Gini's heart pounded as she walked with Juwon to the eatery beside the store. She'd woken up this morning with her day planned. She was going to check the store and take note of everything available. She hadn't expected Juwon to show up while she was at it, she didn't even know he was currently in town. He had appeared so suddenly. She hadn't known what to do except hug him.

It had been ten years! Ten solid years without seeing nor hearing from him. She didn't expect him to know how to get in touch with her over the years so there was no resentment on her part. On his? She couldn't be sure. Would he understand why she had to skip town? It had been for his sake but she couldn't tell him that without painting her dead father in a rather negative light.

Juwon had changed physically. He was no longer the thin boy she fell in love with. He was still lanky but with a wider shoulder and taller frame. They used to be so closed in colour but his complexion was now several shades lighter than hers. It was obvious he worked indoor and had a means of transportation that didn't involve walking to work under the sun.

Gini entered the eatery and allowed Juwon pick the table. She asked for a cup of green tea and watched him from under her lashes. He had a long scar on the side of his face and she wondered how he'd gotten it.

"You got taller," he said.

Gini stirred her tea. "You said I would."

"That I did. I just didn't expect you to be taller than me."

"It's like half an inch difference."

"Yea. You cut your hair."

Gini touched her cropped hair before placing her hand back on her lap. She could understand that they were both nervous but was that all he was going to keep saying? Observing all the differences between her new self and her old self.

"I like it cropped," she finally said. She didn't, but he didn't have to know she cut it because she could no longer afford the trips to the saloon.

"Good choice. You look so much younger."

"Thanks."

Gini took a sip of her tea and looked at Juwon who was still studying her. He looked more handsome than she'd ever dreamt. His eyebrows were dark and wild, she used to help tame them back then. His nose was longer and broader now and his lips remained the same, the upper lip was still fuller than the lower lip.

"I'm sorry about Big Fred. I was at the church yesterday to pay my last respect."

"I came into town yesterday. I was also at the church but I didn't notice you there."

"That's because I left early, I had something to attend to."

"It was really nice of you to attend the service."

"It's the right thing to do."

Gini smiled as he brushed it off. Juwon was still the cool headed boy that caught her attention ten years ago. Not many people would attend the funeral of the man that caught them in bed with his daughter.

"How have you been? Did you ever leave town for greener pastures?"

"My dad died few months after you left so I dropped out of school and moved somewhere else."

"I'm so sorry to hear about that." Juwon's dad had been such a cool person. He used to treat her like an adult whenever he saw her. He was the only parent in town that didn't report back to other parents when he saw their kids in places they shouldn't be. "He was such an awesome person and to lose him at such young age...how did you survive it?"

"Truthfully, I almost didn't."

Gini watched as Juwon tried to rein his emotions in. It was obvious the loss still affected him.

"Did you ever see a professional?"

"You mean like a shrink?"

"A therapist, yes."

"I was too broke for such endeavors. Why did you leave town? It was so sudden and unexpected."

Gini tried to remain calm as Juwon waited for an answer. Her palm became sweaty as the silence dragged on.

"You don't have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable. The last thing I'd want to do is make you divulge things you're not comfortable sharing."

"Thanks for understanding."

"Of course."

Juwon checked his wrist and Gini stood before he could say anything. "I need to meet someone. I'll see you around."

She rushed out of the eatery before he could reply and quickly crossed the street. Gini called her sister as she walked to the lawyer's office.

"Mama, I saw him," she sad.

"Who?"

"Juwon."

"No way."

"He came into the store as I was cleaning."

"How does he look now?"

"More handsome than ever." She couldn't sop blushing. "He looks rich, his clothes looked dry cleaned and he had this air about him."

"Yea, I know what you're talking about. Did you talk to him?"

"We went somewhere to talk and he asked why I left town."

"Of course he'd ask. What did you tell him?"

"Nothing. I told him I was going to see the lawyer and left."

"Just like that?"

"I couldn't tell him."

"How will you tell him about the kids then."

"When next I see him."

"Don't you think you have to get to know him before dumping such information on his lap? You need to know who your kids are going to be calling daddy. You don't want to end up like mom."

"He's nothing like dad."

