Paradise Fun, the country's largest recreation, entertainment and shopping center, had the finest, luxurious and world premier facilities all around it. Its outdoor view had a variety of exotic plants and gardens, and indoor had a wide and variety of outlets offering products and services of different categories. Among the products and services were both outdoor and indoor restaurants that offered local and as well international recipes. The center had a wide variety of fun and relaxation experiences for locals, expatriates, tourists and diplomats. It had all the fun experiences of recreation, sport, pastime and amusement known to man.

Wanjiku walked with her eleven-year-old brother inside the Paradise Men Zone, a part of the facility that concerned with everything masculine. Its two-way silver metallic glass door with shale green and deep lava red flower decorations spoke of the beginning of paradise inside the building.

The entire floor was covered in a carmine red carpet with grasmere blue decoration prints. Every door that led to a paradise fun joint had zircon silver glass plates with coated topaz gold handles, making it have a marvelous high-class outlook. The walls of the building, in pearl white paintings, had brilliant florescent light installation at meter intervals. The lights were on cream with monterey maroon and mist grey flower decorations ceiling boards. Paradise indeed it is!

"There are a lot of doors in here!" Wanjiku looked both amazed and fascinated inside the facility she was in, "Do you even know the fun you want and how to get to it?"

"I exactly know the fun I want and how to get to it, siz." Bredin said without looking behind at the sister as he continued leading her deep and deeper into the building, passing dozens of doors on the way.

"Are you sure we won't get lost!" Wanjiku began to worry, looking behind the 17th door they had just passed through and into a labyrinth of corridors.

"I may get lost in hell but not paradise." Bredin confidently still led the way.

They passed other couples of doors where people were now fewer on the wide walking corridor, and it made Wanjiku wondered how the brother came to know of such a complex structure, "May I ask how you came to know of this building?"

"I have good friends, siz. Rich good friends."

"Ah! That means you have been regularly coming here?"

"Siz, it is regularly that will make me know this place very well."

Wanjiku gave him a mystified stare, "You say that as if it is not a big deal! What if something bad could have happened to you? Like one of these doors swallowing you!"

"Then I could have known the way out of its jaws before it swallows me."

Wanjiku suddenly stopped, forcing the brother as well, "I am not kidding, Bredin!" Her tone was serious, "This place is big and complicated enough for easy confusion! And with confusion, anything can happen!"

"I know." The brother sounded calm, "But I am a big boy and can understand big and complicated things."

"BREDIN!"

"Okay, fine." Bredin let out a breath, "I have led you through uncountable doors, which means I know this place very well. It also means that I wouldn't be here if I spotted any danger anywhere. I always listen to your advices on the dangers of the city. I haven't seen a likely one here."

The words relieved Wanjiku, even though she knew how smart and intelligent the young brother was. Sometimes he even outsmarted the family members and mischievously achieved whatever he wanted. She was sure with his intelligence, he would know what to do if danger occurred around him, "Fine." She looked at him, "But promise me if you see any danger in this place you will never come back."

"Alright. But I am certainly sure of the security in this place, especially for young people. No danger can happen here, apart from the underground swallowing us up."

Wanjiku stopped, frozen, "Excuse me! Do you mean we are below the ground as we stand?" Her tone was virtually frightful.

The brother turned looking back at her, "You don't notice? We are fifteen feet below the ground."

Immediately, the usual adrenaline of a haunting phobia in underground places started flowing in Wanjiku's bloodstream. She agitatedly started looking around, "I AM QUITE SURE WE HAVE NOT USED ANY STAIRS OR ELEVATORS!"

"Yeah, but we have been walking on slanting turns in the corridors. Look behind you."

Wanjiku looked behind and indeed noticed an inclined plane on the corridor they were walking on. Oh, God! The adrenaline in her bloodstream deepened. She didn't understand the human nature of trying to settle and live in almost all places on the planet. According to her, underground structures and settlements were never a good idea. She failed to understand why people ignored the open dangers associated with underground settlements. What if a disaster strikes and it collapses! Or air supply vents mal-function? Surely no one can be able to escape death!

