03

Sean Peterson

“Then go bring me the reports.”

After a moment of staring at me, she finally left to bring me the reports. It would be childish If I had fired her for her not so negligible mistake. Being an efficient employee earned her my forgiveness. I was mature enough to know what to keep and what to let go. I was running a business, not a circus.

“The reports, sir.” Miss Hart came and kept the file on my desk. I picked it up to read but stopped when I saw her still standing in the same position.

“You want something?” I inquired, raising my eyebrows.

“Uh, I wanted to say thank you. Thank you for not firing me. The thought was giving me a headache and I was thinking where would I go if I don’t have a job? I —“

“Miss Hart, it’s fine. You may leave.” I said a bit louder because I knew she wouldn’t shut her mouth till I do not say it to her strictly.

“Oh, yeah. Sure, sir. Thank you again.”

I sighed in relief when she marched out. Why does she speak so much?

I again began to read the documents and a few moments later I received a phone call from the one to whom I hadn’t talked for a long time.

“Hey, Grandma,” I mumbled, rubbing my forehead because I knew I was going to get an earful.

“Sean, this kind of behavior wasn’t expected from you. What have you become? Don’t you care about this old lady who has her eyes stuck to the door, waiting for her grandson?” She rebuked.

Yep, I hadn’t visited for years now.

“Sorry, Grandma. Work keeps me busy.” I sighed.

“Don’t give me excuses as I know your reasons. Listen, for the first time I’m asking you to not care about all that happened, and please come to see me. I have something important to discuss with you.” She said softly almost tiredly. There was something unusual in her voice that made me worry about her.

“Are you okay?” I inquired.

She sighed. “I’m perfectly fine, for now, but this isn’t about me. If possible, I want you to visit me today as this talk can’t be delayed. I’m waiting for you. Don’t disappoint me this time.”

And she hung the call, leaving me confused, worried, and distressed. I hoped she’s okay. I wasn’t able to think straight. I loved my grandma dearly but she asked me to visit the place I detested the most. She asked me to visit the place once I called my home. She wanted me to visit the people who tossed me into the loneliness and most importantly, where I won’t ever find the one dear to me.

The mere thought of them was enough to turn my mood sour. Sighing, I picked up the documents again to divert my mind but the door of my office burst open and I didn’t have to raise my eyes to see who had entered without knocking.

“Oh, come on Sean babe, rest for a while. Too much work will give you grey hair.”

I chose to ignore Daniel’s irrelevant comment and continued to read the document.

“What’s the document?” Xavier asked, sitting on the chair on the opposite side of my desk. Daniel sat on another chair beside him.

“Accessories sales report of the month. And I need to upgrade the security system just to not let you two in without knocking.” I muttered annoyingly.

“Wanna hide you funny businesses from us?” Daniel wiggled his eyebrows and I threw glares at him.

“Talking of security, I just remember…” Xavier poked, sitting straight in his chair. “I think we should change our security software.”

“And why do you think so?” I asked, closing the file as I knew I won’t be able to read it till they were in my room.

“It’s been what five years we haven’t upgraded the digital security of our office building and factories. And… Ariana told me that their company has developed a new security system that is going to be in the market soon.” He said proudly and I couldn’t help but smile.

I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms. “You know, I find her more competent than you.”

“Because she is,” Xavier said in a heartbeat.

“That’s obvious, Sean. Ariana is the way smarter than him.” Daniel poked, grinning ear to ear.

“And your wife, Eloise is smarter than you. I still can’t figure out what she saw in you? “ I scoffed.

“Well, you yourself said she’s smart. And… smart people have a smart choice.” He said pointing at himself. “She saw something good in me that’s why she chose me.” He smirked.

“Oh? Please enlighten me on what is good in you because I don’t see anything.” I smirked and Xavier laughed.

“Get your eyes checked then.” Daniel narrowed his eyes. “And why is it always you who tease us? This is not fair. Give us someone we can tease you with.”

