Chapter Two

Packing for the trip took longer than Joshua expected because he wasn’t sure what he needed to bring or how much time he would be away. He made humanitarian efforts all the time but had never gone to a site and built a school. He had no idea how long something like that would take. Joshua wasn’t sure how much he should pack, and he suddenly wished that he had left the job up to his assistant.

He wondered what Africa was going to be like in general. Hot for sure. The people who would be involved in the building would have no idea about the scandal, and that was a good thing. He hoped to forget about it himself; the last thing he wanted was to be questioned about the whole thing. It was embarrassing enough.

It would be his first time travelling to Africa, and he had to admit, he was a little excited about it. He had a vacation already, and this would be something different, something from the soul. It was about time; Joshua usually did fundraisers, but getting his hands dirty was well overdue. None of his recent fundraisers had anything to do with Africa, so it would be refreshing to have something new to focus on.

Joshua considered the heat that he would have to deal with there and decided to only pack light fabrics and nothing that would cling to him if he started to sweat. He smiled as he added a few more shirts to his suitcase; he was excited to work with his hands. Usually, people just wanted him to throw money at them, and although he was more than happy to do so, this little task would make him feel like a man. A masculine job that entailed putting a structure together; you didn’t get much handier than that. It amazed him that people spent their lives doing projects like that. Traveling around building hospitals for people in need. It was truly selfless. Yet, there were other people who were busy poisoning oceans. Joshua sighed deeply. He really needed to stop thinking about the scandal or he would surely go crazy. There was nothing he could do about it presently; he had to leave it up to Kyle and the rest of his team to clean things up at the office while he was in Africa. It would be good for him to be out with people, working together as a collective to get a job done. It wasn’t just about money for Joshua, he liked to do things that mattered. Although he had planned on getting back to work at the company after his vacation, this was what needed to be done to save the reputation of a company that was his life’s work.

The project would be labor intensive, but he wasn’t soft either. He knew what it meant to work hard for something, and he was up for the challenge, any challenge. It was a good time to get away from the politics of the company because something had seriously gone wrong. It would be best if he had a clear head when he returned. That way, he could be more effective in righting the wrongs that were done. At this point, all he wanted to do was roar all around the office until he got some answers, and that wasn’t going to do anyone any good. By going to Africa, he would be able to avoid the media as well, and the only thing they would be able to report about him was all the good he was doing in Africa. It would be really hard for them to say anything bad about him when he was trying to help people out. He could only hope that his community would be able to forgive him for what was done in the ocean. That would not happen however until he was able to clear his name; until then, they would always believe that he gave the order to dump the waste.

Joshua stretched out his legs aboard his private jet. There would be some people who would disagree with the fact that he was flying on a private jet to an impoverished country while drinking champagne, but he never worried about what people thought. He was giving up a lot of his luxuries to go on this latest adventure, so he was going to enjoy them while he could. Plus, he had worked damn hard to get to where he was in life and certainly wasn’t going to apologize for it now.

Sitting in his seat, he sipped on the champagne and thought about the existence that he led and how far he had come in life. He was blessed enough to be able to come and go as he pleased, to pick up at any time and go wherever he wanted on any sort of whim. There were no attachments in his life; no wife or children, nothing to tie him down. He often reflected on these things and wondered if he was really better off without those things. Joshua was about to turn 34, and he was still living the bachelor’s life. Was that a good thing? He couldn’t quite be sure. For a very long time, he had always been happy to just focus on work. Sure there were women in his life, but none that he fancied enough to stick around forever; they were merely means of entertainment for him. He often liked to take women on vacation with him as the companionship was enjoyable, but again, there was no real desire to see the women again once the vacation was over. It was just for fun, and for a long time that had been okay with him. In fact, he rarely thought about it. Except for lately of course. Things had been eating away at him for the past few months, and he wasn’t sure why. His last vacation was superb, but he always got this inkling that something was missing. But was that a wife and kids? He really didn’t know.

Joshua chuckled to himself; hell, he didn’t even have a girlfriend and he was wondering if a wife would complement his life. His life was certainly in a sad state of affairs these days, and he only had himself to blame. He should never have allowed anyone else at the company to have the kind of power to issue a dumping order. It sickened him. Now he was thinking about whether or not he should have a wife. Maybe this was the mid-life crisis he kept hearing about. Men went through it more than women did, and he was certainly creeping in on that age. Maybe it wasn’t just about having a wife. Maybe he just hadn’t met the right woman yet. When she came into his life, maybe things would become clear again for him.

