chiaroscurist

The initial salvo of The Banquet Hall (Mansion) Vol. 1is like watching a feel-good and a horror film at the same time with its comedic twists and turns. 

Our protagonist, Isabella, had a new baby after eighteen years of marriage with Aaron, a business tycoon, and was rumored seen with a man at the Lee’s mansion. The gossip mill rolled until Josh, Isabella’s son, Jan, and Fr. Robert took interest to find out whether the rumor was true. They were surprised with what they discovered in the end. How it came about is a revelation in the next volume of this book.

The Banquet Hall (Mansion) Vol. 1

Josh and Suzy had grown up fast. Now, there was not only him and Suzy, there was also Michael to take care of and mothering has become more complicated with three of them.


Josh was looking at her, expressionless. What have you been doing in the middle of the night, he seemed to be asking her when everybody left. At least, that was what she read, or that was what she imagined from the looks on his face. One could hardly read Josh. He was very much like her; took after her many traits. 


She took him back to bed, embraced him, then, left.


She went to Aaron's bedroom to check whether he was sleeping. He had to be up for golf. That was where he met his associates.  He snored. She went to Suzy's bedroom and the baby's bedroom to check on them, too. Everyone was sound asleep. Then, she went down again to the banquet hall. 


If somebody saw Isabella, he would think she was crazy—true enough that words got around that she was like seen talking and dancing with "somebody." How the rumors got out, no one knew.


10 Rumor