"Remember," Mr. Beard barked, "control is everything. Speed and precision beats brute force."
On the river shore, very early in the morning before the sun rose to warm the soils, Ishtar's breathe was shallow but steady as she attentively studied to master Mr. Beard's fighting techniques.
Mr. Beard paced infront of Ishtar, eyes sharp and commanding. He demonstrated a series of strikes and blocks as his hands blurred in swift, practiced movements.
"Wow, you're so skilled!" Ishtar complements him, so excited.
"Focus," he barked when she behaved distracted.
"Sorry," Ishtar got set and started mimicking the motions, trying to keep it up.
After minutes of drills, sweat was already dripping down her brow as she leaned to anticipate and react under pressure.
"Good," Mr. Beard praised, "but stay relaxed. Tension is your enemy."
It was yet another session for gun practice.
"Time to learn to trust your hands, to control every breath and heartbeat," said Mr. Beard, the instructor.
On the bark-covered table Mr. Beard lined up six-shooter. He drew and fired at the rusted tin cans lined up in a row, each shot hitting the center.
Ishtar had eyes widely open, keenly watching him to acquire skills.
It was her turn. With excitement, her heart pounded as she aimed a small pistol at the makeshift target in the woods. Her hands shook slightly, slowly squeezing the trigger.
Guided by her instructor, Mr. Beard, "steady your breath," he barked.
Tha crack was loud, and the pellet hit just outside the bullseye. A proud smile spread across her face; she knew it would take time.
"Am determined to improve my aim to be as good as you father," Ishtar stated, telling Mr. Beard.
"You can only be as good as you _ better than even me," he smiled in response, "trust your abilities."
Under Nadia Browne's influence, Bob Lee started circling himself with wrong people he called friends, people who knew no struggle, people who only showed up when champagne flowed.
As months went by, his life story flipped from being an adorable young billionaire who he was under an intelligent, supportive and loving Ex wife Ishtar with good money habits, to becoming a reckless party animal.
"Come-on rich buddy, let's celebrate," they always reached out to his mobile number, be it late at night or any hours during day time.
With Nadia Browne and these type of friends they did dinners at five star restaurants, nights at rooftop clubs in different cities and countries.
First class everything each and everyday.
Bob Lee became the life of the party and ATM for everyone in it. He stopped attending to work, he stopped checking his account, and he stopped saying no!
Everything Nadia Browne needed he offered, everywhere Nadia Browne needed to go they went. He bought every jewelry; diamond necklaces, gold rings and designer outfits for her wherever they went to, whenever she wanted to.
One day Sonia had to meet with them at one of the five star clubs in town, but she couldn't access a descent conversation with her boss Bob Lee. She insisted on having a word with her best friend Nadia Browne privately, which took place in the female washrooms.
But it was arguments, which later ended in a disagreement.
"It's written all over you just that you can't say it straight to my face! Open up that you're jeolous of this life I'm living with my husband Sonia!" Arrogantly drunk from a few shots of tequila, Nadia Browne accused her friend.
She mistook her word of advise for jeolousy.
"Im married to a wealthy young man _ and you don't even have a poor one to hold you when the nights get colder. Which is enough to make you join the haters club."
"Can you listen to yourself Nadia?" Sonia, hurting deep within, couldn't believe her best friend's kind of reasoning that she ran short of words to respond with. "Is that how you see me!?"
"If you're not jeolous of me then what?"
But on the other hand, she understood Nadia was drunk when she looked and analysed the kind of mood she was in. She saw no need to start a battle of words with her.
Sonia took a deep breathe, "let me table the major reason here."
"Bob Lee will soon run bankrupt if you don't do something to stop his expenditure. His personal accounts are running empty and soon he's switching to using company funds on this luxury life both of you are living."
Frankly speaking, Sonia told Nadia.
Nadia continues to sip on a glass she has in hand, "my man is a billionaire, there's no way he can run short of currency."
"Am only warning you to become that wife he will need in future. If you truly love him, that is. Save him from running bankrupt."
Sonia said her final words and walked out of the washrooms swiftly, mad inside though.
Not so long, Nadia Browne walked out of the washrooms too, and went on to join the big boys including Bob Lee.
"Come on, these two shots are waiting on you," Bob Lee lifted a shooter glass direct to Nadia's mouth, "not cheating a shot was the agreement." Talking drunkard, as the rest of friends cheered the moment.
One after the other, Nadia Browne collected the tequila shots and poured them into her mouth, and shouted excitedly on top of her voice, dancing all over the place.
Club lights of different colours and electric music filled the air as the groove continued.
But, what Nadia Browne didn't know was; in the same environment, her Ex boyfriend kept a keen eye, on her from a distance as he waited for any slight chance to make a move on her.
It wasn't long when she needed to meet the washrooms and ease herself, leaving her husband and colleagues happily enjoying themselves, she took her precious time to walk through the happy people on the dance floor upto the ladies lavatory.
On coming out, "Nadia!" A male voice called.
To her surprise when she turned her face to see, "Marlon!" Drunk in a very happy happy mood, she gave him a hand shake.
"Can we talk outside?" He requested.
"Alright!" She was thinking no more, she was glad and jolly and followed him upto the rear, inside his automobile.
In a dim environment inside the car were two people that night with deep romantic history that haven't seen eachother in a while after a breakup. Nadia Browne who was heavily tied up
"I miss us," Marlon said.
Laughter spilling from her lips as she tried to steady herself, Nadia's lips were flushed and her eyes sparkled with a mixture of mischief and affection.
Marlon reached out and took her hand. Nadia tried to hesitate making his grip unsteady, but her smile was genuine.
"You're the only one who can make me forget my troubles," Marlon said and leaned in closer.
"Am married now Marlon!," tipsy, she tried to reject him. And my husband is right inside the club waiting for me."
"It's my heart speaking truthful to you Nadia," He smiled and gently slided a stray hair away from her forehead, a steady gaze on her lips, "you're beautiful when you're like this Nadia," he said, "and your warmth shine through, no matter what state you're in."
Nadia Browne's gaze softened and looked into his eyes. In that moment, despite her intoxicated haze, she felt a clear, unwavering love that needed no words.