AFFLUENT DUST: When every single act, even under the shade of affluence, would raise an eye-shutting dust

By Bright Ndubuzor, Mike Ikenwa, Princess Marinay and 2 more

Providing Providing a panoramic view of an opulent lad, AFFLUENT DUST sees Richy returning home after a long stay in England. He is to spend time with family before returning to his second home, but then life wouldn't always follow one's laid down plans, more so when the disruption is not totally externally influenced. Amidst the independent days in England, he discovers a different world altogether. A life full of accidental incidences, struggle for survival, controversy, presumptions, escapes, courage and betrayal. Now caught in his own net, he is being pulled out from his lake of serenity, peace and freedom. Money ought to solve so many, a problem but.... One, truly, who runs from a fight lives to fight another day.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jun 11, 2020
• ISBN: 9781716845239

Book preview

AFFLUENT

DUST

A Novel

Ndubuzor CD Bright

AFFLUENT DUST by Ndubuzor CD Bright

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by law.

Formatted by: Mindbender Press, www.mindbenderpress.com

Cover Art by: Mr. Mike Ikenwa, MediaFits

ISBN 13: 978-1798252741

CHAPTER ONE      1

CHAPTER TWO      5

CHAPTER THREE      19

CHAPTER FOUR      59

CHAPTER FIVE      85

CHAPTER SIX      107

CHAPTER SEVEN      145

CHAPTER EIGHT      163

CHAPTER NINE      197

CHAPTER TEN      209

CHAPTER ELEVEN      233

CHAPTER TWELVE      245

CHAPTER THIRTEEN      259

CHAPTER FOURTEEN      277

ABOUT THE AUTHOR      295

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

My deepest acknowledgement goes to God Almighty, without whom, all the toiling for this book would have ended a fiasco. For the ideas, and the ability to envision as I put down, to Him be all the glory.

My immense gratitude as well goes to my golden, loving, invaluable, excellent and caring mother, Mrs. Ndubuzor Judith Ngozi, my first teacher, who wouldn’t but train me in the way of the book. Even at an age when my mates would still be learning five letter words she was already stuffing and purging me with books to read.

A very special thanks goes to my father, Ndubuzor Udodiri Jonathan- My historian, a peace advocate, a rare kind of man, for all his support and soothing encouragement. He never stopped being there.

Impossible to be left out of this acknowledgement, is award winning author, Arjay Lewis for his help in formatting the book. God Bless you richly sire.

I cannot forget in a rush, the wonderful contribution by my loving friend, Miss. Mba Faith Chioma, which went a long way in actualizing what today is a published work.

A ton of appreciation goes also to my dearest friend, Princess Diamond Marinay. Her help and encouragement went a long way, too long to be expatiated on.

My appreciation also goes to my sister, cousin and distant brothers, Ndubuzor Favour Chizitere, Ubajekwe Solomon Arinze, Onyegbule Victor Chuks, Osom

N s i n n e a b a s i G a b r i e l r e s p e c t i v e l y , f o r t h e i r encouragement and support during the writing process.

An exceptional and wholesome appreciation goes to my one-of-a-kind cousin, Mr. Emetosim Chidi, for all his help and support, even during a critical stage of the actualization of the work. He is a loving brother. A brother indeed.

An esteemed gratitude goes to Mr. Ned Nwabuike Chinedu, author of Eclipse and Despondency. Finally, no amount of thanks will be enough to be too much for Mr. Mike Ikenwa. C.E.O, Bloomgist News and Editor-in-chief MediaFits. I just cannot thank him enough. Heart of a Mike- A really special one.

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to the Almighty God who has brought me thus far, my heroine of a mother, and the youths all over the world.

CHAPTER ONE

He thought it was all over the moment he landed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

One could tell by mere looking at him that he was from an elite home. The men's formal Microfiber Springfall Oxford walking shoes, looking like what would be fondly called (I swear to God) the French made blue suit, the gold watch, the Panama hat. His mind seemed far away from all that, as it was already a normal thing for him to be looking like a world-class fashionista.

