Chapter 7 Heartbroken

• Henry poured water on his face repeatedly as he stared at his reflection in his bathroom mirror, he sighed audibly. His handsome face was not all that handsome anymore. He was beginning to have dark circles under his eye from all the stress he was under, stress from work, sleepless nights taking care of Asher all those lonely nights. He stared at his reflection for a while, his baby was coming home today. They had received the best care from the doctor.
• He was supposed to feel joy in his heart but an overwhelming feeling of dread overshadowed him. He was excited to have his son back but he couldn’t say the same about his wife. Many times he wanted to brush the thought of her aside and move on but he couldn’t. He was in love with her, she was the mother of his child, he cared for her. He couldn’t just ignore her, it wasn’t that easy. He ruffled his hair with his fingers. He grabbed a towel and wiped his face, then a thought crossed his mind. The incident from earlier in the day. Despite himself a small smirk played out on his lips.
• She had come out of nowhere and bumped into him. He shook his head, “Naive little thing", he muttered under his breath. He walked towards his large wine cellar and poured himself a champagne. He took a small sip, as he slowly walked around the house. The maids had thoroughly cleaned the house leaving no speck.
• He had thought to do something warm for their arrival. So he had the maids cook a nice meal and set out the dining table with the finest wines. His son's room had been decorated with balloons, stickers and other things. He had even got a gift for Angela, a rare diamond necklace. He hoped she would love it. He took the last gulp and walked back to the room. He put on a blue shirt, opened a few buttons at the top with black trousers, slipped into a pair of shoes before he left the house.
• The black plush leather seats provided comfort to him as he driver drove him down to the hospital. He had already briefed the doctors beforehand and so they were waiting to receive him outside as he stepped outside of his vehicle. He didn’t return any of their greetings. One of the nurses entered the hospital and soon after she came out with Angela who had a defiant expression on her face and his bundle of joy covered in a soft baby blue blanket. He walked towards his son and peeked at him, “How are you my boy?”. Asher was fast asleep, “Is he okay?”, he couldn’t help but ask.
• “He is fairing well Sir", the nurse answered, “I would be inside the car", she stated. He nodded his approval. He turned to his wife, his hands held her lightly from behind but she stiffened. Thankfully she didn’t remove his hand. He led her towards the car. It was a G wagon. He pulled the car open for her before he entered from the other side.
• The drive was silent and he couldn’t tell if it was because they had company or if it was just the normal silent treatment she was giving him.
• When they arrived at the house, the nurse was directed to Asher's room by a maid who couldn’t hide her excitement at the arrival of the baby.
• He turned to Angela, “I was thinking you would want to have dinner with me?”
• She shook her head and walked off.
• She had only taken a few steps when he added, “I got you a present...”
• She stopped in her tracks.
• “Something to say thank you for our child. Something to appreciate you”
• She spun around, “What would that be?”
• He brought out the jewellery box from his pocket, “A diamond jewellery...”
• Her eyes lit up at the mention of jewellery.
• “Come sit with me please”
• “Are you going to give it to me or not?”, she retorted.
• He extended his hand to her, she walked up to him and grabbed it before sauntering off.
• He sat at the table and stared at the feast laid out on the table for him, there was Italian pasta, meatball sauce, salad, wine, sliced fruits, cakes for dessert. It was a large dinning table. He felt awfully alone at that moment,
• “Alexa play my favourite playlist", he called out.
• Soft tunes filled the room but did nothing to ease his loneliness. He began eating silently, he could hear the sound of his cutlery as it came in contact with his plate. He heard footsteps approach, the nurse’s head popped inside through the open doors, she was about to retreat when he stopped her, “Hey nurse...”
• “Deborah”, she answered.
• He nodded thoughtfully, “Come join me”
• She stood still, “Are you sure?”
• “I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t”, he answered.
• She slowly sat across the table from him.
• “Help your self”
• And she did.
• There was an uncomfortable silence before he broke it in an attempt to make small talk, “How long have you been a nurse in Brook’s memorial hospital”
• “Four years"
• “Impressive", he remarked, “How’s Asher?”
• She smiled. Her mouth opened like she wanted to say something but she let it slide.
• He looked at the amused expression on her face, “I believe you have something to say Nurse Deborah”
• “If you’ll permit me"
• He was the one amused this time around, “You seem to ask for a lot of permission. Say what is on your mind”
• “You care so much for your son"
• He sipped his wine, “Of course, that is good then...”
• She nodded, “It is Mr Allen but you worry a lot. It is unhealthy. He would be fine, you already give him the best"
• He nodded, “Yes I do", he pulled out his phone and tapped on it. After a while a static image appeared on the surface, it was a running CCTv footage of Asher’s room, “I give him the best”
• They said nothing to each other for a while. Then a thought occurred to him. He rang the alarm that was under the table under his seat. Almost immediately a tall man entered the dinning area, his posture was straight and he walked in long strides till he was standing beside him. His attire indicated that he was a butler. He bowed, “Sire?”
