Aunt Mahiba residence
After a moment, he took out his phone, dialed the number of his African assistant and announced:
– Peter, we had a little accident, Ivv fell unhappily on a rock.
Arrange medical help quickly. You will need a doctor and transport to the hospital. „You’ve done great. I applied for a special bonus for you, I hope you will be satisfied with its amount.
– May I ask how much will I get?
– Tomorrow morning, you will have five hundred thousand Afrieger reais in your account. I hope it will be enough for some good investment.
– Oh, yes, it will be enough! I’m thinking of buying a mansion for me and Aunt Mahiba. I would have somewhere to come back from the big world. He always draws a man to his homeland.
– Have fun! The chancellor ended the conversation.
The next day the money was indeed in York’s account, and if so, there was nothing to stop him from looking for a suitable residence. After looking at several properties, he settled on a two-story villa in the El Taar district.
– I will make an office on the ground floor, I will occupy the first floor myself, and I will put Aunt Mahiba on the second floor. From the terrace she will have a view of the whole city – he concluded.
The residence looked tempting. There were about two hundred square meters of living space on each floor. A long corridor led to numerous rooms. Right at the entrance, on the right, there was a living room consisting of two parts – the first, a conversational one with sofas and armchairs. In the background, on a small elevation, there is a part for consumption.
Ornate chandeliers hung from the ceiling over both sections. Next was a room intended for a bedroom with a bathroom. A long corridor closed off the guest room, also with a separate bathroom. Another room could be used as an office. The list of rooms was completed with a small bathroom for guests and a spacious kitchen. A winding staircase of white marble snaked between the different floors of the mansion. There was a garden around the house.
York liked everything, so he signed the contract with a broker and gave him an advance.
– You can try to move in – the realtor suggested.
– I’d like to take advantage of that opportunity – replied York.
After a week, the furnishings of the residence were completed and York was able to live there. Aunt Mahiba was due to move in soon. Even though the mansion was a dream come true, being alone in it made York feel uncomfortable. Everything was too big. He was sitting in front of the TV when the phone rang.
– York, I’m listening. It was Mac Forral who wanted to come to Afrieer.
– You know, old man, after what I’ve been through, it turns out that I need rest, too – confessed the chancellor.
– You’re welcome, of course – replied York.
– I can come in three days, will it be okay? – Mac Forral asked.
– Yes, of course, I’ll replenish the equipment a bit. I invite you, of course, to me.
In three days, he picked up Mac Forral from the airport and brought him to the mansion. An African boy in his teens was sitting near the gate, and when he saw York’s car he jumped up and waved at him. The car stopped and waited for the worn mechanism of the heavy gate to open it fully.
– I could open your gate faster than that machine – said the boy to York. I could sit here all day and wait for you to come out of town – he added.
– Yes? Could you open a gate like that? – York asked.
– Of course, I could – replied the boy.
– How much would I have to pay you? – asked York, intrigued by the boy’s position.
– Oh, it wouldn’t cost you much. Twenty Afrieger reals for one opening replied the boy.
– The deal is done, I’m hiring you.
– Okay, sir – the boy replied, beaming.
Since that conversation, every time York got into the car, the gate was already open for him. It was the same with returns. As soon as the car appeared on the horizon of the street, the boy ran to the gate and opened it with great skill. The chancellor, having slept through all the arrears, asked York if they could explore the area together.
The first to go was the castle built by Viceroy Tam-Ben Bey, who ruled Rhattan seven centuries ago. The town was no less famous than Afrieer and was two hours away by car. They arrived at the castle early in the morning to inspect the whole area before the greatest heat that started at ten o’clock this time of year.
A local guide was waiting for them, who interestingly told them about the history of the construction of the castle and its changing administrators. The first part they saw was a room called by the local diwanem, where governor Tam-Ben Bey received visitors. When he grew weary of requests, he could go to the part occupied by the governor’s thirty wives. Farther still to the right was the chamber of his favorite wife. Which of them had the honor and pleasure of being the favorite? The guide didn’t know that.
– How did the other twenty nine wives sweeten their bitter moments?- Mac Forral asked.
– Although drinking bitter coffee, with very sweet Afrieger biscuits – replied the castle guide.
– By the way, after the tour, I invite you to such a treat. We make cookies according to the original recipe from seven centuries ago – he added.
- Well, it doesn't look like a five-star hotel.
