Chapter 44: Chapter 44

Carol gasped and her face turned an alarming shade of white at this news. She sprang up immediately, and then wrung her hands worriedly, not knowing what on earth to do. Her parents were here? That was bound to be a major disaster. They had not even informed her that they were coming. She knew immediately that her mother was the mastermind of the whole thing. Carol could just imagine her saying,

“Let us pay a surprise visit to Carol and her husband and make sure that she is following our instructions to the letter.” Oh, God! This was bad, and to worsen matters, they had come along with one of her aunties. Carol would bet her bottom dollar that it was that troublesome Aunt Alice, who couldn’t be bothered to ever mind her business and loved to poke her nose where it did not belong. What were her parents thinking bringing that woman here? Oh, God! This was going to be such a disaster. She could feel it in her bones.

“Ma’am? Are you coming to see if they are truly your relatives? They say they'll not speak to anyone on the phone or call you to confirm until you come over yourself.” The butler said worriedly.

“Yes, yes. I’ll be over immediately. Thanks, Tom.”

“You’re welcome, ma’am.” He replied, bowing and taking his leave.

Carol closed her eyes and took a deep breath, counting inwardly from one to twenty, and opened them to find Sebastian standing beside her and watching her, causing her to jump almost a foot high in shock. When had he gotten out of the pool and walked up to her and how did she not hear him?

“What was that all about?” He asked.

“Jeez! You scared the living daylights out of me. Apparently, my parents are here to make my life a living hell.”

Sebastian smiled a little at this. “Why do you say so?”

“You don’t know them, especially my mother. They didn’t even inform me that they were coming, and to worsen matters, they just had to bring my aunty Alice along. That woman is a terror, I tell you.”

“Oh, come on. I’m sure that they are not that bad.” Sebastian said jokingly, seeing that she was not happy at all about this latest development.

“You’ll take back those words, mark my words.” She told him and then began to walk briskly toward the gate to allow them in with Sebastian following her. Security was really tight on this estate and had become even more so ever since Sebastian’s girlfriend had disappeared months ago right here on the estate, according to what Gloria the maid told Carol. She had not expatiated on that and Carol did not ask.

“Are you really going to the gate on foot?” Sebastian asked.

“Of course. It’s a little distance away, but it’s still trekkable.” She replied. As if on cue, one of the drivers appeared with one of the cars and opened the door for her to get in.

“Really?” Carol asked, rolling her eyes.

“Oh come on. Get in. I’m sure they are tired from their trip. There’s no point in them walking under the sun after their journey. I’ll go change from these wet shorts.”

“Alright. You’re right.” Carol said and got into the car.

Soon, they arrived at the gate, where Carol found that Tom’s statement that her people were stirring up trouble at the gate turned out to be the understatement of the century. Carol cringed inwardly as the car approached the gate, wishing that she could distance herself from this mess, but she had no choice.

Her father was standing a few feet from the two women, his face red and embarrassed at the scene that they were creating. He looked really relieved to see Carol emerge from the car and walked toward her straight away, heaving a huge sigh of relief. Her mother had one of the security men at the gate by the shirt, yelling at the top of her voice and asking him if he knew who the fuck she was. She did not seem to care the slightest bit about the gun that was in the man’s hand or those in the hands of the other security men who stood guard and were watching the scene unfold, ready to take action if the woman turned out to be a nutcase. Aunt Alice was holding another man by the trouser, and the two of them were yelling at the top of their lungs. They did not seem to notice Carol’s arrival. Carol wished that the ground would open up and swallow her, or that she could deny knowing these people and ask the security men to send them on their merry way. However, she had no choice but to deal with it.

“You nincompoop! I’ll make sure you lose your fucking job today if you do not open that gate this instant!”

“Yes! You’ll all lose your fucking jobs!” Aunt Alice echoed.

“Ma’am. I’m sorry. I’ll open the gate as soon as Madam Carol gets here, but not one second before that since there was no information about your visit that was given to us.”

“Oh, thank God, Carol. Please tell them to let us in.” Her father said, coming over to give her a hug. Carol accepted the hug briefly and then called in a stern voice.

“Mother. Aunt Alice.”

They both let go of the security men they had in their grips immediately and turned to look at Carol where she was standing with her father beside her.

“I want all these men fired immediately. Especially this one.” Carol’s mother, Belinda commanded without preamble, pointing to the man she had had by the shirt, who was busy smoothing out the creases in his shirt.

“I’m so sorry, guys.” Carol apologized to the men on behalf of her mother and aunt.

“Carol dear, you look so good. Marriage agrees with you, I tell you. However, you don’t look pregnant yet. May I ask what is keeping you from getting pregnant?” Aunt Alice asked, smiling widely as though she had not just been assaulting someone.

“Thanks, Aunt Alice. Get into the car and let’s go, please. You guys should have informed me that you were coming. You know I don't like surprises, especially ones of this magnitude.”

“Did you hear anything that I just said?” Belinda asked, still standing where she was standing and refusing to budge an inch. “I said you should fire these men immediately.”

“Well, I don’t see any reason why I should do so. They were just doing their jobs and you should be praying they do not press charges against you for assaulting them. Besides, I wasn’t the one who employed them, so I can’t very well fire them, and even if I was, I would do no such thing.”

“Wow! So this is the thanks that I get for making your life better?”

“Look, mom. Are you coming or not? If you refuse to follow us, you’re going to have to walk all the way up to the house and I can assure you that you will not like doing that one bit under the sun.” Carol said, getting into the car. Her father and aunt were already in it, leaving Carol to deal with the mess that was her mother.

“I’ve been cursed. After raising an ungrateful child for almost thirty years, and making her life far better than most people’s lives ever get to be, all I get as a reward is disrespect!” Belinda wailed, bursting into loud, phony tears, but getting into the car beside her husband all the same. Carol was seated in the front beside the driver. It was going to be a long visit and already, she could not wait for it to be over.