In the outside entrance to the Oweli Residence was Marco and the butler loading up gear in the trunk of the black limousine.
"Alright everyone get in, everything's set".
The butler shuts the trunk with both hands and opens the door to the passengers seat so he could get in. Right after him Giulia gets in and then comes the rest of the children.
A total of five Oweli children including Angelo came running and barged into the limousine. The butler closes the door behind them and hops in the driver's seat and soon they begin moving.
When I was young my father was always someone with great authority in the house. Being the Patriarch of the family was no joke when it came to the Owelis.
Whenever he spoke I would take in every word. He's a very predominant figure in my life. This man has cities all around the world depending on him, not to mention the amount of generals begging him to make weapons for the war, but he always turned them down. He always had his principles that dictates on what he knows that he's capable of but chooses not to.
Today he promised to take us to see himself present his newest machine in public that he's been working on for the past year.
He saw this as a way to show the kids buy mainly Matteo, his eldest son the family business at its purest form. He was 11 years old and was around the age for the average Oweli to grow the fascination for machines and start creating. He had short and tidy side parted hair and was the only Oweli in the house with blonde hair. He's an extremely kind, polite and gentle kid, he loves to play with Angelo in his free time and has an interest in watching the chefs bake.
Angelo is a bit of a late bloomer because he hasn't yet started tearing apart his first scrap of metal and putting it back together again out of pure curiosity which is a common trait among Oweli children.
This habit solidifies your identity as an Oweli because the talent for creating machines runs in their blood like a disease
Even the second youngest Roberto at age 7 started making trinkets out of scrap.
The second eldest Samantha even started making tiny recreations of her father's cars in the garage with scraps left from the same garage at the age of 9.
As for Angelo there are expectedly no signs due to him not having Oweli blood. The closest to Creativity he could get is creating small animals out of clay in a way you would expect an average 7 year old would.
Marco places his arm over Matteo's shoulder who was sitting next to him.
"This is good for you to see, where we are going is a land long forgotten since the war started years ago. You will see how the dread of violence everywhere is not the way of life".
There was great enthusiasm in his voice, he believed every bit of it.
Matteo nods his head in agreement
"I'll follow your example".
Even if Matteo hasn't yet started creating machines he has shown kindness as a strong and leading trait of his.
He is the only one in the house that has blonde hair. Blonde hair hasn't been present in the Oweli family for a very long time so this shows extreme luck on his part.
He along with everyone else is dressed in the suits and the ladies in dresses. This is a special occasion after all and we must always dress our best no matter what, they have a reputation to look after.
After some time the driver slid open the window to the back seats of the limousine.
"We are here"
As he then went to a smooth full stop in the grayish grass at the edge of the town.
Everyone leaves the car, Marco and the butler make their way to the trunk to get the equipment.
Everyone inspects the land that they are in. It is unlike anywhere else they have been. The smell, the atmosphere, all of it as if it were... dead.
The smell of the air here was sickly and old, and the grass of this country's land was grayish for miles and miles in every direction.
Marco, after he finally pulls the equipment out of the car, places it on the ground under a white sheet, and then looks up at the sky.
"Look at it, the grass abnormally grey, the dirt of the earth spoiled beyond recovery, the air polluted by the sick scent of dead nature".
Matteo instantly turns his head up to his father.
"But why? Why does the land look this way?"
"This my son is the aftermath of war.
Even after twenty years since the battle here took place the effects have only worsened through time."
Matteo slowly turns his head to the entrance of the broken down and poor town.
"Why do they still live here, if the land is so bad? Why are they still bad after so many years?"
"This was a beautiful farm in its day, twenty years ago this land was an oasis of vegetable production. The dirt here was unlike any other, its effect on vegetable crops were said to have been discovered and blessed by angels eons ago. That is how its land got its name, "Angels Rest".Many people have left but many still after so many years stayed loyal to this land because it's simply all they know."
Marco swings his right hand forward above his head to tell everyone to proceed into the worn haven that was once Angels Rest.
Everyone followed him except the butler who insisted on staying with the car.
Which was a good call due to how desperate the townspeople here are for money.
