"Why didn't you tell me this before?! Where was the security? They are useless, seriously!" Marcus shouted as he picked up the receiver of the phone and dialed someone's number, "I will fire them all! Someone invaded Silas's property and they didn't even saw him coming or going! That's insane." Marcus was very angry.
That's how Marcus reacted when he came to know about my father visiting me earlier today. I spent the whole day with Elizabeth and Maria but, I didn't tell them about my father – I didn't know how they would react – especially Elizabeth. I put the paper in which my father's contact number was written safely and acted like nothing happened the whole day – until Marcus came home. At first, I thought about not telling him about my father either but, then realized that my father might help find those documents. Therefore, I had to tell him.
"Don't fire them, Marcus! Listen to me – and please put the receiver down." I tried to calm him and took the receiver from his hand before putting it back on the phone set.
Marcus exhaled loudly and covered his face, "I can't believe he was here!" he said before uncovering his face, "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" he asked me while taking my hand in his.
I shook my head, "No, he didn't hurt me. He told me that he would never hurt me. He wants to talk to me but, he couldn't talk here." I told him and then took the piece of paper from my pocket, "He gave me his contact number." I said and handed it to Marcus, "Marcus, he might help find the stolen documents." I told him.
Marcus was staring at the paper with a scowl on his face before he shook his head and threw the paper at the desk, "You are not meeting him. I know he is your father but, he tried to hurt too, Charlie – I am not taking any chance." Marcus said.
"Marcus, but look at the bright side – he might be able to help us!" I exclaimed.
"And what if this is all a trap, huh? What if he wants to meet you to hurt you? Charlie, as I said I am not taking any chances. I will trace the number and try to track your father and people who are behind this all." He told me.
"Why are you choosing the hard way when he is ready to talk to me?" I asked him before sighing, "Listen, Marcus, I have questions okay? I have hundreds of questions in my mind that won't let me sleep at night. I want to know why he lied to me and left me like that. I don't know about you, Marcus but, I will be meeting him." I told him.
Marcus frowned, "What if he hurt you, Charlie? He pointed the gun at you once – he can do it again." Marcus objected.
"He didn't know it was me! He would never hurt me – he promised me!" I said loudly. Marcus didn't say anything – he just looked at me quietly. I must look pathetic – defending the man that tried to kill me. During the whole day, all I thought was how my father would have never hurt me – I have been trying to convince myself that my father didn't know that it was me or else he would have never pointed the gun on my head.
I calmed down a bit and sighed, "Marcus, I – I need answers and only my father can give it to me." I said calmly to him.
Marcus was silent for a few seconds, "Okay." He replied short. He scratched his forehead and leaned in the chair, "But, I will come with you. I am sorry, Charlie but, I can't risk your life again. You might believe him but, I don't." Marcus added.
I wetted my lips with my tongue and nodded, "All right – fine, I am okay with that." I replied him with a small smile.
I get it – he doesn't trust him – I shouldn't even but, I don't know why in my heart I know that he will not hurt me. The way he was looking at me today – with guilt and sadness in his eyes screams for the untold story of our family. Maybe I wouldn't have met him – maybe I would have tried to move on if I knew about my mother. If he is alive then my mother should be as well.
Marcus didn't argue after that. He just told me about the location where it would be possible to meet my father and asked me to contact him. He also told me not to tell anyone about this till we meet him. I agreed to his terms and walked away from him to talk to the man I once called dad.
For almost an hour I sat on the bed with the crumpled paper in my hand. I roamed my eyes over the same contact number for so long that now I almost memorized them. I wasn't sure what to say to him – how to talk to him? Never in the last ten years had I thought that I would ever be able to see my parents again – for me they were dead. When I received the news of my parent's death all these years ago – I prayed day and night for them to come back to me. I never knew that they would come back – giving me the shock of my life.
I sighed and dialed the number with shaky hands. I was nervous – after all, I was talking to my father – the same father I thought was dead – the same father that held a gun against my head. After giving it a thousandth thought I finally press the button to call him. I put the phone against my ear and closed my eyes as the bell rang. My heartbeat was going insane – I almost ended the phone call when he received it.
