I was about to bang my butt back on the bed and reminisce about Jerol's inconceivable task, perhaps ponder a little about giving it a try for his sake because I understand his predicament, or follow him, but a bell of sense chimed wildly in my head. A storm just stormed out in my presence. A tragedy is about to befall this family if I sit and fold my arms even for a second. There is no time.
I grab my phone and run out of the room, running down the stairs but without forgetting that I am carrying a life in my belly. I cross the sitting room without minding the stranded servants. They must have been flabbergasted by Jerol's eerily demeanor, and now I am here topping up their amazement as I rush out like a person running for her dear life without sparing them a glance.
I spot Mark talking to some God knows who on the phone. I howl his name, scaring the hell out of him and everyone outside. None is concentrating on their duties. They are all in awe of this live Netflix movie.
"At your service, Ma'am? What can..."
"Start the car." I cut him off as I pull the opposite door to the driver's and push myself inside.
"Where to, ma'am?" He asks as he ignites the engine.
"I will direct you! Stress on it as much as you can!" I say as we drive out.
"What is happening, ma'am? Sir Jerol left in a hurry a minute ago. He looked like he is about to explode or kill someone. And you look just like him. Anything the matter?" Mark asks.
He is doing an incredibly plausible job of stressing the accelerator. He should probably concentrate on that. But I can not hide my worries for Jerol.
"Did my husband take a driver with him?" I implore.
"No, ma'am! He did not even speak to anyone." Mark responds.
Damn!
I dial Jerol's number, but the beast that has just aroused in him can't permit him to speak to me right now. It goes unanswered. Even the second. And the third too. I give up trying, and howl a mental prayer to the heavens to protect him.
"Have you seen Terry or Ellie? Are they back?" I ask Mark because I do not recall spotting Terry anywhere.
I know I was in a hurry, but I did not even feel her presence even when I was coming in a while ago. Same with that bitch.
"No, ma'am. It's like they went somewhere else because they have not returned." Mark says.
They haven't? They left before us so, where else did they go?
I dial Terry's number, and by good luck, she picks up by the third ring.
"Terry? Where are you?" I go straight to the point. No beating around the bush. Even if the bitch suspects my suspicions for this, I would let her know that I have been to a gynae. I know how long it takes for a mere check-up. Sigh!
"We are here at the McCall's home, ma'am!" Terry says, stirring my intestines with her statement.
"What?!" I yell between a query and an exclaim.
What the hell are they doing over there? The bitch is still a dark nightmare to the McCall's as far as I know.
"Yes. Umh, we drove straight here after the gynaecologist visit ma'am." Terry says, trying to sound normal.
"She is there?" I ask.
That must be why she is sounding that way.
"Let me speak to her." I hear Ellie's voice. I hope she has not discovered something.
"Give her the phone." I say to Terry.
"Okay, ma'am. Here she is." Terry gets off the line, and I wait for the bitch to speak.
"Yes! I am here, little bitch! Are you spying on me or something?" The bitch's sarcastic voice strokes the walls of my ears with an itchy bang.
"I am not in the mood for your fights, Ellie! What the heck are you doing over there? Trying to impose yourself?" I implore.
"Why are you sounding so curious? Are you worried that I might take your place as the McCall's beloved daughter-in-law?" She mocks, I can picture her rolling her round eyes after that.
Can she spare me time? This is no time for jokes!
"All the best if that is your mission, bitch!" I cut the call after realizing she will just take me around the circles.
"Shit!" I curse after cutting the call. "Take right." I say to Mark as the familiar streets coming into my view.
I would love to glue my eyes outside and see if there are any changes at all since I left, but the things clogging my mind have no room for a cruise or rest. Why that bitch is over there is a mystery that adds more terror to the one I already had.
"Hello, my daughter?" My father, Mr McCall picks on the second ring.
"Umh, father! Hi!" That's definitely not my style of saluting this reputable man, but today I am messed up.
"Hello, dear! Are you alright, my child? You sound, unlike you." He asks.
He sensed. How couldn't he?
"I am fine, father. Has, Jerol arrived there?" I query, and I know that it is impossible because, his brother doesn't even stay there, right?
Heck! I just realized that I do not even know where that beast went! God please, protect him!
"Jerol? He turned the invite down so we are not expecting you guys? Or did he have a change of mind?"
"Invite? What invite?" I ask because I seem to be in the dark.
"Didn't you know? Grego organized a family dinner. Seems like the rebellious prodigal son has come to his senses and is willing to make amends for his shortcomings." He says.
Then, why didn't I know? Why didn't Jerol tell me? There was no need since he did not plan on dining with that Grego, but shit! That means he is heading there.
"Umh, father! I need a favor from you Father." I say.
"Sure. What is it?" He asked.
"Jerol is heading over there but not for good reasons. Please try to talk things through with him."
"Why? What happened?" He implores.
"It's a long story, father. Just, please make sure he doesn't do anything tragic. I will be heading over there in a while." I say.
Well, I do not have all the time to explain things. And it's not my right to do that either.
"Okay, dear. I will see what I can do. But you know you are the only one he listens to. If there is any problem I suggest you head over here please." Mr McCall says, sounding alarmed.
"I will Father. I will just take care of something real quick first." I say.
"Okay. See you." He says, and I hang up.
I wish I can run there right now, but since I am already here in this not-so-friendly environment, I must as well confront this woman once and for all. She better have an explanation.
"Should I accompany you, ma'am?" Mark asks after I tap my feet on the ground.
"No. It is not necessary, Mark. This won't take a while. I will be back in no time so that we can head to the McCall's home right away." I explain.
"Okay, ma'am." Mark says.
I pick up my hurried pace. As I said, I have no time to waste at all and I do not intend to. This will be a quickie. Straight to the question so that I can leave this disgusting hell of a place that never at once felt like home. It still doesn't. That is the irony. The phrase that East or West home is the best has always been cliche and too farfetched to me from the start. Maybe there is another one that I haven't come across that states that North or South are better than home.
Or maybe I should create it.
Getting to the door, today I don't bother knocking. I nudge the door open and welcome myself inside. This is how outraged I am for this woman.
And here she sits, comfortably scrolling through the seemingly new sparkling gadget. Since when did she have such an expensive phone?
"It's bad manners to walk into someone else's house without knocking. Don't you know that?" She queries, lifting her antagonistic face up to gawk at me with dread as she jerks herself up.
It's obvious she was not expecting me, and she loathes my presence like always.
"Unfortunately, I did not have someone to teach me such manners while growing up, Gracia. You know that, don't you?" I fire back, and she glares at me as if she wishes for nothing but death to strike me dead right now. She has never been ashamed of parading her animosity towards me. Never. Not even now.