Chapter 9 Returning to the Hometown
Madison took a cab to the family home. The butler said William was still resting upstairs, and Sylvia was preparing dinner, so Madison went to the kitchen to help. When she saw Sylvia picking vegetables, Madison joined in, and Sylvia, noticing her arrival, quickly said, "It’s fine, Madison. Every time you visit, you insist on working in the kitchen; it's too much."
"That's alright, Sylvia. I've got nothing else planned, and I enjoy cooking," Madison replied with a smile, continuing to help.
Sylvia had been with the Nelson family for many years. After Matthew married, the home was no longer quiet and empty. Since his parents perished in a plane crash, he and William had relied on each other for many years, and the arrival of Madison had added much liveliness to the home.
Madison had been helpful, but Sylvia insisted she rest, refusing to let her lift a finger any longer. Unable to argue any further, Madison reluctantly left the kitchen.
As soon as she entered the living room, the butler came down the stairs with William.
"Madison, how are you doing? I suppose Matthew’s been called away on business again," William had just woken up and hurried downstairs when the butler told him that Madison had arrived.
"Matthew’s on a business trip today, Grandpa. He'll be away for at least a week," Madison said, "I thought it was a good time to visit my hometown. I wanted to say hello before I left."
"Oh, that’s great. To pay respects to your grandpa, right? Is there anything you need? I can have it sent to you," he offered generously.
"There’s no need, Grandpa. I went shopping today and everything's ready. Matthew has arranged for a driver to take me there tomorrow."
"Glad to hear that. That boy knows how to take care of people," he said approvingly.
Madison blushed at his words.
"Grandpa, I'll have dinner with you tonight and then head back. My things are at the villa, and the driver will pick me up early in the morning."
"Very well. After dinner, you can head back early. Don’t stay out too late by yourself. It gets dark, and I’ll worry."
"Okay, Grandpa," Madison said warmly.
The next morning, Madison set out for her hometown. The driver, Yoseph Lowery, usually drove for Matthew. He seemed to be a veteran, a man of few words, who answered when asked but didn’t initiate conversation and silently took care of everything.
Along the way, he offered to stop at a rest area, but Madison wanted to get home early and declined.
It wasn't a holiday, so the roads weren't busy, and they made good time, reaching the village entrance by afternoon. The car couldn't go any further, so Madison told Yoseph to park. She was about to walk in to find help when old Chuck from the same village happened to ride by on his tricycle.
Enthusiastically, he and Yoseph transferred her belongings from Matthew's luxury car to the tricycle. Madison asked Yoseph to head back, telling him she could follow Chuck into the village and would call him later for a ride back. Yoseph drove off.
Madison had Chuck deliver the goods directly to the village president's house, requesting his help in distributing them to everyone. Meanwhile, she opened a suitcase and extracted a package of dried goods and a box of fruit to head toward the house she used to share with Grandpa.
She then stopped by her neighbor, Audrey's place. Audrey would often help clean the little house where Madison and Grandpa stayed.
Audrey made some juice when she saw Madison and invited her to sit down.
"Please don’t trouble yourself, Audrey. Get some rest. I’ve brought you some snacks and fruit. I'll leave them here and get going. I want to visit my Grandpa."
"Okay, go ahead. It’ll give him peace, even in the afterlife, knowing you've been doing well. Hurry on now. It won’t be good for you to go there after dark."
"Alright, Audrey. I’ll head out now."
When she left Audrey’s house, Madison left her suitcase at the doorstep and went to the cemetery to visit her Grandpa. A ten-minute walk brought her to Grandpa’s grave, which was covered in weeds. She planned to return the next morning to tidy it up. Standing at the grave, Madison spoke to Grandpa.
"Grandpa, I’m here to see you. It’s just me this time. I’m staying for a little while so I can come by every day to chat with you, just like we used to do in the courtyard. Matthew is busy with work but said he’ll join me next time to visit. Grandpa, I have a baby on the way. I haven't told Matthew yet—you're the first to know. I wonder if he likes children. I will tell him when he returns from his business trip. He's going to be a great Dad. I want to be brave this once for our baby, and you would support me, wouldn’t you, Grandpa? I’ll come see you again tomorrow."
Madison decided it was time to head back as the day began to fade. When she arrived at her doorstep, she noticed an assortment of vegetables, eggs, and some meat beside her suitcase. She instantly knew that the village president must have distributed the goods to everyone, and her neighbors had brought some of their share to her.
Madison carried both her suitcase and the villagers' gifts inside the house. She made the bed first, then quickly whipped up some vegetables and scrambled eggs for dinner.
After dinner, Madison moved a chair to sit at the entrance of her home. The evenings were getting colder with the arrival of fall. The sky was a deep black, and moonlight flooded the courtyard with its bright glow.
People in the countryside usually slept early, so by this time, it was already very peaceful, with only the occasional bark of a dog. Madison wrapped herself in a blanket as she sat outside, and the fresh country air reminded her of the days when her grandpa was still alive. She had grown up with her grandpa as the only family she knew; the villagers often said he had picked her up, but her grandpa was always very good to her.
He gave Madison the best life he could. In Madison’s heart, Grandpa was indistinguishable from her real grandfather, her sole kin in this world. And now, her family circle had expanded to include another grandfather figure, Matthew, and the baby she was expecting. Madison felt both lucky and happy.
A wave of longing for Matthew came over her. She checked her phone, but there were no messages from him. Madison hesitated to send a message, not wanting to disturb him. Earlier in the day, she had asked the driver, Yoseph, where Matthew was and learned he was on a business trip to the Middle East, a place unfamiliar to her that she had heard was tumultuous.
Drowsiness overtook her after sitting on the porch a little longer, a common feeling since her pregnancy. She stood up, took the chair inside, and got ready to wash up and go to bed, planning to wake up early the next day to tend to her Grandpa's grave. A good rest tonight would ensure she was refreshed for breakfast and the tasks ahead.
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