Chapter 10 A new challenge

A few moments later, Mario appeared in the sitting room dressed in a sweatshirt and a pair of shorts. His father, Sylvester was seated on a single sofa chair with a small glass table by his side. This time he was no longer sipping from a glass of wine but rather inhaling a sniff from his cigarette.

Mario sat adjacent to where he was and waited earnestly for him to tell him why he had sent for him, and seeing that he was still engrossed with his smoking, he decided to ask him instead.

"You sent it to me."

"Yes, I did. I am aware that you went to see the doctor today." Sylvester started, blowing out a large puff of smoke from his mouth and still not looking at him.

"Why? Did she tell you?"

"No. Penelope would never tell me about your visits. Doctors and lawyers are very strict about confidentiality or have you forgotten that?" He made a throaty chuckle before using the tip of his pinky finger to dust out the dried up smoke at the end of the ciga on a plate.

"Then are you stalking me? If she didn't tell you that I came to see her, then how did you know that I was there?" Mario's anger was already building up but he tried to keep it at a spot. The thought of the fact that his father was trolling him was something he couldn't imagine -- was he a kid that he should be controlled or followed?

"Don't worry about me following you or having eyes out for you. I really don't have time for that and besides, you are not a kid. You are a grown up man and I see no reason why I should be following you about."

"Then what is this about?" Mario's brows creased and contorted a frown.

"Someone I know just happened to see you drop by at the hospital and that is how I came to know. It seems you are still bothered about your condition but I have to advise you that you should forget all about it."

"It is not like you care, father! That isn't supposed to be your concern." Sylvester could sense the harshness in his son's voice but that wasn't his concern -- his concern was that one word that he hardly says. Father.

"It's been a while since I heard you call me that. Father." Said Sylvester who sniffed out the last stroke from his cigarettes before finally putting it down. Mario at that point thought of his father as crazy and confused. What exactly was it that he wanted? It was so obvious that he didn't want him as a son, he never treated him like one and now the word "father" hit him. Was it that he was excited about it or he was just seeking new ways to ridicule him?

"Anyways, let's not talk about that." Sylvester continued and for the first that day, he turned his face towards his son and glanced at his face. "Like I said before, you are a grown up man and there is no need for me to poke my nose into your matter but I advise that you stop seeking for ways to cure yourself of your curse." Yes that was it. That word. Curse. That was the most painful word he hated to hear but as a man he had to take it all in and act like it was nothing. "Although that is not the reason I called you here. We have some matters on ground and I want to equip you and your brothers for the future."

Mario wasted no time in correcting him. "You mean, I and your sons." He already thought that there was no need for him to hide behind the word brothers when the actual word should be my sons. Though Mario knew that he was overreacting himself, that was what he thought he should say in order to make himself feel better.

Sylvester ignored him and the argument that he was about to start -- he sure wasn't ready to trail down that road, at least not at that point. So he continued with what he wanted to say before he got interrupted by him. "As I was saying, there are issues arising and I would like the three of my sons to take the wheel. I want you to oversee the Stones Technology Companies and the People's Welfare Org."

The Stones Tech companies was something that Mario knew he could handle but why would his father add the People's Welfare Org to it? What had he to do with people and all those brouhaha about funds and sponsoring and donation and what not? He hated to do stuff like that and that was because he was antisocial and didn't like to meet with people.

"Why the Welfare Org? What have I to do with such things? If there is anyone that is capable of handling such things it should be Liam because he is the social one. He is the one that loves to associate with people. I am not that kind of person." Mario protested.

"Did you think that I hadn't thought about this before calling you to tell you this? I know all my sons very well and because of the fact that you are anti-social, I decided to give you what I thought you couldn't handle."

"Because you want to see me fail." Mario cut in, then he scoffed. "I am not surprised. You really want my downfall so bad that you decided to give me what I cannot handle. Aren't you such a wonderful person."

"Mario, if that is what you think then so be it." Sylvester was just calm about the situation unlike his son. He wanted him to get a point but it was obvious that he allowed his sense of  isolation because of his sense of reasoning. "You are the one that complains every time you have the chance about the lack of love and attention that I give to you but you have no idea about how it was when you were still in the womb of your mother. I have never tasted so much happiness as the day that we found out that she was pregnant with you and I have never tasted so much sadness as the day that you were born, September 3rd, 1990. It all balls down to one person. You. You are the cause of my happiest moment..." he paused and then continued, "and also the cause of my saddest moment. Things are not the same as it used to be but it is possible with you because you have made both the best and worst things happen to me. You have that power. It is right there..." He pointed at his hands, "in your hands."

It was not just about the words that his father said to him, it was the fact that both he and his father had never had any proper conversations aside from business conversations. Mario began to wonder what the whole thing was all about and for the first time, his heart wanted to be attentive to him.

"You are confused as to why I have asked you to oversee the affairs of the People's Welfare Org, it is to give you a chance to prove yourself again. The main strength that a person has is not the physical strength that people see, it is actually the one that hides inside of him. The one that he can exhibit when no one expects. You want my love but this is what you need to know. Love is given, yes, but it can also be earned. Prove that you deserve it. Prove yourself to me, Mario Stone." Sylvester finally said to him.