A Brother or a Stranger?

Alex Johnson had just graduated from the University of Texas. During college, he ran a small but successful barbecue food truck on campus. His small but thriving business was able to cover his school expenses. His skill in grilling attracted so many customers, so much so that he was nicknamed "A-Grills" by his colleagues.

Alex had grown up with his older cousin, Tony, who now lived in Houston. Growing up, they were inseparable. Tony always looked after his cousin; he would defend Alex whenever he was bullied at school. "You are my brother," he would say, "as such, it is my responsibility to ensure that no one dares to lay a finger on you" he would affirm. He would always share his snacks with Alex, though coming from a less financially buoyant family, Tony's presence in his life made it easier to navigate.

To facilitate swift relocation, Tony sent Alex $3,000 to take care of his logistics and other expenses that may arise. Alex shared the news with his girlfriend, Lisa who was still in school. Lisa received the news with mixed feelings, on one hand, she was glad that Alex was going to have a better life in Houston but on the other hand, she was sad that she was about to get separated from "the love of her life". "I will make plans for you to move in with me immediately you finish your studies here, no distance would make me love you any less" he consoled her. At last, Lisa accepted the reality and they exchanged kisses and hugs at the airport before Alex boarded a plane.

When Alex arrived in Houston, Tony was waiting for him at the airport. The reunion was warm, there was so much adrenaline in secretion, they were both excited to see one another for it had been long since they had seen each other.

The following day after Alex had rested from his long trip, Tony explained to him why he asked Alex to join him in Houston. "I have plans to establish a bar and I could not think of anyone other than you to run it" Tony said. "With the bar established, you would at least have something to rely on pending when you have a better paying job or a better business to handle" he added. Alex thanked his cousin and promised him that he would manage the bar with all his heart and in good faith.

Tony purchased a standard sound system, big-screen TVs, he stocked the bar and furnished the kitchen. With Alex’s background in grilling, managing the kitchen and food services was a piece of cake. Their business thrived. They even bought a company pickup truck to haul supplies. Alex gave his all to the business in return, Tony trusted, respected and allowed him full management of the bar. If one was not told the owner of the bar, no one would ever guess it right.

Then, one fateful Friday night, Tony met a woman named Jasmine at the lounge. She came to the lounge to enjoy herself and have a taste of the "grill bliss". She was beautiful, charming and adorable. One thing led to another, they became acquainted and within weeks, she had moved into Tony’s apartment.

Initially, Jasmine and Alex were getting along however, things started to become difficult when Alex turned down Jasmine's advances. Alex is a fine man; tall, muscular and dark-skinned. His sense of humor would make every girl he encounters fall head over heels for him. Jasmine was not an exception, despite having a man in her life, she still craved for Alex.

Alex who hails from a poor, humble but respectable family had his values and he could not stoop so low. He didn't want to betray his cousin who has done nothing but good to him. Jasmine could not accept the rejection, her lust turned into absolute hatred, the shame of the rejection was unbearable so she swore to deal with Alex.

One evening, Jasmine told Tony, “Why is Alex running your lounge? This should be yours to manage directly.” Initially, Tony tried to ignore her, however with constant nagging she succeeded in bending his will to hers. Not long after, Tony called Alex in the living room and told him that he should start applying for jobs, that Jasmine would take over the running of the lounge from him.

This broke Alex down, he could not fathom that his cousin whom they grew up together would choose a woman who he met met not long ago over him. With the new development, Alex did not need a soothsayer to know that there was "fire on the mountain". He realized that it was just a matter of time before he would be kicked out of the house. Determined to work his way to success, Alex left Tony's house and never looked back.

After Jasmine took over the lounge from Alex, at first, she seemed to run the lounge pretty well. But then, things started to fall apart when she brought her brother in to help out. He started using the truck for personal errands, and even moonlighted as a rideshare driver with it. Weekly profits stopped coming in, whenever Tony asked, Jasmine would always find something to say that would keep Tony in the dark. Concerned and disturbed, Tony decided to uncover the truth.

To be continued...