Bradly welcomed them in their small house. He looked better than when he had been to Hempston' s place indicating that he had calmed down. Bradly offered them seats and a drink each which they warmly accepted. Mike was surprised to see Hempston gulp down the drink without questions. So unlike him.
"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Bradly asked after sitting down. He looked at the two people sitting opposite him; Mike looked vibrant and easy to talk to while the other looked distant and unapproachable.
He ignored the distant one and spoke to Mike, "Aren't you gonna say anything?"
Mike started, "Well, you see, we are here to apologize for what happened earlier..." Mike cut him short, "Forget about that. Let's not talk about it, anything else the prominent people would want from this place?" he looked at the relaxed Hempston when saying the last sentence.
Mike continued, "We came to see your sister."
"Is there any unfinished business between you? I remember you already paid." Bradly said. Mike looked hesitant for a while before explaining himself.
"The thing is...ah, can we talk to your sister instead? It's a sensitive matter and I doubt you'd understand."
Bradly chuckled, "I'm not a kid, I can handle it well, go on." Mike looked at Hempston, who looked like he was not with them.
"Can you call her out, kindly. We'd like to talk to her personally." Mike insisted. Bradly responded, "She's not here, I can convey the message to her."
Mike asked, "Where's she?"
Bradly explained, "She's on her way to the village." Hempston' s attention was finally caught, "How can I reach her?" he inquired. Bradly smiled, "Not until you tell me what you want from her."
Hempston was enraged and looked at him with angry eyes, unfortunately, it did not frighten Bradly, instead it amused him. He likes to see the cold Hempston provoked. Seeing all of them silent, he stood up.
"Looks like we won't come to an agreement here, lemme shower first and in case you get tired of waiting, you may leave." and with that he entered a side room and came out with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist, a basin in his right hand, his pale skin on display.
Hempston could not hold his remark, "Shameless brat." Mike looked at him with a smile displayed on his lovely face. The brat looked at the irritated Hempston, chuckled, and went outside to shower.
"The boy looks like an angel, no wonder Damian went for him." Mike said , he leaned, whispered to Hempston, "Don't you think so?" Hempston stood up to the other seat that Bradly had sat on.
Mike realized he had angered him by mentioning Damian's name. Damn his runny mouth!
Hempston warned, "You mention his name again today and face my wrath." Mike remained silent.
Bradly came back after a while, his hair and body dripping wet, making his skin to glisten. He sat next to Mike, right where Hempston had sat earlier.
He asked Mike, "What made him shift?" Mike answered jokingly, "I guess he's more comfortable there, he was pricked."
"I understand." Bradly agreed teasingly.
Hempston declared, "Can't you get dressed first?" The rebellious Bradly chortled, "I won't unless it bothers you. You don't get to order me around in my own house."
Mike tried to stop Bradly from talking that way to Hempston but, it resulted to nothing. Hempston never tolerated any kind of rudeness from anyone, Mike knew the boy would get himself into trouble. He expected Hempston to react, but to his surprise, Hempston just ignored the brat's words.
What has gotten into him today? Mike wondered.
A loud knock was heard on the door, it seemed whoever it was was enraged. Bradly met a lady that immediately started rumbling the moment he opened the door.
"Where's that bitch, who told her she could stay here for free just because she thinks she's pretty. Get her out."
Bradly was dumbfounded, he composed himself before asking, "May I know who you are?" The lady chuckled sarcastically, "So you're new to this place. I'm the Mrs. Wobly, the land lady. Where's the bitch? Tell her to get out this second."
"Will you stop referring to her as such? She's not in." Bradly added. Mrs. Wobly was a stubborn lady, she brushed passed Bradly and entered the house. Bradly did not get time to stop her.
Mrs. Wobly, on seeing two handsome men, questioned, "Who are these handsome men? Her boyfriends? She's so bold." She checked them out for sometime before it hit her mind that she was seeing Hempston Breed, "Oh my God, is it you or I'm hallucinating? How comes you are here?"
Hempston put the face mask on to avoid drawing attention. She moved closer to him to try and check him out. Mike stopped her, "Mrs., don't you think it's absurd to tarnish a lady's name just because she's pretty...prettier than you?" Mrs. Wobly grew mad and started rumbling, " So what if she's pretty, she goes around seducing people's husband and pretends she's the innocent type."
Mike asked, "Did she seduce your husband?" Mrs. Wobly was taken aback and said nothing. Mike added, "If that's what you think then it's because you don't love yourself much. Try and love yourself."
Mrs. Wobly was so enraged, she started throwing tantrums, "Get out, get out all of you. I need to lock this house, she owes me three months rent. Get out before I call for help."
Mike started, "We could..." but Hempston interrupted him, "Let's leave." Mike looked distracted for a while but stepped outside. Behind them, Bradly shouted, "You're gonna leave me here alone, want me to sleep outside tonight?"
Hempston muttered something to Mike that Bradly couldn't tell, he heard Mike shout back, "Unless you agree to letting us talk to your sister, then you're gonna sleep outside tonight."
"Okay." Bradly agreed, "I'll let you talk to her, but just don't leave me here alone." Mike looked behind and noticed Bradly was still in that towel he had showered with earlier. The night wind was so strong, how was he standing there bare-chested?
"Can't she let you dress?" Mike asked.
'She won't even talk to me." Bradly answered. He walked over to them, hands wrapped around his shoulders and was shivering from the cold. Hempston looked at him and commanded, "Get inside." He was about to enter the door that was held open by Charles but stopped.
The confused Bradly asked, "Who? Me?" but did nit get the answer from him instead Mike answered, "Of course, it's you. You'll freeze."
Bradly hesitated before he got into the car. He has never rode in a personal car before, not even an ordinary one.
Hempston sat next to Bradly at the back seats while Mike and with Charles in front.
