The Joker

The heavy snoring on my side is what wakes me up, for a minute I almost freeze thinking it’s a tractor in the house and then I remember – I picked up a girl from the bar and brought her home. I have reached a level where I stopped being disgusted with myself because this is the life I chose, I might as well just enjoy it whilst doing so.

I get out of bed and walk to the bathroom, I don’t know what the time is but the throbbing headache needs a pain killer and if I don’t get one I might just lose my mind.

After peeing, brushing my teeth and taking a quick bath, I wear something decent and walk out of my room. I know my phone is somewhere in the living room because it’s rear that I sleep with it when drunk.

Robin is looking at her laptop when I get down the stairs.

‘Shit.’ I curse making her look up to me

‘Good morning to you too Mr. Chileshe.’

‘Good morning Rob.’ I say

I have always shortened her name and though she hated her growing up, she had no choice but to get accustomed to it.

‘Going somewhere?’ she asks not looking at me

‘I need Ibuprofen, I have a headache from hell.’

‘I put some on the kitchen counter for you.’ She says

‘Thank you.’

I walk to the kitchen and true to her word she has put the pack of medicine there, next to it is an unopened bottle of water and my phone.

I take two tablets and drink before switching on my phone. I honestly hate her seeing me like this but I had no idea she was back home from school.

Robin is the youngest amongst us, Jaelynn is second whilst I am the first. Our mother died when I was twelve then dad died fourteen years after her, after her death he dedicated his time to the company and it was in rare cases that we felt his presence. I was forced to grow up faster than my age because I had to take up the role of a father and lucky for me my sisters turned out okay. Jaelynn is a doctor and married to an amazing man. They have a child on the way. Robin is in her third year studying law at the university of Zambia whilst I am an accountant by profession. My two sisters have refused to ever work in the company because they feel like that is the place that robbed us of our father whilst I still labor there because despite his faults he loved it and I can’t let his legacy die. We all have huge shares and if one of us decided to stop working today, we would still live a million years later depending on the shares. But none of us was raised that way.

‘I am going to the office.’ I say back in the living room

She stops what she is doing to look at me for the first time.

‘And the bimbo in your bed?’

I laugh, it’s funny.

‘You know that wasn’t supposed to be funny right?’

‘I know, I am sorry.’

She rolls her eyes.

‘Give her some money or something when she wakes up.’

She eyes me, that ‘are you stupid’ kind of eye.

‘Rob I wouldn’t know what to do with her when she wakes up and besides I need to be at the office.’

‘Ryan we have talked about this times without number, you just can’t bring girls home and expect me to clean up your mess.’

‘I swear this is the last time.’

She shakes her head

‘You said that two weeks ago.’

‘I am sorry.’

‘We both know you are not and after you pick up your ego you will do it again.’

I sigh, I hate how Robin is never scared of talking to me. She is six years younger than me and yet she is the one who knows how to put me in my place, Lynn on the other hand has always been scared of me. And I don’t blame her, I gave her a hard time growing up because I didn’t want her to ruin her future.

‘You are turning thirty in a few months, it’s time to grow.’ She sys going back to her laptop

‘When are you going back to school?’ I ask instead

She laughs

‘You are the same monster who doesn’t want me to have my own apartment, you are the same one who drives in the middle of the night to pick me up when I sleep out. Even Lynn and her husband think I hate them because you are overly protective.’

I scratch my head, she has a point but I can’t allow her to know that I think she is telling the truth.

‘I promise to do better.’

‘And find a girl to build a stable relationship with, you will get sick one of these days.’

‘I use protection.’

‘Ryan please leave, I won’t be punished by hearing about your sexual adventures.’

I laugh, going to her then kissing her cheek full.

‘I love you.’

‘Like you have a choice.’ she responds before laughing

I grab the nearest scatter pillow and hit her.

‘You didn’t.’ she says standing up from her sit and I have to run so she doesn’t do anything crazy.

I get into my car and drive off, honestly I would have rather stayed home and gotten some sleep but I don’t want to be there when the girl in my bed wakes up. Well that isn’t even my bedroom, I use it each time when I take a girl home. No girl has ever entered my bedroom except my sisters and the house help.

I get to the office and immediately people start moving about trying to find something to do – just anything. That is the kind of man I am, I command power wherever I go and I don’t tolerate nonsense in the business world.