CHAPTER SIXTEEN: Summer Games I

Brandon POV

'Is that you? Mr.Cillips' My boss asked with his face buried to his computer as I entered and closed the door behind me.

'Yes sir, it's me' I replied walking to the sofa and took a seat

'Since your wife incident' he started and took a pause to look at my expression, I think he noticed I was trying to hide my emotions. He continued 'You've been working relentlessly....'

'No sir, it just the passion of getting a problem solved' I stopped him.

'Ok, if you say so, how about your children?' he asked

'They are fine' I replied, bringing it up now I spent the night here and I haven't seen my kids since summer,

"What kind of father am I?"

'Since you've been working so hard after your wife case and your demotion, I would like to give you back your position and take a break to have sometime with your kids' he said with a little smile.

In a long time he hadn't smiled to me, given that we're friends in college.

'Thank you, sir' I stood up and thanked him genuinely but actually, I think I have lost bond with my kids and I don't know what to do with this break given to me.

'If you are thinking where to start from, Maybe start by looking for the parasite on Chelly' he said hitting his pen playfully on the desk.

It was like he read my mind. I laughed at his thought, I mean we laughed at it.

I went over to my desk and packed my bag and in 45mins I'm in front of door. I noticed that the nextdoor was quiet, oh, I remember he went for summer camp along with Ryan. I typed my password and went in, whoa, I got full house.

Within some seconds my arrival was announced, this children are newscasters, then came Isabella, Elisa and Michelle hugging me as I stepped into the sitting room. The boys behaved matured and greeted casually but they didn't stop the habit of asking if I bought anything for them. I saw a face sitting in the dinning which was piled with books, I think that's the guy Lila told me about who is tutoring Michelle. He greeted coldly,

"Whoa, that's too cold for my Chelly."

Mandria, our puppy was barking at my foot, I wanted to carry it but it ran to the new guy, ouch.

'Dad, you reek, that's why you can't carry Mandria' Michelle said to me

'When last did you get a bath' Lila asked coming out of her room. 'I will go get your bath ready' she said and left for the bathroom before I protested. Michelle was called back to the dinning by new boy.

'Hey, new boy, you got a name?' I asked casually

'Ellyn' he replied coldly and went back to the books.

"Oh my little Chelly is suffering"

After bath, I went to my room to prepare a game for the kids to make summer interesting since I heard the boy complain it's boring. I didn't know when I started staring at the pictures of Janice on my phone, all the funny pictures we took with the kids. I stopped at a picture I took of her secretly when we were in college that's when I was crazy about her but too proud to tell her. I locked my phone when I got myself together and continued preparing the game.

I came out by lunch, Michelle rushed her food, I think she have gotten drained from studying and was watching a movie. Ellyn looked at her and told her not to get choke on her food, she just looked at him angrily and nodded. Michelle was the first to finish and went to drop her plate in the kitchen and the next thing we heard was a shout before I could shout what happened, Ellyn was already in the kitchen followed by Terence. The next thing I heard was Ellyn scolding Michelle and then apologized for shouting at her. Terence came back to the dinning and behaved like nothing happened and could hardly swallow his food.

When Ellyn and Michelle came out of kitchen, I noticed Ellyn hands were wet, his eyes were searching for something I guess it was first aid. I pointed at the first aid kit that was on the shelf. Ellyn has a height for his age though and taller than Terence. It fits with his fair skin and black hair. He went to get the first aid kit and started applying methylated spirit which stings Michelle that she slightly shout, I think I heard Ellyn whisper sorry. Michelle seemed surprised that Ellyn said sorry to her, I guess it's the first time.

The words I heard Ellyn said was:

'Don't stare at me like that I'm not ready to face Terence'.

I almost spat out the food I was chewing, Michelle was trying to defend herself that she wasn't staring at him but at the way he was applying the first aid like an expert which made me turn to see the expert.

'I've done it too many times for my mom, so I'm good at it.

Michelle refuse to study after lunch using her finger injury as an excuse. I passed the dinning where they were studying and called her a lazy girl.

'Ellyn, are you an only child?' I asked when I passed

'Yes, why did you ask?' he asked

'Just nothing, you acted like one and what's wrong I'm knowing my daughter's friend' I teased

'We aren't friends' Michelle snapped at me.

'I told you not to call them that' Lila confronted me with her face buried in her phone, I didn't care to know what's up with her anyway but actually those two looks like they were on a blind date.

'Uncle Brandon, we are bored' Isabella complained

'Me too' Michelle said

'Me three' Elisa added.

'Ok, I get it, I made a game called Dad's game' I said getting all their attention including Ellyn before heading to my room to get the materials. I came back everyone were now sitting on the couch and cushion then I sat on a single sofa to narrate the game, I didn't know that Ellyn was interested in games I said nothing so he won't lose interest.

'I got the idea from a friend, it's more like a bonding game, everyone gather around the center table' I said, I really wanted to do a jumpy kick because I haven't lost the bond with the kids.

I could see the curiosity on their face even Lila raised her face from he phone to see what game it was. I brought out two dices and put a small cylinder container which had one of it sides closed. I saw their face was like what-does-a-bonding-have-to-do-with-a-cylinder-container. I brought out a list of questions written on a full scrap sheet. Total number of questions on the list was 50.

'You guys are all teenagers, so nothing here is new, there are fifty questions, you are free to toss the dices or pick a number, so let the game begin!'