The Fatal Line

FOURTEEN

They stopped at a huge house. As huge as the cold old man's house, she thought.

"Come on.", he said signaling her to follow. Though quite hesitant, still she obliged.

An elderly woman showed up once the door is open.

"Good afternoon Mr. Zetticci.", the woman greeted while bowing her head.

"Where's Patricia?", he instead asks than answering the maid's greetings.

The woman smiled at Malaica which she returned with a shy smile.

"She's in the kitchen.Cooking."

Then two children popped out somewhere behind them, then later a young man chasing both. The two kids climb directly at Tommaso. Then their giggles stop upon seeing her.

"Oh, what do we have here. Is she your wife now? or another..", Alfonso intently hangs the last line. Looked at the flushed lady.

"I'm not either of them. I'm not his wife nor his..flings", Malaica answered firmly. How she hated to be mistaken as his woman.
And now she wonders who are these people.

She heard the young man laugh, while an annoyed look of Tommaso.

"Who is she Uncle Tommaso?", the girl kid asked.

Before Tommaso could answer a slender woman came out that Malaica guess from the kitchen base on the apron she was wearing.

"Hi there Tommaso. Glad you came.", the woman said while kissing him. Then amazement on her face as her gaze landed on the lady behind Tommaso.

"Hi there..and you are?", as Patricia had her gaze fixed on Malaica.

"She's Rakim's sister.", Tommaso casually said before Malaica could answer."Can we have lunch now I'm hungry?"

Patricia smiled at Malaica.
"Let's wait for the others. They'll be here in a while."

Everyone was sitting on the living room's sofa. Malaica is between Patricia and Samantha. Across them is Tommaso with Jacob on his lap and Alfonso.

"Why is she with you?", Alfonso curiously asks Tommaso. Jacob jumps off from Tommaso and then runs around the sala.

"She temporarily lives in my house while Rakim is still figuring out how to get rid of her psycho boyfriend.", Tommaso casually said while his eyes were on his phone. And then a magazine landed hard on his chest.

"He is not my boyfriend. How many times do I have to tell you that?", Malaica said angrily but still with her sweet voice.

Alfonso and Patricia stifled a laugh. It surprised them how the young lady treated their brother.

"Whatever. And stop hitting me anything Uzman.", Tommaso said glaring at her. He doesn't want his family seeing him takin' lightly by anyone.

"Then stop pissing me.", Malaica retorted while looking apologetically at Patricia and the latter just smile at her.

Tommaso looks at her angrily.
Then Patricia asks one of their households to bathe the kids.

"So, she's living with you? What a surprise.", Patricia said surprisingly.Knowing how Tommaso values his privacy.

"Temporarily resides., just like what I meant earlier.", Tommaso lazily said.

"Are you still in school?", Alfonso asks. Staring straight at Malaica.
"Yes. I'm in my last year of the business ad.", she replied.
"In Tommaso's school?", Alfonso again. Eyes were on Patricia and Malaica, while Tommaso is on his phone.
"N-no.And I didn't know he has one.", Malaica said.
"Yeah of course. You do know nothing about me.", Tommaso said with sarcasm. Thinking if this lady even recognize him if they'd bumped into each other before the incident with Qasim.
"But that won't make me a dumb. I'm just not fond of being a fan to anyone.", Malaica said back.
"You don't have a television in your house? or the internet? newspapers or magazines?", Tommaso again.
"Oh, I'm so sorry Mr. Zetticci. But I am more on encyclopedias than those papers. And I do hang out at the library.", she said in sarcasm.
"Oh, okay grandma.", Tommaso mimicked her tone. Malaica throws a glare at him which he only smirks. She resists herself not throwing anything at him anymore. And his stares send a warning to her not to.

"Daddy!!", Samantha and Jacob in unison while both running to their dad's welcoming arms.
Emmanuel kisses his wife and nod to both brothers-in-law.And same as Patricia and Alfonso's reaction, he looks at Malaica with curiosity. And his wife Patricia seems to notice. She then introduces the two for Tommaso seems no interest in doing it. Malaica shyly bows her head greeting Emmanuel.
"If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?", Emmanuel to Malaica. Patricia wonders same as Tommaso.
"I'm 22 sir.", Malaica answered politely.
Emmanuel smiled mischievously while glancing at Tommaso. And the latter just shrugs.
"We aren't late yet, right?", a cheerful Leticia came as Patricia stood to look for the food in the kitchen.
Everyone rise and also Malaica.She believes that it's the mother of the family. She saw them hugging and kissing and also the two kids. Malaica got curious of the other two young men behind Mrs. Zetticci, And also the other one that she also believe is the head of the family. But what bothers her is the coldness of Tommaso and Alfonso of him and also to the two young men.
Then Malaica feeling out of place just remains standing showing her politeness to this family.

"Oh, sorry dear you are?", Leticia spoke at Malaica.The others had come back to where they were sitting except Patricia that went straight to the kitchen.
Her voice is really motherly sweet in Malaica's ears which made her miss her family, especially her grandmother.
"She's Rakims' sister mom.", Tommaso said lazily while sitting down and scanning his phone. Tommaso's blunt introduction of her to his family only increases her awkwardness knowing that today is a family gathering.
Leticia takes a step nearing Malaica.
"You're so beautiful!", Leticia exclaimed with surprise and curiosity in her.And it made Tommaso raise his gaze towards her mother and the flushed Malaica.
This surprises Leticia. She knows his son is a womanizer but he never brought a single one ever.
"T- thank you, ma'am. But you are more beautiful. ", Malaica said as what she saw.She even saw Leticia more beautiful than her daughter Patricia.
The two laugh. And Leticia gave her a quick hug.
"By the way dear, this is their father Fernando."
Malaica nodded to the middle-aged but still a good-looking man. Fernando smiled at her. Malaica who had glance at Tommaso notice a distaste on his handsome face.
"Hi, Malaica.Meet my other two son Matteo and Stefano."
The two boys nodded shyly to her.
Then they all sitted as the maid told them to wait for a while. As everybody settled Tommaso suddenly stood going in the hallway. Then Malaica quickly excuse herself to everyone to follow Tommaso.She almost run catching him.

"What is't Uzman?", He suddenly halt. She bumps his back. He could feel the light touches of her fingers on his back shoulders that she quickly take off.
Such a clumsy are we Uzman?, his thought.And he can't help but to smirk thinking of her clumsiness.

"How could you just stop like that.", she said while fixing herself from bumping on Tommaso's back.
He turn around to face her when he doesn't hear a reply. She's fixing her scarf. And when their eyes met she blushed. He can't help but to smirk again.
"Will you stop that.", she said in annoyance when she saw him smirk.
"Stop what?", he asks.
She let out a sigh before talking again.
"Nothing. And by the way, why do you have to bring me here knowing that this is a family gathering.", she said can't even look straight into his face.
"My mom brought outsiders. So it's not really.", he said then turned his back again.
"Who?", she wonder though she had a hint about his father and the two young boys with him.
"Don't act like you don't know. ", he said.He caught her looking at him when his father arrive.He's certain that she saw his reaction.
She is silent.

"He seems nice.Even the two boys. ", she blurted just then regret. She don't like sticking her nose into others' lives.
When he is about to turn to face her, she talks.
"Okay, I think I'm being nosy. I'm not talking again.", she said.But he just pass on her.
"Time for lunch Uzman.", she heard him.
Then she follows him.