Love at the Nth Time

Values of Suffering

Chapter 43

There were three weeks left to get ready for the upcoming two-year agenda in Europe, perhaps longer. I missed out on the schedule today and even the task I planned on preparing to reduce loads of things considering the pending projects, design proposals, and my role as the work in progress CEO. Setting myself entangled with reality, I spent the limited time on the kid who ran outside the bathroom naked.

"Carla, go back to sister Seth! Don't run. You'll slip!" I chuckled in frustration as I waited at the door for Celine to send me her sibling.

"Sister, really?"

"What? You prefer auntie?" She chuckled as I glared at her smiling and heaved ho, carrying the girl. The laughter and petty conversation I had with Carla diverted her attention whilst washing her body with soap. The unit went lively with kids, which was a first for me ever since I lived here for five years. Exhaling the smell of egg, in unison with the appreciation of the small girl over the food prepared by her older sister, it's surreal to maintain the serenity without the underlying problems I had.

Contrary to the sense of the 'must' voice constantly reminding me to solve them, the smell I was familiar with, as it was my belonging, lingered through my nostrils as if it was never mine. Only, I realized the strong scent flooded throughout the room because the three kids who used it appeared supreme. Jonathan was playing a mobile game on Celine's phone, and Rocky, who was eating pancakes, was comfortably sitting on the chairs in the kitchen. She turned around and put the plate of sunnyside eggs on the table. I put Carla down in my arms.

"Nathan, give the chair to your sister," she said. The boy hopped off the chair and looked up at her.

"Where will I sit then?" Nathan asked.

"Ah, hold on, I'll bring more-" I was interrupted by a knock on the door, and the voice of Win streaked a conscientious self. Allowing him to enter as well as the feud, he didn't continue the introduction to finish when he saw Rocky peeking at the kitchen door, and Celine came out.

The classic teaser — although sarcastically, who strove to carry out jokes based on the current scene, drew him to cover his mouth and gasped hard, glancing at both I and Celine.

"You two got a kid?" Carla stood behind Celine and held her hand, giving another hard gasp from the corny gay. "Don't tell me there's another one?"

"Sis, I have school today," called Jonathan, and looked at Win across the doorway. Celine laughed a little, introducing her siblings, and thus, I rolled my eyes from the epic outcome and found myself being dragged into the kitchen to eat breakfast. With a buttered toast in hand, Carla ran to me, extending her arms, asking me to carry her. I did and put her on my lap, giving her the same meal prepared for her.

Win giggled, catching me in a different light. I didn't want to shape it. "She likes you, boss. You have a future with kids," he mocked. I bit the toast and handed the glass of juice onto the small arm, trying to reach it.

"Shut up. Cancel my appointments today," I commanded. Win hung his mouth open and eagerly shook his head.

"We can't. You didn't tell me you had a fight with your dad and that you refused to be-"

"Shut it!" Alarmed, Win gazed at Celine, who altered her attention to us, then later the door of the refrigerator thudded close automatically with a glass pitcher of juice. Carla glanced up at me. Silence happened in a few minutes. It ended as Jonathan reminded Celine he had school. I stood up, carefully putting down Carla.

"I'll drive you to school," I offered, and my eyes pierced at the blabbermouth who lowered his head, knowing full well the aftermath if he continued opening it, leaving the area, and changing my clothes in the cabinet at the corner of the room beside the bed. Not giving a damn other than Celine was in the same place.

It had not yet been a day, and he already knew it, as expected from the notorious dad who'd do anything to take control of his heirs.

"Seth, I already messaged sis to take us home. I think it's crucial since Win had to come here," Celine interceded. Stupid she was, I sighed inaudibly, buttoning the blazer atop the usual white dress shirt, facing her behind even so I knew she was standing within reach.

"I already stated my words. Follow me." Wrong, expressed words I truly wanted to say.

Step halted, seeing Carla clasp her arm on the leg of Celine tightly and her scared face hid it behind the jeans of her older sister. My eyebrows furrowed. It made me conscious of how I behaved. Grunted, my hand massaged the temple to release the sudden pain due to the resistance I tended to hold onto.

