Chapter 6: A Not So Friendly Family Reunion

Celia was busy at work, thinking about the strange visit the previous night.

Her two visitors had come with the intention of shaming her into submission, but ultimately, they were the ones who were embarrassed. All thanks to the twins, she thought with a smile.

Her cell phone rang. She picked it up and saw it was her mother’s number.

She didn’t want to lose any valuable work time, but on the other hand, given how rarely they spoke, it was probably important. Celia answered reluctantly.

“Hello, Mom,” she said in greeting. “I’m at the office. Could you perhaps call just after five when I am done with work, please?”

“Oh, I won’t be long,” her mother answered quickly, her voice full of excitement. “It’s my birthday this weekend. Did you remember?”

“Yes, I do, Mom,” Celia responded, glancing around distractedly. She hoped that Winnie would not come in and find her chatting on her cell phone in the morning. It was only her third day.

“We are having a small dinner, and I would really love for you to come,” her mother continued. “You may bring the kids with you, of course.”

“I will think about it, but I have to go now,” Celia responded quickly.

“Okay, then,” her mother said, adding. “It would make me so happy if you came.”

Celia cut the call and turned back to the notes on company policies which Winnie had asked her to review.

Try as she might to focus, her mind wandered to her mother’s invitation. It had been good to hear her voice again for a change. They spoke occasionally, but not often, and Celia had not spoken to her father in six years.

“I hope this is not a ploy to force me to talk to Dad,” she said to herself, keeping her voice low even though hardly anyone else was in the office so early.

On the way back to the hotel, Celia was torn. Should she persist in avoiding the family who had turned against her when she needed them most? Or should she go to the birthday dinner and begin to mend bridges?

When she entered the hotel room, she decided that she should go so as to please her mother at least.

“It might be a good idea to just go for her sake, and then leave early,” she said to herself as she unlocked the door.

***

On the Saturday of the birthday dinner, Celia dressed the twins in their best clothes.

“I cannot have you looking like beggars,” she said as she playfully tousled Lennie’s hair.

“Are we going to meet your parents and then visit them all the time?” Lillian asked.

“We won’t visit them all the time, because I have work to do, remember?” Celia responded lightly. She for one was not looking forward to hearing about the past on a regular basis.

The trip out to her parents’ home seemed to take no time at all. Her mother rushed to hug her as soon as her eyes fell on Celia coming through the gate. Celia’s brother Gilbert hugged the twins and spun them around in the air.

“Your Dad is still on his way with a friend, who is also joining us,” her mother remarked as they walked in at the front door.

“Oh, are there going to be a lot of guests?” Celia asked. She had thought that it was only going to be a family dinner.

“No, just family friends and us,” her mother responded while she hugged the twins.

There were snacks on tables everywhere in the dining room. It seemed as if they were expecting quite a number of guests.

“Oh, have some snacks while the barbecue starts up out back,” Gilbert suggested with a smile.

“Oh, are you having a barbecue? Celia asked, keeping her eyes on the twins.

“Yes, we are, but don’t worry about the kids!” Gilbert responded. “They’re safe here.”

Celia helped herself to some snacks. She heard someone coming in at the front door and braced herself.

“Oh and here is our lost sheep, come home at last,” her father said in a booming voice.

A man in a smart, casual suit followed shortly on his heels so Celia knew that her father would be putting up appearances.

She walked over to him and gave him a quick hug.

“It’s so wonderful to have someone come home after a long absence,” the visitor commented, and Celia immediately warmed up to his genuinely friendly attitude.

Someone put on some jazz music, and the atmosphere became festive and cheerful. Celia began to tap her feet to the music, but she still kept her eyes on the twins, who were busy prying their uncle Gilbert with questions.

She was just beginning to relax when she heard the sounds of laughter coming from the kitchen’s side of the house. One voice sounded familiar.

“Where is everyone else?” Celia heard Randy ask.

What the hell was he doing here?

Before she could recover from her shock, Randy stuck his head in at the dining room door and peered inside. Right on his heels, Georgina also leaned in to look.

“They say the snacks are here,” she said before stepping into the room.

“Oh!” Randy exclaimed when his eyes fell on Celia. “I did not know that you were going to be here,” he added with a look of genuine surprise on his face.

“She’s back in town and it’s her mother’s birthday,” Georgina remarked loudly. “Of course she would be here,” she continued with a fake smile.

Celia wanted to ask them why they were there, but she decided to avoid an argument.

Her interest in the snacks gone, she headed into the kitchen, where Gilbert was playing with the twins.

“Kids, why don’t you and I go look at the barbecue?” she suggested. She then took Lennie and Lillian by their hands and squeezed past Georgina, who was still standing in the doorway.

“They are so cute!” Randy exclaimed while Celia walked past with the children.

Out back, Celia found her father and the guest, who had set up a grill and a bonfire.

“Careful that they don’t go near the fire,” her father warned.

“They love outdoor parties,” Celia responded with a smile.

Her mother then came out, followed by Randy, Georgina, and Gilbert.

“You have beautiful grandchildren,” the guest remarked.

Before Celia’s mother could respond, another group of guests arrived. They immediately began to sing ‘happy birthday,’ and the tension dissipated as the atmosphere around the fire turned jovial.

***

It was already late, and the twins were getting sleepy, when Celia decided to greet and take her leave. The other guests had already left.

“Thanks so much for coming,” her mother said, tears pricking the corners of her eyes.

“Oh, Celia has a full schedule, with the kids and the new job at our company,” Georgina commented drily. “She has made some good friends with management already,” she added with her eyebrows raised suggestively.

“Oh, really?” Randy asked with a surprised look in Celia’s direction.

“I hope that you have not picked up any risky and questionable habits in New York City,” her father remarked. “Stick to your job and raise your children—that is enough on your plate already.”

“Oh, but Celia has natural winning ways with everyone at the company,” Georgina responded. “She does not take long to settle in,” she added.

Celia looked sharply at her for a moment. Just what was she implying?

Suddenly, her mind flicked back to Winnie’s look of disapproval when she first arrived and comments about her qualifications.

Perhaps Georgina had been spreading these unsavory rumors for a few days already… she wouldn’t put it past her.

But Celia knew better than to engage in this sort of pettiness. She turned back to her father.

“I am doing nothing but work hard at my job,” Celia responded. “You should know me better, Dad.”

Lennie and Lillian were now wide awake. Celia realized with a pang that they could sense the tension in the room. She had wanted to shield them from this.

“All I am saying is that you should try and show a good example to your children and focus on them only,” Celia’s father commented from between stiff lips.

“But of course, Celia is passionate about her career, and that’s why she went so far to study,” her mother responded.

“She shouldn’t feel bad about being charismatic,” Georgina remarked.

“And don’t expect me to give up and quit,” Celia responded, looking Georgina straight in the face.

“I was hoping that we could have a peaceful evening,” Andrew cut in suddenly, with a groan. “Instead we are having the same bad behaviour as six years ago.”

Celia sighed. It was then that she noticed her twins slipping away from the fireside and back into the house.

***

The twins decided to disappear and to go and hide where they could confide in each other.

“Mom doesn’t look happy,” Lillian remarked in concern. “What do we do about it? Aren’t we gonna go home now?”

“Let’s go and tell her that we want to go,” Lennie suggested.

“Wait!” Lillian shouted suddenly, her eyes sparkling. “Let’s tell that uncle at her new job. You have his number and he is friendly. He’s not mean to Mommy. He can take us home, too,” she added hopefully.

“Alright, I’m gonna text him,” Lennie said, grinning.