Chances

Chapter Six

Few days later, Marisca came back from her interview and all she could see above the sky were flames and orange clouds. She wondered where it was coming from and as she got nearer to her house, she saw it was closer than she had hoped for. She got scared for a moment and she prayed her son and Leah were safe. She saw quite a crowd outside their house. Her eyelids pressed down hard against each other. She got panicked and tears flowed from her eyes.

Marisca approached her house and she noticed the fire was coming from her place. Smokes rose from the house and formed above the sky. The atmosphere became orange and the air was hard for one to breathe in.

Marisca's feelings swinged back and front as she prayed her son was safe with Leah. She had totally forgotten about Tina.

TV and radio news helicopters circled over the house that was worth billions. Twelve fire services from different stations couldn't put the fire off. Policemen and ambulances were all around to ensure everyone was fine.

Even before the fire service men could get closer to the area, they testified the flames were visible from the rear view of the house.

Marisca asked her driver to turn on the radio and when he did, she got to know the explosion happened three times. The newscaster continued to say people got injured and so far there had been no deaths.

When she was almost getting to her place, a policeman stopped her. He didn't know she was the one but when he did, he asked she came out of the car since there could be another explosion and they didn't want any fuel, gas or petrol around to spark another one.

When she got down, she asked her driver to call Leah's number but unfortunately it was off. She then ran to get closer to the place. She didn't want to believe it was her house that was burning.

She left the place an hour or two ago to attend an interview. She was coming back to join the party that had started before she had left. She was throwing a party because her latest album had been successful. If she had known it was going to end that way, she wouldn't have even thrown a party.

Her son was there, in the middle of the hall asking her to stay for awhile before she went but she was getting late for the interview.

Her son was there when the fire started, probably. And she was going crazy knowing Leah's phone was off.

She couldn't go inside the house since the heat from the flames was too much. She was so scared her son could probably still be in there. He was everything to her.

“Hello, Marisca. How are you feeling right now? What do you think could've possibly triggered the fire,” a woman's voice drew Marisca's attention and she angrily looked behind her to find a woman in her late twenties, holding a microphone and had another man with a camera. Just then, the rest of her kind joined her.

But luckily, the policemen jumped into action, letting no one come closer to her. She was mad and she wanted to reply them.

Marisca wished she could slap her and strangle her to death. She wished she could throw her into the burning flames.

“Are you seriously asking me how I'm feeling? I come home to find my house burning and with my son and best friend probably in there and you ask me if I know what triggered the fire? Why are some of you so heartless? Do you care at all? Do you have any kids? Look at your faces, do you always wish for something like this to happen so you'll get news out of them?" She was hurt and she didn't care if she said something hurtful, interesting, annoying or insulting.

She shook her head and wished her son and friend were both safe. She could kill one of the policemen so she could get in there and see things for herself. She was held and kept from moving any further.

Some of the news investigators left her side after her outburst but some, didn't leave.

Marisca asked the head of the police officers if her son was OK but he only told her to relax.

“How the hell do you want me to relax when I have no idea about where my son could be or where Leah is? Would you have relaxed if you were in my shoes? I just want to know if my son is safe. If he's OK, so I'll keep calm. Please tell me something," she burst into tears and melted on the floor. She just wanted to know if they were all OK.

She then got up to run inside the house again but the nearest policeman caught her before she could do that. Her frustration grew as they kept preventing her from moving. Tears pricked her eyes once again.

She was given water to drink. And as much as she wanted to throw the bottle at them, she also needed the water. Her throat was dry and all she wanted was to hold her son in her arms.

“Hey Marisca. I heard what happened, so I came here immediately I heard it," a man said from behind her. She looked into his eyes and she wept bitterly.

“Martin, they don't want me to go in there and I know nothing about my son. I'm desperate here. I don't know what I'll do if something happens to him," she told the guy who sat beside her. He was one of her friends. He had known her for a few years since he entered into song writing. She was his favorite singer as well.

“Don't worry, let me talk to one and get back to you. I know the head officer. Just give me a sec," he said as he walked to the man giving instructions.

Marisca watched as Martin talked to the man. At first the man seemed like he wasn't going to talk to Martin but as soon as he saw who was asking him the question, he shook hands with him and started talking.

Jerk! Marisca thought.

After a few minutes, he came back and told her her son might be safe.

“Might?" She asked, trembling all over again. To be safe was one thing and might be safe was another thing.

“Yes they didn't come and meet your son or Leah around. Someone called to inform them and when they came, Leah and your son seemed not to be around. But the guards and maids told them a car came for them, including a girl called Tina. They seem to be safe now but they do not know where exactly they are or were taken to," he explained and Marisca searched through her mind if she knew anyone who would come for them or if Leah possibly knew someone else.

She still paced, thinking where they could be. And the very thought of her house burning, fled from her mind. She was more scared knowing someone came for them and she probably didn't know who that could be.

She knew Leah could be lifeless somewhere after witnessing the fire outbreak. It would remind her of her childhood when her biological parents died in a fire outbreak. She couldn't trust Tina with her son also.

She cried so hard and before she realized it was raining heavily, Martin brought her a coat to wear.

Everyone hoped the rain would at least help set off the fire but the fire was not close to settling down. Marisca couldn't tear her eyes away from the roaring fire that devoured their mansion. She was breathless, restless and the frown on her face was as equal as her bleeding heart which wouldn't stop pounding in her chest.

Just as she didn't know she had dozed off, someone tapped on her shoulders four times. She looked up to see David wanting to carry her into his arms as if she were a baby.

There, she cried and David smooth her while rubbing her back. He was whispering smooth words into her ears and if it were under a different circumstance, she would've probably jumped over his bones.

