OUT OF WEDLOCK

"What exactly have I gotten myself into?" Neo asked himself as John walked out of the sitting room. He had followed John almost immediately when he left where they were earlier but couldn't reach out to him when he realized he was having a conversation with his mom. He heard clearly, all they said. Everything kept on giving him reasons to run away and just seek peace. "This family of two surely has no peace whatsoever." He said to himself.

"Why are you here?" Anne asked whispering as she held in her small palms a tray of alcohol.

Neo turned his head and smiled at her. "I was about heading out." He noticed the alcohol. "Who are you taking the alcohol to?"

"Who else?" She looked at Mirabella with sad eyes. "She needs it the most as we speak."

"Isn't she hypertensive?" Neo asked again.

"Of course she is, but she needs alcohol more than her pills." Anne tried to walk ahead but she was stopped. "What?!"

"Let me have the tray, you can attend to other things."

"I don't have other things to attend to, this is the only job i have in this house."

Neo raised his brows in confusion. "She employed a maid to bring liquors to her?"

"I'm not a maid!" She retorted and caught Mirabella's attention.

"What is going on there?" She stood and joined the duo. "What is all the brouhaha about?"

"I was bringing the liquor to you." Anne's head was down.

"Then why are you conversing with him?"

"He asked some questions."

Mirabella looked at Neo scornfully and said to Anne. "I won't have liquor tonight."

"Yes ma'am." She walked out almost quietly.

"I'm so sorry for what happened earlier, I didn't mean to put you in shock." Neo made the first move.

"I don't understand the kind of relationship you think we have that made you touch me. Don't ever repeat such in your life again."

He felt she was being too harsh but didn't say a word. He replied with a nod instead.

"For your own sake, don't try to get in between my and my son. I am not merciful." She looked at him scornfully again and went back to her room.

"I don't think I can do this anymore." He murmured to himself.

"Hi!" John said cheerfully as he reappeared into the scene. "You still here?"

"Yes." Neo replied with an heavy sigh. "I tried to apologize to your mom for putting her into shock but it seems she still doesn't want to see me."

"Man!" He hit his shoulder playfully. "Did she threaten to kill you too?"

"She didn't say it but I think she can. Your mom is scary." Neo giggled. "Does she even smile at all?"

"Believe me, my mom has one of the most charming smiles ever."

"I think that is a brag bro." Neo said beneath his breath but John still heard him.

"I swear it's not. Let me show you something." He showed him an old picture of his mom grinning from ear to ear. "Is this evident enough?"

"Wow!" Neo exclaimed in his mind. For once! He had never adored a woman's beauty. But what is this he is doing to Mirabella's? He definitely can't deny the fact that he is already in love with her.

************

John buried his head in his palms for about the seventeenth time in two hours. He kept on thinking and rethinking about what his mom said to him a few hours ago "that he was born out of wedlock." As much as he tried to ward off the memory, it kept on replaying.

One thing that got him a bit upset about the entire situation was that he doesn't know if his mom said what she said because she knew it always hurt his feelings or if she said it because of the pain she felt at that moment. "I can't keep doing this." He stood from his reading desk and matched to the bed. He was about to lie in his bed when he heard a soft knock on the door. "If that's you Anne, go back to your room. I don't think I can help you with your assignments this night."

"It is I." The voice was firm.

"Mom, I am about to go to bed. We can have the discussion tomorrow morning."

Mirabella opened the door and shut it loudly as she walked in. "In this house, you don't tell me what and what not to do."

"Mrs Mirabella Williams, I am your son. Stop treating me like a puppet." John moved closer to his mom.

"I am not treating you like a puppet John. You are the one not just seeing things the way I see it. You think I'm being very mean and harsh. Whereas I'm doing all of these for your own good. John, I slept with your father because I wanted to rewrite my own destiny. I am fighting that evil man because I want you to take over your father's company comfortably. I am going through all of these things for you. Have you seen how your Uncle speaks so low of me and humiliates me at every given opportunity? Do you know how much I pay him every month despite the fact that he does absolutely nothing? My heart beat so fast as if It is about to stop working anytime I set my eyes on him. That man should be called Lucifer."

"Learn to smile often, you look extraordinarily beautiful when you do." He kissed her forehead and embraced her.

As he wrapped his arms around her, he realized that his mom was still fragile after all, she just needed someone to talk to from time to time.

"We need to do everything we can to kick him out of the company. He is so bent on taking what isn't his." Mirabella continued to rant.

"Be rest assured, I will fix everything as soon as possible."