32

Ethan turned to Agnes. "Wait here, I shall confirm from him to know whether I should introduce you to him, now or later."
"I guess, I should go to the room," she said.
"For the meantime," he said to her.
Whitney returned to the room. He walked down the stairs.
"Good dad, welcome. I see you are enjoying yourself without me and it's good."
Mr Moore stood up, "come and give me a big hug son, I really missed you."
Day rushed to him and hugged him. The hug lasted for a while. They hugged as though, they had not seen themselves for a long period of decades. Mr Moore ran his hand on Ethan's hairs and released them. "My son stayed without his father for more than five months. Wow, you are really a big grown-up."
Ethan laughed loudly, "if you keep on teasing me, I might end up whimpering like a child. It seems you have forgotten, your child can be emotional sometimes, so you better don't tease me."
Mister Moore sat down.
"I shouldn't tell you to sit in your own house should I?" Ethan reluctantly sat down. "You haven't changed dad, still the man who speaks rudely to people, you can't ever be polite, can you?"
Mr Moore smiled, "son, your dad is really tired and your questions ain't helping. I want__"
Than intruded..
"You want to see my wife right be faster than your shadow doesn't make you a genius keep quiet and listen Than. I do not want to see your wife yet, neither do I intend on asking of her. I'm only interested in your marriage certificate, besides you are still the same man who scheduled me to meet my daughter-in-law on my birthday. Just like I proposed. I'm not in a haste.
"My marriage certificate is in your study room dad and I have kept some CDs of our wedding so you can watch," dan said, purely. Apathy showed in Mr Moore's face.
"Son, your uncle thinks I have willed out everything I have to him and only kept a few for you. I didn't tell him about all this but I wonder why he would he be so interested in my will. He has a lot of money and he has started building his business, yet he works in the Moore's company. His Moore π company is still in progress. Why then will he be interested in my will?"
"Your brother is a greedy and deceased man. He can never change. He is just a schmo and a Shylock. If I were you, I would have arrested him the moment he slipped in my business. He's such a nuisance____"
"I shall not have you talk about my brother anyhow, even if you do not respect him respect the fact that is my younger brother," Mr Moore said ruefully.
"I wished he thought his son how to respect you as his elder brother, the way you teach me to respect him as a younger brother. For the sake of God, that man is a beast and it is obvious that he doesn't care about you and I'm sorry to say this dad but this is the reality," Ethan said concisely.
"When will you be altering your will and have everything transferred to me except a little for your brother and his son and also for charity?" He added.
"Very soon but it won't be on the day of my birthday. I shall speak to my lawyer alone and just to inform you the altering of my will shall not pass this month by. And as for the company's name, I shall change the next kin's name from your uncle to yours, two days after my birthday. I want everything to go well with my birthday and I leave everything in your hands son, make me proud and keep buying your licence and ticket to more than half of what I own," he said and stood up.
"I've got to rest so I will meet my idol daughter-in-law on the day of my birthday as agreed I do not want anyone to know about conversation. Have I made myself clear?"
"Yes dad," Ethan said standing. "Thanks for trusting me dad."
"I do not trust you, Than my child. I only trust the fact that with your wife as a companion and partner, nothing I put in your hands will crash when your mum left me I was devastated, so was my business. The only strength I had was you and I'm sure you won't fail me. I'm going to my room."
"Thanks Dad," he said, walking to him. "I shall see you off to your room."
"I'm going to my room not to any random place I know my way around and I can help myself so do not bother."
"You mustn't be rude dad, a thank you can do," Ethan said, exasperated.
"I'm sure it's either Clinton or your wife that has changed you to become a gentleman, you didn't know how to say thank you before. In fact you never knew how to use the five magic words. Son please help me tell your wife to be patience and bear with me. I shall see her but it will be till my wedding," Mr Moore said, climbing up the staircase.
"Dad?" Ethan called out. "Mum never gave you strength, you had the strength all along," he said courageously.
"Well to be Frank son," his dad stopped halfway through the staircase.
"Behind every man's success is a woman and behind every man's success is a loving wife and mother. Make anything out of it, the choice is yours and not mine and please do not let me remind you that I had only a little before I married your mum. I am so glad that I married your mum."
Ethan groaned. "If only my dad knew what his wife was doing behind his back before she died, he would never have good words for her," he muttered to himself. The worst woman he ever knew apart from Agnes was his mother.
In fact she wouldn't be classified as a human being. She was nothing to write home about. Mr Moore retired to his room.
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As for Ethan, he headed to his own room.
When he opened the door, Agnes was short of words.
"Agnes," he called
"My dad will see you but it'll be the day after tomorrow."
Agnes thought for some time, "why Than?"
"He has his own reasons which I can't tell for now."
"Alright I do not mind then," she said looking a bit depressed.
"Thanks my love," Ethan said fumbling on his words.
"You are such an understanding companion," he struggled to say.
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