Chapter 391 Better Days Ahead

Having gone round town, it was time to go home. I was impressed by Dad's calmness throughout the today. He behaved unlike him. He patiently explained things to me. Nobody needed to tell me that I am now the man of the South. 

    Throughout our walk home, he never said a thing, I was left in my own thoughts and he was left in his own thoughts. The people who we passed on the way greeted us with smiles. 

   We got home to meet mom waiting for us at the entrance of the mansion, when she saw us she walked towards us, hugged dad then kissed him on the lips. She moved to me and pulled me towards her and embraced me tightly.

  "Welcome both of you. I prepared some delicacy for you"

She said after she pulled away from me.

  Dad smiled at her and we walked inside silently. The silence was becoming too much. Growing up was this quiet for me and I thought when I grew older, maybe much would be said in the house but I was wrong, it gets worse day by day. We talk when we need to talk and keep silent when dad and mom think it is not time to talk and that has made me an introvert. 

   We got to the royal eating room and we settled down while the maiden served our lunch. Mom made potato squash, I learnt it was her favorite and I grew up liking it.

   Whenever I eat this dish, I appreciate her more. It's not a Southern dish and I am surprised that it is allowed here. I guess it's only the royal family that eats it because the dish is from Beverly and it's only mom that knows her to prepare the dish.

   "How was your outing today, Theopihilus?"

She asked after she had eaten her first spoon of squash.

 "It was great. I had a great time with dad and he gave me a necklace to give to Abigail"

I responded and felt my pocket to check if the box was there and it was.

  "Oh, that's great. The magic necklace. I bet Abigail will love it, it's hers anyway"

She said and took another spoon and gestured for Dad to open his mouth and he did. She does this all the time.

"I guess so"

I replied and focused on my meal.

   "So Chris, you looked so withdrawn. Did something happen?"

   "No my darling. I just can't believe how time flies. It feels like it was yesterday Theopihilus was born. He grew so fast that I think I missed his childhood."

Dad said. I can feel the sadness in his face. Now I understand the meaning of the silence on our way home.

   "I feel the same way myself. I can't believe he has grown up to the extent of taking up the throne in a few days time. I am glad he is our son. I am glad we dutifully brought him up in the way we should. I am glad that he listened to us and still listens to us and he will listen to us tomorrow. I am glad he is himself and I believe he would not disappoint us so do not feel that way. You did not miss his childhood, it was time that cheated us"

   Mom said and squeezed his hands. Watching them talk about me in that manner got me. I felt maybe I should not have grown up so fast. There was nothing anybody would do about it. It was time for me to take up where my parents stopped and I knew I was not going to disappoint them.

  "Dad, I understand how you feel. You dutifully brought me up and you never thought about any other thing. Like you said earlier, it was about the people. You didn't want to raise a nuisance who would be a problem to the people later. I know our bond is not that strong but I believe better days are coming and time that we spent trying to do the right thing would be doubled for us. Dad, better days ahead"

He smiled at me. There was a lot of meaning to his smile. He was proud of me. He was proud of the man I am becoming.

  "I know we will be okay at the end"

Mom said and we faced our meal. We had spent the better part of the time talking. Gradually, my days of being a boy were coming to an end.