Chocolate Emergency

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Alice's smile

            [Four and half years ago]

            Mr. Brown had always been Devlin's pillar whenever he slipped and fell during his time at Enlighten.  It was Mr. Brown's support system that had made Devlin who he was today. On his every step, Devlin knew that there would someone to stand by his side. Devlin knew he would always be there for him.

            He was like the father he never had. The coldness in his own father's demeanor never let him open up to him. He never told anyone but he was terrified of his father. His insides screamed with fright whenever they talked. No-one knew this, no-one but his mother who would soon forget his small fear. He was losing his mother so fast. It felt as though if he dared to blink, she would be gone...forever.

            Mr. Brown understood this. Devlin would share his burden with him and he would listen. He would never interrupt him like his father would. His father would laugh at him if he told him how much he was scared of the future. His father would tell him "You're my son, Charles Hutchin's son. What do you have to fear? You have all the money you'll ever need,"

            Mr. Brown didn't laugh even though he was a senior accountant. He never laughed. There, he would sit by his organized desk, behind his files with a deep kind of understanding in his eyes.

 Mr. Brown, in slight deep, age worn voice would reply "There isn't a man who doesn't fear something. A man who loves is the man who fears. You and I are the pawns of fate. But that doesn't mean we give destiny the power over our emotions. It is in your hand to make everything of the moment,"

            In times like those, Devlin wished to have him as his father.

△▼△▼△

            One late afternoon, Devlin wandered into Mr. Brown's office. He wasn't there yet. So Devlin took a seat on the cushion chair by his desk and looped his hand around the small rose-tinted glass paperweight, waiting for him to return.

            There was a silver frame next to the paper weight. Devlin hesitated for a moment before picking it up.  A photograph was carefully slipped inside the frame. It was Mr. Brown's family. He stood proudly with the three beautiful ladies of his life. Both of his daughters were resting on his sides. The older one had her mother's eyes just like Devlin had his mother's eyes. She had the chirpiest of smiles. The way she clung to her father's neck, Devlin could tell that they were really close.

            This made him feel angry. Maybe he it was more of jealously than anger. How he wished to share that kind of bond with his father.

            Mr. Brown's office phone began ringing loudly. It kept ringing and ringing. Devlin contemplated whether he should answer it or not.

            He ended up answering it after carefully placing the frame back on the table.

Even before he had the chance to speak, the person on the other side let out a loud, excited shriek. "Dad! Finally you picked up. I've been calling you non-stop on your cellphone,"

            Devlin wanted to say something. He wanted to tell the girl that he was not who she thought he was but her excitement dimmed his courage for he had never heard anyone speak with so much happiness. Maybe he thought the world was a lot more brighter when you're a kid.

            "Guess what? I won the junior art competition and Mom said we can go out for dinner. Come home soon, okay?"

            The phone's line went dead even before he could breathe out the words stuck on his tongue.