Tragedy..or Fate? (NO LONGER ON HOLD)

Chapter 14: John West

Chapter 14: John West

Droning on and on about court procedures to my dad, who looked interested but knowing him so well that I knew he couldn't care less, Mr Jenkins finally shut the door behind him, leaving us to catch up.

I glared at him angrily as he cleared his throat, ready to speak, only wavering slightly.

"Johnboy -"

"Don't call me that," I growled, interrupting him mid-sentence. "I want to know where you have been. You didn't even go to mum's funeral. You son of a-"

"Enough! I had my reasons, and if you could just be quiet I will tell you," spoke my dad, grimly.

I reluctantly shut my trap and waited, glaring at him.

"When your mum was diagnosed with cancer, I lost it completely. I couldn't stand the fact that someone I loved was deteriorating, as fast as a blink of the eye."

Tapping my foot impatiently, I restrained myself from rolling my eyes. Hadn't we both suffered? Only he would take it to the extreme. Oh wait. He wasn't the one in the hot seat now.

"So I thought to myself, if seeing her suffer hurt so bad, why bother to be there? So I started staying away from home, longer than intended, if you'd believe me."

Hesitating, he continued, "But on one of my days that I was completely wasted,I fell unconscious in the bar, but awoke in the hospital. Apparently an angel, named Rachel had called the ambulance and accompanied me throughout the time I was recuperating in the hospital."

"And things just carried on from there. It was like I'd fallen in love all over again. We started dating.."

He faltered, seeing the indescribable expression on my face.

"Don't get me wrong, John. I loved your mother, and still do. But men do unexplained things sometimes. I'm sure that you can relate to that."

Realising what he meant, I scowled deeply before biting back a smart-ass retort. After all, I had learnt from the best, I thought, inwardly laughing at the irony.

"Rachel and I are getting married in two months. She has a daughter, Anna, from her previous marriage. I do hope you'll be there too."

At his words, my jaw dropped. I wasn't expecting him to say that. I had thought she was just merely comfort at his time of need. And mum's funeral was just over (he had missed it).

Taking a deep breath and speaking in the quiet voice only my friends knew as dangerous, I spoke, "So where were you during mum's funeral?"

Caught offguard, he stammered, "I...Uh...She..." He stood, pacing up and down the room, before clearing his throat uncomfortably.

"I err... We were actually at the hospital.. Anna has brittle bone disease, so the hospital is kind of her second home. "

He winced, realising his weak attempt at a pun.

I just stared through him. I couldn't believe that he had abandoned me and my mum just for his new family-to-be. After all, we were his family, and I was pretty sure the illness wasn't as bad as it sounded - was it?

“Isn’t it an irony that you left mum just to go hook up with some slut who has a kid who’s got brittle bone disease?”

“You’re just sick.” I spat.

“She is not who you think she is. She’s not a one night stand – “

“So mum was, then?” I glared.

“NO! She was my first lover. I never intended to leave her…” he replied sadly.

I scoffed loudly and leant back in my chair and shot back, “You have got to find better excuses than that pathetic reason.”

I tuned out his replies and my thoughts wondered to the Song family. I closed my eyes briefly, pondering how I was going to make up for my sins.

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