Chapter 58 Inviting the family to the drama
“What do you mean?” Eric asked.
“Well, she came back right about the time I arrived here, with al the trouble caused by those who came by, there is a possibility your uncle has already entered the house druing the ruckus. You only want to know if he is in, right? That is fine; there are woods just beyond this wall. It is high ground. There is a chance we can see into their house,” she said and the three of them glanced at each other.
“Sister in law, you are up to something there,” Ethan said, “We have this long range camera inside.” He hurried into the room.
“You can’t come, it is too dangerous,” Eric said.
“We are only climbing a rock. Besides, how can I stay back when there is such an interesting thing going on? I would be too curious,” she answered.
“Then, you must make sure to not leave my side,” he warned and she nodded vigorously. Ethan returned with the long range camera and they set off. They found a small ladder in the shed and climbed over the wall of their rented house to higher ground on the other side. It seemed that the wall was not just a fence, but also a retraining wall, keeping the soil outside from eroding in. Eric helped Lilac onto the other side and they made their way towards the next door neighbour’s backyard. When they go there, they soon realized that they were still too far low on the ground to see anything.
“We should climb farther up,” Lilac suggested and they all started climbing up. Eevry once in a while, they would stop so that Ethan could guage through the camera if they could see anything from their location.
“I see them, I see them.” Ethan said and started taking pictures. Eric walked over to stand behind Lilac who was leaning against a tree. She took out her phone and opened the camera app and zoomed far to see into the though through the opened window. Eric could smell her perfume while standing that close; he was slightly intoxicated with the scent. Leaning in as though to better see her camera, he took a deep breath. Lilac stiffened at how close he was, she could feel his breath on her neck.
“Lilac, what kind of art do you do? I heard you painted on this trip?” asked as though making conversation. But, only he knew how much he was in need of distraction.
“Ink painting,” she answered.
“Really?”
“Sometimes I do oil painting portraits, but I prefer ink,” she answered.
“Have you ever painted a person?” he asked.
“Yes, why?" she asked.
“How would you do if you painted me?” he asked and she paused and resisted the urge to look back at him.
“Why would I do that?” she asked.
“I am curious what I look like in you eyes,” he said and she could not help but turn to look at him. The moment she turned, she was almost plastered to his chest. How close they were standing shocked her so much, she made to step back, almost slipping, but his arm wrapped strongly around her waist and pulled her to him. What she wanted to avoid, ended up being the result. They were now nearly nose to nose.
“Eric, “she could almost not recognise her voice when it left her throat.
“Lilac, I prefer you call me by my name and not Mr Black, as you do too often,’ he said.
“Why?” she dared not look up, “I don't think we are that close,”
“But you would call me Eric when angry and What could be closer than being married?” he asked and she froze. These words did not sound right.
“Besides, I like the way it sounds when you call my name,” he said and she immediately became grateful that it was dark as her face had heated up because of his words and she was sure it had turned red already.
Mark cleared his throat, calling their attention to them about to descend the hillside and Lilac removed herself from his arms and joined them to descend with her head lowered.
She had calmed down by the time they got back the house and was now pretending that nothing happened, afterall, nothing really happened.
“Since we know he is in there, now what?” she asked them.
“Now, we go and catch them,” Mark grabbed Ethan’s camera and started walking away, but Ethan stopped him with a grab of his arm.
“What if they do not open their door and call the police instead? He knows all of us, we have to think this through,”
“He doesn’t know me,” Lilac said and they all paused, she was right. As sad as it was, Eric never took Lilac to any important family event. The ship cruise was the first and Eric's Aunt and her husband were not there that day. She was willing to bet he did not know what she looked like. Eric knew she was right, but it rubbed him the wrong way.
“Are you sure this is okay?” Ethan asked. Lilac too wondered why she had offered, now she was knew deep in drama, was she obsessed with joining drama? But she had already offered, there was no going back.
“What is the issue?” she asked.
“Uncle Barney would not recognize you,” Eric agreed.
“Wait by the door just in case I call for you,” she started to walk away, only to pause and turn to Eric. “You said your aunt is soft hearted? It is best if she sees it live. There is no one that can claim fabrication, if it is live, right? Video call your family while we go,” she said and started leaving.
“Eric, it seems your wife has a drama loving sprit,” Ethan whispered to Eric as they saw Lilac leave.
Eric sent him a look of warning before hurrying after her. He took out his phone and called added his entire family to a group call. His intension was to call his immediate family, such as his mother, father, brothers and grandmother since she was around, but he was in so much of a hurry, he called mistakenly called his extended family group chat full of his father’s two brothers, cousins and even his aunt.
The moment the first few people joined the video call, he started talking without paying attention when he noticed his father had joined.
“Dad, Mark, Ethan and I seemed to have seen something we want to confirm. It is best if you see it yourself. I can’t go over, cause he would be able to recognize me, so Lac is going over….” he stalled a bit and glanced at Lilac in front. He wanted to hand her the phone, but he had become overly conscious of Lilac as of late. It made him hesitant when anything had to do with her. Seeing him stall, Ethan grabbed the phone.
“Uncle, Lilac is going over so that they do not recognize us. Let me hand the phone to her,” he hurried forward and handed the phone to Lilac. She did not check to see who was there.
“Have you muted their voices? We do not want their voices to be heard when I go in,” she asked and Ethan immediately muted their voices and handed the phone to her. Over on the other side, the family was confused as to what was going on.
“Is that my granddaughter in law talking?” They heard grandma Black asked.
“What could happen for Eric to take her with him?” some started to asked.
“Let me tell you, they are on a trip together. I thought it was some vacation, but it seems to be something else. But you should have seen the drama earlier. The fighting power of Lilac's mouth is legendary. You have not seen a video of her circulating on the company forum…” Greta started to rattle.
“Drama? Where are they going right now? Why call the entire family?” many asked about the drama, others were curious about the situation.
But on the other end, Lilac could not hear what they were saying. She walked over to the house next door and walked right up to t the door of the large mansion. She knocked on the door and turned around so they could not see her face through the peep hole.
“Who is it?” she heard someone ask from the other side. It just happens to be a man’s voice. She wondered if she would be lucky and it would by Eric’s uncle. And she was. On the other side of the door, the middle aged man peeped through the door and saw a woman’s small frame, so he opened the door.
“You are?” he asked her. Lilac took in his face for a second, illuminated by the light above them. Sure enough, he did not recognize her.
“Mr Barney Glinn?” she asked as she lifted the phone to her chest, so his face sould be better seen.
“Yes?” Barney seemed suspicious that someone knew him here.
“I am looking for Professor Mandy James, is she in? It is quite important.” she asked, seemingly hurried. Barney was cautious, so he refused to call her out.
“She is asleep, why?” he asked and Lilac thought on her feet.
“Next door, a bunch of her students have caused trouble, so we called the police. I remember when I arrived, I had talked to proffesor Mandy right outside before she went into this house. I told the police that we have a professor nearby, can she come out?” Lilac lied through her teeth.
Seeing Lilac's slight frustration and impatience, Barney thought it must be serious. When he arrived home today, he noticed people gathered next door. Were they her students? He walked inside and called to the professor.
“Honey, Someone is here for you; something to do with your simudents next door,” he said. His words transmitted to those watching in the group chat and they soon understood what Eric was trying to show them.
Eric's father, Mr Black watching from home immediately pressed record on Lilac’s video alone, with a dark face.
Soon, a woman walked out.
“Professor Mandy James?” Lilac asked the woman who walked out of the house, heavily pregnant.