With a stern look on his face, he walked elegantly down the plane staircase like a colonial master who had just arrived at one of his colonies, which he is not yet considering a grant of independence.

Before the sole of his left shoe could reach the second to last step, he heard a gunshot.

Oblivious of the fact that he was the target of the gunmen, he just managed to duck because everyone else did, but then, fearless as he had always been (at least,

2      NDUBUZOR CD BRIGHT

once used to be, as some experiences have already tampered with that quality), he placed his right foot on the next stair. With the speed of sound he heard a whistle-like noise that blew past his left ear, only for him to hear.

A second later, the sound of breaking glass.

Two seconds afterwards he saw some men dressed just like him, but with a different colour for their cap, standing some distance away. They were outside a black SUV, pointing guns at the four cardinal points, and one of them directly towards him.

He then ducked again just as the latter was about to release yet another bullet and a woman with a baby carrier right behind him was hit instead of him.

Immediately he knew what was going on, and in terror, he fled. He left behind, on the plane, his bag and box containing his things, very expensive things.

Richy, as his pals usually call him, had always been a good boy--right from his infancy. His teacher and even the nanny employed by his father, had noticed his amazing acts, like beating up a primary three pupil as a primary one pupil. He had taken the second position even after resuming school on the eighth week. This had been caused by a terrible ailment that almost claimed his life.

However, right now, all that seems to be useless.

Beads of sweat fell like droplets of rain from his forehead to his jaw, flowing down to his neck one after the other as if following a pattern. His expensive shirt which he wore inside his suit was not left out as it was already soaked with perspiration. This made the shirt stick to his skin like little children who had stuck to their mothers, not allowing them go to the market without them.

His body itched him so badly that he had already begun to look wretched, his sophisticated wears notwithstanding. Some passers-by at the Kuala Lumpur Bird Park were looking at him with utter wonder. At this point, his shoes no longer looked like that of a renowned fashion plate, as each of the pair had now been covered in dust.

He walked to nowhere in particular as he then decided to sit on an iron seat in Kuala Lumpur Bird Park--one of Malaysian’s most famous parks.

But that did not really matter now.

If he was to tell himself the truth, which he wasn’t ready to make known to anyone. Not even the little Malaysian children who like little cute chubby rabbits, scampering in the park. Some looked at him with the corner of their eyes and some not even minding his presence, the fact that he didn’t know anywhere in the country,

4      NDUBUZOR CD BRIGHT

Malaysia, let alone knowing where next to plant his feet, as he had made no research whatsoever before coming over.

His coming into Malaysia had been a very unscheduled journey.

What on earth would make a renowned politician’s son look so untidy, apart from sports, especially football, basketball or lacrosse, which he loved so much?

CHAPTER TWO

Richy had graduated from a well-known high school in Cambridge, United Kingdom with a jaw dropping grade, gaining him a fully funded scholarship award by the British government, a Eurocrat precisely, to the surprise of many.

He had also been awarded with a sum of fifty-thousand British pounds for his excellent result. This was not enough to make him euphoric, as he already had much more than that in his British account. But for the fact that it was paid to him in cheque he would have shared it with friends, girlfriends especially.

He would have loved to further in one of the red-brick, but then, his father had refused blatantly right there in the hotel room where he had summoned him to while he was coming to see him in Britain.

Richy had beforehand told his father that his room was undergoing a rejig, which had pleased the man,

6      NDUBUZOR CD BRIGHT

making him feel that his seventeen-year-old-son was becoming a man.

However, the boy had told a lie, his room was in a really bad state, a mess, better said, as the Nigerian friends he invited and told to come with their white friends, had come with their white friends (as told), but, not exempting their girlfriends. This had turned the intended-to-be-modest party into something the opposite.

Echezona Chigozie Israel Richard, his father called him in the usual way he does when he is ecstatic for what his boy has done.

Sir? he muttered as if in a sad mood.