Joshua took women out all the time, often to galas and benefits or a night on the town. He even had the occasion of cooking them breakfast in the morning, but he rarely saw the same woman twice. They just didn’t interest him that much. It was probably his fault; he had been unattached for so long that he wasn’t sure he would know what it was like to spend long periods of time with a woman. Some women would consider him to be a player, but he didn’t see it that way at all. He wasn’t deliberately out to hurt anyone, and he certainly wasn’t opposed to seeing a girl more than once, but she had to spike his interest, keep him intrigued, or at least, be more passionate about something other than a new pair of shoes. The kind of lady he would marry one day, if he did, would have to be able to keep him on his toes. He needed mental and physical stimulation, and he would offer the same to the girl of his choosing. He wasn’t a selfish man. Joshua didn’t want a trophy wife—he wanted a woman that could stand on her own while still standing by his side when he needed her. But did such a woman exist? He wasn’t sure if she did. He certainly had yet to find her.

Money was not an issue for him; he had enough to last many generations. His company was his empire, and it offered him a very lavish lifestyle, one that would take care of him for his entire life. He would never need to work again a day in his life if he didn’t want to; of course, he would never just hand over the reins of his company, especially not after the shit show that happened that week. If anything, it appeared as if he needed a tighter grip on the reins. His presence at the company was more about having something to keep him busy, plus he rather enjoyed being in front of the media. That was, of course, until the past week, he could have lived without that spotlight appearance. There was a time when he was the epitome of philanthropy and public service, that was, of course, before the media got wind that his company had dumped waste into the ocean.

Joshua rubbed his temples in frustration, unable to even understand why things had gone so wrong. Maybe he should be drinking something stronger than champagne. All he could think about was strangling the idiot that made that monumental decision. If you were going to do something so stupid and thankless, why use vessels with ID numbers attached to them? How stupid could these people be? Of course, it would lead back to the company, and now they were amongst a national scandal, one he wasn’t sure they would survive. Kyle seemed to think they would be alright, but the damage to the ocean was extensive, and there was no guarantee that they hadn’t left some permanent mark.

Whoever it was no doubt was shaking in their boots somewhere, hoping that Joshua would never find out. That was impossible, of course; you couldn’t pull off something of that magnitude without needing some help and leaving behind a trail. Someone would come forward if they weren’t discovered first. Who knew what was going through this fool’s mind? For all Joshua knew, the person may have thought that he would be okay with it. Maybe even applaud him for his genius. There were fake humanitarians all over the world, but Joshua wasn’t one of them. He would never be okay with disposing of waste in such a manner. It was absurd, of course, but so was dumping industrial waste in the ocean.

“Mr. Donovan, would you like more champagne? Your dinner will be out shortly.”

Joshua looked up, snapped out of his thoughts. “Yes, thank you. Can I have something a little stiffer, though?”

The girl gave a smile that said a lot more than her happiness to get him another drink. The look she was giving him said she wanted something a little stiffer too. He appraised her, noticing her natural beauty and responding to it. He certainly could use a release and wished he could take her to the back cabin and take her right there. But he had a strict rule against sleeping with staff; it was generally a terrible idea and always had a way of biting you in the ass and not in a good way. Joshua didn’t need any more scandals in his life so his staff was always off limits. The last thing he needed was an angry employee out to seek revenge on him. No, that was something he did not need. The press he was getting now alone was killing him. At the end of the day, it just wasn’t worth it to sleep with an employee. It’s not like Joshua had trouble finding female companionship, so employees were easy to stay away from.

Plus, he could never be sure if he was being hit on because someone liked him or because they wanted to be Mrs. Billionaire. If you were gonna get married, then why not marry a billionaire? It would be quite a prize for the right girl, and when it came to his staff, he often wondered if they just saw him as a means of moving up in the world. He hated thinking that way, but in his world, it happened all the time. Trophy wives were the thing to have, but no thank you. Joshua had no interest in that at all.

Although he was going to an impoverished country, he didn’t want to head over there without some of his favorite things. Some of his most favorite luxuries had been sent over so that he could indulge in and also give out to the people he met. There were cigars, chocolate, and his favorite whiskey; he couldn’t imagine being gone for long periods without these things. He couldn’t bear the thought. Some would call him spoiled, but what was the point of being a billionaire if you couldn’t make life easier on yourself. He was actually looking forward to sharing his loot with everyone else there. He wasn’t sure how long they had been there, but they could probably use some treats at that point, something to keep them going strong.

