What this household has missed is a firm female hand.
When she’s satisfied with the order of things, dressed in the Benares silk sari Bunty gifted her, she tosses her empty beer to the maid and sweeps out of the building back to the mansion she as good as owns.
But as she’s about to enter, she’s intercepted by one of Bunty’s bodyguards.
Bunty is waiting for her in his glasshouse. A golf buggy will take her there.
Twisting and turning through the wooded path.
Two more guards stand across the entrance.
Farah strides toward them, head raised.
* * *
—
“Papa!” she says when she sees him inside.
She gives him a great, lingering hug, presses her cheek to his chest, inhales his cologne. When they part he says, “Let’s take a walk.”
They stroll in silence.
“What are you thinking?” Bunty asks.
“How happy I am today.” She glances at him. “Here with you.”
“You don’t need to flatter me.” He smiles. “I know you’re asking: What does this old man want with me?”
She pulls a horrified face. “Papa, you’re not old.”
He frowns slightly. “I feel it today, after all these years.”
“It’s natural on a day like this.”
He nods. “It marks a change.”
They walk on. There’s a cloud over him, she sees.
“What are you thinking, Papa?”
“All this will be his one day.”
“And you worry.”
“About many things.”
“That’s normal.”
“I told you,” he says, “about his incident last year.”
“You did.”
“It left him changed. He’s angry. Never satisfied.”
“What man is?” she says.
He touches her arm. “The man who’s married to you.”
“Don’t tease, Papa.”
“He’s too emotional.” He pauses. “He goes on his mother that way.”
She nods sympathetically. “Fortunately that’s not me. I can’t work miracles, but I promise,” she stands to attention and gives a chirpy salute, “I’ll whip him into shape.”
He laughs. “I’m sure you will.”
“I’ve managed men like Sunny all my life,” she says. “It’s child’s play. I’m good with children. When I’m in charge, they never misbehave.”
“He’s lucky to have you.”
They walk on.
“What I’m more concerned about,” she says, “is learning from you. Do you remember what you said to me in Bhutan?”
“I said many things.”
“You said, ‘I don’t expect you to marry the man, or even the family, I expect you to marry the business.’ You were honest from the start and I liked that. I saw it as an opportunity.” She points to a plant. “What’s this?”
“Solandra maxima. The Golden Cup Vine.”
“And that one?”
“Fire lily. Gloriosa.”
“It’s lovely.”
“And poisonous.”
“This is my favorite,” he says, leading her on a spell. “The Shenzhen Nongke orchid.”
“It’s quite plain.”
He smiles. “It’s not in bloom. But it is very expensive. Do you know why?”
“Because it’s rare?”
“Because it’s man-made.”
He slips his hand into his pocket and pulls out a jewelry box.
“What’s that, Papa?”
“I have something for you.”
Inside: a huge diamond ring.
“Papa!”
“A gift for a girl without sentiment.”
“It’s beautiful.”
“I took care to pick it out. It’s from Sierra Leone.”
She looks at him with a mischievous smile. “Where my family’s dreams went to die.”
“Consider them reborn.” He lifts it from its nest and places it on her index finger. “A perfect fit.”
“Now,” she says, taking out a pack of cigarettes from her purse. “Let’s talk business.”
He opens his hands wide. “Proceed.”
“I’m not that pretty,” she says, “and any fool can give birth to a son. You want to expand territory. Am I right?”
He smiles. “You are.”
“This being the case,” she goes on, “a decision has to be made.”
“A decision?” Bunty replies, amused.