• “Adam has my wife had anything to eat?”
• He hesitated for a brief moment, “She asked for food to be sent to her room"
• He nodded, a passive expression on his face, “Call up the other maids and servants to come sit at the table...”, he paused and peered at the food, “Of course the food is almost finished. Get some more and come sit. I am sure the chairs would be enough for everyone...”
• Adam stood unmoving sure he had not heard correctly or his master was playing some sort of prank on him. Even Deborah had stopped eating and peered at the man across her who had made the odd request.
• Henry went back to his food when he notice two pairs of eyes on him, he looked up, “What?”
• “I am sorry", Deborah went back to her food.
• “Adam?”
• “Sir?”
• “What are you still doing here?”
• “I am not sure I understand your instruction”
• He dropped his cutlery, “I am very sure Adam that I spoke in the simplest of terms and that my accent is just perfect but for clarity I would repeat myself...call up the other maids and servants to come here with food and come sit with me and the kind nurse on the dinning table, including yourself”, he drew out the words emphasising it, “Clear now?”
• “Sir?”
• “Adam!”, he banged the table with his fists, startling the nurse. Adam left without a word.
• Not long after the doors opened up and they trooped in one by one, their footsteps were slower as they got closer, each looking between them wondering what was happening.
• “Come on the food won’t wait for you"
• That seemed to prompt them, their footsteps became hurried. They set out the table and each sat on it. None moved.
• “Come on eat", he said, “Do I have to say everything”
• They began to help themselves. It felt eerily quiet even after they arrived at the table. Henry felt even more alone in their presence, he sighed inwardly, “You know you are allowed to speak"
• After a while, they did began to speak, it started with smiles, small whispers, chuckles here and there before it turned into a full blown conversation. After some time even nurse Deborah joined in. Henry watched as they made jokes and laughed heartily, it was like they were one family. They had inside jokes, they could communicate with gestures and signs, they didn’t need to speak out loud. He felt even more alone as he watched them, he was there but he wasn’t there. He got up all of sudden they all quieted down, they stared at him with terror filled gazes, he grabbed his phone and walked out of the room.
• ***
• “Ready?”, he asked.
• She let out a deep breath, “Thank you so much Leonard. You know you didn’t have to drive all the way here...”
• He nodded, “I also know you needed the moral support and it is the little I could do, I can not deal with your mother...”, he shuddered, “At all...”
• She chuckled.
• They said nothing for a while.
• “She has a lot on her plate to deal with...”
• “You know you don’t have to make excuses for her, I am your friend. You are also dealing with a lot Ashley and you’re still a good person. Dealing with a lot is no excuse to be unkind, especially to your own daughter”
• She smiled, “As much as I want to talk to you all night Leo, you have to get going now. It is a long ride to your house. Good night Leonard”
• “Good night Ashley"
• He watched her as she got out of the car until she got to her door before he drove off.
• She stood outside for a while before she summoned courage. She wanted to knock but she refrained from doing so. She opened the door and luckily for her it was unlocked. She quietly shut it and proceeded to tip toe out of the room when she heard her mother call out to her, “You are back late Ashley”
• Her soul left her body at the sound of her mother’s voice, “Mother"
• “It is unsafe for you to be out late at night”
• “Yes mother. I got hold up"
• She nodded, “Did you get the job?”
• She sucked in a deep breath, “No...”
• “What do you mean no?”
• “Mother, the man tried to har...”
• “They always try to harass you Ashley, every time, every single time!”, she shouted, “It is frustrating!”, she got to her feet and walked towards her, “I am tired of hearing it"
• Ashley was downcast, “Mother it was the only option he gave me for the job, he tried to grab me right there in the office I stood no chance...”
• “We need the money Ashley! We need the money, our bills won’t pay itself. We are four months due for our rent...”
• “I will find a way mother"
• “How do you intend to do that?”, her mother questioned.
• “I do not know I will...”
• “Do you intend to sleep with men for money?”
• “Mom!”, she shouted, a tear escaped her eyes, “Why do you keep talking like this?”
• “We need the money”, she retorted, “This bills won’t foot themselves, we need to eat, we need a shelter over our heads. You need to find something, you need to earn!”
• “I can not deal with you now mother!”, she proceeded to walk away.
• “Don’t you dare walk out on me!”, her mother screamed at her, “Ashley!”
• Ashley ran away into her room and shut her door. She plopped on her bed and began sobbing hard. She clutched on to the pillow, her whole body racked. She heard soft taps on the door, “Ashley, open up right now I am not done talking to you!”
• “For once I would like if you pretended to care for me mother!”
• “If I do not care for you I would not be bothered about you getting a job. I care for you", she replied.
• “I am freaking trying mother. I am trying”, she continued to sob.
• Vera stayed behind the door for a brief moment before she left.
• Ashley cried for a while before she was captured by sleep.