He hoped to only be there for a few weeks; he would be getting antsy by then to get back to the company and see what was going on and whether he could be further help there. The last thing he wanted was to be back on the sidelines, having no idea what was happening with his own company. He had made that mistake once before, and he didn’t intend making it again. He just hoped Kyle had a handle on things while he was gone; if anything else went wrong in his absence, heads were going to roll—he could promise that much.

The stewardess returned with his drink looking mildly sulky. She had expected him to take her up on her advances, and when he didn’t, she took it personally. That was the dangerous part. She would have been trouble had they slept together and he wronged her. He smiled at her warmly, hoping to ease her wounded ego. The girl was an absolute fox; it was nothing personal, just business. She smiled back and him and hurried off. She wasn’t gone long before she returned with his dinner for the evening. The meal looked incredible; grilled salmon and asparagus with small potatoes. He downed the brandy in one gulp, letting it burn his throat on the way down, and then he focused his full attention on the meal before him. The stewardess returned one more time to refill his champagne glass, and she flitted away.

One of his most favorite meals usually included some form of seafood. He couldn’t seem to get enough of it. When it came to maintaining his physique, he believed in trying to eat as cleanly as possible with some treats thrown in here and there. It was just as important to his business and successful lifestyle that he keep his body running smoothly as well, that was how you prevented disease from sneaking in. The mind and body always had to be in harmony and to be taken care of to the best of its ability. After he devoured the food before him, he suddenly felt exhausted. The goings on at the company had been a significant mental strain to him and currently he was just mentally tapped out. He needed a little siesta, and he would be back in business. It was best to get a nap in while he was still on the jet because once they arrived in Africa, he wasn’t sure that there would be time for one. He positioned his seat so that it leaned back all the way into a bed. As he laid back, the stewardess made her way back to him with a pillow and a blanket. It was bizarre watching someone essentially tucking you in for the night, but it was also quite nice. It was the closest he got to true companionship, things that would naturally happen if you had a girlfriend. The last thought he had before he closed his eyes was what it would feel like to have someone in your life that you could take care of and who you knew would also take care of you.

When the plane landed, Joshua stepped out, and the first thing that hit him was the heat. He knew it would be hot, but he hadn’t quite expected this level of heat. He was really in for it and was lucky he packed the items that he did. Africa was just as beautiful as it was hot. Everywhere you looked, it was as if you were on a whole different planet. It was all still naturally beautiful there, no skyscraper buildings to block your view of what nature had in store. Once they landed, Joshua was ushered through the tiny airport and shuttled to the site in which he would be working. The first thing they did, however, was to take him to the cabin in which he would be staying. He wanted to unpack and get settled before things really got crazy for him.

When he arrived at the cabin, he was truly in awe with everything. Joshua couldn’t have been happier that he had decided to go on the little adventure and hoped the whole experience would be worthy and beneficial for all. The cabin that had been selected for him had a porch that caused him to smile immediately. There was something about working hard all day and then returning to that cabin to an evening whiskey on the porch. He could already picture it. It would be marvelous. The cabin was nowhere near luxurious, but it had everything that he needed for his stay there. His first plan of attack was to get unpacked, then he could take a look around at the site and meet the people in charge. He would get a feel for things that day and then get started with the team the next day. Joshua was pleased to see that all his packages had arrived before he did. He wanted his belongings and luxury items on hand at all times. Joshua went through the packages and noticed that Kyle had also sent wine, probably just in case he wasn’t dining alone. Kyle always thought ahead, and he liked that about him. If he managed to dine alone, he could always give the bottles away. The thing that brought the biggest smile to his face was the bags and bags of individually wrapped candy that he could pass out to any children that he saw. He knew it would make their faces light up like nothing else would.

Once his unpacking was complete, he ventured out onto the porch and took a look around. The heat was therapeutic and made you feel like there was nothing in the world gone wrong. It wasn’t quite the same as laying out on the beach or sailing around on his yacht, but the feeling of being in the heat was still very much enjoyable. There was a wooden lawn chair on the porch, and he sat down in it. He yawned as he stretched his hands above his head. Yes, there was a lot of good that could be done to a place like this, and he intended on doing what he could while he was here.

The forest surrounding his cabin was lush, a green so bright that it almost hurt to look at the scenery. Joshua couldn’t believe that such places existed in the world. You just didn’t see places like this where he was from; New York was like a concrete jungle compared to Africa. He felt blessed to be in the position where he could help others. He would be able to do a lot of good for the village and couldn’t wait to get started. There was a hammock attached to one of the trees, and the sight of it pleased him greatly. He could imagine retiring in it at the end of a gruelling day hammering nails in the heat. Joshua smiled as he thought about the last time he was in a hammock; it must have been when he was a young boy. Probably behind his grandparents’ place, there was a hammock by the pond. He used to go back there and lay for hours in it, letting the breeze float around him. His own parents had died when he was around 10 years old, and he had been raised by an aunt for the most part, often spending time at his grandparents’. Which probably had a lot to do with the fact that he didn’t have a lot of attachments to other people.

