APOCALYPSE AND THE BILLIONAIRE HEIR

CHAPTER 0005

                                           Adam Smith

James, a forty-year-old man who was more in communication with Grandpa, picked us up from the hospital. I wanted to try my legs on the floor, but the nurses declined my request. They gently placed me in a wheelchair, and Rosa helped wheel me to the helicopter waiting outside the hospital.

James was not the pilot, but he sat next to the pilot, while the remaining space was shared between me, Rosa, and Grandpa, who somehow decided to remain entirely silent throughout the short flight.

The helicopter finally landed in a massive courtyard of a sprawling estate. As it touched down on the greenery, three black Cadillacs pulled up, stopping some distance away. The doors popped open, and seven men in black suits and tinted glasses surged out and headed toward the copter.

The copter’s door was pushed open, and slowly, the men helped carry me out. Though Rosa insisted she would wheel me to the car, they ignored her and placed me in a wheelchair. Grandfather alighted and stood next to me as I gazed at the estate.

“Welcome home, grandson,” said Grandfather. He ran a hand over my shoulder, exhaling as he did so. “Finally, you will take your place as the heir to the Smith Dynasty.”

Smith Dynasty?

I had never heard of that. Well, I nodded as if I knew. In time, I would adapt. In time, I would understand what the old man meant. But now, I needed rest.

James alighted from the copter, dressed in a jumpsuit that made him look like a fighter pilot. He strutted toward me and removed his cap, revealing his greying hair.

“Welcome home, young master,” he declared. “The servants of the estate are waiting to greet you.”

Grandfather laughed. “Indeed, they are eager to see their boss. It’s been years.”

Both men laughed. I didn’t know what to laugh about, but I smiled, then turned to see Rosa waiting behind. I wanted to ask why they didn’t want her close to me, but I decided that question was better left for another day—or left to instinct. Maybe one day, I would figure out why Grandfather was acting strangely around her.

“And Maria,” said James, “she’s been asking for you.”

Grandfather laughed again and spoke in a coarse voice. “Come on, don’t speak of Maria like she’s the first person he remembered when he woke up. My face was the first thing he saw when his eyes peeled open.”

Grandfather touched my back. “Right?”

I nodded with a smile. He was really an easy-going man, not the stern figure he had been at the hospital. But his face was not the first thing I saw when I woke up. The white ceiling was the first thing I saw. I could recall it clearly.

“Hey, let’s take him to his chamber already,” Grandpa gestured at one of the men in suits with his jaw. “He would catch a cold out here.”

Rosa stepped forward. “I will assist him.”

Grandpa didn’t look at her. He looked at me instead, and I nodded gently. He scuffed and stepped aside. Rosa grabbed the wheelchair and wheeled me to the second Cadillac while Grandpa, James, and the rest of the men followed behind us.

James helped place me in the car. Grandpa sat next to the driver. Rosa sat next to me, and the convoy took off. We arrived at the mansion, and slowly, the men in suits helped me alight and placed me in the wheelchair once more. Rosa wheeled me forward, and I saw a long line of servants dressed in silk, waiting.

Most of them were Asian, many were Black, and the rest were White, all smiling as they watched us approach. One of them stepped forward—a chubby woman wearing a white beret. She was probably the head of the servants.

She touched her chest and said, “Welcome home, boss.”

The rest bowed their heads and repeated the same statement in unison. I smiled as if I knew them. Their mode of welcome was heartwarming.

One of them stepped forward with a bouquet of flowers and handed it to me. I accepted the gift and laid it on my lap. “Thank you, all.”

The servants clapped uniformly, while Grandfather urged Rosa to move on. Rosa wheeled me past the servants. Grandfather and James followed us into the mansion.

Inside, the mansion was luxurious, with a massive crystal chandelier in the hall. I couldn’t help but feed my eyes on the wonderful interior décor and the priceless artifacts in the corners.

But of all these, one thing captivated me—the massive picture frame of a younger me standing next to Grandfather. Another was that of Grandfather, standing in the courtyard with a woman in a white gown.

“Let’s take you to your room,” Grandfather said.

This time, Rosa didn’t do the wheeling. James took charge, but they didn’t ask her to stay away. She followed us into the lift at the far end of the hall. The lift took us to the first floor, a floor we could have accessed via the curved stairs if not for the lift.

James wheeled me to a massive chamber on the first floor. The massive oak door was gently pushed open, and soon, I was lying in bed. The curtains shielding the window were drawn aside so I could get a proper view of the estate and parts of the city.

Rosa sat on the seat next to my bed. Grandfather sat at the foot, while James moved my wheelchair toward the wardrobe.

“The hospital will send a physiotherapist tomorrow,” Grandfather announced. “Soon, you will not need that wheelchair anymore. But until then, I think you should rest.”

I nodded.

The door popped open, and a young lady entered, smiling curiously. Her face was unfamiliar, but she was enthusiastic about seeing me. She lunged at the bed, hugging me tightly and acting like a child, though she looked twenty-five.

“Adam,” she called playfully, “you are back!”

Grandfather laughed.

“Yes, please remind me of your name,” I said.

“She’s Maria, your childhood friend,” James declared.

“Maria?” I asked.

“Yes,” said the young lady. “It’s me. Don’t you remember me? Don’t worry, it will take some time, but soon, you will remember. For now, I have to feed you well and take you around the garden.”

“I will take him around the garden and feed him,” Rosa stood up, probably fed up with all the pleasantries. “And I think you all should spare him some space to rest.”

Maria glared at her and touched my arm. “I will be back in the morning.”

Rosa smiled. “I’m sure he will be glad to see you by then.”   

Grandfather and James looked at each other, then left the room along with Maria, leaving me and Rosa behind.