“I can't find Tyler. Not him, not anybody either. I don't know where they are. And I don't know if they are OK. I feel horrible right now. I wish I could see them and hold them. I miss them. I'm supposed to feel OK, knowing they aren't here. But I don't know where they are and so I don't feel right," her body shivered as she explained to David, who kept rocking her back.

“Hmm," he only whispered to her.

Marisca was ready to kick him straight to hell. Their son was missing and after telling him, all he could say was hmm.

Where was the man who was anxiously asking her to let him into her son's life? She wondered.

As if he knew she was going to say much: because he quickly told her not to worry.

“Our son and everybody else are safe. I came for them. Dean is with them as we speak Leah is still in shock and she's resting after my mum gave her something to cool her fear down. Tyler is sound asleep. He was eager to see you before he slept. He wanted to know you were fine or not. Tina was quietly watching everyone," he told her what was there to know.

She only stared at him and a sign of relief showed on her face. She sighed as she hugged him tightly and she knew she didn't even cry like that when things got tougher when she was a child.

****

“Hey Leah, how are you feeling?" Marisca asked as she saw her climbing down the stairs. She looked bad and Marisca looked worse.

“I'm doing good...couldn't have slept any better," she bragged and Marisca sadly smiled at her.

Her house was burnt and everything was probably burnt too.

“I heard you almost had an attack yesterday, how are you feeling now?" Marisca asked again.

Leah chuckled and eyed them all and said to her, "An attack? No, I'm OK. I'm just not feeling OK, knowing most of our things are burnt. But I'm OK. Why are you all looking at me like that?”

“You say you are feeling good and you couldn't have slept any better. Lady, you look like s**t. Yesterday was worse! Your nerve was everywhere. And you are being asked about how you are doing and you say you are fine. Acting tough doesn't suit you. Boxer or not, you are not OK. What is wrong with you people nowadays?" Dean talked his mind out, earning an angry glare from Leah.

Leah looked at him with her chin above, ready to throw words at him but David came to his rescue.

“Hey, enough you two. Where is Tina? She said she'd be helping in the kitchen today. I hope she's a good cook. I don't want to lose my customers, I hope I don't," he hoped as he slapped Dean's shoulders, to distract them.

“OK, I'm going to check up on the house if something was left. I'll also see what my insurance can cover and thanks for yesterday, I'll look for a decent place for us to stay. Just...”

Dean quickly cut her short as David looked amazed by her words. "You are going to do what? Why, is anyone sacking you from this place? At least wait until our mother's back. She's not here and you are already moving out?”

David rolled his eyes at his friend. "You can stay here. It's not even yet seven and you are planning to leave? I have rooms down here in the house and much rooms at the hotel. Even if I make you uncomfortable you can still go up there. Why would you want to leave? Beside, my son isn't going anywhere.”

“You should've seen the little boy's face when we told him David was his father. He was so happy he didn't even want to sleep," Dean teased her.

“You did what?" It came out as a question more than a statement would've sounded like.

“Yeah we have to. Tina was busy helping this lady out and he was all lost wanting to see his mother. When we went there, he didn't even want us anywhere close to them. Then it took me just those magical words to draw his attention to us. I told him he should respect when he's talking to his daddy. I asked if you didn't tell him we were coming...well so he'd know we weren't deceiving him. He didn't even think twice about running to hug him. Not even me, after telling him the truth," Dean confessed after knowing Marisca was closed to beating him up.

Leah gave her that, 'don't look at me and don't try asking me' look. She then turned to look at David who looked away.

She kept quiet and after giving it a thought, she announced, "OK, we'll stay but I'll pay you as soon as I get the money. I'll go to the bank and cash out some money to pay you. That is the only way I'll allow us to live in here.”

“But what triggered the fire. What happened?" Dean decided to go all detective on them.

“I don't know. I went for an interview and when I came back I saw the fire," she said, almost closed to tearing up her dress.

“And you, Leah?" David asked her while putting his hand in his pocket.

When Leah didn't speak, Dean decided to speak, "Arh, should we beg you before you tell us? What is wrong with you?”

And David wondered what happened with the very guy who wanted to seduce Leah first so he'd get the chance to see his son.

Leah only eyed him and still didn't say a thing. But when Marisca asked her to say something, she finally spoke, " I don't really know. I was downstairs with the crew entertaining your fans," she said while raising her hand to show she's quoting the word fans before she continued her speech, "and then an explosion happened in the garden, closer to the kitchen. Everyone got out except Tina and I. I was looking for Tyler. Tina was the one who pulled me out. She f*cking helped me out. But I still didn't see Tyler. But luckily he was in David's arms crying.”

A tear fell from Marisca's left eye and she hugged Leah.

“We thought we could see Tyler when we came for the party. I'm glad Dean asked me to come with him. I wouldn't have seen Tyler. He was going to the garden for barbeque. He could have been a victim too,” David explained to them.

“Yeah enough, i know I'm the hero. So do you know who could've done that?" Dean again enquired, rubbing his face.

“It could be anyone. It was a party and as public figures, I'm sure their enemies were also around," David tried to reason.

“Why, didn't you guys smell the gas leaking? Or what?" Dean batted in and from nowhere, Leah shouted at him.

“Stop reminding me of what happened last night! What good will it be? would you have stopped it? Shut up already or else I'm going to kick you in the head so your brain will start working."

“Yeah we get it. You are a boxer. No need to spell it out. Chill, I was just asking," Dean defended himself as David smiled.

“Don't worry, Marisca. Take some rest, Dean and I will go and check how things are going on there and we'll get back with the things we gather. See you guys later," David told as he pulled his friend along with him.

But before they could get to the door, a young voice screamed, "Daddy, good morning. I thought I would wake up to find out this was all but a dream," he smiled and when he saw his mother, he only said, "hey mum." to her.