CEO’s REDEMPTION

FAMILY DINNER

Woow!!! You look spectacular! My goodness!” Mrs Mcall can’t help the amazement of seeing me all dolled up in style.

Well, I can’t blame her. Today, I want to feel fit in this circle. I said I will learn from her how to conduct myself like them. If she grew up poor and now she looks like she grew up in a palace, why can’t I adjust? So I went the extra mile and made an effort today.

I got myself a classy white silky dress that hugs every inch of my curves perfectly, leaving nothing accentuated. The V-neck line is not deep on both sides. Nothing revealing. Modesty is key for me. I matched it with an inch-and-a-half high pink stilettos. I can’t handle anything higher than that unless I want to start cursing the night before the supposed dinner is even halfway. Then I got myself a makeup artist and a hairstylist. I did light makeup. They are not even my thing, but as I said, circumstances called for this. With my hair cascading loose past my shoulders unlike my usual tight bun signature look, I don’t kneed anybody to tell me I look amazingly distinct today.

But I wouldn’t mind some compliments. My sweet husbae has not taken his eyes off me ever since I walked in on me him with this look. His hand has not even shifted from my waist. He is possessing me so tight as if he is afraid that the innocent night will steal me from him, and that says enough of how much beauty and class I am bleeding tonight.

No more embarrassment! No more embarrassing my husband!

“Thank you, Mother! You look amazing as well, as always. I am learning from the best.” I tease, and she blushes.

“Well, thank you. I hope I don’t let you down. I am not the best ” She says.

“You are, Mother!” I assure her, and she giggles.

“Well, alright. If you say so.” She turns to Jerol. “How are you, my son?” She asks, hugging Jerol and patting his back gently.

“I haven’t been so good as a son of late. Won’t you scold me, or slap me? I will take anything.” Jerol says when they pull away, hugging her mother’s shoulders between his hands.

Her mother smirks lightly.

“I am sure she has done a better job than I can.” She says, motioning to me, and I grin.

Well, she is so trusting! I love it all the same.

“You bet she knows how to bring me to my senses.” Jerol says.

“Then I have nothing to worry about. If I see any displeasing behaviour from you, it’s her I will go to because I know she can do what I can’t. But, Jerol,” she wears a serious expression that summoned our attention.

“Yes, Mom?” Jerol queries.

“If I ever find out that you are being a jerk to her in any way, even in the most slightest way, then you will get it from me!” That echoes like a dreadful warning.

Seems like fate compensated me with a mother too.

“I promise you, Mother. She will know no hurt with me. She is my treasure, and I will handle her with the utmost care, respect, and the love she deserves.” Jerol affirms, sending me over to cloud nine as he flashes a glance at me.

“That’s my son! I wish you both happiness. I still need to know what your plans are but, later. Welcome inside.” She ushers in, and we stroll inside with Jerol smiling as I increase my blush which fades the moment we get to the dining area and finds Father, Ellie and Grego!

They are here? Sitting so comfortably, but Ellie and Grego’s heads hunch down the moment they spot Jerol. Guilt must be burning their cores, but that aside for now.

I thought it was only Jerol and I, that my father wanted to talk to. Seems we were wrong. What is this dinner all about then? With these two?

“Son?” Mother speaks after noticing Jerol’s glare at these two.

“I am alright, Mom!” He says, clenching onto my waist as if hugging his consolidation.

“You both seat. I will get glasses for you.” Mother says as she strolls to the kitchen, and we stroll to the table.

“Father!” Jerol greets, and they hug, exchanging a few pleasantries before Jerol reclines to the seat, never minding the two faces before him.

Likewise, I say hi Father, and after his fatherly flirtations, I take my seat beside Jerol, not bothering about the two either.

This Ellie seems the most shameful. I don’t know whether her head will ever stand straight again. I don’t even pity them. Let them dance in this shame they brought upon themselves.

Mother returns from the kitchen, and after serving Jerol and me some juice, she sits beside her husband.

“Dinner will be served in a while. In the meantime, let’s get this done and over with. I suppose we will not even be able to eat like this.” She says, and I concur with her.

Even this juice will get stuck in the throat under this tension. We need to clear the air first.

