Dangerous Games

FINALLY LAID TO REST

"Have you spoken to your dad?"

"Yes."

"Are you better?"

"No." Samuel shook his head, and Kali solemnly pressed against him. "He is not only angry with my silence but also with my mother. He doesn't want the quarrel to overshadow my grandfather's passing. He won't address things now."

"I am sorry you had to face it all by yourself. I wish you woke me. I would have been there to keep you company."

"You already did enough, trust me. I needed to do that on my own. Besides, I told you that I preferred to handle it myself. My dad can never be angry with me for too long. He loves me too much."

"Cocky."

"Hopeful. My dad has never been upset with me before."

"Ever?"

"Never."

"Well, let's get through this first, then we'll go back to that problem. Right now, you need to be here for your grandfather."

She looked ahead to the others entering the house. They were all shrouded in black, and yet no one looked mournful. Sure, they were sad, but no one had shed a tear. Kali knew their family wasn't too close to Claudius, but it was strange to see how detached they were.

She adjusted the scarf covering her hair and threaded her arm through Samuel's. "It must have been lonely for your grandfather to live here alone."

"I think that's what made him sick." He said matter of factly. "He started declining after my grandmother passed. She was a woman of light. Sometimes, she had a mean streak, but she was mostly sweet. I think that sweetness rubbed off on him at some point."

"No one talks about her."

"He doesn't...he didn't like to be reminded that she was gone. After not mentioning her for over a decade, we became used to it. Carried her in our hearts."

"Now he is gone too."

"Now he is."

They entered the house, and all of them sat in the living room. The maids brought in drinks and snacks, offering them to everyone present before leaving what was left on the coffee table. Ysabel sat by Timothy, but they didn't speak to each other. He entertained Giovanna with light conversation while Ysabel took the time to sit in silence.

"When will the lawyer get here?"

"Don't know. Soon."

"Want some biscuits?" She asked. "You've been looking underfed the past week."

"How can I possibly be underfed? You feed me every day."

"Then it's sleep you need." She whispered.

She thought she was having a rough time, but Samuel was withering, too. While he got a little relief from telling his family, a new weight was added because of his guilt towards them. He was worried about where things led from here. Everyone was finding out the truth. Everyone was coming to terms with what really happened.

"Where did you go?"

"Sorry?"

"You spaced out. Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Just a little unsettled by all this. I feel like I chose the worst moment to tell my family about our situation."

"You couldn't have known he was going to die that day. You did the right thing."

"We are all at odds. Dad barely said anything to Mom."

"He held her hand throughout the funeral. Even in his anger, he is giving his support. You don't start taking blame for what you couldn't control."