"Bredin," She said with an obvious worry, "If we continue any further into underground, then I am sorry we will have to go back!"

Bredin laughed at the sister's fear and uneasiness, "Relax, we are already here." He said and walked to a door that was bigger than the rest. The sister followed him. When she was in the room, she saw a wonder of wonders never been seen before in her life.

There was thick dry ice smoke covering the room's ground that was peopled with liveliness and energy. On the walls of the room were flat-screen televisions at patterned intervals, enjoyed with video games by young people. Above the room was another open circular room that was reached by twin spiral stairways at both ends from the room below. The above room was also full of people enjoying their time, with hip-hop beat music filling the air. The whole place was a perfect carnival of fun.

"Tickets are taken from here," Bredin informed, but Wanjiku barely heard him. She was still fascinated and enthralled by the room's design and the activities taking place inside it. She never thought such a refined and exclusive place existed in the country. Such dazzling completeness of brilliancy only seems possible in developed countries.

"Over here, siz." Bredin looked behind at her. She followed modestly.

"Hello." Bredin started at the ticket counter, the sister beside him.

"Hello." The operator warmly replied, "Would you wish for a ticket or ball coins?"

"Tickets, please." Bredin smiled.

"Okay, young man." The operator looked at Bredin then Wanjiku, "All-day ticket at five thousand shillings."

"Five thousand?" Wanjiku suppressed her surprise.

"Yes, Miss, that is the charge."

"A minute, please." Wanjiku forced a polite smile at the operator and pulled the brother some distance away, "Five thousand!" The surprise on her face was now palpable as she stared at Bredin, "I thought I was taking you to some five hundred shillings fun!"

Bredin was more surprised, "This is Paradise Fun. A soda costs five hundred shillings!"

"Okay, that is a fair point. But I only carried three thousand, and that is not going to be enough."

The brother disappointedly shrugged without a word.

"But he said all-day ticket." Wanjiku said, "Is there no substitute option, like a half-day ticket, or hour-based?"

"They don't have that here." Bredin said with a frown, "They charge per day's full experience."

"But what if a parent comes with a child, let us say in the evening, and the child cries to be here? Will they still pay that amount?"

"This is a place where parents will carry MONEY if they want to come with children."

Wanjiku sighed, "Okay. That is fair..." She shortly paused, "Why don't we then go and eat something? Your favourite dish. It will still be fun."

"Wanjiku, I really wanted to be here." Bredin still looked dejected, "This is where the paradise is."

The brother's tone and look moved Wanjiku, "I promise we will come back next weekend." She said with guarantee, "It is a promise." As she glanced up about to search for an exit, her eyes met a rather surprising figure, "Give me a minute. I will be right back." She said and started toward the figure, which seemed to be moving fast. She increased her pace but the figure walked inside one of the doors in the room.

She followed to the door and opened it, but found no one in the lavishly decorated corridor that led further to other doors. What is with this place and doors! She looked around and noticed one of the swinging doors that had just been recently used. When she was about to walk to the door, a man in a black and grey guard uniform showed up from one of the other doors. He stared in surprise upon seeing the lady.

"Excuse me, Miss, this area is off-limits to visitors and customers!" He said with an official urgent tone.

Wanjiku appeared subdued, "I am sorry... I just wanted to see Fernandez_"

"Mr. Fernandez is a very busy man." The guard walked to Wanjiku, still urgent, "Now, if you don't mind, please return to the fun zone area."

"It's okay. I understand." Wanjiku calmly approved, "I will be on my way out."

"Whoa!" Gonzalez suddenly remarked in astonishment, pointing at one of the video monitors in the video surveillance control room at Paradise Men Zone, "Is that... Wanjiku!"

Fernandez's heart skidded nervously at the mention of the name. He promptly turned to the video monitor the friend was pointing and confirmed it was indeed the woman who had taken his breath away, "I love your sharp eyes, Gonzalez!" He happily smiled and scrammed out of the control room.

