Building My Life

Chapter 56 - End of Misunderstanding

Teodoro remembered that the name of the girl Josias was so determined to date was Melissa. Was this gentleman her father? Was it finally time for the dreaded “father-in-law” conversation?

“Better if you wait here. I’ll call him,” Teodoro said with caution. For a split second, a darker thought crossed his mind: what if this Simeon was actually a henchman for the moneylender, finally tracking Josias down to settle the debt with blood?

Teodoro climbed the stairs and knocked on Josias’s door. The boy opened it almost instantly.

“Forgive me for interrupting your nap,” Teodoro apologized.

“What nap?” Josias chuckled, wiping sweat from his brow. “It’s so hot I can’t even close my eyes. I’m going to ask you to wash these sheets tomorrow; they’re sticking to me.”

“Consider it done, son. But listen, someone is downstairs looking for you. A Simeon Campos. He claims to be your girl’s father.”

“If the conversation goes well, she really will be mine!” Josias’s eyes lit up with hope. He quickly pulled a clean black shirt from his dresser, smoothing it down before heading downstairs with Teodoro close behind.

The moment Teodoro saw Josias’s genuine, respectful reaction to the visitor, his fears of a hit man vanished.

“Mr. Campos! It’s a pleasure to see you again.” Josias extended his hand, but Simeon remained still, his arms crossed. A classic, tough father-in-law.

“Where can we talk in private?” Simeon asked, his brow furrowed.

“You can use my office,” Teodoro offered, gesturing toward a small side room.

Minutes later, the two were seated across from each other. Teodoro left the door ajar — ostensibly for the heat, but in reality, he wanted to make sure he could intervene if Simeon decided to take a swing at the boy.

“Well then, Mr. Campos,” Josias began, “I want to start by apologizing for barging into your home earlier. My friend... he’s a bit impulsive.”

“You should choose your company more carefully, boy,” Simeon remarked severely.

“I can’t blame him too harshly; he was only trying to help me. I needed to find you to explain the truth. You overheard something about me that simply isn’t true.”

“Was it not true that you intended to get my little princess pregnant?”

“By God, Mr. Campos, absolutely not!” Josias felt a cold sweat break out just at the mention of it. To be accused of being as immoral as someone like Jeremiah was an insult he couldn’t stomach.

Simeon’s posture began to soften. He lowered his voice, the edge of his anger dulling. “This is very strange... perhaps I misheard the conversation.”

Josias leaned in, seizing the moment. “Can you tell me who told you that? It was a cruel lie, and incredibly unfair.”

Simeon narrowed his eyes, studying the young man. Josias was practically fuming; his hands were clenched into white-knuckled fists. This boy is liable to go after Pamela if he finds out, Simeon thought. He didn’t want a bloodbath; he just wanted his daughter safe.

“I’m sorry, Josias. I won’t tell you who said it. I don’t think it matters anymore. What matters is that you’ve confirmed you only want what’s best for my daughter.”

Josias was livid. “Mr. Campos, with all due respect, that person shouldn’t go unpunished! I already have a very good idea of who it was, but I need your confirmation.”

“Young man,” Simeon said firmly, “you are so angry right now that I fear what you might do if I gave you a name. We’re going to resolve this between the three of us: you, Melissa, and me. That’s enough.”

Josias took a deep, shaky breath. He realized he wouldn’t get a name out of Simeon today. He shifted his focus back to rehabilitating his image.

“Fine, Mr. Campos. As you wish. I swear to you, I never intended to overstep with your daughter. We were just going downtown for a walk; she wanted to buy me a book. It was all very innocent.”

Simeon looked Josias up and down again. The black shirt and gray shorts were simple but clean. Josias was well-groomed, his hair neat and face shaven. He looked for any signs of trouble: tattoos, the glazed eyes of a drug user, but found none. Instead, he saw a serious, hardworking young man.

Was it really right to keep Melissa away from someone like this?

“Mr. Campos?” Josias prompted, noticing the older man drifting off into thought.

“Oh, forgive me, Josias,” Simeon said, looking slightly embarrassed.

“Did I pass the test?” Josias allowed the first small smile of the meeting to cross his face.

Simeon finally let out a breath and smiled back, standing up. “Well, I suppose you did. Josias, I’m truly sorry for the misunderstanding. I misjudged you. To make amends, I’d like to invite you to lunch at our house next Saturday. And... you can bring that ‘impulsive’ friend of yours along too.”

At that, Josias burst into a genuine, hearty laugh. Simeon watched the transformation; when Josias smiled, he looked like a completely different person — younger, lighter, and full of life.

The two men finally shook hands. Back in the reception area, Simeon bid Teodoro goodbye and stepped out into the afternoon sun.

“So? How did it go? Did the great father-in-law accept his future son-in-law?”

“Lunch at his house next Saturday!” Josias threw his arms wide, his voice echoing with joy.

Teodoro pulled the boy into a hug, a proud smile on his face. At that exact moment, Jeremiah came sulking down the stairs.

“What’s all the noise? Is someone finally leaving?” Jeremiah asked, barely hiding his hope that Josias was being evicted.

Josias turned to him with a mocking grin. “Don’t worry, Jeremiah. You’ll still have to look at my face for a while. I’m just celebrating with Seu Teodoro. It turns out I can land a lunch date at a girl’s house without having to get her drunk first!”

Jeremiah turned a deep shade of red, burning with envy. Without a word, he stormed out into the street.