Matters arising
1149 Words
CHAPTER THREE
The once noisy gathering became silent.
All eyes were fixed on the fallen Emily.
Seth smirked and shook his head.
“How clumsy,” he thought.
Emily, though embarrassed, quickly dusted off her butt and rushed out of that gathering.
She came to a nearby backyard to relieve herself of that embarrassing encounter.
She stayed there for ten minutes and was contemplating if she should go back there or just go wait for her granny at home.
“I can't go back there. Never” she thought.
Just as she was about to come out of her hiding place, she hit a hard chest, making her head hurt.
She hissed in pain.
On looking up, she saw that it was Seth.
He had an annoying smile on.
Yeah, annoying.
“What?!” She asked.
“Opps she's getting angry. C'mon, I wasn't the one who made you fall.” Seth said, raising his hands up in surrender.
He was trying his best to not laugh right now.
“Why do you keep bumping into me?, can you just stay in your lane please!” She rasped.
“Sure,” Seth's reply only fueled her anger.
He shifted a little for her to pass, then she left.
The smile on his face after she had left, vanished.
It's as if he hadn't smiled just now.
His expression shifted quickly to a cold, unreadable one.
Emily cried herself as she walked home.
Thankfully the villagers were at the outreach.
She's so angry right now. She could burn a house with that fire in her.
Remembering what had brought her here to this hometown, her tears increased.
“You'll never know peace wherever you are Tristan” she cursed amidst tears.
“I evict you from my life.” She said with all finality.
■■■■■
Days went on with Emily who had already spent two weeks with her granny.
She had received a call from her secretary as regards the requests from the board of directors.
It happened to be an urgent issue.
It has to be urgent if it can interrupt the president's short leave.
Yeah, Emily is the president of Gifted Hands Hospital.
It was passed down to her by her late parents.
“Tell them I'll be coming back tomorrow for the meeting. And it better be worth it, cos trust me Xena, it isn't you all will pay.”
“I can assure you ma'am, that it is worth it. They sounded urgent the last time we met” Xena, her secretary said.
“Okay ... .be expecting me tomorrow. Please come pick me up at the airport. Will text you,” Emily said.
“Yes ma'am.”
She ended the call with a huge sign.
“So you're really leaving huh?,” her grandmother said, startling her.
When did she walk into the room?.
“Yes grandma, I'm so sorry. Something seems off granny,” Emily said, a tip of her finger resting on her nose.
A sign that she is in deep thought.
“I don't think so,” her grandmother said.
“I hope so”
■■■■■
[Hernandez Mansion, New York]
Far away from Galveston hometown.
In the city of New York, in America, is an elegant, beautiful mansion.
The mansion is so big that it has fifty rooms in total in it.
It's painted a warm beige colour, screaming richness.
It stood majestically, exuding high ceilings, grand staircases, and sophisticated furnishings that evoke a sense of wealth, beauty, and timeless style. The outside, surrounded by lush greenery and a serene fountain.
Inside of this mansion contains, the art room, the gymnasium, the private pool for families alone apart from the one outside, libraries, where various stalks of books were packed. There is even a game room, private cinema….and so on.
All these are not even part of the fifty rooms. They have their own session, but still inside the mansion.
With the way the mansion is built,one would think that it's a president living in it.
In one of the living rooms, there's a woman seated in one of the sofas, she is making a call.
Mrs. Hernandez, Seth's mother.
She is beautiful, but still can't do without makeup. From the way she always poises herself, one can tell that she is very proud and happy to be the lady of the Hernandez household.
“Laura, you know this wasn't our agreement” a voice said, calling her by her name. Tone authoritative and compelling to the ear.
“Calm down, will you!,...we both know the type of son I have. He can be all smiley and friendly, but not stupid. Let's take things slowly” Mrs Hernandez said, clearly getting frustrated with the person.
“Calm down you say?!....I think you should just let me take over” the voice said, disdain lacing from it.
“And let you hurt my son??....No I'll not let you” she said firmly.
“Oh please, like you don't know that son of yours is like a cat that has nine lives” the voice said.
“What…do you..mean by that?” Mrs. Hernandez asked, stammering, already getting scared.
“What do I look like to you Laura?, a weakling?....better be fast with our plan or else this time I'll truly finish your son..try me!” The voice said, roaring over the phone.
Mrs. Hernandez signed loudly and replied,
“Can you please….”she was still speaking when the call ended. The caller angrily cut the call.
“Geez, how do I get myself involved with you” she said to no one, shaking her head.
‘Seth's too perceptive ... .how can I keep him in the dark?’ she said. Her mind raced, wondering what she had gotten herself into.
She retreated to her room, her thoughts consumed by uncertainty.
■■■■■
[Tribute hotel, Galveston hometown]
Seth sat still for a moment, eyes drifting to the window.
His jaw tightened.
His entire schedule disrupted.
His outreach interrupted.
His plans derailed.
He hates this and his father knows.
Just four days to end this outreach, but it has to come to an end prematurely.
“Dad, you still haven’t told me what this urgent meeting is about. And why must I rush back when there’s still four days left here?”
His tone held a quiet edge.
“I’m sorry, son,” his father said, but the apology didn’t match the firmness in his voice. “Just trust me. It’s for your own good.”
Now he have to leave his team and go back to New York, without having the knowledge as to what he's going there to do.
A slow burn of anger lit beneath his calm exterior.
This is the first time he is being kept in the dark.
- Writer
