4. Zander Mansion

CHAPTER 4(THE FIRST ONE)- TITTLE: Zander Mansion

Soon, it's morning, and thanks to last night I had a rough sleep, and you know, when people say they woke on the wrong side of the bed, they are just trying to tell you they are mad.

Well, I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, like literally, I woke up on the floor and not on my bed, and I would like to know why, but unfortunately, you just can’t see in your sleep.

Either way, I got to get up, it's Monday today which means I’ve got school, so I get ready, I put on my blue checkers pants and a white shirt of which its follower is of the color blue, it is the same material design as my pants.

With my hands buried in either of my pockets, I walk out of my room and down the hallway, while coming down, I saw Alexia in front of me, I walk towards her, then as I raise my hands opening my mouth to greet her, "good-" I was halfway interrupted by her

"Shut it!" Alexia commands, “don't think you've won yet. Brother” Alexia said as she trailed her eye up and down my body looking at me with contempt, hisses, and takes her hair back as she turns her back to me and walks in front.

With a bewildered smile on my face, I shake my head and wonder who exactly is supposed to be the older between us, then after a few seconds, I follow her behind.

Then in less than a second, I hear screams, then I raise my head, almost immediately so I could see who the shout-out came from and to my surprise, it was from Alexia.

Apparently, Alexia ran into my Father downstairs at the dining table, he was also having breakfast.

"Dad~dy" Alexia drags it out as she hugs him from his side, "daddy, where have you been, I've missed you so much you know" I could see Alexia making her hug tighter where I was on the stairway,

"Daddy, you know you're the only one who loves me here, I'm so lonely without you" Alexia makes a sullen expression on her face as she glances at my Mom who's just diagonally in front of my Father,

"Hmm... Is that so?" my dad says with his voice that's as dull and cold as that of a man void of expression, then he takes a look at my mom with cold eyes, as he directed the question to her,

Immediately my mom hears his voice sounding like that, she becomes stressed out, I could see the fork she was holding in her hand, shaking. I knew she wasn't comfortable; she becomes a mute.

So, I rushed to her side immediately, “Alexia, you know that's not true, mom loves the both of us equally” as I said, I glance at my mom, who only had her eyes on my dad,

One look at her, and I knew her eyes were filled with nothing but admiration for my dad, I also know, at least to an extent that Anderson Zander, my dad has some sort of weak spot for his wife, Song Ji A. I mean, he married her himself.

“If you want to be a good son, focus more on being a successful HEIR, rather than forcing yourself into conversations that don’t concern you,” My Father said to me without even glancing at me, even though I was right in front of him.

He picks up the serviette on the dinner table just by his left-hand side, uses it to wipe his mouth, indicating he was done with his meal when he wasn’t even halfway through.

Then he gave me a brief cold stare, stood up from his chair then said while he reached for the briefcase that is just in front of him, also on the table. “be in the office by 4 pm today, we will close from work together”. Then walks away from us.

I stared at my father who is wearing a gray-colored suit, which is complemented by a pair of black cooperate style shoes, he looks so elegant and he gave off the aura of a king, no matter how cold or ignorant he is to me, I still respect him a whole lot and who knows, maybe I love him as well; I mean, as my father though.

“Yeah, that’s the only time you ever see me” I mutter to myself, and I knew, If I could see my face right now, I probably look like a baby that’s about to cry. Soon, I hear really awkward laughter, immediately, my attention darted to the direction of the laughter.

Of course, it was Alexia and I’m not even surprised anymore. She does it so often, it no longer hurts.

“Well, dear family… I have to go... My fans are waiting for me” Alexia sneers as she gives us both spiteful looks, stylishly picks up her backpack of purple color from the table, and catwalks away from our sight.

And on second thought, maybe it still hurts a little.

“she looks at us with so much disdain,” I thought as I turn to look at my mom, and she looks perfectly fine, which I don’t believe, it just looks like a façade she puts up so I won’t worry.

“Baby boy, stay and eat okay” mom speaks to me with her weak tone, but very clear voice. “Mom are you okay?” I ask her, ignoring her offer.

As she heard me, her eyes widen, as she raises her eyebrows, her pupils shrink, while she froze on the chair for a few seconds, not answering my question like as if she grew deaf all of a sudden, but soon, she recovers from her sudden shock,

“Yeah. I… I’m okay” she replies to me but hesitates a little, her already weak voice became weaker as she darted her eyes from my gaze. “Baby, you should eat now, so you won’t be late for school”, she says immediately, attempting to change the topic.

“you’re making it so obvious mom,” I thought. Then a let out a shallow breath told her “I’m not really hungry”.

