Rama's Wife and Kids
Now due to the enduring friendship between the regional commissioner and Rama, almost every technical detail at the district offices was in Rama's supervision including all the security concerns of the district offices, often making Rama the last person to leave.
He had to ensure that everything was in place before going home. His salary was twice higher than most of his colleagues and all consultations regarding most policies and physical changes to the offices were regularly in his control.
That evening, after realising it was getting dark and yet he had promised his sons and wife to get back home early enough, he pinned all his pending duties for the next day on his calendar, and checked around to see if any mishaps were to be recorded in the logbook, something which was also one of his daily routines.
A few of his colleagues lingered, wrapping up their work, so he entrusted them with a proper closure as he couldn't stay any longer. Packed and ready, Rama left for his house, opting for a cart in his hurry to celebrate his youngest son's birthday with his wife.
He bypassed the market in a rush picking up a diverse range of sweet cakes, toys, drawings and clothes to impress the kids and a new fragrance for his wife.
With few minutes left to the promised hour he had made to his wife and son, he picked up another cart and the driver rode fast under his request. Upon reaching home, his eldest son, aged 12, ran with excitement upon seeing him at the gate of their home, and the younger one, aged 8, joined in the celebration of having Daddy return home safe and sound.
"Where is Mommy?" He asked them after noticing that only the maid had accompanied the boys outside even when she stood at a distance far away from him, he peeked around his courtyard in hopes of seeing her but she was nowhere to be seen.
The two little boys, being innocent, said she had gone out since afternoon to pick up a gift for them.
"Afternoon, to where?" he asked them playfully, not wanting to arouse any suspicion in them.
"Daddy, her friends came and she went shopping with them." The boys said plainly, continuing to play around him, offering to carry his bag and whatever he had brought home in cute sealed boxes.
"Are all these for me?" the young boy asked Rama,reminding him of his birthday.
"Yes, but you will share some with your brother," he replied to his son, gently touching his head while allowing the elder boy to carry the other bag of gifts. With a genuine smile, he held his young son's hand and walked both of them to the house.
The maid, upon seeing Rama entering the house, welcomed him and started to make some preparations in the living room for the birthday. Silence was a common thing between him and the maid due to the tensions that sorrounded his wife.
"Please serve dinner after the boys eat their cakes," Rama instructed the maid, and she excused herself from them to set the dining table with all the cutlery. In the joyful moment of the boys being excited about the birthday gifts, Rama was lost in thoughts. He could hear his boys play, but his mind was far away, thinking of his wife.
How could she leave the kids right on their birthday and acting like she had no idea about it?
He had no other choice except to sit and wait for her return so they would talk about it. His mind then came back to the boys, still competing on the cakes. He looked at them with affection and joined them in their celebration.
"Afterwards, we will eat dinner together, and I will tell you a story," he told them, convincing them to finish their cakes.
"But what about Mommy?" they questioned, and he had no choice but to lie that she had gone to buy a rocking horse for them, only that the market was far away.
So at midnight, when the boys were asleep and there was a certain level of silence all over the house and in the neighborhood, Rama seated in the living room almost dozing was startled by a loud bang on his door. His wife Muri had returned and he knew it was her right away since it was a common practice for her to return at that hour and in that mood.
He stood up exhausted from the waiting and walked towards the door asking her to be a little patient as he was going to quickly open for her but she continued to bang the door. It was clear to him that she was drunk and not in the mood to talk.
After unbolting the door, he pushed the door slowly opening for her and tried to receive her into his arms but she was disinterested in his gesture and pushed his arm away. She walked straight to their room and that was the end of any hope to have her that night.
Early the next morning, he had to wake up fast and prepare the kids for school. Rama took pride in that even with a maid. When the kids were done, he made a refreshing breakfast for his wife, especially since she had slept when drunk and tucked her in bed well before stepping out of their bedroom. When all was set, he walked out of the house after giving instructions to his maid to look after Muri properly.
On his way to work that morning, his mind shifted to the new staff at the district offices. Had they already arrived at work, or were they still on their way? He wondered, thinking of the suitable punishment he would give them if they were late again.
Rama calculated things that morning, and it became clear to him Yin and Mu Rong were being backed up by Lu Zheng, and by all chances, something was surely going on between Lu Zheng and Yin.
Why would Lu Zheng date Mu Rong? Rama wondered, the question posing more doubts than answers. Rubbing his chin, he smiled, assuming what was happening in the district commissioner's office.
"Hmmm, Lu Zheng wants this girl (Yin) to replace him as he replaces his father." With a quick glance through the corner of his eyes, he noticed that he was about to reach the offices. He pulled cash from his wallet, paid the driver, and walked out of the cart when it had parked.
Mu Rong and Yin had already arrived, and Lu Zheng, who had also arrived earlier, had given the girls tons of tasks to accomplish since there was a shortened deadline that had come in abruptly that morning.
Rama upon resting his bag in his office went about checking on everyone before officially beginning his duties, he chose to pass by all around all the departments before eventually passing by the girls, greeting them, and out of courtesy, they also stood up and paid their respects to him.
Lu Zheng who was returning inside from escorting the delivery man was left impressed by the scene that he had witnessed between Rama and the girls. Instead of avoiding him, the girls were rather drawing professional grounds and maintaining a work-focused environment.
Rama, feeling awkward, turned around and upon seeing Lu Zheng, he hurried to give him a proper greeting before going to his office to continue with his pending work.
Since Rama had no access to Mr. Bangwan, Mr.Sai, and Lu Zheng's office areas, he could not monitor the work the girls did because their desks were just outside of these three offices. After much thinking, he sent for Anzim and tasked him to monitor the girls closely for any mistakes.
The day went by, with everyone working and girls skipping breakfast and lunch just to be able to finish their work on time, but as much as Anzim monitored them that day, nothing happened and Rama tasked Anzim to monitor them everyday.
At 6pm, when almost every department was closed for the next day, Lu Zheng having spent almost the whole day inside his office took a break from his work, he went for a walk outside of the offices to get some fresh air.
Tired and a little weak in his joints, he took a seat at a nearby bench, pondering on when he would be able to finish his pending projects which the regional commissioner was demanding to be forwarded to him quickly for review.
After much thinking, he turned his head to his right side just to stretch it a bit and instead of getting relieved, his eyes met with Rama briefly, The man he hated most in the whole of his life.
His contempt for Rama grew, and as usual, he couldn't stay any longer due to the way Rama's presence always suffocated him. He stood up and walked away back to his office.