28. The Battle 8
“The meal is fine,” Samuel answered and Tim asked again, “Will the authority permit you to return with your food?”
“Not at all,” Gerald answered with emphasis.
“It is against the rules. They will permit if someone like Big sister's boss talks to them on our behalf,” Samuel added.
“It is all right. Eat your food,” he instructed and they continued.
When they were satisfied, they stopped and expressed their delight, “Thank you, Brother-in-law, for the meal.”
“You are welcome. Before you go to sleep, you will have some fruit. Did you get me?”
“We got you, Brother-in-law,” they answered in unison, and Samuel gave him an askance look.
Tim was aware that they had so much to ask him about their sister and he would not leave them guessing.
“Why are you looking at me like that, Samuel?” he looked into his eyes and asked him.
Samuel was bashful because he was caught in the act. All the same, he asked, “Did you beat Big sister?”
Tim was calm, and his mind ran through the ugly incident of that day, which was to his advantage. They thought that the question was too hard for him to answer, and Gerald put it mildly, “We know you wouldn't do that, but why was she bent on ending the marriage?”
“Let's go to your room. The walls have ears,” he suggested, and got up.
They got up too and followed him. They settled down when they got to the room and Tim recounted all that happened that day and concluded with, “Since she started her work, she felt that she had reached the top of the ladder and wished to call off the marriage.”
Although a tale is but half told, if only one person tells it. Based on her antecedents, they believe him without bothering to hear from their sister.
However, they were speechless and ashamed of their sister at the same time. After some time, Samuel spoke, “That means she never loved you.”
“Yes, and she never suffered any miscarriage. She talks rudely to you and encourages Mom and Dad to do the same thing,” Gerald said, and Tim was mute.
He was inwardly happy that they never supported their family's maltreatment of him.
“Brother-in-law, if I may ask, can you take her back if she apologizes?”
“How can he take back someone who thought that he was killed and was happy?” Gerald reproached him.
To ensure that they would not fall into the same pitfall as him, he asked them, “Would you like to marry a woman like your sister?”
“May God forbid it.”
“I will not even marry a girl who has parents like Mom and Dad,” Gerald pointed out.
Tim swallowed hard and instructed them, “It is all right. Let's go for your fruits.”
“Okay,” they said, got up at once, and followed him.
After the fruits, they greeted him and retired to their rooms.
Nevertheless, Tim would not want to miss his War news. He hoped to see the outcome of the supplies to Brig. Witherspoon. He was held spellbound by the tenacity of the Savannah soldiers who were killing their enemies. At that point, the Brigadier's comments were genuine and his tone sharp as that of a winning Defense Minister.
“Wow, this is good!” He exclaimed triumphantly and continued watching.
He was interrupted by a call, and he looked at his phone. To his delight, he saw that it was a call from the Head of State and picked it up at once.
“Good evening, Your Excellency,” he greeted expectantly.
“Good evening, Tim. I'm impressed with today's news.”
Tim thought that he was still referring to the massive sales in the firearms and ammunition and responded, “Thank you for the compliment, Your Excellency. We will record more sales very soon.”
“That is good to hear but I am not talking about the sales again. I'm talking about how you decongested the traffic in the city by making your staff go by buses.”
“Oh! I'm happy that you love it.”
“I like it and that is thoughtful of you because apart from reducing your running cost, it will take away the stress of driving to and from work from your staff.”
“Yes. That was the essence, Your Excellency. Thank you for the compliment once again.”
“You are welcome. Meanwhile, how are the boys?”
“The boys are fine. We have left the hospital.”
“That is good news. They were ready to die if they did not see your body for burial.”
“It baffles me. I have learned not to transfer aggression to others.”
“You are right. That would have caused the death of the innocent boys. By the way, will they return to school tomorrow?”
“I would have loved to, Your Excellency, but they are emaciated. I want to keep them with me for the weekend.”
“Kindly do so. They need to recover before going back.”
“I got it, Your Excellency.”
“It's okay. Take good care of them. Good night.”
“I will. Good night, Your Excellency.”
Laura's House
After a few minutes of meditation, she dried her wet eyes and lay back on the bed. Due to exhaustion, she dozed off.
Her parents were mentally drained when they waited in vain especially when she did not pick up their calls.
“What do we do?” Madeline asked her lazy husband.
Instead of answering, he gazed speechlessly at her. Suddenly, they heard a knock on the door, and they looked at it.
“Who is that?” Finley asked.
“It's me, Ella. It is time for dinner. The boss is waiting for you,” she informed them.
“Oh! Is she back?”
“Yes, Mr. Dickson.”
“Okay. We will be with her very soon,” Mr. Dickson responded with relief and faced his wife.
She smiled dryly but asked, “When did she come back?”
“I'm wondering too. I didn't even hear her cars.”
“We will find out from her.”
They dressed up and walked to the courtyard. They looked at each other when they did not see any cars or bodyguards. Without words, they joined her in the parlor.
“Good evening, Mom and Dad,” she greeted them.
They searched her countenance and could not decipher anything.
“Good evening, Laura,” they responded simultaneously and sat down.
“When did you come back?” Her father asked.
“It's been a while. I slept off out of tiredness,” she explained, and opened the dishes.
“I see. How did you come back?”
“And where are your cars and security guards?” Her father asked worriedly.
She smiled softly and answered without emotion, “Oh, my guards and cars! There are slight adjustments in the office by the representative of the new President. It will be sorted out when the President resumes.”
Her parents breathed freely and began to eat. After a few seconds, her father pointed out, “We were worried when we did not see you.”
“I thought as much.”
“What about the trip to Rakaia to check on your brothers?” Her mother asked.
She dropped her fork and knife and looked at her mother's worried face.
“I will do that in the morning,” she stated.
“How will you do that since you are not with your car?” her father asked anxiously,
“Will your driver come and pick you up?”
“No, Mom. I will hire a taxi just like I did today.”
“Hire a taxi? That will be too stressful for you,” her mother who wished that Tim should walk for a distance of just sixty kilometers, pointed out.
“I know but I have to.”
“Please do,” her father encouraged her.