Samuel looked down at Kali as she slept, stretched out underneath the duvet. She had slept through the night and barely flinched when he got her out of the pool and to their room. She was exhausted, and he understood why. He decided to end the façade once and for all, so while he faced his family, he wanted her to rest.
Samuel kissed her cheek softly before he left the house and headed for his parents. Luckily for him, everyone was present when he arrived. They were still slow from waking up, but they gathered around the table.
“Is something wrong?” His father spoke first, taking a generous gulp from his cup of coffee.
“Not anymore.”
“What do you want to talk about then.”
Samuel had not taken his eyes off his mother since she joined them. When he saw that she was slowly figuring out what he was there to do, he gave her a little smile before turning to a drowsy Giovanna.
“Gio, you were right ab
“Have you spoken to your dad?”“Yes.”“Are you better?”“No.” Samuel shook his head, and Kali solemnly pressed against him. “He is not only angry with my silence but also with my mother. He doesn’t want the quarrel to overshadow my grandfather’s passing. He won’t address things now.”
Samuel looked at the restaurant as he stood against his car. It had been a month since his grandfather passed, and things in his family were still not back to normal. His father had forgiven him for his part in the lie, and he also forgave Kali because he believed they were pushed against the wall. But whatever quarrel he had with their mother was still going on. He had tried to talk himself out of tonight with the excuse of waiting for things to cool down. But, he decided against it.He looked back when he heard another car approaching. Sure enough, Mathew was driving to park beside him with Kali in the passenger seat. She waved at him, and he winked in reply.He called earlier to ask her to prepare."Hello." She greeted as she stepped out of the car. "I was surprised to get your call.""I thought you would be." He took her hand and kissed her. "You look lovely.""Thank you. I wore something stunning, as you asked.""Thank you, Mathew
The roar of the aeroplane tearing through the clouds made Samuel turn his head to the sky. There was an airport close to the town area. Most flights that took off flew so low that the vibrations could be felt when they passed. He couldn't help but think of his older sister, Ember, as he watched the aeroplane disappear into a cloud. She had left the family ten years ago when he was eighteen. She had been his closest friend in those early years. His greatest confidant. And she still was. Even when she lived an entire continent away from home. He understood why she had to leave. Hell, if he had more courage, he might have done the same when he finished high school. Instead, he stayed. Still, things had gone well for him the past ten years. Despite his rocky relationship with his mother, he was happy. He had a girlfriend, a flourishing business, his father and his older brother, Peter. Ember was content with her life in Germany, and they kept in touch. In fact, he was just about ready t
Kali sat by the dresser, preparing for the day while Richard, her boyfriend, slept on the large king-sized bed. She watched him from the mirror while she dressed, trying to be quiet. She didn’t want to wake him. They had spent most of the week together, enjoying the summer heat and visiting some places in the city.It was marvellous, but sadly it was over. There was a lot to do. She could not slink around in bed or stay any longer than eight.As quietly as possible, she grabbed a pair of heels from the walk-in closet and put them on.While she hustled with the buckle, a sound at the door caught her attention. She glanced up to find Richard looking down at her. His hair was hysterical, one side flattened against his head and the other side frizzy as if a bolt of current had shot through him. Sleep made his eyes red and puffy, and there were a few marks on his arm from the sheets.She and Richard had started dating nine months ago. He travelled a lot, and as she worked from home, he was
Samuel sat on the window seat, reading a new book to pass the time. He was spending some time in his parent's home because he didn't have a lot of things to do. A sharp knock on his door broke his attention, and he set the book down. “Yeah?”Giovanna walked into the room, dressed in her usual home fit made up of shorts and a crop top. “Mom wants to see you. She is in her office?”“Sure.”She closed the door, and he groaned, shuffling into his slides and walking out of the room towards his mother’s office. The room was first for his father, and he worked there often. His father liked to carve and paint. He wasn't one to brag about his skills and would always shake off most compliments and praise. In Samuel's eyes, his artworks were phenomenal; one of his paintings of Samuel's first car hung in his apartment.After his mother gifted his father a small cabin at the back of the house for him to work in, she reconstructed the study for herself. That gift was probably one of the nicest thi
It took him a few days to finally decide on what to do. He needed to break up with Flora to appease his mother. He needed to buy time to find a way to turn her attention away from Flora. The only problem was that breaking up with a longtime girlfriend out of the blue was difficult. He needed to fabricate a story and make sure the story was believable. After arriving at Flora's house, all the stories he had weaved choked him. It seemed like an eternity passed while he sat on her sofas. Every word he uttered caused the tension to rise in the room, stifling him and shaking his already frail composure. Samuel didn't know how he managed, but he finally told her. They spent the next few minutes in silence, his head bowed and eyes focused on the tips of his shoes. When he lifted his head, Flora looked down at her knotted fingers. The drive to her house had been surreal. Every meter of the trip, he tried to think of a way to go against his mother, some path he could take that wouldn’t le
Kali worked tirelessly, scrubbing every inch of grime and stain on the bathroom floor and walls until they were spotless and reflective. Then she cleaned the toilet, the sink, and the bathroom mirror, stepping back after to look at her work. She woke up with the pressing urge to vigorously clean her apartment. Seeing as her life had become a bit of a mess, she thought it would be best to make her apartment the opposite of that. After the bathroom was spotless, the living room vacuumed, the laundry done, and the kitchen cleared of dishes and mopped, she opened all her windows to allow some air in, then settled on the floor to watch the city in silence. The sound of honking cars and the hum of voices from below filled her home. When she first arrived in the state, she had so many dreams. Fresh out of university with so many prospects and hope. Her younger sister June had stayed back to finish high school while she worked to send her money. Losing their parents had been difficult, but t
“You cannot be serious. You really are in love with someone else?” Samuel flinched and pulled the phone away from his ears, turning the speaker on while his sister ranted so he could dress without going deaf.Since she moved to Germany, Ember never returned home. She was absent at most family gatherings, not that she missed much. On Christmas or other holidays, she called and spoke with the family. She finished her Masters and started working there. Their relationship had become strained due to the distance, but they tried to make things work, still keeping in touch through video calls and chats. It took a lot of courage to tell her his relationship with Flora was over, but everyone in his house already knew. Samuel didn’t want one of his siblings to let it slip.As predicted, she was shocked by the news. Ember continued to rant on the phone as Samuel stood in front of the mirror, fussing with his hair. He grabbed his jacket from the bed and put it on.“Ember, I am not in a good plac