Looking at him perplexedly as he left the room was Carmella. A queer curiosity suddenly invaded her, "Who is Wanjiku!" She inquired in Spanish, more like stating.

"A girl Fernandez likes in the university," Gonzalez responded, as well in Spanish.

A wave of astonishment rose within Carmella from the response. A girl who isn't even from our kind! It can't be! She had always believed no woman could compete with her before Fernandez's eyes, but now it surprised her that there was one right before her. One who was not even from her kind. The agitation began to scare her. This must never be!

Wanjiku recognized the voice calling her and turned to it. She saw Fernandez hurrying towards her, and for the first time ever, she saw him in a suit. He was always in modern casual wear at the university. The suit made him appear handsome, and also the way his hair was slicked back with oil.

She smiled as the gentleman got to her.

"Hi." Fernandez happily started.

"Hi." Wanjiku radiantly responded.

"Uhm...nice to see you..." Once again, every time he was on the lady's beauty, words failed Fernandez, "You also enjoy video games?"

"Oh, no. I brought my brother." Wanjiku looked behind her and called the brother, "He wanted to...actually, I owe him big time and he told me to bring him here for the owe, but unfortunately this place is way too expensive!"

An advantage! Fernandez felt pleased and elated. Thank God she will like me more! "Don't worry." He said with excitement, "I will help you take care of the owe."

Bredin got to them and looked at the gentleman before him. The boss!

"I appreciate the help." Wanjiku graciously said and turned to the brother, "Bredin, this is Fernandez." She turned back to Fernandez, "This is my baby brother, Bredin."

"Nice meeting you, Bredin." Fernandez smiled at the young boy.

"Likewise, but I know you." Bredin smiled back, "At least anyone here who is a regular."

"That's nice. I hear she owes you big time but she is unable to due it. How about I step in and give her a hand?"

Bredin's eyes popped out with delight, "Meaning I just go in and enjoy myself?"

"Of course." Fernandez affirmatively nodded.

"Thanks! You are the best." Bredin said and quickly walked to the Entertainment Point Entrance. Before he arrived, Fernandez signaled to two men standing at the entrance. Understanding the signal, one of the men let in Bredin.

Wanjiku happily looked at the brother as he started entertaining himself among his peers, "What is it with boys and video games?" She turned back to Fernandez, "I don't understand the fun in controlling cartoons."

Fernandez amusedly laughed, "The fun is successfully controlling the cartoon to do a given task, and the reward you get after successfully doing the task."

Wanjiku smiled, "Well, that kind of makes sense now." She cleared her expression, "But I am picking something up...or rather I have already guessed right. When I was following you entering the room that you have come out of, a guard stopped and told me that the area is off-limits to customers. Then when I asked for you, he told me that you are a very busy man. And now, you have just signaled at those two men and they let Bredin in. So, if my guess is right, you must be an important person in this place, right?"

Fernandez nodded with a smile, "Yeah, that is right. All these, the Paradise Fun, is the family's business."

Wanjiku's eyebrows rose a notch, "Oh, really!"

"Yeah. My dad started it, and I later on came up with this Paradise Men idea. Everything that men love is here; sports, entertainment, and different pastime activities."

"That is impressive! It really is."

"Thank you."

Silence fell between them.

"By the way, thanks for helping me out with Bredin." Wanjiku gratefully said.

"Don't mention it. It's nothing at all because I am happy and glad to have done it."

Wanjiku looked at him admiringly. It now strangely occurred that she found adoration and like towards the gentleman. She had met many men in her life, but none had ever appeared as courteous and genteel as Fernandez. He is truly different!

"I am pleased to hear that." She tenderly said.

Another silence fell between them, and it bothered Fernandez. I must appear confident! He forced himself, "Uh, Wanjiku, as Bredin plays, can we take a walk...or can you let me give you a tour around Paradise Fun?"

"I would love it!" Wanjiku said with vivacious excitement.

"Okay..." Fernandez on the other side felt cheerful and full of energy, "Let us start this way..."

They started walking away together, both happy and glad to have met in an unplanned manner.