deserve the best in life, of life and from life. I’m a survivor; I sure am one”, she muttered with depth.

TO BE CONTINUED

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