2. The Missing Truth 1

At The President's Office

George called his father back after he sat down, and they talked about many meaningless things and laughed as well. George was carried away by the conversation that he did not remember his lunch until he got a call from the General Manager.

“Okay, Dad. I have to go back to work,” he informed him.

“It is all right. Be a good boy,” he remarked.

“Boy?” George asked and laughed out loud.

The old man laughed too. He was yet to wake up to reality and catch up with the present. To him, George was that small boy who he enrolled in the Canterbury Defense Academy some years ago. 

“Oh! Pardon me. Be a good soldier,” he apologized and corrected himself.

“Better. Enjoy the rest of your day, Dad,” George said and cut the call.

He got up immediately and called Capt. Bolton back while walking to the door. He opened it and noticed that Bright was still seated. Likewise, he got up and followed him.

“Hello, Sgt. Young. You are not in the canteen yet,” Capt. Bolton greeted him when he picked up the call.

“Hello, Captain. I'm on my way. Thank you for your call.”

“It's okay.”

At The Canteen

Villains are never at peace with themselves. Laura got to the canteen and was hysterical when she noticed that George and Bright were absent. Instantly, many negative thoughts ran through her mind.

“Where did they go with Ella?” She asked herself and looked around like a stranded thief.

While the other staff members were ordering food, she had her eyes in the senior staff canteen.

“Ted was right to say that Laura is a witch,” a lady whispered to her friend.

“An old one at that. She has been looking like a pickpocket searching out for victims,” the lady responded. 

Shortly, George and Bright walked in and she breathed freely. Nevertheless, that act was misinterpreted by the two ladies because they did not see what she saw. Without delay, she ordered her food. Nevertheless, Ella was busy with cooking in the kitchen and Laura did not see her.

Presently, George joined the managers while Bright sat with his colleagues. They looked at his happy face and concluded that he was delayed by work.

At Laura's House

Misfortune will never come without another trouble. Pa Dickson's sudden fever was one of the components. After Ella left, Madeline woke her husband up and administered the medication.

“You can go back to sleep,” she advised him.

He nodded his head in acceptance. Despite being drowsy, he saw the jingle of the anniversary on the television and it captured his interest.

“What are they celebrating?” He asked.

Madeline looked at the television and answered, “I wish I knew.”

She focused on the television to get additional information about the jungles.

“This is Laura's President's Representative. Are you sure this boy is just a representative?” She asked aloud.

She looked back at her husband for his response but he had drifted off to sleep. 

“He has slept off,” she focused on the television again and continued to watch the jingle to the end.

“We would have been at the event if not for Tim who made Laura to be demoted,” she grumbled.

Nevertheless, the jingle was repeated and she continued to watch with regret and envy.

“Is this Representative up to twenty-one years? Will Gerald and Samuel attain such a high level in military when they are twenty one?” She asked herself sorrowfully.

At that point, she remembered her sons and was grieved. She wiped the big tears rolling down her cheeks and looked at her sick husband.

“I hope he is not distressed because of their disappearance?” She thought in anguish and fought back her tears.

Shortly, she drifted off to sleep as well. Now, it was time for lunch and Ella was not back as they expected. The janitor who was still chatting with the guards yawned and was troubled.

“What is keeping Ella?” He asked

“I'm surprised as well. Why is she not back?”

“What happens to our lunch? I'm famished,” another guard asked and they locked eyes.

Notwithstanding, the janitor strolled to the kitchen's window to find out their fate but there was nobody in the kitchen.

He walked back to the gate with a long face and announced, “I don't think there would be lunch for us today,” he informed them and sat disappointedly on the bench.

“What about Mrs. Dickson?” The first guard asked.

“What about her?” The janitor asked curtly.

“I mean is she not cooking?”

“Cooking? Have you ever seen her cooking?” The second security asked and they looked on forlornly.

Nevertheless, the couple were sleeping soundly until Pa Dickson's sleep was disturbed by hunger and the call of nature and he turned. At that point, his wife felt his movement and opened her eyes. He got up quickly and walked to the toilet while she looked on. After emptying his bladder, he returned to the parlor and sat beside her. He tried to wipe away sweat that his temperature had caused with his hands.

“How do you feel?” Madeline observed him and inquired.

“I'm fine. I'm starving,” he informed her.

Unknown to her, it was already time for lunch.

“So early?” She asked at once, “Maybe it is the effect of the medications,” she pointed out leisurely.

