The Risk Game

Chapter 15

Winter in Kitalo City came with a lot of things to sort through. There were logistics to be handled surrounding the news we'd received about our inheritance a month ago. There were trips to be made, more paperwork to be signed and serious decisions to be made regarding the new ownership and management of the Mujulizi Art Gallery.

It had been a whole month since we were officially introduced to him and though the initial shock and hurt of the encounter had dissipated, there was still a sense of disbelief and unease that came with taking over our father's gallery. My sisters were both unable to meet with my uncle and I today, with Nella on a brand trip in Nairobi and Ketura deep in a case that was keeping her up at night.

This visit would be helpful in deciding whether we wanted to keep the gallery and have it operate as it already was operating, or if we wanted to sell to someone who would be a better suited owner. Though this would definitely be an insult to our dad who had worked hard to be able to pass the gallery down to us, we'd be doing him an even greater disservice if we took over and ran it to the ground.

I looked out the window and swallowed a ball of nerves as Jacob's car eased into a parking spot near me. I grabbed the winter coat I'd hung over the passenger seat and put it on as I tried to fight the flight response that was urging me to just drive away.

Come on, you've been here before. It doesn't have to be too weird.

Once I'd calmed down enough, I stepped out of my car and watched as Jacob exited his as well, making his way to me with an awkward smile on his face.

"Hello, my dear." Jacob said with an extended arm for a handshake once he got to me. He too was covered in a heavy winter coat. Musomi's winters got ridiculously cold, you always had to be fully prepared.

I offered Jacob a smile. "Hello, Uncle. How are you?"

"Ah, I'm doing well." he said with a smile. He seemed to relax a little after the greeting was exchanged. "Let us go in, dear. It's too cold out here."

I walked into the building with him, my eyes immediately landing on an intricate painting of a woman with a baby on her back. I ran my eyes across the length of the painting and read the inscription on it, Mother by Munashe J. This piece wasn't here the last time I'd come, which made sense because that was quite a few years ago, but the lack of familiarity in the space threw me off. I felt awkward standing there in my father's gallery, my gallery, without a single idea how I was going to get through this visit when I was already getting a bit emotional. Thankfully, the gallery was closed today, a decision my uncle had made to ensure that I wouldn't be overstimulated by too much activity whilst here.

My uncle asked me to walk around, get a feel of the place while he made us coffee. The cavernous space was beautiful and brightly lit, each artwork was displayed behind crystal clear glass frames that gave everything an invaluable feel to it.

I turned a corner and found myself in a three-walled room with beautiful black and white drawings lining each wall. The one wall had a black plaque on it with the exhibition title, Safari, J. Mujulizi. My breath caught in my throat when I realised what the pieces of art were. The picture closest to me was a picture of my mom in her early twenties, Nella was squatting in a cute sundress, her chubby toddler cheeks tightened from the smile she was giving to whoever stood behind the camera. My mom was seated in a couch with a tiny version of me in her arms. I was naked save for a diaper and was standing on my mother's lap with my hands in her chemical-treated hair. Mommy was clearly  heavily pregnant with Ketura in the picture. She was the main attraction in it, radiant and happy, the smile on her face bright enough to power up an entire city.