“Not gonna happen in this lifetime.” I deadpanned.

“Oh, come on, Sean. This is not the way to live life.” Xavier added. “You really need a woman in your life.”

“You can introduce us to someone you’re seeing right now,” Daniel said.

“I have not been with any woman since the last two years and you know that so don’t poke me with nonsense,” I said sternly.

“I know you have said that but…Why don’t I believe you?” Daniel frowned.

“Daniel, he has now decided to give himself to the only one. Try to understand.” Xavier teased, he had a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Think whatever you want and if you’re done with your nonsense, please leave. I have to finish work as soon as possible as I have somewhere to be.” I said, picking up the file again.

“Where?” They both asked. I sighed.

“Grandma called. She wants me to visit her.” I said gloomily. They knew about my issues with the place I was going to visit.

“Is everything alright?” Xavier asked.

“I don’t know. I don’t even want to go but she has something important to discuss with me.”

“Oh, okay. Umm… You can meet her somewhere else, you know?” Daniel said.

“She won’t agree. It’s okay, I’ll go.”

“You sure?” They both asked and I nodded my head saying, “I have to. I can’t avoid going there forever.”

“Call us if you don’t feel good, alright?” Xavier said as he stood up from his chair.

“I don’t want to see you upset,” Daniel said softly, gazing at me intently.

“No need to worry as if I get upset, I’ll come to play with Amara and Travis,” I responded.

When they left, I smiled a little. I knew they are the only ones who could lighten my mood. I didn’t have to worry about sour mood. My only concern was…How would I step into that house?

∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷∷:

I stopped the car in front of the grand house I hadn’t visited for so long. The house which I had nothing to do with. The house that held the memory of someone I couldn’t see anymore. Every cell of my body was screaming for me to turn and leave but I had to find the courage to fight against my own mind to drive through the driveway to reach the entrance of the house.

The House help staff welcomed me, astonished and shocked. Why wouldn’t they be? After all, I had stepped my foot on the property after five long years.

I roamed my eyes in the house trying to recall my happy days at the place but…nothing. Nothing flashed before my eyes. No image of me running in the house; no calling for mom or dad; no playing with my sibling…nothing. No happy faces to recall. Just my cries. For me, This place was just a piece of architecture. That’s it.

“Where’s Grandma?” That was the first sentence I spoke as I was here only for her. I was then led to the library where she spent most of her time reading books. I smiled when I found her engrossed in the book with her glasses on her nose tip.

“Your glasses might slip off your nose,” I stated playfully, standing at the entrance of the library.

“No, it won’t.” She said as she turned a page of her book, still not recognizing my voice. “I have been wearing my glasses like this since forever—“ She all of a sudden shut the book and darted her eyes towards me. Her eyes turned wide and her jaw dropped a little.

“Oh my god, Sean!” She screamed with all her will, standing on her feet.

“Don’t scream, Grandma. You’ll get a sore throat.” I smiled, walking towards her, and hugged her.

“You are finally here. I thought you won’t as always.” She embraced me in a tight hug, tears dripping from her eyes.

“Don’t cry. Let’s sit first, yeah?” I helped her sit on the couch again and sat beside her. She cupped my face and studied me with her old eyes.

“I can’t believe you are really here.” Tears still flowing out of her eyes. “Don’t you miss your Grandma, huh? I have called you numerous times but you never visited me. I had been longing to see you. It’s just your picture that kept me hopeful. What was my fault that you gave me this grave punishment? I have missed you a lot.” She cried harder, clutching my face in her palms. Though she was crying, her face became vibrant just by seeing me.

“Hey, shh, I know I’m late but I’m here now, just for you,” I whispered, grasping her wrists, holding my tears back. I had missed her too. She was there for me when I felt lonely.

Sniffing, she smiled and observed me with pride. “My grandson has turned so handsome, just like your grandpa.” She laughed and I chuckled.

“You took five long years to show your handsome face to me.” She complained.

