Limiting Liabilities: Book Two - The Martinique Files

by Colette Alaine

  “So why protect him? Why not call the police.” Ken is all ears as Tawny wonders where Billy is going with this route. His heart is not warm and fuzzy for much of anything, especially not an environmental perpetrator.

  “Because he never did anything like this before Donnie took over. He followed the law until someone pushed him to breaking it. He has no money and why destroy him when we have someone who’s really at fault and needs a shaking up? And Ken is the police for this one. . .for now anyway,” Billy explains his thinking.

  “I couldn’t agree more. Will won’t skate through this, I assure you but he doesn’t need to have his picture plastered all over the television and newspapers. It’ll ruin him and the business. Will kept this information very quiet so that he wouldn’t expose his entire crew. That counts for something in my book. Taking CEC down only forces more people into unemployment and you said that the company is doing good work. Why punish everyone?” Ken asks.

  Tawny remembers to defend Jaclyn’s boyfriend. “Eric is an upstanding guy. I can’t imagine him doing much wrong. He’s a hard worker in a blue collar world. He grew up in this industry and he wants to make it right for those he manages. He’s got Will’s heart but not his years.”

  “Once again Tawny, you’ve come up with the big information. You’re either a walking good luck charm or the best connected associate I’ve ever had.” Billy gives her kudos in a strange way.

  “My roommate is dating the right guy. It happens every once in a while. I’m glad we have the information and I’m happy we’re not going to crucify the poor manager.”

  Billy nods. “We do try to do the right thing in our jobs. We just want to make sure we come out on top.” Tawny’s heart is evident in Ken’s cases. She never forgets she is dealing with people and not just the environment. Sure, her job is to protect the earth’s resources but she is protecting it for people. Some environmentalists get so caught up in defending the elements that they lose focus that it is for the people that inhabit the earth. Tawny is realistic about her environmental views and that makes her popular with both parties. Both are hoping she will lean more to their side but she stays the course and her settlements are fair.

  “I know. I just like to remember we’re dealing with people as well as the environment and if there’s no reason to serve them up to the media, I think it’s all the better.” Tawny relaxes against her chair.

  “We’ll wait to see what the owner does. In the meantime, I need to find out all I need to know about Nigeria. Tawny, get on that, will ya?” Billy commands and Tawny smiles.

  CHAPTER 22

  T awny uses her time to compile some basic information about the African country she, Billy and Ken will be visiting in a month. Despite the mass poverty that strikes over seventy percent of the more than one hundred forty million civilians, Nigerian society offers a great variety of differences.

  Focusing first on economic matters, she learns that urban areas are unlike rural areas in wealth distribution and also in employment. Rural areas suffer much in grave poverty and have the highest unemployment rate. This separates Nigerians into two categories for sure; ethnic and religious borders, along with different levels of education, peg people into certain areas too.

  One similarity that almost all Nigerians share is a strong attachment to family. Children are especially revered. Kids represent the future as well as a present accomplishment. There are clearly differentiated roles for men and women; women work far longer hours than men. They perform virtually all housework and child care, as well as many hours of income-earning work, especially farming. This is true throughout Nigeria with the exception of some southern states, where women are more active in trade and exert considerable political influence.

  Nigeria has a hierarchical social structure with the dominance of religion in shaping community values. In northern Muslim communities women are confined to the home and to trading in craft articles, prepared foods and other goods, using children as their couriers.

  Women are much less educated than men in Nigerian society. This allows it to function in a highly patriarchal fashion, with men exerting broad control over the lives of women. It also means that women have limited access to health and social services. Polygyny is widely practiced by Muslims, adherents of traditional religions and by Christians who belong to independent African churches.

  Northern Muslims and those in traditional societies still promote family-arranged marriages for girls nearing the age of puberty. The daughters of more educated populations, particularly in the south, tend to marry when they are in their late teens or early twenties. Men usually marry at a later age, especially if they come from poorer families that are unable to afford the high cost of weddings and bride-price, which is a payment given to the bride’s family by or on behalf of the future husband.

  Nigerian social life revolves around ceremonies: weddings, infants’ naming ceremonies and public performances associated with cultural and religious holidays. Young adult males living in cities enjoy going to cinemas, dance clubs and bars for recreation.

  Some Muslim women have their own social institutions revolving around the bori, a cult of spirit possession. Bori ceremonies provide women with a forum for interaction that is relatively free of male control and offer explanations and remedies that help women cope with problems such as the death of their children.

  All of this fascinates Tawny. It is so very different than her life in the United States. She has so much more freedom to do as she pleases and she never has to suffer an arranged marriage. She knows Mama Gloria would have loved to put her with Luke Simpson long ago. Whew! She dodged a bullet there.

  Wondering what she should wear on the trip, Tawny continues to research the internet and finds that clothing in Nigeria symbolizes religious affiliation, wealth, and social standing. Northern Muslim men wear long, loose-fitting garments such as the caftan, together with colorful embroidered turbans. Most Yoruba men also wear elaborate gowns and hats, somewhat different in style.