The town is filled with all wooden and dirty houses. Definitely not what the children are used to seeing living in such comfort, they wouldn't even understand a wink of what these people are going through. All Roberto can do is turn his head down slowly when he and another child his age makes eye contact and keep walking...
There were few little people outdoors, most were in their homes quiet.
When the family made it to the town center they were greeted with more polluted air and quiet.
The center was just a massive gap in the town cut off from all the houses leading to the pathway of the mayor's home.
Marco makes his way up the creaky wooden stair to the door of the mayor's home.
He knocks and not even a millisecond after the first knock the door swings open in a hurry. Behind it was a man the same average height as Marco himself.
His eyes were wild but his closed mouth smile was genuine, that smile of his reached all the way to his eyes.
"It's good you finally arrived my friend"
He reached out his hand for a handshake with his palm facing upwards.
Marco looks down at it then makes then quickly shakes it with a firm grip and whilst holding sincere eye contact.
"You know me?"
They hold a very aggressive and yet steady handshake as they speak.The man chuckles.
"Of course, I've waited for your arrival for years my friend, my name's Cliff heresy."
"Oh? Pleased to make your acquaintance mr heresy"
They stop shaking and Marco points to his family down the stairs
"Down there is my wife, daughter, and sons"
Cliff pokes his head out the door and leans over Marcos shoulder and waves at the family down the stairs.Giulia waves back.
He returns back to the inside of his house.
"Will you come in?"
"Of course, sir"
They both enter the home, Marco waves his hand to his family as the door closes to signal this will be a moment.
The inside of the house is very worn, it seems even the mayor doesn't have the amount of money to live comfortably apart from the rest of the town.
They reach the dining room and Cliff sits at the far end of the table and motions his hand for Marco to take a seat at the other end of the round table. He's does take a seat
Mayor heresy pets his has a big bushy mustache slightly more impressive than Marcos mustache. He seems to wear red vest with his green and darker green colored striped
Shirt.black pants and a very well done left part.
" Mr Oweli, my family won't disturb us. I told them to head upstairs as you came walking in our town. "
He says this with that big smile still present on his face. He clears his throat before he speaks to Marco again.
" Now... I know why you're here sir".
"Do you know now? Well I thought I'd come with a surprise".
The mayor makes a quick shake of his head once.
"Nope, I had my hopes that you would show, especially you. Now as soon as my boys told me they saw a limousine right outside I knew. I knew it was you to come to our rescue. I don't blame you for taking so long to realize our existence actually the way I see it, better late than never."
Marco sits relaxed leaned on the wooden chair with a slight smirk. The mayor begins to fold his hands as if an indicator,
"It's business time".
"Now... we are not GREEDY people Mr Oweli oh no, we are simple folk who were simply dealt a bad hand by the shuffle of war. I will ask for a fair donation to be able to put food on tables and rebuild homes with an ask of no less than $1,000,000.
Now before you speak Mr. Oweli I have been working on a business plan to pay you back, you see I have demanded $500,000 extra for equipment to start an oil business. I tend to repay you doubled the amount by the time your little girl down there gets her first boyfriend. Well let's say she does in 3 years time, I'm a serious man Mr oweli. Before I was mayor I was oil man in my youth along with my father, we made millions. Let's just see me and my father didn't see eye to eye, which is why he lives in luxury while I sit here in defeat by fate. But I know the business very well just hadn't been able with the lack of sponsorship from an honorable man such as yourself Mr. Oweli. NOW how how does that sound to you sir".
Mayor heresy concludes his speech that has without a doubt been rehearsed for years for this day to come. Marco is sitting there having taken in a big ask in investment from a clearly experienced businessman that is going all or nothing for this oil business to work. Marco sits up from the chair now looking at Heresy in the eyes before he speaks. He breathes in...
" No "
"What?"
" No....I'm sorry to disappoint Mr. Mayor but this isn't what me and my family are here for. I came here to bring back the old land that this place once was. Not start an oil company."
In the mayor's disbelief he just up from the table I'm angry.
"I-is this some kind of joke!? Then why, what the hell are you here for!? Hm?!!"
"Heh, you won't be getting a single ounce of my fortune Mr mayor. Not one cent"