“We have done video calls several times, Grandma.”

“That’s reel but this is real, more comforting, and emotional. Video call is nothing compared to this.” Her shiny, moisture-filled eyes admired me dreamily.

She suddenly banged her forehead with her palm. “How foolish of me. I haven’t asked you what you’ll eat, yet. Tell me what you want? Do you want me to prepare mac and cheese for you? You have always loved to eat it when you were little. No, not just that, I will cook a proper course meal for you. You are staying, right? I will prepare dinner tonight and—“

“Hey, hey, hey, grandma.” I stopped her rambling. “I would love to eat food cooked by you but I’m not here to stay. I have come to talk to you.”

Her face that had lit up like a Christmas tree lost its colors by listening to my confession. Her eyes lost shine but she still managed to flash a smile. A painful smile.

“I can understand your reasons. I won’t complain as you have finally fulfilled my long due wish. I always cry silently thinking that I can never see the other one but now as I have seen you, I can die in peace.”

My body went still and my eyes got filled with moisture at the mention of the other one but I stayed calm.

“So what—“ I was going to ask her what she called me for but stopped in the middle and body turned still when I heard a high pitched familiar voice.

“Mother, Linda, my friend has organized a small party to celebrate one month anniversary of her dog and she has asked me to bring you too, would you like to accompany me?”

I averted my eyes when she entered the library in order not to see her face.

“Oh god, is that you Sean? It’s been so long.” She came rushing to me and sitting beside me she snaked her arms around me.

“My son, how are you? It’s been too long I have seen you. Don’t you miss your mother?”

Martha Peterson, the one who gave birth to me but had never done anything to be called a mother still, my etiquette never allowed me to disrespect her. I just cornered myself from her.

My throat clogged, forcing me not to reply to her fake concern. Clearing my throat, I detached myself from her. “I’m doing fine, mom.”

“Oh, how I missed your voice.” She patted my cheek.

Yeah, that’s why you never tried to call me. Not even once.

“You don’t know how much I miss you and your brother.”

My brother! I miss him too.

For the second time in my lifetime, I saw tears in her eyes. I didn’t know whether they were genuine but they made their presence felt.

Clearing my throat, I shifted away from her. “Ahem, so um… Where’s dad?” I asked, uncomfortably.

Mom wiped the moisture from her eyes and chuckled. “Oh, he’s not home, he’s busy. You know your dad, he has always been interested in politics, and fortunately, this time he’s competing to be a senator so he’s always engaged in events.”

Engaged, busy, occupied. Words I had grown up listening to.

“It’s fine,” I mumbled but it wasn’t fine at all. Dad had never been there for me. Never.

Mom’s cell phone chose the moment to ring.

“Hello, yeah… I’m on my way. Oh, come on how can I miss such an important party.” And she hung the call.

She sighed. “Mother, guess you won’t be coming with me as your favorite grandson is here. And Sean, I hope you’re staying. I’ll catch up with you later as I have to go. Being a competing senator’s wife I have to make more public appearances. I hope you understand.”

Yeah, an animal’s birthday is way more important than your son. She has always been like this. Attending parties, being social, showing off her wealth.

“I understand.” I have always understood that I wasn’t at all important to them that’s why they pushed me away. They were too busy to take care of their children.

“So, I’ll get going.” She flashed a smile and marched out of the library without glancing back and here I kept looking at her, hoping maybe for once she might decide to spend time with me. But no. She went out.

I took a deep breath when I felt a soft pat on my shoulder. “Don’t be upset. You know your mother, she has always been like this.”

“I don’t expect much from her or from dad. They have always been invisible to me.”

Sighing, I shifted to face grandma. “So, what is it you want to discuss with me?”

Her wrinkled face creased more, showing the aging lines of her skin. There was exhaustion in her eyes. I couldn’t pinpoint what exactly was bothering her until she told me the reason that left me stiff, crushed, and shameful of my own act of negligence.

“It’s about my great-grandson, Ryan.”