I also pick up my black-colored bag from the dining table and walked away from her, well after I told her my byes of course. I didn’t really feel like eating after all the shit that just transpired in there just now. Really, I lost my appetite the moment Alexia started her little drama.

And, you might be wondering why we all got our bags from the dining room, well it was the maid.

She’s an American woman in her early forties, who I didn’t see this morning. But that’s how she is, she does her work early and fast. So, I hardly see her, only when necessary.

I walk out of the mansion and into the front yard, I still can’t get used to the scenery in front of me, even though I’ve been living here for a few years,

The lawn is always well pruned, its colors are so green, I could mistake them for actual vegetables, by my right, you would see a well-beautified garden of just red and white roses, and I think father did that for mom because she’s a huge fan of roses and I really can imagine an icy and workaholic CEO having the softness or time to spend on roses.

At the center of the front yard, you can see a flamboyant fountain, that kind you see either in movies or in 5 star hotels, but I really, have never been to a 5 star hotel -just know the fountain is a little too much- soon after, I hear a relatively thick voice call out my name, “Alex! Alex!! Alexis!!!” it was after the third time the voice actually came through to me, interrupting my view of father’s front yard design.

I shifted my attention to the direction of the voice and finally saw that it was Mr. Wells, our gardener that called, and he was in the garden taking care of the roses. I can’t believe I didn’t see him even though my eyes just saw through that side.

So, I walked to Mr. Wells who was waving at me with a bright grin carved onto his face, sometimes I wonder how a man who looks like he should be in his middle 70s could still be this agile, maybe he’s one of those rear breeds that are indefatigable, I guess.

Looking at the gray hired feisty man, wearing a brown T-shirt and a pair of blue denim pants with light brown boots, typical for a gardener, holding dangerously sharp shear in his right hand. As I saw him smiling at me so innocently, I can’t help but smile.

“Good morning Mr. Wells” I greeted him,

“young lad, how are you, you’re so handsome it always hides your gloomy expression,” he says, while he was still smiling. I was caught unawares by how he abruptly went straight to the point, but then again, that’s just Mr. Wells for you.

I smiled sheepishly as I replied to him, “what are you? My fairy godmother or fairy godfather? Or do you have eyes at the back of your head? Don’t go around saying things Mr. Wells or people are gonna think you’re weird” I didn’t really like the topic he was aiming for, so I wanted to avoid it, and it hurts more because he’s right.

“Boy. You see, I’m a gardener, I take care of flowers, I create gardens and they are beautiful creations, just like people, and amidst all that beauty, there are always flaws lingering around them, and it’s my job to prune them out” Mr. Wells starts, sounding like one of those wise men from Harry Potter.

Sincerely, I know what he’s saying might be true, or sound reasonable, but right now I need to leave here soon, or I’m gonna be late, and once he starts, it takes hours for his lectures to end.

While I was thinking of a way to dismiss myself from his lectures, he continues; “no matter how much beauty you wear, or how much you smile to cover your sadness I…” I’m really sorry about this, but I stopped listening to him halfway into his speech, and he probably doesn’t know it because I’m attentively staring at his mouth, it would have been his eyes but, I’m not confident enough to make eye contact with people.

When his lips stopped moving, I decided to appreciate him for his wise words; “thank you, sir, I’m-” but I was interrupted by a loud horn, which was my driver signaling me that its time to go.

I turned my back to Mr. Wells so I could set out, but he grabbed my arm before I can cover any sort of distance from him, then he cuts out a red rose and carefully hands it to me, but he withdraws his hand, still holding the rose and says to me with his youthful smile, “Beauty is pain… and so is love”.

I was overwhelmed by his words, I froze with bewilderment and I wasn’t able to hide it, he just smiles at me, brought out my hand and place the red rose in my hand, but that wasn’t my concern,

All I wanted to know is what exactly he meant by it, “does he know… does he know I… no! it can’t be, I know I could be obvious a few times, but that’s equal to nothing,” my head was clouded with thoughts of questions I could not get the answers to.

Then, my driver sounded the horn again, and this time I think he became mad, because the sound of the horn was so loud, I shudder out of fright, which caused me to prick my index finger and my thumb on the thorns of the rose I’m holding.

In pain, I finally waved bye to Mr. Wells, who waves bye as well, then I made my way to the car that was parked on a broad brick path, that is just wide enough for the car to in. this path is just before the fountain at the center of the front yard, and it lead all the way down to main gate, starting from the main entrance of the Mansion.

As i walked to the car, my driver, whose name is Aron, I don’t really know his surname and didn’t bother asking; offers to open the car door of the back seat for me, but I refuse with a smile and waved, gesturing him not to do so.

So, I open the door and walk in, and in a few seconds, Aron starts the car and we moved on to school.

“I wonder if he likes roses” I mutter to myself, while staring at the rose.