  But where she, Billy and Ken are headed in the south, Tawny discovers they tend to wear casual Western-style dress. Women wear wraparound garments or dresses, typically made from very colorful materials and beautiful head-ties that may be fashioned into elaborate patterns. Tawny thinks it will be pretty easy for her to pack and not be a stand out because of her attire.

  Then there is the food. Ken likes his steaks and Billy prefers expensive food. Finding out what is going to be available is not as easy. She reads that diets vary regionally and between city and country. Grain-based dishes such as tuwo da miya, a thick sorghum porridge eaten with a spicy, vegetable-based sauce, dominate the northern diet. Glad that they are going south, Tawny does not mind skipping this particular meal.

  Dishes made from root crops, such as pounded yam and a granular product named gari are more prevalent in the south. Unfortunately, this does not sound much better to her. Oh, oh. She finds out that northerners eat more meat. That could interfere with Ken and Billy’s tastes.

  Modernization and poverty have made cheaper bulk food staples such as cassava, maize, rice, white bread and pasta increasingly important in both rural and urban areas. Muslims generally do not approve of drinking alcohol, especially northern Muslims, who tend to prefer tea and soft drinks; another good reason for going south where it is common to drink commercially brewed beer or traditional drinks such as beer made from sorghum or millet and palm wine.

  Nigerians are avid sports fans and participants, especially soccer. Tawny already knew this information but learned a bit more about their enthusiasm. At the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia, Nigeria’s national team, the Green Eagles, won the gold medal. Several of their players play professionally in Europe. Nigerians have also excelled at track and field and in boxing. Her research also tells her that Nigerians love field hockey, basketball, and table tennis.

  Billy reviews the memo and laughs. He really did not mean for her to do this much research and write a formal memorandum for him.
He figures Tawny hid a message in it but he is not quite sure what it is. She is either saying that she will do whatever it takes to get ahead or in typical Tawny fashion, she is showing him she can produce anything in high quality.

  Traveling to Nigeria is not on the top of Billy’s list of things to do. Despite the eighty degree temperature this time of year and that the monsoon winds have died down, Billy does not relish going to new places where he will need to explore instead of just enjoy. The poverty bothers him and he would rather not witness it, especially the suffering children.

  He heard about the beauty of Africa and does want to see that part of it. They will fly into the country, spend the night in a hotel and then either take a boat or a helicopter to the landing pad. Going down into the depth of the ocean through a small one person elevator scares him. He can admit it to himself but he cannot admit it to anyone else.

  The water is deep, too deep for him to submerge himself into it without panicking. Ken has done this many times and it doesn’t faze him. Tawny is an explorer at heart and will find the experience exhilarating but he is the lead attorney. He cannot let his largest client and his associate enter the underwater lab without him.

  No, he has to do it. Where he will find the courage he is not sure. Perhaps Tawny will have some insight that she can share with him that will relieve his fright. Calling her into his office he wants to discuss the memo and the trip.

  “Are you ready for this trip?” He asks cautiously.

  “I’m taking some sun dresses with sweaters to hide my bare arms. I’m not sure if that’s necessary but I’m gonna do it anyway. I’m bringing some casual pants.” Tawny obviously is more concerned about what she is wearing than anything about the trip itself.

  “What about the case?” Billy brings her back to his concern.

  “I’m excited.”

  “You don’t sound excited.” Billy’s hopes increase.

  “I know I should be but I’m not that thrilled to see the underwater lab. I mean it’s a lot of trouble to fly to the other side of the world and get into the middle of the gulf to see a glass laboratory. I’m not that interested in studying fish, except when it affects the environment. Like I thought it was amazing they discovered the sludge on the fish and could identify that it was the same as in the lake but I didn’t get into studying the fish at all.”

  “What about going down so deeply into the ocean?”

  “The scientists do it all the time. That’s no big deal.” Billy hesitates a little too long. “Are you scared?” She has him now.

  “It’s really far down and we have to go down in the elevator thing all alone.” Billy tries to demonstrate how isolating this whole experience will be.

  “But it shoots you down relatively fast.”

  “That’s not consoling, Tawny.”

  “It’ll be over in no time. You’ll shoot down the elevator, be in the lab and talk to scientists. You can watch fish swim all around you.”

  “While I’m in a big glass box on the bottom of the gulf and that doesn’t even intimidate you one bit. I can’t believe your courage. You’re only upset because you have to look at fish.” Billy’s hopes of her being afraid are dashed.

  “You know it’s like we will be in the aquarium and the fish will be watching us. Talk about a turn around.” Tawny makes the insightful observation.

  “That is not helpful to me.” Billy realizes he should have left well enough alone. Tawny is only making him more nervous.

  “See what I mean though. We’re traveling so far and all we’re going to see is some fish swimming around us wondering what we’re doing there. It’s just anti-climactic. If we could see the lush rain forests or the agricultural areas I’d be more excited. It doesn’t sound like we’ll get to see much of Nigeria at all. What a waste to fly over there and not experience the country in its fullest splendor,” Tawny pouts.

  “I can buy you a book in the airport. You can put it on your coffee table and pull it out whenever you have the need.” Billy would love this result for himself.