Well, it was time that he got moving and introduced himself to the people running the site. He doubted he would be working that day but wasn’t too worried about it either way. If they needed him right away, he would do what he could. Excitement boiled up in him as he thought about making his way to the site and seeing how far along the school and hospital were. Talk about amazing projects, and people were there building them by hand. Joshua got up from the seat and grabbed a bottle of water before he made his way down the stairs. He followed a path through the lush forest towards what he hoped was the building site. He hadn’t seen anyone since he had been dropped off at the cabin, but they had left on the path, so he knew he would find someone eventually.

Joshua was anxious to talk to the head honcho about what the expectations were for him. All the supplies for the site had been paid for by him and shipped ahead of time, so he wanted to check to make sure they got everything they needed as well. It took a lot of supplies to build those two structures, and money meant very little to Joshua in the sense that he had plenty to go around.

Thankful for the hat he brought, he could already feel himself building up a sweat as he walked along the path. The sun was beating down, and even through the trees, there was not much escape from it. It felt good, though, it wasn’t overbearing in the least. There was none of the humidity that he was used to during the summer months. In Africa, the heat was dry, so it never felt as hot as it actually was. In fact, it was downright soothing.

The path broke open onto the building site, which was bustling with people. There was movement and action all around him, and it excited him even more. They were all clearly very busy, and a moment was never wasted. The energy in the place was inspiring, and there were local villagers around, sitting and watching the volunteers building. It looked as if they were checking out the new people coming and going. The local villagers looked happy though as if they loved the new visitors coming in to change things; hopefully, make them better. Joshua stood on the edge of everything watching as volunteers were unpacking and sorting through the supplies he had sent in. He was impressed to see that they already had the school’s frame well underway. It already was starting to look like something. Joshua felt pride for the camp and what they had accomplished in such a short time, and now he would be part of it. He was going to be able to make a difference, and that was all that mattered to him. As far as he was concerned, the media could kiss his ass. There was no way anyone could believe that he was involved in poisoning the ocean, it truly was ludicrous.

“Mr. Donovan, welcome to the site! We are so happy to have you.”

Joshua was startled by a voice beside him, and he turned to find a rather pale looking man. Considering they were in Africa, he was shocked that anyone could remain pale skinned, but sure enough, the man had the pallor of a vampire. His cheeks, however, were flushed, which gave the indication that maybe he just didn’t do that well in the heat and hot temperatures. It was a mystery, however, as to why the skin just didn’t tan or at least burn; instead, it lacked almost any color at all. He put on a warm smile and shook the sweaty palm of the man in front of him.

“Hello, are you the man in charge? I just got here and thought I would take a look around.”

“Yes, I am, as a matter of fact. The name is Ben, and it is quite a pleasure to meet you. Everyone is so excited that you have decided to join us in our ventures. We couldn’t be more grateful for the supplies you sent us; it was very generous of you. As you can see, we are well on our way to having a school, thanks to you.”

“The pleasure is all mine, and yes, I did notice that. It looks great, and I’m glad to have helped. And please call me Joshua; there is no need to be formal.”

“Indeed, you are right about that. I am head of the project here, and if there is anything that you require, please come and see me. We have many projects going on, all of which are running smoothly. I’ve been in Africa for over a year now running various projects through the very company that you contacted to join us here. Were you able to get settled in the cabin?”

“Yes, it’s great, thank you. I’m looking forward to getting involved here. I don’t think I’ll be able to stay as long as you have, but I’ll do my best for as long as I’m here,” Joshua said with a chuckle.

“Great, that’s all good news. Again, we are grateful that you have come to help; there is certainly much to do.”

“I wasn’t sure if you needed me to start up today or if I would begin in the morning. It’s been a taxing traveling day.”

“That’s totally up to you. Now what kind of work are you interested in?”

Joshua took a look around. Since his arrival to the site, he felt invigorated and decided to get going right away—there was no need to wait until the morning. Besides, he would only be putting a few hours in anyways before the site shut down for the day and people went off to dinner.

“I’m at your disposal, and I think I’d like to do some work today, after all. I’m okay with getting dirty, as well; you don’t need to give me any special treatment.”

Ben laughed. “Good man, that’s what I like to hear. How are you with using a hammer?”

“Great, just show me what you need.”