They’ve seen almost everything. The guide also suggested seeing the panorama of the old part of the city of Rhattan from the terrace connected to the chamber of his favorite wife. He opened the door and invited visitors. York had heard much about this beautiful sight since childhood, especially in the morning. With the impatience of a boy familiar with the history of these lands, he strode briskly onto the narrow terrace. He took a few steps so that the posts supporting the canopy were clear of anything. The guide stopped in the doorway, and Mac Forral stayed in his favorite wife’s chamber.
– I’ll join you in a moment – he called. My shoelace came undone, I need to fix it.
– Come on, it’s really beautiful here! – cried York. At that moment, he felt something completely unheard of even in augmented reality classes. A section of the narrow terrace separated itself from the rest and descended like an elevator into a room that looked like a medieval dungeon. The door bolted from the outside clicked, and the elevator supposedly went up, leaving York on the unhooked floor. York, accustomed to surprises during training, sat calmly on the platform, which served as a bed, and looked around.
– Well, it doesn’t look like a five star hotel – he said. Of course, the phone was out of range. He was alone, and he didn’t know if it was the real world or another version of it from the virtual borderland. The guide calmly said to Mac Forral:
– So, I invite you for a bitter coffee and the famous rhattan very sweet cookies, since we consider the ordered program of this trip to be completed. What could York do in the new situation in which he found himself? Get some sleep, lie down, and think about what he hasn’t thought about in his life. And finally, sing soprano. In all other places, his passion for singing like this would be ambiguous, at least, here he had no such dilemmas. So he sang as much as he could.
– It’s not there, the virus – Mac Forral said weakly.
– Do you feel that he’s not there?- the doctor asked.
– Oh, no, I guess I was attacked by that damn Virus aureus, and if so, it must exist … well, who would have thought … – whispered the chancellor.
– How long might it take? – asked Mac Forral.
– No one knows – replied the doctor.
Days passed and Mac Forral could not leave his bathroom even for a moment.
– I’d rather lose my memory than my ability to be around people – he cried to himself. He called the president with words of excuse.
– I can’t leave the house, Mr. President – he reported.
– Since you can’t be around people, we must elect a new chancellor. It is not known how long such a Virus aureus infection lasts in the stomach. I accept your resignation. Congratulations on your digestive capacity. Be glad you’re clear, the president exclaimed.
– Mr. President, please…- Mac Forral moaned.
– Remember that politics is an occupation for people with strong heads and stomachs. Oh, and one more thing, Mac Forral, never asks the president what he whispers to women – he added.
– Mr. President, but I…- Mac Forral’s phone clicked as it hung up. He asked the doctor again for a home visit.
– Despite following all the recommendations, my digestive tract is not returning to normal. Doctor, how much longer will this take? – He asked.
– No one knows – replied the doctor.
– If you develop a full-blown gold fever infection, it may stay with you for the rest of your life… If it doesn’t go away after four weeks, you’ll know it’s incurable.
– Don’t be joking!- shouted Mac Forral. He was supposed to sit at home on the toilet for the rest of his life??? He won’t even be able to invest the twenty percent of the amount that went to Sarmalandia as a grant? That would be the worst complication of this damn infection. Meanwhile, work on the implementation of the Muti Vir-Virr vaccination required further research, this time conducted in the Union of Autonomous States.
To give the case an appropriate setting, it was decided to honor Professors Bohner and Lenton with the Golden Orders of the Green Olive. The technical side of the visit was to be handled by York’s deputy at the Unforgettable Group, Jerry Bell. Of course, a visit to Afrieer was necessary for topographical details. After seeing the scenery of Bibase, Jerry was offered a visit to Rhattan, which he gladly agreed to.
Definitely. Everyone returns to their homeland. President Benjamin Grant easily won the next election, and the rejoicing in the party of the rich was great. The team of closest associates has been assembled. The president ordered York to be summoned, who had meanwhile been promoted to head of the Unforgettable Group. York didn’t know what he was supposed to do in the Triangular Office. He walked rather confident that he would be given a new, breakneck task to perform.
– York, you are so capable and well-trained that it is better to keep you close at hand and in sight. And you control temptation perfectly, thanks to which you are immune even to the gold rush. In a word, you’re the perfect secretary for me – said President Grant, – and in time, perhaps even for… He paused.
York knew not to ask questions at a time like this. Everything in life comes to those who can be patient and don’t give up. Just wait for the twists of fate, which supposedly can be read from the line on the left hand. So everything in our lives would be predetermined and planned? Nobody knows that.
Diagnosis: golden rush
2011 / 2013