I let an inimical chuckle and asked, “How much do you need? Fifty trillion dollars is chicken feed to me. Talk to me, Mr. President, do you need more than that? I can give it to you, Mr. President. Do you need five hundred trillion? I am worth more than that?”
The minister dragged a furrowed brow; his chin went crimson as he struggled to lock eyes with me. He bit his lower lips as his jaw sagged in shock, “Oh my God! This rich kid is back with unlimited wealth. For him to have demanded we go for five hundred trillion dollars it then means he has more than that,” he sounded in his mind.
Awe flushed through the president and he shut his eyes briefly and snorted, “Um…the world richest man I must confess I am happy for you and elated to see you bounce back as the unlimited god of wealth. For you to demand that we go for five hundred trillion dollars, it means you have got inhuman wealth. My joy is full today.” He stared in the space thoughtfully and added, “Um however we can’t go for five hundred trillion dollars because that is too much money for a country to handle.
The minister who had been quiet as light, finally interfered, “Five hundred trillion dollars is too much for Rio Hondo to pay back. Already we have sixteen trillion dollars which is revenue from the real estate which you bought…”
“Yeah, yeah,” the president interrupted him, “He is right. All we need right now is thirty four trillion dollars to add up to the sixteen trillion. We are here to access loan that is repayable in the short term and not the one we will pay till end of life…”
I corked an eye brow, stretched to my café latte, had a sip. “Apologies for not offering you some refreshment. Do you mind coffee or tea, huh?” I queried and reached out to the sizeable jar.
Mr. President gestured at me in disapproval, “No! No! You don’t have to bother yourself, Mike Don. We are strictly here for business. It would be appalling if I drink coffee and tea while the economy of the people I rule is nothing to write home about…”
I interrupted him with a hum and gulped my café, “A minute please,” I intoned and rolled my swivel chair to the other shelf, pulled out some documents and slapped on the desk, “I will give you the thirty four trillion dollars right away. You may have to peruse through those documents before I give my consent.” I intoned conclusively and fell back in my swivel.
Mr. President clutched the documents before the minister peered at it to join in reading through. Their gaze lowered as they gave a survey look at my terms and conditions. As expected, Mr. President paused and shot a frown at me; instantly his blue eyes morphed into redness.
Next was the minister’s thunderous gaze which shot at me like the shells of a million guns. These two men stared at me monstrously and I was forced to raise a knitted brow at them.
“Is there any problem, gentle men?” I queried through lopsided smiles.
Mr. President replied through grimaced face, “We love your terms and conditions except for the collateral.” He pulled a contagious smile and added, “Come on Mike Don why did you decide to choose the oil well as collateral? You have given us your terms and conditions, but you haven’t seen our terms and conditions.”
A tic paraded through my face and I scowled, “What terms and conditions do you speak of? And what are your terms if I may ask?”
The minister interposed with a shrug, “It is very simple, Mike Don. We are not ready to give up the national oil well as collateral. We have five hundred thousand acres of land at the urban landmark which we would love to give up for this loan.” He shook his head in disapproval, “The oil well is out of it. Besides it is just thirty four trillion dollars…”
I shunned him, “Spare me that, honorable minister! Did you call thirty four trillion just? Has anybody in your generation made thirty four trillion dollars, huh?” my quarrelsome voice banged across the office, “I don’t think you can ever make thirty four trillion dollars in your life time.”
The minister dragged a furrowed brow, bit his lower lips and lowered his gaze as he felt helpless and embarrassed.
I settled my widened gaze on Mr. President, “I am the payer in this business and you are to go by my rules or no deal. I don’t think any country or mogul somewhere can loan you thirty four trillion dollars without any tangible collateral, think about gentle men.”
Mr. President leaned forward and begged me with his pitiable, fallen face, “Please Mike Don we really want you to give us the money because you belong to us and add to our economy. The oil well is worth more than thirty four trillion dollars…”
I burst into a boisterous laugh, “Oh really, now tell me if it is your two thousand acres of land that is worth thirty four trillion dollars. The money belongs to me. Uh-oh perhaps if I had remained in abject poverty like some of you wanted, you wouldn’t have showed up your faces at my office to access loan.”
The minister recoiled, his gaze gloomy and sucked, “Would you have expected us to access loan from a pauper. With all due respect Mike Don, we would want to imbibe by your terms and conditions safe the oil well as collateral. Not only is the oil well our major reserve but also the nation’s major source of revenue. We can’t risk it.”
I beamed, “Stop this Mr. Minister. You sound horrible as poverty. If you have the thirty trillion why don’t you go ahead and help your nation with it. My terms are simple. Should you fail to repay the loan in space of two years as stipulated; the oil well will become mine…”
“What nonsense!” the minister bit out, and stood up furiously, “Let’s go, His Excellency. Enough of this pride from Mike Don!” he fumed at me, “We can always get this loan from Thomas Jackson. Mike Don is not the only god of wealth in this world!”
Mr. President stood up to join him, their grimaced face heavily held.
“Oh really,” I sounded and smirked, “You will be back. My door will still be open, my collateral will remain, and my terms will be stringent for you,” I threatened through clenched teeth.
Something drastic was about to happen…