The Players

Life is just like a game of chess, a knight may behead the king or a rook may slaughter the bishop. Simply put your move, right player right place checkmate, wrong player wrong place game over. Ben’s life didn’t differ from a game of chess only he was the player and he controlled the players on the board and the board itself you wonder? Well, it was his territory of course. Then there’s the opponent Brian. He was a man who took advantage of every weakness, exposed it to the fullest and made sure he hit where it hurts. He was the one opponent that took the best out off Ben and proved to be the greatest of all opponents he ever faced. So these two players were the mind behind the game Head of the Table.

From scratch, when there was nothing but thick dense rainforest and diminished undergrowth, there Ben built his empire. Up the East Coast of Madagascar, spanning 800km wide and a km long coastline strip, all activities here were under one man, yes, this was Ben’s turf, his empire.

Ben did build an empire worth being recognized globally. But with great power came great threats, he had to find a way to watch his back or else his done for. One misstep boom! his down the streets begging for scraps. Prevention is better than cure, the wizards said. That’s when he chose his players.

The king, Ben chose his blood, his brother Reuben. Reuben committed his first robbery at 16 years, killed his first person at 18, and fought his first cop at 15. So his life knew danger, he knew how to survive. With a huge bounty on his head he hasn’t been nipped for the past 28 years meaning he knew to lay low. All this was what made a king a king, and only he can help Ben’s empire survive during desperate times.

The queen, his nephew Elizabeth. An orphan at 5, fled from her foster home at 8, and been fighting rapists from 10, she knew the harsh side of life. Having managed a brothel as an income source from 16 and killed her first cop at 20, Eliza was the type of queen an empire needs. Her character and taste was what made her, her, and she knew the difference of true tears and mere crocodile one’s. So her trust was solid and Ben counted on that to keep his empire in state.

The knights, he chose Mila and Risa. Raised in a soldier camp from birth war was a normal day to day experience and knew the true meaning of pain. As twin brothers their bond was what made Ben count on them infact, these twins helped Ben raise his empire and he trusted them more than his own brother. Former militants of the Brazilian army, they were in charge of security of the region and nothing, just nothing, was to ever go asunder on their watch and nothing did.

The rooks, he chose Rali and Lia experts in finance. With an empire earning three times the governments’ monthly revenue weekly, Ben needed a person good with numbers and could handle the big sums not mere one plus one additions. So these two, former graduates from Oxford university with degree in finance, knew this was their kind of thing. Simply all they were to ensure was money was never less than six zeros weekly.

The bishops, Lit and Mist, psychology experts and chief advisors. Having an ever growing territory, Ben needed someone to advice him on what next and whom to trust. Responsible for preventing the war between Chile and Brazil, these two proved to know their way around a person’s psychology and getting into ones' head. If they prevented a war, what the hell then is managing one of the greatest turfs known globally, no biggie Ben thought. So the bishops advise determined the fate of this region and were the most crucial pillars Ben relied on.

Yes, there they were, the masters on the board-his cabinet-he called it. But what about the pawns you wonder? Well Ben couldn’t stress himself on this too, so he let his cabinet choose on his behalf.

Still wondering what in the world goes on in this 800km turf? Still asking what does Ben do that makes him, him? Well just think, what legal business can earn more than the country’s revenue? Don’t bother yourself because there isn’t any, there just isn’t because the government’s supposed to be most powerful. Ben wanted power! he wanted it all and he knew the government would never allow it under legal premises. So he thought outside the box he went on the other side, “no being Mr. Nice Guy” he said. Ben entered the illegal side, the other side of life.

So with less competition, an expanded market, unlimited resources, Ben entered the drug business. Cocaine, bhang, cigarettes you name it Ben produced it all. With external clients from Mexico to Korea demand was always on the rise.

From then Ben never looked back ever, he never did. Knowing that the government will find a way to shun him down or just blackmail him, he found a way to blind the government and do his business right under their nose. Trees! Timber! What a relation, so the mischievous mastermind set up a timber company.

Timber had the least taxation and the government itself never gave a hoot what happened in this company. “Do you have a license? Yes, so do your business” the prime minister told the bishop Mist and Lit. So to the eye all that goes on in this region is just a boring timber business, but Jesus Christ! Whoever went in would be left agape.

Per day he shipped out 5 tones of cocaine stashed in timber. Sold out, that’s 5 million per day, do the math weekly, finish it off monthly and yearly. So the money Ben earned was enough to loan the government, but note this was illegal and the government didn’t tax it. So much better, no government tax, just flow in money.

Ben wasn’t dumb, he wasn’t some random show off who boasts his money, it’s illegal man think! Your attracting the government’s attention. What Ben wanted last was some undercover cops tailing his ass down trying to nail him down to his last coin. But he had money a lot of it his banks were full, so what do you do? Ben decided to invest in all types of legal businesses pottery, and electronic even gave loans to companies with no interest rates. I mean, he earns more than the president and the government combined, why do you need more money? what he earns is stressing him out already why burden with interest on loans?

It’s ironic many struggle to find money but Ben, ha! He was struggling to use money and still not attract the eyes of some Undercover cops or external FBI agents. Who thought having money was so stressful? Ben certainly didn’t think so.