  “You really don’t want to go, do you? Is it just the trip way down under, in the people tank?” Tawny teases.

  “Even though I’m an environmental attorney I have no desire to see the environment outside my car window. I want to protect it. . .for other people.”

  “You’re so sentimental. And philanthropic,” she responds sarcastically.

  “That’s me. And no, that’s not the only reason. I’m not interested in seeing any of Nigeria or the underwater lab or flying over the ocean twice in four days. I agree it’s one of those things that requires a lot to do for no good reason. I don’t need to see any of it for this case. I just need the data so I can conduct an efficient trial.” Billy really sees this trip as a complete waste of time.

  Tawny is on Billy’s side, even though it is for different reasons. “So do we bail?”

  “I’ll see what I can do. Right now we’ve got to move forward like we’re going. I’ll find a reason for us to stay here. Problem is I need it to be something permanent. Otherwise, Ken will just reschedule the trip. If that happens I’d rather get it over with now,” Billy concedes.

  “I can’t wait to hear what you come up with. This is going to be hard.” The truth seems to be the best option at this time.

  “The worst part will be his disappointment. That’s what will be hard.” Billy fiddles with the memo. “Maybe we just go. I’ll try not to think about my fear and maybe you can help me since it doesn't bother you.”

  “Don’t think about it. Just do it.” She makes it sound so simple.

  “I’ll try it that way. Anything else you can think of that helps me, let me know.” Billy is hoping for a revelation.

  “Don’t worry, Billy. Ken and I will be right by your side,” she reassures him, then leaves his office to finish work on a settlement offer.

  ~

  Loko is finding it more and more difficult to run the family farm and to tend to the family needs. His two young brothers work as hard as they can but they are only children and cannot do the work of a man or a strong woman. Chinyere spends more time playing with and watching over Chioma than she does farming the fields.

  Chinyere is supposed to marry well. Beautiful as a black orchid she is accustomed to receiving glances and even stares from men, but also from the women. Females guard the eyes of their husbands and steer their boys clear of her for fear that the husband may take what the son brings home. She is a sweet girl, grossly naïve to the ways of men and the world as a whole. And she is a bit arrogant.

  Told from an early age that her beauty defies logic and will be her salvation in this torrid world, she is a pampered child. Assisting her mother with light household duties, including cooking and babysitting the babies born in the home, she is a delight to be around until she is contradicted. Then she pouts and usually gets her way. Coming outside after being sheltered inside for so long is very difficult for her. Working in the fields is a bit beneath her despite the fact that her mother did it.

  She covers her head to protect her pretty face and to dissuade the neighbors from staring at her while she absentmindedly works and tends to her three year old little sister. All the while Loko is beside himself. She is the next oldest from him and should be doing more. They are never going to have enough to eat themselves much less save this farm. Oh, if only Nwankwo would return. Maybe his pirating will bring in enough money that the family will not have to work.

  ~

  Nwankwo has attached himself to pirating full time. Now that he is a captain he runs a tight ship. Most of the crew became followers immediately. Seeing his leadership skills while conquering the tanker and then again when he attacked the previous pirate captain, they are in awe of him. There are a few disgruntled older pirates, however, who feel that Nwankwo disrespected his elders by slashing the throat of the pirate captain that took him under his wing when Nwankwo was left abandoned by his first pirate ship, his father’s.

  Nineteen is too you
ng to be a pirate captain. He does not know the water the way the old men do. He has not paid his dues and he will surely get them all killed. They talk among themselves and decide that one of them should be captain instead of Nwankwo. They will have to kill him but he is smart. He knows of their displeasure and he has them watched.

  They will have to appeal to him in another way. They know he once bore his mother’s heart. Perhaps that will be the way in and bring about his downfall. They plot when they can without being suspected but Nwankwo is not fooled. He knows he has enemies on his own boat. He knows a battle is ensuing.

  ~

  Donnie Laserno is nobody’s fool. He is a multimillionaire. He deserves to be treated with respect. His father built a strong company in the electroplating business and now it belongs to Donnie. Who dare to tell him what he can and cannot do?

  Yet the casinos are barring him from entry. Too disorderly they claim. He has been thrown out of so many of them he cannot even remember if any are left where he can actually gamble but he needs to gamble. It is in his blood. He knows he will be a big winner soon and they will all respect his game.

  He may be experiencing a losing streak right now but that will pass. The company is bringing in more and more deals, which means more and more money for him to play. Thank goodness some of the boys from the high rollers club introduced him to Mac. Mac is getting him into the big money, back alley games. He is down a couple hundred thousand but he feels his luck is changing.

  Pinky is his new love. She is a bit older than he is but she knows the ropes and she has real style. Lavishing her with clothing and jewelry she will do anything for him. She keeps him happy day and night. He only wishes she would come to the game with him. Protesting that it is too dirty for her to be around all that grime she prefers to stay in the luxury apartment Donnie bought for them.

  It is packed with every electronic available. From movie screen sized televisions to custom sound systems she has every form of entertainment she could ever want. A refrigerator packed with delicacies and a wine cave filled to the brim make leaving this place almost a sin. Pinky tells him to go alone and she will be waiting for him when he returns.