Aunt Vicky was curious about knowing how Mam Camila was, she even asked if she could be able to see her soon. However, I told her not to worry, that when Frank comes I would talk to him about it so he could permit her to be coming and seeing us during weekends. Hearing that, Aunt Vicky became happy. She was so glad that even Patrick and Paul couldn't stop staring at her as she expressed her happiness. She really liked Mam Camila, and seriously Mam Camila liked her too even though she wasn't the one that give birth to her. And even though she had went through hell in the hands of her mother, but she didn't really care. She was the type that didn't really like holding grudges, and that was one of the things I liked about her. Although she could be emotional at times, she had a strong heart that only few people exhibit in the entire continent. Or should I just say the whole world in general. If I had the same heart as hers, I would have been as gently as she was. But I wasn't really good at controlling myself and not holding grudges, I was just better than Jessica in many ways. Otherwise, who was I to compete with Mam Camila? I wouldn't even dare. I thought deeply to myself. Talking about Jessica, her mom asked where she went to and I politely told her I didn't really know. However, someone spotted her in a bar at the Mainland together with some of her friends. I thought she would be very angry to hear that or would pick a phone and call her, however she had only expressed sadness and told me Jessica was making her life unbearable and that it was time for her to send her to Oxford, but she didn't know how to do about it the fact that if they didn't look for a benefactor or scholarship, at least someone to use in fooling the masses that he was the one taking care of the tuition fees and everything, all eyes would be on them and the drug cartel would most likely reevaluate their conclusion about their confiscated funds and her husband's involvement. That is to say, they would most likely want to have a share of whatever wealth they get in order to compensate for what her husband did to them together with his team in the past. How bad was that, even after killing him they would still come after his family? Wasn't his death enough? Oh, perhaps they didn't just want to see the family progressing in life despite the fact they knew the kind of business they were running was bad and even if Officer Harold didn't get them, someone would in the future as the police and other law enforcement agencies would stop at nothing until they neutralize their illegal businesses and confiscate their drugs and money. How I wish they had sense to understand that.
When we were all done eating dinner, I washed the dishes. And while doing that, someone knocked at the door. This time around Aunt Vicky insisted I must continue with my work and that she would be the one to check the door. I thought she wasn't serious but when she kept insisting, I knew she meant business. Hence, I allowed her and watched as she used her staves to head towards the direction of the door. And that got me wondering if she had use srarve before. She really tried, you know, even though that was her first time using it... or so I thought. Just as she went towards the door, I heard a familiar masculine voice talking to her. Just then both she and the person talking came into view, and to I was surprised is an understatement. It was Frank, but how comes I didn't hear the sound of his car? I wondered as I turned and continued washing the dishes. Just then Aunt Vicky called me and told me to serve him coffee. "Okay, ma'am,!" I said as I quickly washed my hands and rinsed them. Then I took a cup and made a coffee for him inside before taking it to him. When I took it to him, he gave me strange look. I was supposed to smile like I used to but this time around something stopped me from doing that. I didn't know what that was but I just couldn't smile. I intended to gently drop the coffee on the center table close to him but he quickly reached out to it and collected it. Thus he thanked him and I acknowledged his thanks before returning back to the kitchen to continue with what I was doing. Somehow, I couldn't figure out why exactly my mood changed. Earlier, I was eager to see him. And even when he came, I was happy to see him. But all of a sudden, I felt I needed to be away from him. Just as I was done, I went to the sitting room to see him. I thought Aunt Vicky was still there but guess what? She wasn't. And the funny part was, I had been so deep in my thought that I didn't even know when he escorted her upstairs earlier. Yes, according to him she wanted to rest hence she began heading towards the stairway in order to try if she could climb it with her stave. Unfortunately, she was skeptical about it hence before she could think about calling me he offered to help her. I was really surprised to here that, I never knew I was so away that all that happened without my knowledge. Just after hearing that, I smiled and shook my head. That was really odd, what if someone had walked into the house and took those children away while I was still deep in my thoughts? Gladly though, Frank was around. But it would be better if that doesn't happen again, for my safety and for the safely of whoever is under my care.
I sat on the armchair close to Frank and watched Patrick and Paul play. Just then, Frank asked if we could talk outside as having a conversation with each other in front of the kids would possibly disturb or distract them from what they were doing. Well, that was a good idea. Although I was scared the children might mess around, however seeing how busy they were something told me I would find them in the same place I would leave them. Albeit before we went out to his car, I warned the kids to behave and to not try anything stupid. I would be back soon. The two nodded their heads in acknowledgement, thus Frank and I left after having told them to be good boys while wearing a friendly smile on his face. I never really knew he was good at handling children until now. He was really good at it and that really impressed me. Just as we walked out of the house, he opened the door for me to the back passenger seat of the first side and then walked around to the other side and stormed in. Then he began greeting me and asking if everything was fine, while I kept replying him gently. Then he reminded me about the promise I made for him which was to gist him about something very important. However before then, he would like me to tell him why one earth I didn't inform him about my aunt's discharge from the hospital. "Actually, that was what I wanted to talk to you about but you were busy. That was the important news I had for you. She had been discharged, but her legs are currently weak and would require some time for her to redeem herself fully. At first I intended to return to work soon but now with her condition still requiring attention, I thought about just taking some time more with her. What do you think?" I uttered, wrinkling a brow at him.