Just then, there was a tugging on Joshua’s leg, and he looked down to see a little girl with chocolate brown eyes. She was tugging on his pant leg trying to get his attention. She was very skinny, though she didn’t appear to be malnourished in any way. He smiled down at her and said, “Hi there, how are you?” The girl smiled back up at him, and he wasn’t sure if she understood him at all.

“This is one of our most frequent visitors. Plenty of the children from the villages wander over from time to time. Everyone is very excited that the school is being built for obvious reasons.”

“Do they not have a school?”

“They do, and you will see more children filter through during their breaks, but the school is rundown. If there is ever a hard rain, the school floods, and it’s still not even nearly big enough for the amount of children in it. They need an upgrade, and this school will mean the ability to learn without worrying about the school falling apart around them. So yes, I believe this little one should be in school, but they get so excited that some venture over whether they are allowed to or not.”

Joshua chuckled. “That’s fine by me, I’m looking forward to visiting the villages and meeting everyone.”

“I’m sure that they would love that. Come with me.”

Joshua followed Ben over to a group of people whom he introduced him to. It was obvious by the looks that were given him that they all knew that he was a billionaire. Not that it bothered him, he would win them over, eventually. He was no fake, and they would see that soon enough. He just needed to have faith in the situation. Joshua was used to that treatment wherever he went even in the Upper East Side. People treated you differently if you were rich. He was considered one of the elite, and usually everyone wanted a piece of him in more ways than one. But in New York, he was treated with respect automatically; in places like Africa, on a job site, he needed to earn his respect first. That he was okay with because he had never done anything to purposely hurt anyone, especially animals or nature. He always strived to try to make the world better not worse.

It was no big deal, though. He was confident that in a few days they would see him as he really was and warm up to him. He was no snob, and they would see that soon enough.

“Now that you have met everyone Joshua, how about we get you to work.”

“Sounds good to me.”

The people were smiling around him, but he knew they were anxious to see if he could actually do hard labor. What they didn’t know was that his grandfather used to be a farmer and he often helped him out at the weekends when he didn’t have school. He hadn’t always had a privileged life. Joshua followed Ben to where all the tools were being stored. He was handed a hammer and a few boxes of nails.

“You can start over there and work with that group. They’ll show you exactly what to do. I’ll check on you in a bit, okay?”

“Great and thanks a lot.” Joshua headed to the group where they showed him how they were framing the school. He got to work immediately hammering nails into the structure, creating a frame as they went along. There was no doubt about it, the work was truly soul cleansing, and he knew that going there had been a great idea indeed. The hard work was exactly what he needed to exorcise his demons. He took out all his pent up aggression on those boards, nailing them in deeper and deeper. He knew he was where he was supposed to be, and when the work was done, he would have a clear head and know exactly what was to be done about his company and the people in it. All the pain and anger from the past week were going into the boards, and he started to feel a weight being lifted off of him. By the time Ben came back to retrieve him, they had completely finished the framing of the school, and it looked amazing.

He stood up and joined the people staring at the hard work from the day. Joshua was sweating buckets, but he felt alive for the first time in a long time. “Great job everyone, this looks great,” he said. There were lots of high fives and slaps on the back to go around for everyone. They were all pretty proud of the performance that day, and Joshua couldn’t blame them. It was amazing what you could do when you had people working together as a team to get a job done. That was a perfect example right there.

As Joshua looked around, he had a great idea. Why not end his first day there with a bang, something that would make everyone feel wonderful for all the work that was put in that day.

“Excuse me, everyone. It would be my honor if you would all join me at my cabin for dinner tonight. Arrangements have been made for a great spread to be there tonight, and I would love it if you would all join me in having a celebration feast for a job well done. You deserve it, and I hope to see you all there. If the food isn’t enough to get you there, I also have alcohol.”

There was collective laughter all around, and the sound of it pleased Joshua greatly. They all started to cheer, which caused him to laugh. “Okay, let’s meet at my cabin in an hour. I need to wash off all this sweat.”

The crowd started to part, and Joshua made his way back towards the pathway when he was stopped by a kid that couldn’t have been more than 19. He had been introduced to him before, and his name might have been Jeff.

“Hi Joshua. I was just wondering since you invited us all to dinner and all.”

“Yes?”

“Well, there is another site, the one where they are putting up the hospital. We all usually get together for dinner after the end of the day. Would it be okay if I invited them as well?”

“Of course, we are all in this together after all. I say the more, the merrier.”

The kid smiled brightly, “Thanks, man, you are one pretty cool guy.”

“Yeah, thanks,” Joshua said with a laugh.