53. Infamous Act 5

53. Infamous Act 5

At that point, Tim adjusted and fixed his eyes intently on his device.
“Welcome back, my dear,” her mother greeted her weakly.
Instead of answering, she looked at her father's hopeless face and asked, “What happened to my brothers? Please don't tell me that they are dead?”
“I wish I had not said so. Your brothers are not in school,” her father announced.
She was hysterical and cried louder. Her parents cried weakly because they were tired of crying.
On the other hand, Tim was lost and wondered which brothers she was talking about. When she calmed down, she asked, “Who told you that they were not in school?”
“The Commandant. I got to the school …”
“Huh! Where could they have gone to?” She asked dejectedly.
After a long silence, her father asked, “What happened to you, Laura?”
“Yes. Did you fight with anybody?” Her mother asked.
“Yes, Mom and Dad. A colleague vilified me before the President's Representative and he hated me. Now, he is using her as the President's Secretary instead of me. When I tried to find out why she did that, she goaded me into a fight.”
“What nonsense?” Her mother asked angrily.
“It baffles me too, Mom,” she responded.
Her father, who had been silent and mulling over her complaint asked, “When will your President resume?”
“I don't know yet.”
“Just be patient. The Representative does not know your worth.”
“You are right, Dad. He is a young Sergeant who could be the same age as Gerald.”
“You see what I mean. When the President comes, as a General, he would know that it was not a child's play to beat over three hundred applicants during the Aptitude Test.”
“Okay, Dad. But what do we do about my brothers? I am not comfortable at all.”
“We will think of something. If not for the death of that stupid Tim, this wouldn't have happened,” Madeline pointed out.
“It is good that he is dead. We will at least have to breathe fresh air,” Laura assented.
Tim's House
He breathed freely after his discovery.
“Know your worth indeed. Beat over three hundred applicants indeed,” he mocked her.
“Why did she not tell her parents that she stood up all through the day?”
Nevertheless, he looked at the time, and it was a few minutes past 5 PM. He picked up his phone.
“They would still be with their phones,” he assured himself and called Gerald.
“How can the Commandant say they are not in school?” He asked himself while waiting for his call to pick up.
He was hysterical when the call timed out.
“I hope the Commandant is not right?” He wondered, dialed the number again, and began to wait.
Before the second ring, Gerald picked up the call and greeted him ardently, “Good evening, Brother-in-law.”
“Gerald. How are you?”
“I'm fine. And you?”
“I'm good. How are your studies today?”
“Studies went well, today. How is your boss?”
Tim was not prepared for that, but he assumed that he meant George or the owner of the house.
Nevertheless, he answered, “My boss is fine. Did your dad visit your school today?”
Gerald hissed before he answered, “Not at all. How can he come when he doesn't know the school?”
“I see. I just called to check on you. See you …"
“Wait, Brother-in-law,” Gerald requested anxiously.
Tim expected that and smiled happily.
“Is anything the matter?” He asked and Gerald vacillated.
He waited for him to find his bearings and when he did, he spoke, “Em. Does it mean that we have to wait for the holidays before we see the doctor again?”
Tim was moved by such an intelligent way of making his request, which must have come from a deep longing, and he must consider it.
“Why do you have to see the doctor again? Are you still sick?” He played along.
Gerald was taken unawares but he must finish what he started.
“I'm not sick at the moment but I am afraid that I may be if I don't see the doctor for a check-up after I was discharged,” he declared.
'You have won,' he told himself and asked him, “You are right. When do you wish to see the doctor?”
Gerald breathed freely at his victory and answered, “We can come on Saturday and see him. We can return to school on Sunday if you permit us.”
“I got you. I will pick you up tomorrow after school. Is that okay by you?”
“Very okay by us,” he stated energetically and Tim was pleased.
“It's all right. I will inform your Housemaster.”
“That will be fine. Thank you very much, Brother-in-law.”
“You are welcome. Goodbye.”
“Goodbye, Brother-in-law.”
He was satisfied after the call and called the Housemaster at once.
“Good evening, Tim. How may I help you?” Sgt. Dotson greeted him after he picked up the call.
“Good evening, Housemaster. I call in respect of my brothers. How are they?”
“Oh! They are fine.”
“That is good to hear. They need to see the doctor for a check-up.”
“Oh! I am not aware of that. When is the appointment?”
“On Friday. I can pick them up tomorrow after lectures if you permit them.”
“It's all right. Health first before anything else.”
“You are right.”
“We don't have much on Friday. I will inform the Commandant in the morning.”
“It is all right. See you tomorrow.”
“Okay. Good night.”
He was filled with joy after the call and walked out of the room. He saw George in the parlor watching television while waiting for him.
“George,” he called out before he stepped on the last step.
He got up at once and saluted him, “Good evening, Boss.”
“Good evening, George,” he returned the salute and ordered him, “You can sit down.”
“Thank you, Boss,” he appreciated the offer and sat down.
Tim gave him a searching look, sat down too, and inquired, “How was your day?”
“Good, Boss,” he responded gleefully.
'Good? You don't even know what awaits you in the office tomorrow,' Tim thought and refused to bring up any matter that he did not want to talk about.
“I have been thinking, Boss,” he stated sullenly.
Tim scanned him and asked, “What is bothering you?”
“The threat from the South Coast is causing me concern.”
With a calm demeanor, Tim asked him, “What did you hear?”
“I heard them saying something like, (That backstabber must reap what they sow. We won't forget.)”
(Get ready to die in your numbers. Nincompoop.)
Tim smiled and declared, “They are just seeking attention. Don't let it bother you.”
His declaration did not augur well with him and Tim noticed it.
“Are you scared?” He asked him.
The question awoke the fighting spirit in him, and he answered confidently, “Not in the least, but I think we should not keep quiet. We should let them know that we understood their body language.”
“His Excellency did that after his broadcast. Their Head of State called him to question him on why we helped their enemies and he told him off.”
George was most pleased with that and his face beamed.
“That is good to hear. They can go to hell,” he declared.
“Come to think of it, are you prepared for war?”