You really have proven yourself to be a true son of your father he said, emphasizing on the ‘True son of your father’

You know? his father started one of his usual advisory lectures, but boastful stories, consisting of truths and a little more of lies than the truths.

"When I was like you, after I sat for my Junior Secondary School Certificate Examination in Nigeria, the one young people fondly pronounce in acronym as JSSCE, around the time my father had his financial breakthrough. You know, the Echezona's have the Midas touch, which did not end with Mr. Cornelius, but also

came down to me, your father, Senator Collins, and I know, and am sure will also glide down to you my son."

Amen, Richy replied rather clumsily. He knew he was in for a sermon.

My results, came out to be one of the best in the whole of the country, earning me a scholarship from the federal government, with a sum of one hundred and fifty thousand naira, he lied. Actually, it was just fifty thousand naira only. And you know what a hundred and fifty thousand naira meant in my days? he continued.

He then paused to sip some of the blue cocktail still waiting patiently on the glass table like a queue of customers waiting to be served in a Nigerian bank.

He did not stop there.

My father had become a little pompous that he even had to write to the federal government to withdraw the scholarship. An expensive lie. But then being a more modern man than my father who was a man of as early as 1920s, I went back to the worker in the post office after lying to my father that I wanted to use the toilet, and explained everything to him, imploring him not to post the letter." A far more expensive lie!

Richy was already getting tired, that he didn’t know when he gave a loud yawn, but his father wouldn’t hear of it.

8      NDUBUZOR CD BRIGHT

Oh! Oh! You are hungry. Waiter! his father called, which gave Richy the impression that the talk would last as long as forever.

Sir! the waiter’s voice sounded from wherever he was like that of an eager child waiting to hear his mother’s call for him to come take his own part of a dished-out meal.

Please, my son a plate of cheesecake. Richy loved cheese cake.

And oh, my son has made me proud, do you know that he—

But Richy cut him short. Oh, c’mon dad! Richy didn’t like it when his dad shows off to people in such manner.

Taa! Taa! Mechie’Ónu, ihe’ Óma di nma igwa’mmadu, the man rebuffed his son, reminding him that A good thing is good to be told to another person

He was about to continue with the news of his son’s performance, but the look on the waiter’s face told him that the Igbo dialect, and the tone that followed it with which he had addressed his son had put him in perplexity.

Okay, okay, just give him the menu, but don’t forget the cheese cake, and a pita, club sandwich and meringue for me.

Just give me the same thing, Richy added.

Also, I’d love a cup of trifle and one bottle of whisky. That was Sen. Collins. So, what was I saying my son? he asked rhetorically.

I wanted to attend a good High School in Russia. However, Sir Cornel, as he fondly called his father

since he started coming of age, wouldn’t even hear of it. He had said that was when he visited Poland some two weeks before then that he became pneumonic. I intended going to a High School in Russia, which is the coldest country in the world, it seemed I wanted him to die soon. With that, I knew I had come to a dead end, so I just dropped the idea and went with his choice of Cambridge International School here in Cambridge, England, the home of intellects.

He still was not through. Richy only looked on. "There I made my mark too, as l was one of the best

tennis players. I was the best athlete, as you already know, hence the trophy at the sitting room back at home in Ni—"

Here, sire.

The voice of the waiter hit Richy's dad, Senator Collins who was already far gone with his speech and had totally forgotten that he ordered some things for his presumed hungry son.

10      NDUBUZOR CD BRIGHT

Thank you, Richy said as he moved an inch backward so as to allow the waiter arrange the order on the table.

I hope that will be enough for my champion? his father put in.

Yes dad. Thank you, sir.

Oh! Come on boy. You deserve much more.

Richy was not really hungry, and all the while his father had been giving his president-to-the-nation speech his mind had flashed back to last night’s event.

He had gone with Kenny and Ivy to NatWest bank, along Fitzroy Street, to cash his award money. Kenny had decided to drive. Richy then was all alone with Ivy at the back seat of the car, a niece to the principal of their school, Hyde Technology High School.

