Chapter 26: Chapter 26

Michael woke up feeling a slight headache. Even with the music on, the night had been a long and rough one because he had found it difficult to sleep.

The thought of Brenda standing him up a few days now had been on his mind, and he is more troubled because he didn’t know the reason for her action, he did not know if he had hurt her in any way.

He subconsciously swept his arm across the bed in search of his cell phone, his hand came across the phone which he sluggishly picked up. He looked at the time on his cell phone and its past 7am.

He tossed the cell phone aside again, turned over, laying his back on the bed and facing the roof. He must have dosed off because when he checked to see the time on his phone earlier, it was already 4am.

He slowly stood up from his bed, swept his hair backward with both hands and went into the bathroom. He stood under the shower letting the water flow from his head to his toes for about one hour, his mind still thinking about what Brenda’s reason was for treating him this way, he had not had any real relationship before and was beginning to think that Brenda would be the girl he would have such relationship with and had already started developing feelings for her but with what she was doing to him now, he could not see the possibility of that happening and this was hurting him a lot.

When he came out of the bathroom, he decided he needs to see George, he had to talk to him about Brenda since he is the one who had brought them together in the first place. “Maybe George will be able to find out what’s going on with Brenda.” He said inwardly and then went to pick up his cell phone from the bed again and dialed George’s phone number.

“Hello George, it’s me,” Michael said immediately after George took his call.

“What’s up Michael,” George said in return, “it’s anything the matter?” he asked immediately again before Michael could speak again, sensing how down casted the tone of his voice was.

Michael paused his lips as soon as George asked him the question, he knew me well, he said inwardly, referring to George and the way he figured him out in a second. “No George, do you have time to meet up?” he replied and asked immediately, not giving George the chance to ask him what the matter was.

“yes, sure… ah… lets meet up in the usual,” George said, wondering what the matter was with Michael but decided to wait before he asked since he wanted to meet with him, knowing that for Michael to want to meet with him, it must really be important to him.

“What time would be convenient for you today?” Michael asked again.

George checked his wrist watch to see the time before he replied him, “let’s meet in twenty minutes,” he told Michael.

“Okay George, see you at the bar in twenty minutes then,” Michael said and hung up, feeling a little relieved that George agreed to meet him this early and guessed that he had not gone to some place far from his house or could probably be at home.

Michael dressed up as quickly as he can and went out of his apartment. “I have to talk to someone before I go crazy.” He said out loud. Once outside his apartment, he called out for a taxi that would take him to the bar where he was supposed to meet George.

***

Lora ran into the mansion as usual, screaming Grandma Rosa but this time she was greeted with gloomy faces, she paused for a while and looked around the mansion to see some faces she knew and some she doesn’t know all, putting on black clothes.

She suddenly felt a chill over her body as she glanced around her. She walked on and asked one of the house keepers what was going on since she knew what wearing black clothes means.

Before she could get a respond, she heard her name from behind. “Lora sweetie.” She turned quickly as she recognized the voice. “Grandma Rosa.” She said as she ran into the open arms of her grandma, but being careful not to hug her with force.

“What is going on here?” She asked looking into her grandma Rosa’s eye as she untangled herself from her embrace. “Welcome sweetie.” Grandma Rosa said instead, ignoring her question.

“Who died? And where is papa?” Lora asked again and this time a little frightened as she widened her eyes, her heart quivering a little too.

“Papa is fine dear, come with me.” Grandma Rosa replied pulling her hand and taking her away from the peering eyes. She knew that many of their guests do not remember Lora because she was not living in the mansion and because her dad, Lucio had not allowed her identity to be known by so many people except for family and a very few people.

The both went into a room and Grandma Rosa shut the door behind them. Lora’s pupil still widened with curiosity as she still did not know who died, and even though she did not ask the question again, her grandma already knew why she peered at her the way she did.

“Calm down child.” Her grandma said as she sat on a chair in the room, sensing the curiosity in her eyes and then she asked Lora to sit down.

Lora sat down immediately as she is dying to find out what had happened and who they were burying, she did not see any picture as she walked because she did not expect to see what she saw. “Tell me grandma who died? And what are all those people doing in our house?” she asked impatiently this time.

“Well it’s Antonio, Marta’s husband who died.” Grandma Rosa said looking at the floor like one who is lost in thought.

“No, no grandma, it can’t be.” Lora said shaking her head. Her family had been close with Antonio and Marta as far as she could remember, Antonio had been more of an uncle to her because he and her Papa had been friend’s way back when they were young guys and was considered family. He was treated like grandma Rosa’s second son.

She was only a little girl of five when Antonio who was few years older than her Papa got married to Marta, many people including her grandma had teased him when he finally decided to marry Marta because he was way older than Marta who was only twenty when she got married to him.

Marta had been like a second mother to her after her Mama, she and her mum had been best of friends then, she could tell because they spent much of their time together in the mansion when their husbands are out. If not for her Dad’s decision she would not have been far from Marta, her dad, Lucio made sure to create a distance between her and very many people close to them because he wanted to hide her identity and up until now she still does not know her dad’s reason for taking such decision. “Poor Marta, how did he die?” she asked her grandma bewildered by the news.

“It was an accident.” Grandma Rosa said after a moment of silence and a short sigh. “It was an accident Lora…” she added, turning her gaze on Lora, fighting within her to get her emotions under control because since she heard the news of Antonio’s death, she has not been herself.

“What is she going to do now? I mean how is she going to raise her kids?” Lora asked feeling very sorry for her and the poor kids. Marta gave birth to her first son Julio after twelve years of her marriage to Antonio, she did not know if it was as a result of some personal issues or because she wasn’t ready yet to have a child and had given birth to her second child after another four years.

“That’s why they are here.” Grandma Rosa said after a long silence, bring Lora back from her thought.

“She is?” Lora asked and then stood up almost immediately after Grandma Rosa told her Marta is in the mansion.

“Not so fast sweetie.” Grandma Rosa said, raising her right hand to halt Lora, stopping her from trying to leave the room.

“She is not in a right frame of mind dear, she still believes that Antonio is coming back to her, that’s why your Papa is holding the funeral here in the mansion, since her arrival she had locked herself in her room and has refused to see anyone.” Grandma Rosa continued rather slowly, her voice trembling a little with age.

“What about her kids, the baby?” Lora asked, her pupils enlarged as she slowly sat down again, looking and sounding so curious.

“Poor thing, she has not been feed by her mama since then,” grandma Rosa said, referring to Marta’s baby. “Alba her friend is the one who has been tending to the kids.” Grandma Rosa added immediately and shook her head back and forth, wondering how Lucio could make such a mistake of taking Antonio with him when he knew that they were going on a deadly mission, he should have left Antonio at home especially since he was about to dedicate his child, grandma Rosa thought, blaming Lucio for the death of Antonio even though the reason behind Antonio’s death was not known to others except for herself and those who went on the mission with Lucio.

Lora put both hands over her mouth as tears she does not when it gathered rolled down her cheeks, she began to imagine what they must be going through, both mother and children, especially the little baby who is only a few weeks old, who needs the mother.

“I know dear, I know.” Grandma Rosa said as she watched Lora cry silently.