"Hello?" I heard his voice. He might have changed appearance wise but, his voice held the same heaviness.
I gulped and opened my mouth to say something but, no words escaped my mouth. "Charlie?" he guessed. I tightly close my eyes as my eyes tingle.
"I – I want to meet you," I replied. I tried to keep my voice straight but, somehow it still wobbled.
I heard him sigh, "I thought you wouldn't call me." He said softly.
"I didn't want to," I answered honestly. "But, I have so many questions to ask and only you can answer them," I added.
"I know you do – I will answer each question of yours." He said. "Just tell me where would you like to meet and when?" he added.
"Before I tell you that – I want you to know that Marcus Harrison will be with me," I told him.
He was quiet for a few seconds before he sighed, "Does he have to?" he asked.
"Yes," I replied.
"All right then, tell me the place and time." He asked.
After I told him about the local café near Silas's house – I ended the call without exchanging any more words. By the end of the talk, I felt like my heart would come out of my mouth. I blew out my cheeks and lay on the bed. These were the hardness two minutes of my life. I glanced at my mobile to see that I had almost two hours before I will meet my father. I got up from the bed and walked out of the room to see Marcus.
I entered the room to him playing with Kathie. I smiled as I saw him holding her on his lap while he was bouncing her up and down – causing her to laugh. I leaned into the door's frame and watched both of them with delight. These two might be the only people that can make my day better. Marcus laughed when Kathie leaned in and kissed her father on the cheek. My heart swelled – I put my hand over my heart and smiled. Marcus lifted his gaze from his daughter and looked at me. He smiled back at me but, soon his smile fell.
"So? Did you talk to him?" he asked as I walked into the room. Kathie twirled her head to look at me and tried to get in my arms but, I wasn't sure if I should take her – after all I was still sniffing although, I have already taken medicine that Elizabeth gave me earlier.
I sighed and sat beside him, "Yeah, I did. We have a meeting with my father in two hours." I said to him while I look at Kathie – trying to over my lap. I sighed and finally let her sit on my lap but, I also made sure not to get to close to her.
Marcus looked at me, "Does he know that I will be there as well?" he asked.
I glanced at him, "Yes." I nodded. "I told him," I added.
Marcus only nodded his head and we both quietly watched Kathie playing with her toy penguin while sitting on my lap. After a few minutes I turned to face Marcus, "Did Cassandra came to meet you today?" I asked him.
He frowned and looked at me, "Yeah, how did you know?" he asked.
"She came here first," I answered short and gave all of my attention to Kathie. I felt a pang in my chest – why does she always have to around him?
"Oh." – was the only reply that I got from him.
Two hours later Marcus and I were sitting in a local café while we left Kathie at home with Elizabeth – of course. Maria had a doctor's appointment therefore, she couldn't stay longer. Marcus brought security with him just in case – they were sitting beside our table – pretending to be normal people. It has been fifteen minutes since we came here and now it feels like he wasn't coming. I chewed on a cuticle when Marcus slapped my hand away from my mouth.
"Don't do that." He warned me.
I rolled my eyes, "I am nervous, okay? And I either pick on my nails or chew my cuticles when I am nervous." I reasoned.
Marcus sighed and lightly shook his head while sipping his coffee. I fidgeted my feet and cracked my knuckles – I was beyond nervous. I gulped and looked at Marcus to see him looking over my head. I frowned and turned around to see my father standing at the entrance of the café – looking around to find me probably. I turned around and looked Marcus – who looked back at me and put his hand over my mine, "It is okay." He ensured me.
I exhaled loudly and nodded my head when I heard his voice, "Charlie." He called my name.
I lifted my head to see him standing just beside me. I opened my mouth to call him back but, I was confused – what should I call him? Dad? Mr. McGill? Or James? When I didn't say anything – he quietly sat on the chair beside me. "Thank you for meeting me, Charlie." He said – completely ignoring Marcus.