“So, Dad? What did you want to talk about?” Jerol speaks, looking at his father as he responds.

“I didn’t call for this meeting!” He says, shocking the hell out of me and Jerol.

“Then… who did?” Jerol queries.

“I.”

That letter came from a familiar voice across us, and we drag our gazes to him while I tour my hand under the table searching for Jerol’s hand. Finding it, I hug it right, and he does the same with mine.

He did? Grego planned this dinner?

He summons his face up, looking anywhere around the table, scouring our faces one by one as he presumably searches for his voice, but he averts Jerol like a catastrophe. He doesn’t rest his gaze on Jerol even for half a second, while on the contrary, Jerol’s stern glare is firmly planted on Grego.

Did he come to his senses?

“Well? Are we going to sit here the whole night?” Jerol grumbles, disrupting the lull in this house.

I agree with him. Can this Grego spare us the tensions for goodness sake!?

“Son? Come on!” Mother says to Grego who clears his throat while Ellie rubs his shoulder, perhaps bleeding some of her courage to him.

“Uumh. I…” He takes in a deep breath before mustering the courage again. “I called the meeting.” He keeps quiet, making me suppress the urge to roll my eyes at him.

We know that already, don’t we?

“And we are here now! If you don’t speak up in the next two seconds then count me…””I am sorry!” Grego whimpers, cutting Jerol off, dropping our anxieties, and for the longest time, I feel a sense of peace surging through my bones.

Jerol remains thunderstruck as Grego continues.

“I have failed this family all my life both as a son and as a brother. I don’t deserve anyone’s forgiveness, especially from you, brother.” And for the first time, he cast his glance at Jerol, and they rock eyes, his striving to affirm his sincerity, and Jerol’s doubting his every pleading gesture. “I only ask for just one last chance to fix this.” He goes quiet, and averted his gaze from Jerol after failing to persuade him.

He relaxes in his seat, or at least he tries to as he awaits the verdict of his judges before him, while I feel like bursting out in laughter.

Seriously, I until today thought I suck at speeches, but after listening to him just now, well, I think I am among the best. And him, he needs prayers for heaven’s sake. I mean, after being a jerk all his, what? 30 plus something years, that is the piece of crap he prepared as a speech to ask for forgiveness for the mistakes committed over the years? Come on!

Wait, aren’t you even supposed to confess before asking for forgiveness?

Terrible! Incredibly terrible, but if he is sincere, then this is a good sign all in all. Things are looking bright for us, I suppose. At least he proved to have something in his empty head.

“So, that is all?” Jerol queries, perhaps having the same sentiments as me. “What exactly are you apologizing for? You need to be clear!” He adds, leaning on the table, and Grego sitting up straight.Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“Everything! I am sorry for everything – for trying to ruin you, for trying to sabotage this family, for being a lazy moron and an evil brother… I am sorry. For everything.” Grego says, sounding like he is about to break down.

Jerol smirks. I can’t tell what that smirk means, but he speaks again.

“Supposing, just supposing we forgive you. Where do you even start correcting your mistakes, huh? Do you know how much fixing is needed here? Do you have any idea?” Jerol quizzes, making Grego shut his eyes. Truth slaps really hard, huh?

Where will he start, honestly? From his mother who loved him beyond anything yet he took it all for granted for years? From a man who took him in and raised him as his own son, gave him a name, yet he threw all that away in the mud? From his brother who did not have any fault at all in his unwarranted low self-esteem, yet he bared so much grudge against him to the point of causing him so much pain? From his wife and kid? Just where exactly?

God! Even I didn’t see the intensity of this when I was talking to him. He has such a dense quagmire to swim through. I hope he manages. Honestly.

“I will give it my all to fix everything, Jerol!” Grego asserts faintly.

“What if your best is not enough, huh?” Jerol is not willing to just let things go, is he?

“Look, Jerol…”

“Shut. Up!” Jerol cuts Ellie off, urging her head where it belongs- facing the floor. “I do not want to say things that will be a threat to your condition, so do not provoke me, Ellie!” Jerol orders.

Well, she had guts chipping in! What did she have to say anyway? Defend her lover? Tsk!