T-SHIRT

14: Double Back

He built an empire worth passing down. Numerous companies that generate more money than they can all spend.

Obasi swore he would never have to beg for anything. He kept that promise to himself.

To the outside world he's a force. Maybe a little misunderstood, but he never wanted to be understood anyway.

Nobody actually knows much about Obasi's background. All people know is he's a billionaire who made his fortune in Nigeria's oil and gas industry.

Nobody knows anything about his background and upbringing. They don't know how he acquired his wealth or how he got into oil.

One day people started noticing a logo popping up everywhere on trucks and gas stations. Soon he expanded to other sources of revenues.

Billboards would be plastered with his face and name. Women were too busy swooning over his good looks, and men were too busy wanting to be him. Nobody questioned his origins.

No one's even sure if Obasi's from Nigeria. Nobody knows what tribe he is or what part he's from. Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Edo? Who knows. East, west, north, south? No idea.

There have been rumors that he moved around a lot. They've said he lived in Sierra Leone, Ghana, Senegal, Benin, and Nigeria. They've said he was sent to go to school in England.

Nobody ever got confirmation. Obasi Mustapha is an enigma.

It wasn't until Obasi became under fire by Nigerians, that he left the country. They claimed oil spills from his company's operations in the Niger Delta destroyed farms, contaminated drinking water, and harmed aquatic life. More than 11,000 Nigerians from the region filed a compensation claim against him.

He shelled out millions to pay them off. Soon after he moved his family to Los Angeles and expanded his market from Africa to America. This decision only swelled his wealth.

Obasi's thoughts are broken when he hears, "Mr. Mustapha," from his assistant. "Your son has arrived."

Ahmet enters the room coming within feet of his father before prostrating. "Baba."

His father gives him the signal to stand straight. "My firstborn," he grips his shoulder. "Sit. Let's talk before Elite gets here."

"What's going on?"

"Soon I'll be retiring and you'll be in charge of all this," Obasi flares his arms out. "The Mustapha empire belongs to you. Never do anything that will bring shame to your family's prestige. If it's too much responsibility let me know now. Next in line is your brother, Bossier, and he'll gladly step up. You know he wants to."

Now was Ahmet's time to speak up. He knows he doesn't want to run the company. He also knows if chooses not to, he'll be cut off indefinitely. That's financially and in entirety.

"No, I can and will do this."

"Good. That means you have to follow the family's traditions. You have to keep the family name flying high in honor. Our respect and name came from our ancestors. We have to respect them. It's our duty. That means you can't marry an ordinary girl.. Do you know why I chose Elite?"

"No."

"You have to think about the background of the girl. Her status, stature, origin. Will she understand our culture and traditions? Our ethics and principles? Our family values?"

"Maybe I'm confused... Elite and her family's money is gone."

"Elite's mother is from the same place as me. While some families arrange their children's marriage because they believe it to be a religious deed, others do so to either maintain their status in society or improve it. We're doing it to unite two families."