He looked at the wall clock and Madeline was attracted to it.

“Oh, my goodness! It's past two o'clock,” she exclaimed when she saw the time.

She got up and walked out of the house without hesitation.

“Where is Ella? Ella,” she called out while walking to the main house.

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Dickson,” the janitor who left the security post when he heard her voice, greeted her and she faced him.

Before she could respond, he informed her, “Ella is not back yet.”

Instantly, she was wide-eyed with astonishment.

“You have got to be kidding,” she declared at once.

“I have been expecting her too,” the janitor continued.

Madeline walked swiftly into the kitchen and the janitor followed her. Now, everything appeared strange to her. Back at Rakaia, she used solid fuel to cook and had never operated any of the modern cooking appliances that were in the kitchen.

“What do we do? I can't operate these appliances,” she asked the janitor.

“I can help,” the janitor volunteered.

“That's good to hear. Kindly prepare a quick one for my husband. You know he is unwell.”

“I got it, Mrs. Dickson CX,” he accepted but up to 4 PM he could not prepare any edible, not even a cup of tea.

At Tim's House

After the old man spoke with George, he was excited. He dropped his phone and reminisced on George's childhood. Tears gathered in his eyes when he recalled the night that he was starving and Cecelia refused to attend to him because she was interested in having her baby.

“How can you ignore a five years old child for your own pleasure?” He asked her.

“I need my baby and you have to get me pregnant,” she yelled.

“We have been trying for over three years and nothing happened,” he reminded her.

“I'm optimistic that it will happen this night,” she declared and tried to pull him to the bed but he pulled away from her and walked to George's room.

He carried him and walked to the kitchen. At that point, he discovered that Cecelia had trashed all the food and there was nothing for George to eat.

“How can you be so callous, Cecelia? Why did we bring him if you don't love him?” He mumbled.

Unknown to him, she was behind him.

“You didn't tell me that he would take my place. I will throw him into the Atlantic Ocean some day if this continues,” she yelled back and he was shocked.

“I'm happy she didn't succeed in killing him,” he concluded and dried his eyes.

Now, he wished to watch another aquatic channel and picked up his remote to change the current one. Fortunately, he changed to a wrong one and the children he saw captured his interest.

“Who are these?” He asked himself and watched on.

He squinted his eyes when he saw the dignitaries in the jingle especially the third person who was the youngest..

“Wow! This person looks like George,” he exclaimed with zest and wished to watch more.

“The boss, said you can come over for lunch, Old Man,” the janitor called out and interrupted him.

“It is all right. I will be with him shortly.”

While Tim was waiting for the old man and Frank he got a message from Intimidation and he showed disgust.

“What does he want?” he murmured.

Instantly, he tapped on the message and read through it.

(Good job. I saw the jingle.)

For courtesy's sake, he replied. 

(I'm glad that you love it.)

(Yes. I'm glad to see all the Heads of State and that Sgt. Young.)

(I see. Is there anything you want me to do again?)

(No. Until that day.)

(Ok. Until that day.)

Tim emphasized on 'until that day' because it would never come. At that point, the old man walked in and was happy to see the jingle on his television.

“Good afternoon, Young Man,” he greeted Tim.

“Good afternoon, Old Man. Kindly sit down,” he responded quickly.

“Thanks for the offer,” he said and sat down on one of the chairs.

“I saw someone who looks like George in a jingle,” he declared.

Since they had planned to allow him to meet Ella, he decided to educate him on how to keep his identity away from the public.

“Yes. He is the one,” he stated and studied his countenance.

“My son? When did he rise to such a position?”

“He is the Representative of the mysterious Third in Command whose information is classified.”

Tim's statement gave him goose bumps immediately and he peered at him as if trying to ensure that he was not dreaming. 

Without considering his befuddlement, he advised, “That is why I don't drive luxury cars or entertain friends. So, be careful with your identity as well.”

From the look of things, the old man needed time to process and digest the information before him. For that, he was mute.

“Are you …”

He tried to ask whether he was the Third in Command and other questions but the words could not leave his lips.

“Thank you, Frank,” Tim appreciated the chef who just brought the lunch and they watched him serving it.

“You are welcome, Boss,” he answered and left afterward.

“Let's eat,” he informed the gobsmacked old man and opened the dishes.

'Does is it mean that I am having lunch with the mysterious Third in Command?' he asked himself and could not look at Tim.