Chapter 8 - The Warning

It is already 5 in the afternoon and Phoebe comes rushing from school with Nanny Martha, "Mommy! Mommy!" She immediately drops her pink school bag on the floor and hugs Amelia's bottom from behind.

Amelia wipes her hand on the kitchen towel and with weary eyes, she bends forward touching Phoebe's cheeks, "Why sweetheart? Is there something wrong?" She carries Phoebe and places her on the couch.

Nanny Martha interrupts calmly while preparing the table for dinner, "She told me that a small old man approached her at the gate while waiting for me to fetch her."

"Mommy, the old man told me that my right time has come and a ritual is a must. What does he mean mom?" Phoebe asks while her hands are shaking nervously.

Amelia answers her daughter with comfort, "It's nothing honey, maybe just an old crazy beggar was out on the run, do not ever talk to strangers, you understand? Phoebe nods while embracing her mom and Amelia worriedly turns her head to Martha, "Nanny, I told you to fetch Phoebe before her dismissal time."

"Yes, I'm sorry but I had some important errands to do before I reach her school, and when I fetched her, no one ever talked to her like she was telling us."

"But Nanny, the old man already left before you came," Phoebe answers convincing her mother that what she's saying is true.

"Yes, but I asked everyone around you if somebody has approached and talked to you, they said none." Martha turns around and gets a bowl of rice and served it on the table.

"Mommy it's true, but Nanny just didn't see it. He was a short old man with a long beard and scary eyes and nails like a monster, I felt like he was going to eat me! Huhuhuhu....." Phoebe covers her face with a white throw pillow from their couch and cries endlessly.

She cries with fear, she has never encountered such a creepy creature before. Amelia and Martha are suspiciously puzzled about Phoebe's story and were surprised as Amelia's cellphone vibrated from the table.

"Bbbrrriiiinnggg Bbbbrriiiinnnggg..."

"Who's that calling Nanny?" Amelia asks while embracing and hushing  Phoebe to calm down.

Martha glances at Amelia's phone, "It's Dave." She gives the phone to Amelia.

"Hello?" Amelia puts her phone between her right ear and shoulder.

"Hello, Amelia? Is that Phoebe crying?"

"Yeah, something happened at school but she's alright now."

"Wait, what happened?"

She turned her speakerphone on and puts it on the couch, "Well, some old man approached and talked to her and threatened her I think?"

"What?! How is she feeling right now?"

"She's fine, she just needs some rest, I'll make her sleep right after dinner, by the way, why did you call?" Amelia coldly asks Dave.

Dave hesitantly mumbled, "Can I come over to your place?"

Amelia was surprised, this is the first time that Dave will visit her place after Phoebe was born, "Why?! Don't you have any important things to do? Today is your rest day right?"

"Yes, and your rest day too, I just want to have time with Phoebe, and besides I'm curious as to why she's crying."

"Wow, is that you Dave? All of a sudden you get interested in our lives? Amelia rolls her eyes, she thought that Dave just wants to put up a show.

Martha widens her eyes and broadens her smile giving a signal to Amelia that perhaps he can give Dave a chance to prove his change and be a father to Phoebe.

Dave begs over the phone, "Please Amelia, I want to see Phoebe, and of course... you."

Amelia grasps some air and releases it quickly through her nose, "I don't know what's up with you Dave but, okay I'll give you this chance to see Phoebe, join us for dinner."

Dave spreads his lips from side to side and his heart flutters, "Thank you, Amelia, I'll drop by a Korean restaurant to buy some dishes, do not bother to cook, it's my treat."

"Okay." Amelia agrees but prefers to cut the line, she is not interested in Dave's presence anyway.

Martha barely heard their conversation but she assumes that all is well between the two, she sets the table with special plates. She started to wash the fine unbreakable white ceramic plates which she pulls out from its box with a set of glasses and a pitcher.

