SILAS HARRISON
The dinner went well – I accepted it to be awkward quiet dinner, but gladly it was not. Maria's friends are affable. It didn't take long before we all were talking about random things like it wasn't our first time meeting properly. Maria on the other hand was quieter than usual. Her outburst earlier the same night confused me. I don't know what it was about. I tried to ask her, but she asked me not to press her, and I didn't, but it worried me. I dropped her off to Charlie's apartment after dinner while Paige, Rene, Kathie, and Charlie went with Marcus. She was quiet the whole ride and it was bothering me. I didn't push her to tell me what was wrong since she asked me not to. When I came back home I took off my tie and threw it on the bed while Bear came running to my room. He sat on the bed as he played with the tennis ball.
I sat beside him and scratched his back as he played. I was lost in my thoughts when my cellphone rang. I took it out of my pants pocket to see it was a call from Elizabeth. I answered it, "Hey, dumbass." I spoke with a tired smile on my face. Today was a hectic day. There was a lot to do in the office – I wish for dad to come sooner. I could use his help. I could imagine Elizabeth rolling her eyes from the other side of the phone, "Shut up, idiot." She replied. "So you called me to tell me to shut up?" I asked her jokingly. "You have so much time to waste by making a phone call long, Silas." She replied. I chuckled, "What do you want?" I asked her. She sighed, "Did you sent my bag to Charlie's apartment?" She asked. I yawned and laid back on the bed, "Yes, I did." I replied. "Okay, thank you." She said and paused for a moment before she spoke, "So, you all went out for dinner tonight?" She asked. I nodded, 'Yes, we did." I replied short. "Tell me, how are Maria's friends? Are the nice to talk to or are they bitchy?" She asked. "That's a ridiculous question," I replied. She groaned lowly, "Just answer my question." She said back. I sighed and sat as Bear jump off my bed and went out of the room, "They are great. Paige and Rene are sweet and friendly girls. There – you got your answer." I replied.
She was quiet for a few seconds before she spoke, "Do you remember Freddie?" She asked out of the blue. I knitted my eyebrows together as I tried to think of a person named Freddie. "Uh – I can't think of any Freddie I know at the moment. Remind me who he is." I asked her. "Freddie Stanley – my class fellow from school?" She replied. I thought about her few friends that she had in school and instantly remembered Freddie. "Oh, the same Freddie you had a crush on?" I asked with a smirk. When she didn't reply immediately I laughed. She sighed, "Yes, the same Freddie." She replied. "What about him?" I asked her. She sighed, "I can't believe that I am about to tell you this." She mumbled, but I heard her. "Well, - uh – we – we are – were in a relationship." She finally said.
I gaped, "You were in a relationship with a guy? I thought you were into girls." I joked. "Seriously Silas, it is not a good time to joke. I should have called Marcus or better – I should have called anyone of my friends but guess what? I don't have any and those I have – I am talking about Maria and Charlie here – I never got time to socialize with them because either I was working or I was looking after our mother!" She yelled at me before she cut off the call. I was left astonished. It took me a couple of seconds to realize that she was crying while she yelled at me.
She never behaved like that. It was the first time she ever yelled like that. She also never complained about taking care of mom. She volunteered since she was already living in London. I immediately called her back but she didn't pick up her the call. I didn't give up and called her one more time and this time she picked it. "Eliza, I am so sorry. I didn't mean to offend you like that." I spoke. She didn't speak immediately – instead, she spoke after a long pause. I honestly thought that she wasn't online for a few seconds. "It is okay. I am sorry – I didn't mean to yell. I am just so frustrated." She took a deep breath.
"What is it, Eliza? You can share it with me." I said. She sighed. I can feel how tired she sound – I didn't notice it before since I was so busy pulling her leg. "I don't know if I should tell you this, but I so badly need to tell this to somebody." Her voice wobbled. She sniffed, "I called Maria, but she didn't pick up my phone – she must be busy with her friends and here I am – sitting alone in the bathroom with no friends at all." She spoke. It broke my heart to hear my sister like that. We might not show affection to each other more often – but I love my sister and it hurt me to hear her so troubled.
"Eliza, you are scaring me. What happened?" I asked her. She started sobbing. "Eliza, where are you?" I asked. I could feel my heart in my throat – why was she so distressed? She sniffed, "I am at my hotel's room." She replied. "Eliza, I know we never talk to each other maturely. We are always laughing, teasing, and making fun of each other, but that doesn't mean that I don't care for you. You are my only sister and I care for you more than anything, so tell me what happened?" I asked her.
She didn't speak for a while. Yet again there was a long pause before I finally heard her voice, "Am I bitchy, Silas?" She asked me. I creased my forehead, "What? Who said that to you?" I asked. "Just answer my question, Silas. Am I bitchy?" She asked me again. "Am I not capable of not making friends?" She continued, "What is so – so unlikeable in me?" She asked me as she slurred. "Are you drunk, Eliza?" I asked her instead. She hiccupped, "Maybe – now tell me – what is so unlikeable and – and – dammit, I can't think of any other word right now." She mumbled the last part. I sighed, "No, no – you are the friendliest and loving person I know." I replied and she sniggered – she didn't believe me. I was not being completely honest – I didn't want her to get more upset than she already was. She might not be the friendliest by nature, but I know that when any one of us would need her – she will be there to help without even asking her. "Who said it to you, Eliza?" I asked her yet again.
