Chapter 101: Chapter 101

Within minutes, the driver delivered Carol and Charlotte to Mr. James's residence, and then drove back to the house, after Carol told him to go, that she would give him a call when she was ready to leave. She was still not sure about bringing this Melissa lady along with her, especially as she had not informed Mr. James that she was doing so first, but they were already here and even if she wanted to change her mind, it was already too late. Carol glanced at Melissa, wondering at how strangely she was acting all of a sudden. She had a strange look on her face and was quiet ... very quiet, especially for someone who was always talking.

"Hey... Are you okay?" Carol asked, pausing and turning to face Melissa, who stopped and faced her too, staring at her blankly. They were standing between the lush lawns that led to the house itself.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" Charlotte asked, visibly shaking herself out of whatever stupor she had been in.

"I don't know. You were looking strange just now."

"Come on, let's go," Charlotte said, moving in front of Carol as though she owned the place or had been there before.

A maid ushered them into the living room and informed them that Mrs. James had traveled to attend a wedding or something and that Mr. James was still sleeping.

"Oh. Silly me. I should have called before coming. I'll just come back then." Carol said although she felt somewhat relieved that Mr. James was still asleep. She was not feeling so good about the fact that Melissa was here, but there was no reason why she should feel that way. Maybe it was because of how overbearing and annoying the woman could get sometimes. Mr. James did not need such a person bothering him.

"Wake him up," Melissa commanded in a voice that sounded as strange and metallic as she had looked earlier when they were still outside.

"Excuse me? Why on earth would you say that?" Carol bristled.

"Oh, no. It's alright, Mrs. Sebastian. He usually wakes up by this time or before this time, anyway. I will go and see if he's awake already, if not, it's only a matter of time before he wakes up. You can just wait a little for him to wake up. He will not be happy if he wakes up and finds that you came to see him, but we let you go without you seeing him."

"Okay." Carol conceded, glaring at Melissa, who did not even bother to glance her way. Instead, she was looking around the spacious living room with a look that Carol could not quite identify on her face. Before long, the maid was back to tell them that Mr. James was awake and had instructed that they be allowed to come to see him immediately. The maid then left them to go upstairs by themselves, since Carol knew the way. Carol led the way slowly, with Melissa following her behind.

"Take note that he is a very sick man. Please, do not strain him too much." Carol cautioned.

"You keep saying that, but I still don't know what you mean. Do you think that I'm going to make him run a marathon, or make him do hard labor or what?"

"No, but you kind of talk a lot, no offense. I talk a lot too, according to Sebastian though. Besides, you are sometimes rude. I respect Mr. James a lot, and so I would not like it if you were disrespectful to him."

"Gee, thanks. I won't talk him to an earlier and faster death if that is what you're afraid I'll do." Charlotte said sullenly, so Carol gave up. Besides, they had already gotten to the door of Mr. James's sick room. She knocked twice and then turned the doorknob before going in. The maid had mentioned that Mr. James was on the balcony, so there was no need to stand at the door waiting for him to ask them to come in. She pushed the door open and went straight to the spacious balcony, where there were chairs set out for her and Melissa to sit down. He must have asked the maid to place them there.

"Carol, my dear. How are you? You have come to visit a dying old man? I'm flattered." Mr. James beamed at her after she greeted him, standing up on wobbly legs to hug her briefly and then turning to face Melissa, who was standing aside and watching them, her heart pounding in her chest.

"And who is your lovely friend, if I may ask?" He asked in a wavery voice.

"Are you okay, uncle?" Carol asked worriedly, moving to his side to assist him to sit down.

"I'm fine my dear. Don't worry about me. Please sit and make yourselves comfortable. A maid will bring me a late breakfast soon. I hope that you both will join me in eating. I have asked her to fix plates for you two."

"Thanks, uncle. I'll gladly eat with you. You know me, I can't say no to food. Anyway, this is Melissa. I met her on the vacation in the Maldives. She came to do something here, so she asked that we link up. I hope that you don't mind that I brought her along with me though." Carol told him, indicating Melissa, who had not said a word since they met Mr. James and was staring at him with a penetrating gaze that Carol found really unnerving. What the hell was her problem?

"No, no. Of course, I don't mind. It's always a pleasure to have the company of beautiful young ladies around me." Mr. James said, carefully avoiding Melissa's gaze. He was probably uncomfortable with the way she was staring at him.

"Melissa, this is Mr. James, whom you've been clamoring to meet all this while," Carol said pointedly.

"Good day, Mr. James. It is very nice to make your acquaintance. I've heard a whole lot about you." Melissa said finally, emphasizing the word 'whole.' Carol had a feeling that she was talking about something else.

"Is that so, my dear? Well, I hope that majority of the things, if not all, that you heard about me are good. Unfortunately, I haven't heard anything about you at all, something I hope will be rectified really soon. I'll love to know all about you if that is not a bother."

"It's not a bother, at all," Melissa replied. At that moment, the maids came in with their food, so she paused whatever else she had been about to say while the food was being served.

"I heard that Aunty went to a wedding." Carol said by way of conversation after they dug into their meals. Mr. James ate his food slowly and gingerly, his hands quivering the whole while, so much so that Carol had to refrain herself from offering to feed him. Melissa hardly touched her own food. She merely toyed with it, moving it around on her plate, and it was very clear to Carol that her mind was somewhere else, which was probably for the best. It was better she was moody than for her to wear Mr. James out with her incessant chatter and insensitivity.

"Yes, she did. She went to attend one of her niece's weddings. I would have gone too, but for my ill health."

"Oh okay. When will she be back?"

"She was going to come back today ... as soon as the wedding is over. She doesn't like to be away from me for too long, and neither do I like her being away. It's always been like that. However, I asked her to wait till tomorrow to do that. There's no point in her hurrying back. She should be able to spend some time with other people and not just with me in this death room." Mr. James said, chuckling weakly. Soon, he set his plate of food aside, having eaten only a minute fraction of it.

"Oh, don't bother yourself about that. The maid always piles up food on my plate, despite knowing I can't eat much. She probably hopes that doing so would force me to eat." He said when he saw Carol glance at the uneaten food.

"It's quite a nice house that you have over here, Mr. James," Melissa said, after almost thirty minutes of her being totally silent.

"Thank you, my dear. Melissa, isn't it? You're a quiet one."

"Ha! Trust me, uncle. She's far from quiet." Carol joked, laughing a little, but Melissa only glared at her, the vacant look in her eyes disappearing for a moment. All Melissa wished to have right now was some time, no matter how little, with Mr. James alone. She needed to look this man in the eyes and have him tell her why he had been such a bastard to her, her brother, and her mother, and then she would do what needed to be done. She would have her revenge. As though Mr. James knew what she was thinking and was ready to give her all that she wished for, she heard him exclaim.

"Oh dear me!"

"What is it, uncle?" Carol inquired, springing to attention immediately and glancing worriedly at him. She was beginning to irritate Melissa to no end with her overly attentive attitude, acting as though Mr. James was her father.

"I forgot that some of my drugs are finished. My wife usually goes to buy them herself, but she's not around and I forgot to ask her to buy them before she left. Carol dear, if it is not too much trouble, will you mind helping me get them in town? The prescription is right there in the drawer beside the bed. There's some money there too."

"Of course, uncle. Come on, Melissa. Let's go."

"No, no. Melissa is going to stay right here with me. We have a lot of catching up to do." Mr. James said, looking off into the distance.