Amelia rises from the couch while carrying Phoebe in her arms and saw that Martha is excitingly setting the table differently, she asks while raising her right eyebrow, "Nanny, what's with the fuss? What is that smile on your face? And why did you set up the table differently?"

"I sensed that Dave will be joining us for dinner, and I can feel the butterflies in my stomach." Martha giggles with delight while wiping the utensils and covering them with table napkins.

Amelia shakes her head annoyingly and helps Phoebe change her clothes, "Yes, but I hate it. He's just putting up a show and he cannot deceive me."

Martha convinces Amelia and whispers, "Give her a chance darling, for Phoebe's sake." 

Amelia displaying a fake grin on her face makes Martha laugh so hard.

While Dave is on his way to Amelia's place his phone lightened up, a message from King Angus makes his heart pound anxiously, "What does my uncle want from me?"

He parked the car on a vacant road and opened King Angus' message and it reads, "A few days from now and it will be the perfect time for your child's Immunity Ritual. Did you tell her about her real being? You must be responsible Dave, your child is the last descendant of our clan."

Dave ignores his uncle's message and heads to the nearest Korean Restaurant to buy dinner. He picks the Graded A steak with freshly made kimchi and a large plate of  Gimbap with a whole fried chicken in honey butter sauce.

While he gets his change from the counter, a tall old man stands at his right side which gives him an eerie feeling, "King Angus is waiting for your reply."

Dave hurriedly drives to Amelia's place and waited for the elevator to open while he caries the two plastic bags with to-go food in his both hands.

"Ding!"

Dave collided with Victoria while he enters the elevator. He knows her face even when she is transformed into a mortal. Her annoyingly sharp eyes send a warning to Dave about ignoring King Angus' message.

He prefers not to stare closely at her as she exits but whispered, "Tell my uncle I'm not going to send Phoebe to any Immunity ritual. I already evicted myself from the clan. I'm living the life that I always wanted to." Victoria halted from walking but did not bother to look back.

 "Ding!"

Amelia opened the door, looking down at Dave's treat, and smirked, "What have you got? I hope you still remember that I'm allergic to seafood."

Dave purposely enters her unit and places the plastic bags on the dining table greeting everybody in the house leaving Amelia irritated folding her arms in front of her chest, "Hi Nanny Martha I missed you!" 

Martha smiles back and pulls out Dave's treat from plastic bags, he turns to Phoebe displaying a welcoming smile, "How are you munchkin?"

Phoebe reluctantly answered, "Uhm, I'm good."

Amelia secured a seat from Phoebe's left side and suddenly revealed in a cold voice, "Phoebe, this is Dave, he is your father."

Dave hugs Phoebe from her right side and faces Phoebe, "From now on, I will give you all you want and all you need. Do not hesitate to ask anything from me, okay?" Phoebe nods and smiles with warmth assuring Dave that she understands his offer.

Nanny Martha interrupted their conversation peeking at Amelia, discerning Dave's remarkable actions towards Phoebe, "Dinner is ready! Come on let's share these blessings before it gets cold." while she places a big white bowl of rice in the middle of the dining table.

Dave felt comfortable when Phoebe scoops a small piece of steak from her plate and puts it on Dave's round plate while Amelia feels awkward sharing the dining table with her ex-lover. He pays it by pinching a chicken wing from the platter and placing it on Phoebe's small round plate.

Amelia's mind mumbles while stuffing gimbap into her mouth loudly chewed the food and glanced at the ceiling, "I already cursed this person, no way that he can win Phoebe from me."

Dave unexpectedly asks Phoebe, "Munchkin, do you want to go to the park this weekend?"

Her eyes twinkled with excitement, "Yes! And buy ice cream?"

"Sure! Anything you want." His whole face lit up and lifts his shoulders with pride.

"I plan to leave this unit and relocate to a place far away from this city, this will be better for us. Phoebe will have to transfer to a new environment." Amelia surprisingly announced leaving Dave and Martha puzzled.