Just then he heaved a sigh and smiled for a moment before turning to me and saying, "You know what? I think you don't even need the job" he said, and as shocked as I was to hear that I screamed while staring at him with my brows wrinkled and my jaw dropped,
"What??" I uttered. I didn't really expect that from him, seriously. Why would he even say that to me, or was he drunk or something? Perhaps he didn't know I was the one, his Laura.
"Yes but hold on, don't" he said not knowing I was already panicked. "Actually, what I meant is that, you don't really need to work to earn salary from how company. I would take care of everything, with my own money" he explained. Just then I felt calmness in my heart, even though I didn't still like the idea of not working in the company. "I intend to be giving you your monthly salary in full, not as a worker in our company but as the queen of my heart" he added. This time around, I didn't know when I blushed.
"But what do you think other staff will say? What will Mike say? What will Stephanie say if she finds out, though she had been fired..." I said as he cut in,
"Nobody is going to say anything because it's my money, and I can do whatever I like with it. Besides, why keep an unimaginable amount of money sitting in my account without spending it they way I should? By the way, Stephanie is back. She came back pleading and begging, she wanted the position of a junior staff. She even pleaded with the junior staff she humiliated before. Seeing that, I decided to bring her back. Now, she's just a regular staff in the department, while Freda, one of the oldest and calmness staff is the assistant head of the department" he explained, and somehow I was hurt by the replacement since he didn't notify me before doing that. However, I didn't let him know I was hurt.
"Nice!" I uttered.
"Yeah, and by the way your salary at that position should be not less that fifty thousand bucks" he said rendering me speechless. I wss so shocked to even open my mouth and talk. "Yes, hence, every blessed month be expecting fifty thousand bucks in your account. I also intend to buy you a car soon, I made arrangements for it already" he added making me to shocked furthermore.
"Thank you Frank, I don't even know what to say. You've just changed my life, and I can't thank you less for it. However, what do you think your parents would say about all these? What if they find it extravagant or lavish?" I asked, concerned about what his parents would say. He hadn't even introduce me to them yet, and I wasn't sure if they would accept me or not. If they didn't, will he break all the promises and stop spending on me? He had already made it clear to me that he would always be there for me regardless of whether his parents accepted me or not. However, O was still skeptical the fact that human beings are dynamic; they are subject to change based on circumstances or situation.
"Come on, Laura, you don't need to worry about anything. Trust me. It's my money, and nobody has the right to stop me from spending it on my own way" he assured me and then brought out the chocolates and candies I asked him to buy, "These," she handed them to me, "are for those kids, right?" he asked calmly and waited patiently for my response. I had lied to him before that they belonged to me, however I guess he realized I was lying the moment he saw those kids.
"Yes, actually..." I wanted to explain but he was quick to cut in,
"Who are they? Where did they come from?" he curiously asked, looking insecure. The look made me ashamed, why would he even be so insecure about it. None of the kids look like me after all, nor did any of them resemble Jessica.
"Those kids are our neighbor's kids" I responded and then gisted him all that had happened and how the kids ended up in our custody. "Although their mom promised to come and pick them soon, but I don't really think that would be soon" I added.
"She had to lie in order to have them in you people's custody, without lying the kids might not agree to stay and your aunt might not agree to welcome them" he said, and he really had a point there.
"Yes, that's... true!" I muttered.
We kept on talking, mostly about random things before I decided to return back inside before any of those kids tries nonsense. But before I left, I had thought about narrating the dream I had to him. The nightmare, and how I saw him and Jessica cheating on me. But I was scared of what he might think, some people didn't believe in nightmares, you know... and he might take it differently. After all the trust, the love, the money, why would he then cheat me! I knew that would be the first thing that would come into his mind after hearing that.
Anyways, as soon as I was inside the boys told me they were feeling sleepy. The asked if they could sleep on the couch and chair like they did in afternoon but I told them to wait first while I figure out the perfect place for them to retire for the night. Seriously, if I allowed them to spend their in the sitting room on couch and chair, that wouldn't be good. They deserve somewhere better, hence I went to Aunt Vicky and asked her where to take them to. At first she thought about sending me to sleep with them in their house, but quickly changed her mind and told me to manage my room with them or take Patrick and leave Paul with her. But considering the fact that the kids didn't want to be separated from each other, I decided to go with the first option after all my bed could contain the three of us.
I took them to my room, and prepared the bed for us. However, before I allowed them to climb I walked them to the bathroom and had them pee first. I didn't want my bed to be sullied that was why I did that. And after that, we went to my bed. Patrick stayed on the other side while Paul stayed in the middle, between Patrick and I.
I kept their pad on the bedside table after having explored it for about twenty minutes, thus I joined the kids in the blanket and began thinking about Jessica. I had left the main door open for her in case she returns from clubbing later. But I really pity her life, what if she's unable to get a taxi home? What if something bad happens to her while on her way home in the dark of the night? I thought to myself.