"You don't know that. You've not seen nor talked to this guy for ten years, he's practically a stranger. What makes you think he even wants a kid let alone three? He's just twenty-five."

Gini's hands shook. "Why are you scaring me?"

"Use your brain, that's all. Talk to you later."

Gini dumped her phone in her bag. Her sister just had to ruin everything by being negative. She had been happy to see Juwon and now she was terrified.

She got to Mr. George's firm and the chubby, male receptionist led her into his office. She saw him sitting behind a glass table with papers scattered all over it. His head was buried in the file he was reading until he noticed her.

"Ms Gini." He stood and came around the desk to shake her hand.

"Mr. George."

"Sit, sit." He looked at his receptionist. "Get her a glass of water."

Gini took her seat and folded her hands on her laps. Mr. George adjusted his tie and cleared his desk. His charcoal dark hair that was obviously dyed and permed stood in an unfashionable manner at the back of his neck. Gini took the glass the receptionist placed on the table and took a sip of water as Mr. George arranged his office. He got a file from the cabinet behind his desk and sat.

"Your father had no will."

That didn't come as a surprise to Gini. She nodded and Mr. George opened the file.

"His property will be shared amongst his living offsprings, that's both you and your sister."

"Is there a property left though? I saw the unpaid bills and mortgages. His house is going to be taken by the bank. The store was going to be sold. What exactly happened?"

Mr. George closed the file and placed his elbows on the desk. "Your father went broke because he was competing with a new store in town."

"Why would he compete? He had the biggest store in town."

"A bigger one came about two years ago."

"Bigger than my dad's? That's impossible and even if that did happen, it wouldn't matter because he had the best price."

"Well, he didn't anymore."

"He bought directly from the manufacturer," she argued.

"This new store wanted his customers so they slashed their prices. Their goods became cheaper than the market value."

"That's insane. How would they make profit?"

"They didn't intend to. They wanted people trooping in and out of the store by any means and they got what they wanted."

"Is that ethical? Didn't anyone stop them? The elders, other grocery sellers, anyone at all?"

"They wanted to see Big Fred lose more than they cared about the other stuff."

"So this new store continued selling for cheaper prices without going bankrupt?"

"They stopped when Big Fred cut his prices also."

"Why would he do that? He could have waited. They couldn't have kept at it forever."

"They did for two months. He was getting desperate and wanted his customers back so he joined in the madness."

"If you can't beat them, join them, I guess."

"Exactly."

"So he went broke."

"Not yet. He sold his cars and got back on his feet when he got his customers back."

"What happened then."

"The other store started sending customers on vacation. I'm talking about expensive trips with all expense paid."

Gini shook her head. Who could compete with that? Even she would have bought from them for a chance to leave the country. "Tell me Big Fred didn't join in this nonsense."

"He did."

Gini stood from her seat and sat back. "Why would he try to compete when he should have just maintained his lane?"

"Pride, maybe. He was always on top and suddenly he wasn't. He tried to get back up by borrowing from the bank in town but he was turned down so he went outside the state."

"That's so desperate."

"He used his house as collateral for the loan."

"What about the other properties he had?"

"Seized since he couldn't pay his mortgage."

"Is there any silver lining to this story at all?" she asked in exasperation. Life hadn't been so good to her and even in her father's death, she couldn't catch a break.

"He paid the bank before he died so the foreclosure letter you saw is old."

She breathed out. "The other properties?"

"I'm working on getting them back. He had few pieces of land around so I'm selling them to pay his debts."

"Is the store safe?"

"It is."

"Is the other store still around?"

"It became a mall. Big Fred couldn't compete even when he tried to."

"There's a mall in town?" she asked in awe.

"Yes. It's close to the express, great location really."

"The land must have cost a fortune. Do you know who owns it?"

"The owner sold it to a company and they turned it to a mall."

"Can I leave town tomorrow? There's nothing for me to do here."

"If you can stay for a week, I'll have everything sorted out by then and we'll never have to see each other again."

"I'll stay then." Gini stood with a smile. "Bye."

"I'll walk you out."

Mr. George adjusted his belt as he stood and followed her out. Gini smiled as the dark skinned man invited her for dinner with his family. He said his wife would appreciate the company and she beamed at his generousity. She accepted his invitation and walked home.