#THE_SACRIFICE
EPISODE 17
“Grandfather, it’s cold out here and you really should be in be-d now” Blake said as he approached his grandfather who was seated at the balcony alone.
“Come sit” Grandfather Beau said patting on the chair close to him.
“Do think Jake is happy working here? I mean with Hillary around and all?” Grandfather Beau asked curiously. He knew how Jake had felt after his father’s death and and he hasn’t been the same since then.
“Sincerely I don’t know grandfather. You know Jake is his own person. He hides away all his emotions and never talks about how he truly feels” Blake said with a slight frown, while his grandfather sighed.
“Do you think he’d ever get a girlfriend for himself?” He asked again, ma-king Blake chuckle.
“That’s like asking if satan would attend service on Sunday?” Blake said before bellowing into laughter. Grand father Beau glared at him. Jake? girlfriend? why does those words feel immiscible?
“So should I arrange a wife for him then?”
“No way!” Blake yelled ma-king his grandfather narrow his eyes at him.
“Why?” Grandfather Beau asked.
“Because you’re trying to kill my brother” Blake said with a serious face. He couldn’t believe his grandfather was planning on ma-king Jake’s life unbearable.
“Then I’ll get one for you instead” Grandfather Beau said with seriousness.
“What?” Blake asked with wi-de eyes. How did it move from Jake to him?
“At least Jake has series of girls hovering around him, but you—”
“How is that better?” Blake cut in. He didn’t un-derstand how his brother’s promiscuous life was better than his?
“You’ve never had a girlfriend” Grandfather Beau pointed out.
“Are you really my grandfather? How can you compare both situations?” Blake asked in disbelief. How was his grandfather’s thought pattern designed?
“Well I guess I’m not. Go get yourself a girlfriend before your birthday or I’ll find you a wife” He threatened ma-king Blake look at him in disbelief.
“But that’s only a few days away”
“Then you better hurry” Grandfather Beau said firmly. He loved when he had such exchange with Blake. It was extremely satisfying when he got un-der his skin.
“You’re unbelievable. This conversation was never about Jake. You just love picking on me since you know you can’t bully my brother” Blake complained with a pained expression.
“Who’s bullying you?” Jake’s voice c@m£ from behind them. They both turned to look at him standing by the door.
“You can ask your grandfather” Blake said before storming off. He had wanted to ask why Jake was home so early but he wasn’t in the mood for that.
“What did you do to him?” Jake asked as he watched Blake leave with heavy steps.
“Don’t mind him and his childishness” Grandfather Beau said dismissively. He wasn’t sure he wanted to tell Jake he had talked about finding a wife for him. “You’re back early” Grandfather Beau said with a surprised tone.
“And why do you make it sound so strange?” Jake asked with c0cked brows.
“Nothing” Grandfather Beau said with a shrug.
As much as Jake wanted to p@rty with his friends, he just couldn’t. His mind kept flashing back to the lady he had seen at the lobby. Why had one night with her altered everything in him. Something about him wanted to see her again. He wasn’t so sure he wanted this sort of feelings at all, but with each pas-sing day, he still hasn’t been able to get her off his system.
It seems his whole nervous system was telling him he wanted her again. It was more like his b©dy nee-ded her again. He couldn’t focus at the club, so he had excused himself with a lie of having so much work to do at home. He didn’t want to stress himself out by slee-ping with another woman to clear his head. The last time he did, he felt extremely regretful.
“Blake’s birthday is coming soon, hope you’re ma-king plans for it?” His grandfather asked.
“Not yet, but I will. And can you go to be-d now? It’s really cold out here” He said as he walked closer to help his grandfather stand up.
“I’m not incapacitated” Grandfather Beau said with a frown.
“I know, but I can’t help but worry about you every time” He replied.
Grandfather Beau felt grateful for having two grandchildren that cared about him.
Truthfully, he was less grateful for Blake. That boy was just too lazy for his own good.
___________
“Sir we’re about to descend. Can I open the window shield?” A beautiful hostess whispered sultrily into Lair’s ears. The attendants voice woke him up as he slowly fli-ckered his eyes open from his sleep.
“Yeah” He said in a hoarse voice that sounded husky to the attendant. His de-ep and manly voice slowly made her cheeks heat up. The man was looking beautiful. She and her fellow attendants had stolen quic-k glances at him while he sle-pt. He had looked innocent and content while slee-ping.
As the attendant opened the window shield slowly, he squinted his eyes. The morning sunrays started spilling it’s magic on his face.
“Thank you” He said to her as he pu-ll-ed up his dark sunglas-ses to hide those crystal green eyes from the sun.
She pouted sadly in a not so noticeable manner as she walked away when Lair didn’t pay her any attention. You can’t blame a girl for trying. Who told him to be so handsome?
He didn’t look like he had just performed a 10 hour wh!pple surgery and also held a 3 hour psychopharmacology lecture, before boarding his flight back home. All his stress wiped away when he thought about all the people he was going to see.
