Chapter 5
2023 Words
Chapter 5
The Richards had overslept that early Sunday morning Paul had to wake them up them up the royal style. He was carrying a small bell that he kept ringing in the hallway. It was evident from excessive partying that had happened the previous day. Scott was the first one to show up.
"Paul man it's so early" He complained rubbing sleep out of his eyes.
"It's eight in the morning Scott and last time I checked your room is this side" Paul said pointing to his right.
That's when Scott realized something was amiss.
***The previous Night***
After being left alone on the dinner table Arya joined the girls in the living room looking all happy as usual. They could not wait to hear what the charming Scott had promised her.
"Spill it" Ruth said.
Arya stared at Millan for some kind of help but she shrugged and smiled. She was now on her own.
"Come on girls it's not that important anyway" She said.
"Says who? We could see you all smiles there as he talked to you I wish I captured the moment on camera"
"Creepy" Millan said.
"What’s even creepier is you wanting to know what we discussed"
"Not that girl, you trying to run away from this or I should just go ask him" Ruth dared.
She decided to cut them a slack.
"Okay he asked me out to make up for kissing me"
"Wow!" Marveled Ruth.
"Am sure that will make it even worse" Millan said.
"That's what I told him but he insisted so?" She shrugged.
"Don't listen to Millan it's your turn girl I will get you a good dress and teach you some date tricks I know it's been long since you went on one"
They both burst into laughter. Among the three she was the less active one. A geographer would have called her an extinct volcano. One that had not erupted in like forever.
"What's funny guys you left me and Amber hanging here?"
She was staring at them.
"When did you last go on a date?" Arya asked.
"She can't even remember her last orgy" Arya said.
They both gave her that awkward look.
"What?"
"We have a minor in our midst" Ruth said.
"Ooh Amber doesn't even know what we are talking about" She brushed it off.
"But seriously if there is someone who should be giving dating advice it should be me" Millan said.
She had a point. James and Millan were hitting it off, going for dates and soon she was almost moving in with him. People were even expecting a wedding since they had already met each other's families.
"Here we go again, tells us how James is good at it" Ruth said.
"Am not bragging, Arya tell her" She said looking at Arya for sanctuary.
What goes around comes around. She shrugged too.
"Ooh you guys think am bragging but anyway come to me for dating advice"
"We heard you, come on Amber mummy wants to sleep" Arya said picking her up,"Goodnight girls!"
"Goodnight!" Ruth said.
"Goodnight" Millan said.
She went upstairs to her room. Surprisingly Scott was there dressed in a grey T-shirt and a black pair of shorts, he was making her bed.
"I wish I had a dad like you" Arya said.
"Well I can still be your dad, putting final touches almost done" he said busy making the bed.
"You did it right" Arya said surprised.
"Thanks to You tube tutorials, so about being your dad"
Arya placed baby Amber on her bed. Ruth had already prepared her for sleep, she was dressed in blue pajamas and a matching hat. One of Angela's creations. Her bed was modern, automatic with Temperature monitoring, it was also dust resistant, shock resistant and portable. She was worth a fortune. They could have done anything for that baby.
"You are twenty seven Scott am twenty three" She said.
"That's creepy, goodnight Amber" Scott said.
The moment he walked away Amber started to cry. Arya had just relaxed on her own bed.
"Let me handle this" Scott said gladly.
He picked her up. She was still crying as he took her around the room calling her all the good names, telling her stories. Well, you tube didn't help with that. Amber was now screaming on top of her tiny lungs.
"Bring her over she is annoyingly anxious today"
"Is she sick?" Scott asked worried.
Arya checked her body heat by palpating her neck.
"She looks fine to me"
"Almost forgot you are a doctor" Scott sod joining them on the bed.
"Let's try this, she sleeps in the middle" Arya suggested.
"You think it will work?" Scott asked smiling.
"One way to find out"
They lay her on her back and both of them scoot over her their hands holding each other, covering her the same way a bird covers its chicks. She was now sniffling.
"It’s working" Scott whispered.
"Don't celebrate yet she knows how to f**k up my days" Arya whispered back.
Little Amber just like everyone else may have wanted to see her mother and father together. She could not talk but with her power of crying she could do something about it. That night any time Scott or Arya tried to move she moved too. The kid was not asleep, all ears. They had to maintain that position for almost half an hour or so before she finally fell asleep. They also fell asleep, one small happy family. They looked beautiful in the sleep. And as usual every house there is creeper. The last person to sleep. In the Richards manna everyone knew theirs was Paul but they were wrong. It was the mother of the house. Later in the night she passed by Arya's room like she always did. She also marveled at the sight of them. Alicia almost shed a tear before she kissed and covered them. On her way out she took one long look at them before she switched off the light.