"I wanna send you home myself, to make sure at least," I requested. Win cleared his throat as he exited the kitchen, eating a sandwich.

"I'll wait here for your comeback," he said with a mouth full. Celine chuckled.

"That sounds not right," she implied. I shook my head, shooed Win off, and got on the road.

Jonathan eyed me, which made me glance at him as a response. I smiled at the realization he might not understand that I would be all ears if he intended to say something because he was all quiet for almost 30 minutes in the car.

"Carla, don't remove your seatbelt," exclaimed Celine in the backseat, sitting in the middle of the younger kids.

"Do you wanna say something?" I probed and glanced at Jonathan again, later eyes on the road.

"I heard you last night," he mumbled. The car screeched, almost in contact with the vehicle in front of me. I laughed nervously and gazed at the rearview, checking Celine; unconcerned about the utterance, she kept removing Carla's hands on the seatbelt lock and the small girl's whining.

"It's too tight. I can't breathe!" Carla wailed.

"It's not. Where's your Elsa?" Celine asked, picking up a toy on the ground. I clicked my tongue, not waiting to snare her attention on the most crucial concern captured by a bright lad.

"What did you hear, smart ass?" I questioned.

"Hey, don't talk like a thug. You already know he's smart," uttered Celine. I frowned softly and tilted my head, saying,

"I'm trying to grab your attention here, lady."

"You told Carla in the bathroom you love sis Celine," Jonathan affirmed. My eyes blinked at the 9-year-old kid, not ashamed of what I'd heard, somewhat proud. I laughed at the memory of last night. Celine was sound asleep, and Carla woke up muttering to pee.

"Your sibling is a catch!" I laughed, seconding a new affirmation. The boy was honest and straightforward. The intelligent kid frowned at me. Too young, bet he'd become great as he got older. "You're right-" Celine interjected.

"No, don't answer him."

"Why? I wanna amuse him," I teased and chuckled over the thought of playing the comical game to embarrass Celine about what happened beforehand indirectly. The phone rang. My hand groped beneath the pocket of the blazer and checked the caller.

*Calling… Dad

I turned off the side button to stop it from ringing and again put it inside the blazer. Many times I ignored it until we sent Jonathan off to his school. I had no other choice but to be a handsome driver for the three passengers at the back as we headed to their house.

Close by, the apprehension of the father I made the first impression of didn't convince me to just drop them off and dash. The little boy's backpack was on my left shoulder as I walked ahead as if it was my home. I knocked on the door. Ms Yna opened it with a deep bruise on her upperside lips, unkempt hair, and clothes.

My head went black seeing the figure of the old man plucking food stuck in his teeth and his eyes on us. A fist and firm resolve to drag the bastard out of the house, whatever happened, was stopped by the tight grip of Celine behind me. She shook her head with eyes down. My mouth was left hanging, appalled, a breath came out, and I dropped the bag on the floor, leaving the two martyrs of a family.

"F*ck! F*ck!" I smacked the steering wheel, letting out my anger and fretting, screaming louder than my words. Trembling hands and lips, I grabbed my hair and glared at the single dirt road. I must take Celine's mom and siblings away from him or the other way around. Unmindful of the consequences as long as that bastard disappeared for good. Hurriedly, I took my phone, and a sudden call from Celine pounded my heart.

"Hello??" I answered in worry.

"Seth, where are you??"

"I, I'm still here outside. Celine, Celine, I can't leave you like this," I entreated.

"No, no. Please go. Win called me your dad's in the hospital!"

Her subsequent words went indistinct, as though undergoing affliction, unable me to hear anything. Shutting my eyes to pull myself together, I heard Celine calling my name and saw her running outside. I opened the door. She pushed me inside.

"What are you doing?! Your dad's in the hospital. He's calling your name!" I shook my head, uncertain of leaving her and the kids, and her loud voice stirred up the torture forged inside me.

"I'm not leaving you here!!" I screamed, and tears burst out, covering my face to hide the weak me. I only cried even more.

Everything's all f****d up, and it's making me insane. Not sure of what to do at that point in time, and the deepest part of my sanity could solely wail it out.