Chapter 42: My Late Father

"Okay," She consented with a smile.

"I might as well ask you some of the pressing questions I have in mind." Paige said.

"Go ahead, I'm all ears." Simon replied. 

"Why didn't you sleep last night?"

"It's a very long story. I'll tell you some other time. Ask me something else." He said to her. 

"Okay, about your proposal on the extension of my stay here. Can you really tell me what exactly I'll be doing here?" She asked.

"Keeping me company of course. I'm always so lonely and alone before now. Once everybody travel back to their home, for me, it will actually mean that I'll be back to my normal routine of loneliness. You can be my temporary PA." He explained.

"What's that?" She asked catching a glimpse of the tip of his gun on his bed which was slightly covered by his blanket. Simon turned to the direction of her eyes and saw the gun. He pulled it out from under the blanket.

"My gun." He replied. "It's licensed."

"Why do you have a gun or rather why do you need a gun?" She asked.

Simon looked at her innocent appearance and smiled. She was just angelic. "For protection." He answered. "Have you ever shot a gun?" He asked.

"Hell no!" Have you?" She asked him right back with an expectant facial expression.

"Yes, I have." He replied with a smile. " You should learn how to shoot one. I can teach you. My sisters are good with their aim. Anna especially. She rarely misses a target." He told her.

"Your sisters!" Paige exclaimed. "You mean June is included? Like she have shot someone before?" She asked dreading his answer.

"Yes. June is actually tougher than she look."

"Oh my God!" Paige exclaimed panting and suddenly gasping for air. She was feeling hot and cold at the same time and she wondered how someone could feel such at once.

"Sunflower, calm down. You're freaking out. That's crazy." He said having a good laugh.

"Who did she shoot?" She asked ignoring him.

"One of my father's former guard. They walked in on my late father choking Emily. It turned out that they had a very heated argument previously and that was his reaction for being challenged by his wife after taking his bullshit for so many years. I was away at England at that time. But luckily, My sisters walked in just in time to save my mother. After rescuing her from him, June was mad at one of the guards who was standing right at the door without doing anything to stop our father. Even though he was hearing her numerous cries and screams. She asked why and in reply, he said he only answers to the great Kentley which is my father. Well, out of anger, she shot him but only succeeded in grazing his arm with the bullet." He narrated.

Paige heaved a sigh of relief. "Why did you say she killed someone then. Since it was an arm wound, he should have survived as long as he was taken to a medical facility as soon as possible. He survived right?" Paige asked.

"You should visit an ENT department of one of the hospitals around to see an Otolaryngologist. I said she shot someone. I never used the word 'killed'. Anna actually finished him up though" He replied.

"What!! She killed him? Why? Simon, the guard is human. You don't kill people like they are ants. I actually find it hard to kill any living creature even ants and flies. I feel they too have loved ones who would mourn them too when they die. They might have other insects looking up to them. Insects they are providing for. It can be food, shelter, clothing etcetera....."

"Wow!!" Simon said astonished. "I've never really seen the world from this perspective and I must be honest with you, it's actually worth thinking about. It speaks a lot about you. You are really the kindest human I've come across since I came into existence. But then, they did what they had to do. It was a way of making a silent statement or rather a warning for the others. Imagine they didn't come in when they did. Emily might have been dead by now. After the incident, my father never lay his hands on Emily ever again. Anna gave him a thorough warning that day and promised him that he'll be the next dead body the next time he touches her. That was the end of the shouts, beatings and emotional abuse from him.

"He abuses her constantly?" She asked him surprise.

"You have no idea." He replied.

"But Emily speaks so highly of him. I thought that were truly in love."

"Not everybody believe in talking ill of the dead. Emily is one of the few that doesn't believe in it." He replied.

"But why? Why would he abuse his wife?" 

"Hmmmm," he started. "And why would I give you such a juicy information when there is nothing you'd like to offer in return.

"What do you want?" She asked.

"To get rid of Tedson for starters." He replied.

"I'll think about it." He said.

"Okay, let me know when you finally decide. I have lots of gist you might want to listen to." He said and slowly, he shut his eyes and he allowed the gentle touch of sleep to envelope him. Paige covered him up with his thick blanket. She dropped the gun in his beside drawer. Then closed the window with the silk curtains reducing the excessive brightness coming into the room through there. She slightly increased the room temperature to provide more warmth for him since the weather was too cold. Finally, she dimmed the lights in the room before leaving for her room.