I nodded my head, "Yeah." I said and looked at the half-empty cup of coffee in front of me.
All of us were quietly for a few seconds before he sighed loudly, "Look at you – all grown up. You looked beautiful, Charlie." He commented causing me to look at me.
"Ten years is a long period to grow up," I answered. "You have been gone or dead – I don't know – for ten years. Of course, I grew up." I added.
He nodded and bowed his head down, "I know." He said lowly. He lifted his head again and stared right into my eyes, "But, I had no other choice but, you leave you like that – you were in danger, Charlie." He told me.
I frowned and glanced at Marcus to see him listening to my dad interestedly. I looked back at him, "What do you mean by that?" I asked.
He mashed his lips together and looked at the plain white sheet over the table, "When you were only four – I lost a lot of money in gambling. Our house and car were on the mortgage. We would have lost the house and car if I wouldn't have paid for the other party. So, I made the biggest mistake of my life – I borrowed a loan from Diego Silvia. I borrowed a six years loan to pay off the debts but, I didn't know that I was jumping in a bog. Each year Diego increased the increase rate until it was impossible to pay it off in time so, I asked for a few more years – which was a mistake as well. Like the years past – he increased the interest rate. One day I had enough so, I went to see him – to ask him why he was increasing the interest up to that extent and to tell him that I will be only paying him the principal amount." He paused and looked into my eyes. He had tears filled in his eyes, "That's when I came to know that he was in the mafia. That's when I realized that he was a dangerous man. I tried to convince him to cut off some amount because I was unable to pay off such a huge loan. But he didn't listen to me. He asked me to either pay him the full amount or – or hand over you to him." He said.
The breath knocked out of my lungs – I was shocked to hear that. I opened and closed my mouth but, no words came out.
"It scared me, Charlie. I was so scared. I didn't know what to do so, I begged him. I begged him to spare your life – I begged him not to take you away from us. After days of begging and pleading he proposed that either pay off the full loan or hand you over to him or work for him for the lifetime." He paused and gulped. "He threatened that if I will be working for him – I can't betrayal him – if I do – then he will kill you." He said.
"I had no other choice, Charlie." He lightly shook his head as tears fell from his eyes. "The day we died for you was the day we started working for him." He added. "We had to keep you save – I couldn't make you pay for my mistakes. I am sorry." He said causing tears to fell from my eyes. I was stunned to get all the twisted information. I never knew that my parents were in so much trouble – they never let me know any of it.
"Where – where is mom?" I asked.
My father looked at me with sorrow filled in his eyes, "I am sorry, Charlie." He mumbled as he cried.
My heart fell in my stomach, "Where is she?" I demanded.
"She passed away in an accident two years ago." He answered.
My mother was dead. I missed eight years of her life – but, now I can't see her – she is gone. She did leave me. For ten years I believed that my parents were dead but, for a day – I had a hope that maybe my mom would be alive – just like my father is. I haven't seen my mother for ten years but, it still feels like I lost someone close to me.
I was too stunned to speak a word. Marcus put his hand over mine and pressed it lightly. He knew that I was too shocked to speak so, he did it for me. "Why did Diego send you to kill Charlie?" Marcus asked my father. He changed the topic – he knew that I couldn't take it anymore.
My father looked at him, "I didn't know that it was her. A week ago he asked me to hurt a girl – he didn't tell me her name then. He wanted to hurt her so, that you would give up and accept your defeat. He wants revenge on you, Mr. Harrison." He said.
I cleared my throat, "He is doing this all just to get to the documents?" I interjected.
My father frowned and looked at me, "Documents? Those are just to add a little spice. He wants to ruin Marcus's reputation – just like he did to him. He wants revenge from Marcus for sending his son to jail." He answered.
"He wants to kill me because his criminal son went to jail? How pathetic is that?" I was fuming.
My father looked at me for few seconds before glancing at Marcus who was as confused as me, "You both don't know, do you?" he asked us.
Marcus and I glanced at each other. "Don't know what?" Marcus asked him.
My father sighed, "His son committed suicide in prison. He is dead." My father answered.