After landing, Lair took his check-in luggage and walked towards the exit. He was home at last. He took in the familiar scent of the city and it felt nostalgic.
He craned his n£¢k in search of something or someone in the crowd. He looked for a placard with his name on it…not that she nee-ded it anyway, but who could blame him, when his sister can be a little overboard. He frowned when he couldn’t find her. He angrily picked up his phone from his pocket and dialled a number. After some few seconds it connected.
“Amy Walker, you’d better have a good explanation for not being here” He said seethingly, ma-king her totally surprised. Where was she supposed to be?
“Why am I not where?” She asked in confusion. He rolled his eyes and sighed exasperatedly when he realized she had totally forgotten about his arrival.
“At the airport!” He reminded her in a stern voice. Amy’s eyes wi-de-ned in shock. ‘Damn’ she cussed. How could she have forgotten. She had promised to pick him up from the airport before going to work.
“I’m sorry big brother, but…,umm…” She stuttered miserably when she couldn’t come up with an excuse.
“You know what? Why don’t you take a taxi home while I ask mom to make you your favorite meal. Hmm?” She said in an attempt to pacify him.
“You better not return home after work, or else…” He threatened without completing his s£ntence. He ended the call without waiting for her to say anything. He angrily flagged down a taxi and hopped into it.
Lair Walker was Amy’s elder brother. He has been abs£nt from the country due to the nature of his profession. Lair was a pharmacologist and a surgeon. He had been able to bag some academical achievements in the medical field in his 30 odd years. He couldn’t believe he was back home for just a month.
This trip was for his 1 month leave from work at the hospital, but he was still going to lecture as a pharmacologist since lecturing was less time consuming.
Lair was excited to be home, he couldn’t wait to see his parents, sister and his most cherished person. The thought of seeing her alone made the neurons of his br@in to fire excessively.
*********
“Miss Jade you have a visitor here at the lobby” The receptionist informed Jade via the intercom.
“Okay. Who’s that?” Jade asked back.
“Mrs Helen Stuart” The receptionist answered.
“I’ll be there” Jade replied before disconnecting the call. She held a smile on her face as she hurried down to the lobby. She had not been opportuned to see Helen since the incident at the hospital.
“Mom!” She called out with a sweet smile as she embr@ced Helen who was sitting at the lobby.
“My beautiful Jade” Helen said with an equal smile of her own. She pu-ll-ed away from the hvg as she slowly observed Jade’s before pu-lling her back into another hvg.
“I’m so sorry Jade” She said as her eyes slowly began to turn red.
“For what?” Jade asked pu-lling away from the hvg.
“For everything. For how Cale had treated you. It’s all my fault. I should I’ve taught him better” She said in a croaked voice as a tear sli-pped down her cheek.
“Mom, don’t do this. It’s not your fault things went bad between Cale and I. Just see it as it wasn’t meant to be”
“plea-se don’t be angry at me okay. I’d never be a p@rty of such deceit” She didn’t want Jade to have the impression that she had pla-yed a role in deceiving her. This was the reason for her visit and also to apologize on behalf of her son. She loved Jade with all her heart. If her wo-mb had been blessed to have children, a child like Jade would be all she’d ask for.
To her Jade was an ideal daughter, daughter in-law and friend. She couldn’t help but feel envious of Jade’s mother. It was her loss on missing out on such an opportunity to have Jade in her family
“Never! I’d never be angry at you, not when you have been nothing but sweet to me. St©p apologizing okay” Jade comforted her as she wiped her tears away. She’ll never blame Helen in all this. It was her fault for being hopelessly and blindly in love with Cale especially when everyone has been against it from the start.
“Promise to keep in t©uçh with me okay?” She said with pleading eyes as her heart clenched ti-ghtly. She felt like she had lost a daughter.
“Sure mom. I’ll always keep in t©uçh. Now st©p crying” Jade said with an as-suring smile.
“Okay” She nodded. “You should return back to work, I don’t want to keep you” She said as she stood up from her seat.
“Mom, take good care of yourself” Jade said with a sad face as she stood up as well.
“I will. And you too” She said with a small smile not quite reaching her eyes. She was heart broken for Jade. She knee how Jade had loved her son and her.
“Jade what about the loan you took?” She asked. She hasn’t forgotten about it. And she didn’t think it was right for Jade to pay back such loan not after what her son had done.
“It’s fine mom. It has been settled” She said with a conivincing smile.
“But how?” Helen asked curiously. She couldn’t believe Jade would be able to settle such amount of debt in weeks.
“Don’t worry about that. Believe me” Jade said with a reas-suring smile.
“Okay” She said before hvgging Jade ti-ghtly again. “I’ll leave now” Helen said as Jade nodded.
Jade suddenly felt a pang in her che-st. She had not only loved Cale but also his family. Is it so easy to forget someone you’ve loved dearly? To forget all the memories made? She was acting all tough and all because it is the right thing to do, but that doesn’t mean she still didn’t feel the pain in her heart.
WATCHOUT FOR EPISODE 18