****That morning****
He looked at the room to confirm that what Paul was saying was actually true. It was. Poor Scott found himself in an awkward situation because Paul's bell woke up even the rats, cockroaches and ants in the castle. Everyone was coming to the hallway.
"Not what it looks" Scott said smiling sheepish.
"Whats going on here?" Ben asked rubbing sleep from his eyes too.
"I think Paul caught Scott sneaking out of Arya's room" Kyle said with a grin, "But seriously Paul why did you wake us up this early"
"It's eight in the morning breakfast is ready" Paul said.
"Ooh, we overslept. Scott dear don't worry you have a right to see your kid everyone go freshen up!" Alicia ordered.
They moved back to their rooms like zombies. Paul with his nuisance of a bell went back downstairs. He was so disturbed how he missed it. Scott sneaking in Arya's room without his knowledge? He was not a sniffer dog after all. I mean he was but not a good one. Alicia and Scott were the only ones left.
"Thanks mum, I just got lost in the moment she was having trouble sleeping and we..."
"You cuddled with them it's not wrong after all guess who she takes after?"
"So dad used to do that to me?"
"All the time you were really annoying, you never really gave me peace"
Scott smiled walking towards his mother.
"Am sorry mum, good morning" He said and kissed her forehead.
"Maybe you should brush first" Alicia teased.
"Mum!"
"Stop whining" she said and shut the door on his face.
Whether to go to his room or go back to Arya's was now a conundrum. He was not sure if she was aware they shared a bed, although nothing happened but they really did share a bed with Amber creating the Berlin wall between them. Ruth found him in the hall way trying to work on something.
"Good morning sir"
"Morning Ruth" he cleared his throat, "You are going to Arya's room?"
"Want to accompany me?"
"Yeah, let me help with that" Scott said trying to snatch away a basin from her hands.
She denied him.
"Last time you helped me things didn't go so well"
"It was Martha, this is Arya anyway lead the way" Scott said and stood behind her.
Of course even Ruth knew he spend a night in her room and he was being shy about it.
"Sir, I personally know you didn't do anything so suck it up go in there and be a good dad"
"You think am a good dad?"
"Hell yeah" Ruth said.
Motivated Scott marched in. Arya was still asleep holding Amber closer to her. They tip toed to the bed and Scott tried to steal her away without waking her mother. She was awake herself, her eyes full of vibrancy and life, milky white with a brown iris darting on the surface. Scott admired her for a minute.
"Do it!" Ruth whispered.
"Make sure she is asleep" Scott whispered back playing with Amber.
She had her grip on his forefinger trying to bite it. Ruth passed her hand slowly over Arya's face to confirm if she was asleep.
"Am not sleeping" Arya announced scaring Ruth and Scott.
"Morning Mum, Scott's doing" Ruth said.
"Where did you go" Arya asked opening her eyes, she yawned and stretched.
"You saw me leave?" Scott asked surprised.
He gave the baby to Ruth. She went to clean her up in the washroom.
"Yeah who was ringing that bell anyway?" Arya asked the two helping each other to make her bed.
"It was Paul, apparently the entire family overslept today"
"The party is to blame, let me freshen up see you at the breakfast table" She said then kissed him on the cheek.
It was Scott's turn to freeze. He looked at her until she disappeared in the bathroom. What was stopping him from having her? Then he remembered Melissa was still in his heart. If only he could kick her out like he did from his house. Love was still there between then and it was confusing him. Scott walked out of her room a sad man.
"Scott was standing at Arya's door what's happening?" Ben asked drying himself with a towel.
He was like a stranger in his own house and the better person to ask was Alicia. Not that Ben didn't want Scott and Arya to happen. He was a great fan of it. After Melissa's disappointment he was ready to see his son with someone else. It turned out she was not in love with him she was just her father's puppet.
"Nothing they were just hanging out" Alicia said applying lotion on her body.
"Hanging out overnight I see but am a fan of it though"
"Ben we promised not to interfere in his love life" Argued Alicia.
"Okay am just saying, tell me you don't want to see them together?"
"I don't let's get breakfast" She said leading the way.
Ben could not see her smiling. She was sure his face had that perplexed look. Even the birds of the compound wanted Scott and Arya to happen who was she to go against everyone? And for her it was not because she had given the family a grandchild. For her it was because they were friends, something she couldn't say about Melissa. The two connected at all levels of social interaction. As women, as mothers, as mother and daughter and as two people with the same goals. They had a lot on common. They were both smart and confident.
"Good morning everyone on behalf of the family am sorry we are late" Ben said to the staff.
"It's okay sir, we understand" Paul said on behalf of the staff.
The whole family was ready seated apart from Scott. He was still upstairs doing God knew what.
"Let's eat, KW where is your buddy?" Ben asked smiling.
"Did Big Ben just use my initials?" Kyle asked looking and sounding surprised.
The others just shook their heads.
- Writer