Kenny had already put the car to work when they heard the shrill voice of Bayo pierce through the air into the car.

Wait up! Wait up!

Hey. Pull up!

Stop the car!

Kenny had immediately pulled the car to a halt, and Bayo had got into the passenger seat at the front beside him. As Kenny drove on through the famous Barclays Bank, discussion ensued between Richy and Ivy, and she brought up the idea of the night party at his place.

Richy did not like the idea. He was expecting the return of his father who had left after the presentation of his awards with his mother, and his younger ones, Binta and Aristotle. They had insisted on coming, leaving behind schoolwork.

When Richy got to the bank and cashed the money; the teens afterwards had gone to McDonald’s to get food and snacks. This was for the party which Ivy had excitedly convinced Bayo, Kenny and some other friends which she had called.

She was still yet to call more, not leaving out her mulatto friends. He had before the party dragged Ayodele Benson to the kitchen and told him the ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ of the party, maybe, forgetting the fact that it was a party consisting of more whites than blacks.

Chigozie Israel Richard, his father said as he was already concluding on his story. "So that’s it my son, that’s how I came to the conclusion of the name for you.

How?

Wow, dad, so that’s it? Hmm. He was speechless, as he had not been paying attention; he had only given a pretentious exclamation.

Then it occurred to him that he had missed a salient point from his father’s lengthy story which had seemed to increase in words at every telling, like a baby that appear to grow rapidly whenever seen by an occasional visitor.

12      NDUBUZOR CD BRIGHT

The breeze from the air conditioner on the seventh floor of the Blakemore Hyde Park Hotel Resort, London, kept hitting directly on Richy’s face like the poor shots of a footballer who has lost his muse.

The boy kept his face, but not his focus, on his father whom he was beginning to think was a loud mouth. As if rehearsed, he adjusted his paisley bow tie which was gotten from a luxury cloth line.

His father pulled up the sleeve of his agbada which dropped helplessly from time to time, making it rub against the polished wooden floor that shone like the sides of a pound sweet apple in the sun.

Sen. Collins’ face turned austere, to the amazement of Richy, which made him look like the senator he really was.

Richy grimaced.

My Richy boy, the Senator called aloud, accompanying his words with a radiant smile.

Yes, daddy?

Where do you intend going for your university education now that you have bagged all these awards and the scholarship? he added immediately. Or would you prefer we discuss this at your place?

No dad. Here’s perfect, I am even enjoying the— He was going to say ‘air-conditioner’ but that would have

been a silly utterance since he had an even larger one at his house.

Oh, I see you are enjoying the—what? his father again burst into the serenity of his thoughts.

Yea, yea, sure, I’m enjoying the club sandwich a-and…uhmm…the meringue. Yea, the meringue has this wonderful taste today, he said irrationally, as if he tasted the hotel’s meringue on a daily basis.

He took a deep bite from it.

Sen. Collins was just too euphoric to notice any of the strange utterances, unlike his real self that was more of a detective.

He had once detected Maxwell’s lie by merely maintaining fixed eye contact with him, and not letting him a blink. After a time, Maxwell’s legs had started to shake and he lost control over them. It became a generator set that had lost two of its legs and was being supported underneath by two stones of different sizes.

Maxwell was Richy’s elder brother. Maxwell had, after collecting his daily pocket-money from his father, gone back to collect more from his father’s giant cabinet of fresh minted notes. He had seen that it was locked with a combination, in haste and wicked determination to take some money out of sheer greed. Also, he wished to look ostentatious when going to see his girlfriend Linda later in the day. He crept quietly like a rat who had been

14      NDUBUZOR CD BRIGHT

watching from his hiding place for fish he wants to steal after he had scampered for safety the first time. He had been able to get into his father’s briefcase, opened it

Reviews for AFFLUENT DUST

[Favour Ndubuzor · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A very wonderful book. The author's work was well seen. I got addicted to every page while reading.
Kudos Bright!