GOTS - REWORK (ePub) AUGUST

Tunde Leye 101
They all smiled. It had been a while since they had seen him and they were
glad he had come to them now. “Gabriel…” was all Eldad could say in his gruff
voice. The other two remained silent. Gabriel looked from man to man and
marveled at how different each was to the other.
Benzahr was a sleek banker, with fine extremities, the long limbs and
polished features of aristocrats. He came from a long line of old money. His
hairline was beginning to recede and thin out at the edges. He was wearing
tan-coloured chinos and a grey polo t-shirt tucked in. He looked like he was
making a stopover on the way to a golf course. He had a fine Rolex watch on
and wore shoes that shone. He always insisted on being called his full name.
Only the man that lay dead in the bed now had ever been allowed to call him
Zahr. He acknowledged Gabriel with a stiff nod of his head.
Lex was a Mathematics lecturer who doubled as a fitness buff. He was the
oldest of the lot, in his early sixties now but looked trimmer and more athletic
than Benzahr who was almost twenty years younger. After the loss of his
brother, he had turned to fitness as therapy for his sadness. He worked out
every day, ate healthy and organic food only and took great care of his body.
He liked to wear clothes that showed this off. Today, he was wearing a fitted
striped shirt with a pair of blue jeans and loafers. He took and shook Gabriel's
hand. His grip was a firm one but his eyes were smiling ones. He had been the
closest to the dead man.
Eldad was a short, stocky man with a gruff and loud voice that was wellsuited
to shouting instructions over the din in his auto-mechanic workshop. He
had a love for cars and motorbikes, which bordered on obsessive at times. He
was a talker, that one. He said things as they came to his head, without the
finesse the other two had.
Different as they were, these men shared a bond that ran deeper and
stronger than between blood brothers.
Gabriel ran his hand over Farida's face, shutting his eyes one final time,
before picking up the object on his chest. Moments later, they all gathered
around a table, all stripped to the waist, except for Gabriel. Each had an
intricate tattoo on the left side of the chest, with unique patterns.
Lex asked the question all the others were thinking about. “Gabriel, has the
new guardian been selected?”
“The seal always selects its own guardian,” Gabriel responded. “For now, we