arid barren earth

V

It was Thursday and he had to check in with Mr. Chow and Paul Burkhart at BehemothDynamic. He was anxious because he violated the first rule and that was not to fall in love with the target. He wondered if he would be able to tell or that if he could

play it off.

“Good morning, Stephen, or should I say, Uri?” Burkhart asked.  “Chow tells me things are coming along fine.  He tells me it won’t be long until she falls in love with you and  gain her  trust. You’re doing a fine job getting her to move in with you and all.  You’re breaking her  down already. And sooner than we expected.  David  & Solomon hasn’t put the diamonds on the market yet.  I’m not sure why they’re stalling.  Find out why from Zurima.”

“She’s already in love with him, Paul.” Chow said. “He should just ply her with wine and get it over with.”

“Let’s not be hasty, Chow.  Let him go at his own pace.  How is everything going by the way?” he turned to Stephen.

“It’s going great,” he answered.

“Well, I’m glad to hear that, Stephen. This is a sensitive mission of utmost importance.  You are working under cover.  Those diamonds have been eluding me for twenty years. I must have them.  I won’t let David & Solomon have them.  This has to be completed or there will be repercussions.  You’re the closest I’ve come to finally getting my hands on them. I trust you can succeed.  Chow, you’ll see to that, won’t you?” Burkhart said menacingly.  “ Have you been writing any  poetry lately? Eve from Frostbite has been asking about you.  She says she hasn’t heard from you in a long time.”

“I haven’t really written anything I want to submit.  But I’ll start working on it.”

“Okay, then, Stephen. Are you taking her to Orolgio tonight? Chow made a reservation for eight thirty. You’re not violating rule number one, are you, Stephen?”

“No, Paul. Don’t worry about that.”

“That’s good. She’s gorgeous. I have to admit even I might succumb.  Chow said you were the man for the job.”

When Stephen got home from the office, Zurima hadn’t arrived yet.  He brought her favorite flowers: stargazer lily, belladonna lily, trilium and irises. A bouquet of various flowers all of them white.  He put them in a purple vase for her.  She wouldn’t be getting home until after five so he had a little time to himself.  He started to contemplate the events that had transpired since he first met her last fall.  He had fallen in love with her instantly the first time he saw her.  He didn’t care about those mood ring diamonds or where they came from.  He would never forsake Zuri. What would happen to him if he just left and took her with him?  He wondered if they would be able to find them.  There would be no doubt that they would.  They were Behemoth Dynamic after all.  This is Burkhart’s white whale. He was a man obsessed.  They have operations all over the globe.  If he did run, he would have to tell Zurima the truth. Who knew what she’d think. She would think he used her.  She might even walk out on him and tell Ammar everything.  If they ran, they would have to tell Ammar everything anyway.  Maybe they could get the protection of David & Solomon. He was already well compensated.  He didn’t want to lose her that’s for sure.  Just then Zurima walked in.

“Zuri, we need to talk. “ he said.

“Nothing good ever comes out of those first words.  What is it?” she sounded resigned already.

“I have to tell you something. I want you to know that I love you more than anything in the world.You’re the only woman that’s ever made me feel this way.  Do you believe me?”

“Yes, of course I believe you. What is it, love?”

“I wasn’t supposed to fall in love with you.  I was made to work undercover by Behemoth Dynamic to seduce you so you would tell me where the diamond mine is.  But I fell in love with you the second I saw you at the diamond tasting.  I knew then I wanted you to be mine.  I didn’t care about the mission.  I didn’t care about those mood ring diamonds.  I just wanted you.  In all this time did you ever hear me talk about those diamonds?”

“I don’t know what to say.  How  am I supposed to know this whole thing isn’t a lie.  You could be lying to me right now about loving me truly. No, you never asked me about the diamonds.Who put you up to all this?”

“His name is Paul Burkhart. He’s the president.”

Zurima wasn’t surprised. She actually knew him before he became “Behemoth”.  He was a scorned suitor.

arid

barren

earth

sustains life

with plastic flora

disguising cracks

on trodden soil.

light is renounced

as it shrouds

the land.

lies run deep

within the ground.

fragile

transparency

can’t be read.

balance is kept

though the darkness

seeps through.

relent to reprieve

no need for punishment.

bask in the light

if only for a moment.

the rest forgives

let it all nourish

no need for fear

there is no winter.

“He already knew about the diamonds because I wore them one night.  We went to a black tie affair in Ibiza and I wore  diamonds that turned onyx.  I just told him it was a family heirloom and that’s all I knew about them.”

“How did you know him?” a pang of jealously briefly passed through him.  

“My father brought Burkart’s father into the diamond business.  He gave him contacts and distributors and a few customers. Then he came to New York and set up business here in the diamond district.”

“I wouldn’t put it past Burkhart to follow us. At least send Chow to do it. I bet all those ‘messengers’ are his spies,”  Uri postulated.

“Burkhart is a sociopath.  He’d kill us if we ran away together before he got what he wanted. I’ve seen it happen before.  And for less.” Zurima stated.

“Zuri, do you trust me?”

“ Yes.  I trust you.  Even though. Should I call you Stephen?”

“Call me whichever you like”

“I will continue to call you Uri.  And you will call yourself Urial. That’s the man I fell in love with.”

“Do you know that I love you?”

“Yes. I know that you love me.  And I will run away with you because I couldn’t live a day  without you,” Zurima vowed.

“Then we have to conceive of an escape.  Tonight we have reservations at Orolgio.  They may be watching.  We can’t show any signs of anxiety.”