Elizabeth sighed, "Freddie." She answered. I clenched my jaws – how dare he bully my sister. "Why are you in contact with such a loser?" I asked her. She sighed, "Because he was my boyfriend." She said out of blue. I never knew that Elizabeth was in a relationship with him or any other guy. I never met any of her boyfriends nor did I hear that she had one after high school. "What? Since when?" I asked her. "Since the last three years." She said softly. "Silas, I have a confession to make." She slurred. "I was in a relationship with Freddie for the past three years. I didn't tell anyone about it." She said, "And now after wasting three years with that arse of a person – I came to know that he was married to someone else all this time. I was just another woman for him to fool around with." She cried. I clenched my hands into fists and snarled as I saw blood. How could that asshole do that to my sister or any other woman!
I swallowed the lump I felt in my throat, "Elizabeth, I am coming to get you." I told her. She opposed immediately, "No – no, I am okay. I am not a child. I can take care of myself. I have to fly to Barbados tomorrow. It might be a refreshing experience since I need a break." She said softly. "I just wanted to tell this to someone – that's it." She said. "I am going to pass out soon." She mumbled. "Go to bed, Elizabeth, and please don't drink anymore," I told her. "And thank you for sharing it with me. This was the first time you ever told me something about yourself." I added softly. She chuckled, "I know. I feel so lonely sometimes." She mumbled, "I just – I will talk to you later. I am going to sleep." She said as I heard muffled sounds. "Take care, sister. Come back to New York after the bachelorette trip – we both need to talk." I said. "And I need the complete address of that asshole. I am itching to kick his ass. He is going to regret playing with my sister." I gritted my teeth. I just heard her chuckling before the call ended. I called her again, but when she didn't pick it up – I realized that she must have slept.
I sighed and rubbed my temples. How stupid can I be? I never really thought what Elizabeth might be going through. As a brother, I never asked her about her life. I never even tended to ask her about her day. I was so busy making fun of her and laughing around and being a typical teasing elder brother that I didn't even consider that my sister is also a human and that she has feelings. I never thought that she would so distress. There is still so much to talk about with Elizabeth. I want her to know that doesn't matter who isn't by her side – she will always find me beside her.
I picked up my phone and dialed a number on it. After a couple of rings, he finally picked up, "Hey, Silas – everything okay?" He asked. I smiled, "I am sorry that I am bothering you at such a late hour, Carlos, but can you please look up for someone for me?" I asked him. Carlos hummed, "Yes, sure." He replied. "His name is Freddie Stanley. He went to St. Peter High School with Elizabeth. Can you search for his address?" I asked him. He paused, "Uh – I can try." He replied. "Brilliant," I replied.
The next morning, I woke up early. I went jogging and then hit the gym. All that time I had Elizabeth in my mind. I left her a message and asked her to call me as soon as she wakes up. I wanted to make sure that she was okay. I looked at my wristwatch to see that it was thirty past seven in the morning. Maria, Charlie, and their friends were leaving for Barbados at two in the afternoon. I want to see Maria before she leaves. I went back to my penthouse and showered before I changed into fresh clothes and gave Bear his breakfast. I was really hungry, so I just decided to have coffee before I leave. After making sure that Bear had plenty of food to eat while I will be gone. I picked my phone and left before saying goodbye to my dog. I checked my phone to see that still there wasn't any call or message from Elizabeth. I left her another message before I drove to Charlie's apartment.
Upon reaching there I saw how everything was chaotic at her place. Paige opened the door while talking to someone on the phone. She didn't even see that I was there – she opened the door, turned around while talking to someone in a great hurry. I could hear Kathie's crying, Charlie's yelling at someone, and also someone was planning loud music. I knitted my eyebrows went inside to see a few suitcases in the lounge. Maria was sitting on one of the couches with her head in her hand, Charlie was also talking to someone on the phone – she was yelling at someone, "What do you mean, you can't do it?!" She said.
Rene was trying to coax crying Kathie who demanded her mother's attention. "Uh – hi, everyone," I said loud enough to make everyone look towards me. Maria lifted her head and offered me a small smile, Rene replied a small 'hello', Charlie just glanced at me and Paige was not in the room. Kathie looked at me and ran towards me, "Uncle Silas." She cried. I picked her up in my arms, "What is it, Kathie?" I asked her. She sniffed and wiped her face, "I want more candies." She said to me. Charlie who was still on the phone turned her head towards us and pointed her finger, "Kathie – no," she said sternly, "You already had three of them since this morning. You are not getting anymore." She told her and Kathie once again started crying. I knitted my eyebrows, "Kathie, do you know – if you eat so many candies – there will be a monster in your mouth?" I asked her. She stopped crying as soon as she heard me, "What?" She asked me softly. "Yes." I nodded my head, "A very scary monster comes to live in children's teeth that eat too many candies." I told her. She looked at me amazingly, "A monster?" She asked sacredly. I hate scaring her off, but it looks like it is the only thing to say to her to make her stop crying.
"A very scary one," Rene interjected. I looked at her and smiled softly. Kathie sniffed, "I don't want a monster to live in my mouth, Uncle Silas." She said to me. "Then don't eat candies when mama says not to," I told her. She nodded her head and stood on the floor before running towards her mother who was still heatedly talking on the phone. "Wow," I heard Rene – I looked at her to see her eyes on Kathie who was now hugging her mother's leg, "I didn't know children these days buy stories such as that." She commented. "Most children now are smart-asses. They know what is true and what is not. It is like they are born with all the common sense." Rene said causing me and Maria to chuckle.
She clapped her hands, "Well, I better see what Paige is up to. I will be right back." She said and went upstairs before offering me a small smile. I nodded and glanced towards her before averting my eyes towards Maria who was already looking at me. Charlie went into the kitchen with the phone between her shoulder and ear and Kathie on her tail. We both were quietly looking at each other before we both spoke at the same time, "Can we talk?"