"Why is it warm than even in the house?" Bradly could not stop questioning after he had settled in.
"Of course it's the air con." Mike answered him. Bradly still asked, " What's an air con?" Mike looked at him to ensure the kid was not toying with him. He noticed how serious he was as he asked. "You gotta be kidding me, which side are you from? It's used to regulate the temperatures."
Bradly said, "Oh! Okay. I'm not from the city, have lived in the village my entire life, how would I know what it is?"
"Some people have them in the village." Mike explained. Bradly was about to answer when Hempston spoke, "Wear this." Hempston was offering him an overcoat.
Bradly hesitated and said, "No, thank you! It's not cold anymore." Mike looked at the annoyed Hempston and said, "You'd better take it. Not many would get the chance to touch Mr. Hempston' s overcoat."
Hempston gave him a look but Mike ignored him. He continued, "Even his future never got the chance.
Bradly gladly too the coat and put it on, "Then I'll cherish this rare to come by chance." Hempston changed the topic so fast, "When shall we see your sister?"
Bradly explained, "You can talk to her via the phone, but that's before she's in the village, cause there's no network."
"Can't be talked over the phone. It's a serious discussion." Mike reminded. Bradly's curiosity escalated, "What's is it that you can't tell me?" Mike answered, "Perhaps she'll tell you after we've talked to her."
"Okay. So, must you talk to her today?" Bradly asked.
"It should be before Monday morning. The sooner, the better. How can we find her?" Mike insisted.
"The distance from the city to town must be around 745 km, it takes around nine hours to reach there by bus, unless you use another means." Bradly estimated.
"We leave tonight." Hempston stated. Bradly was shocked and could not understand this man. Why should they live tonight when they still had two more days? All he wanted was a goodnight sleep without disturbances. He had to come up with something solid.
"The thing is, I'm very tired today, so I'm feeling very sleepy and won't be able to travel for long." Bradly complained.
Mike wanted to say something when he heard Hempston say, "Tomorrow, then." Just like that? Mike wondered how his boss has been very understand today. What has come over him?
He scrutinized his boss and noticed something, "Boss, you look unwell, is the heat too much? Should I adjust it?"
The boss answered, "I'm okay." Mike only said, "If you say so."
On arrival, Charles drove the car to a parking area that was parked with four other luxurious cars. Bradly was amazed by seeing such a scene, although he did not know how to differentiate cars, he could tell they cost a lot. How rich must this man be? He wondered.
At the entrance, Bradly hesitated to enter, " Is...is that man inside?" Mike could not understand him at first, "What man?" then he recalled, "No, he left since."
Bradly did not buy his assurance and turned to look at Hempston. Hempston nodded, and that's when he entered.
Behind him, Mike commented, "He trusts you more that me? Why though?" Hempston clarified, "It's because you talk too much." Mike made an oh and went to show the boy to the guest room.
He was stopped as he opened a room on the ground floor, "Don't let him sleep there." Hempston gave an order. Mike was taken aback, "The guests sleep here."
Hempston declared, "Not stubborn kids."
Bradly was agitated, "Who's stubborn, and who's a kid?" They both ignored him.
Mike, "Where will he sleep, then?"
"The room next to mine. They might get out of character if not closely monitored." This infuriated Bradly more, his hands folded into fists and Hempston noticed that also. This kid has a bad temper, so stubborn. He thought.
There was a lot of things Mike wanted to say, but he could not, he only instructed, "Follow me, kid" and led Bradly upstairs. Hempston sat on the sofa in the living room and looked at them as they went up, the overcoat was oversize it almost looked like a dress on the kid. How tiny! He thought.
Bradly was led to a spacious room that was illuminated by the magnificent chandeliers that emitted light strongly. The king-size bed was an eye catch and looked so soft that he wished he was sleeping on it already. How could he compare this to his bed at home?
Mike instructed him, "In case you wanna shower, there's a bathtub to the left and clean towels in the wardrobe. Come down for dinner later, in thirty minutes time." Bradly thanked him before he left. He plopped down on the bed and sprawled himself.
On his way to his bedroom, Hempston passed by Bradly's room. The sight he saw on entering was not very pleasing, he wished he had knocked. The boy was sound asleep on the bed stuck naked, the overcoat was unfastened and he lay on it, the towel had unwrapped itself from his waist. The unlucky Hempston was flabbergasted by the site he saw.
He immediately dashed outside and closed the door, he banged it and it shook Bradly awake. Bradly woke up with a confused face. Did someone just leave his room? He was not sure. He tied the towel back around his waist and went to the bathroom.
"Is this what he was referring to, earlier?" Bradly muttered as he looked at the bathtub. He has never seen such an item in his entire life. How was he supposed to use it? He needed help or he was not going to shower at all.
He dropped the towel and put on the overcoat again and left the room. He needed to find someone to lend him a hand. The nearest help would come from the nearest door, he knocked on it several times without an answer. The unruly him welcomed himself inside.
Everything in the room looked similar to the one he came from, except it was bigger. He looked at the expansive bed, luxurious chandeliers and the cabinets. There was a huge drawing on the wall above the bed's footboard. It was the room owner's, Hempston Breed. It was written 'glamorous Hempston.' in bold figures. Bradly thought it ridiculous and shook his head in disagreement.
He heard a gasp come from the side door. Someone was in the bathroom, he knocked on the door and asked, "Hey, I need your help, how do I use that bath....whatever to shower?" Silence. He asked again but heard no one answer. Was he imagining things? Is there no one inside?
He thought for a while and came up with a solution, "I'm coming in in five, four, three, two..." before he could finish the countdown, the door opened and Hempston came out, in a towel, his hair dripping wet.
Bradly scanned his body briefly and exclaimed, "Wow! You have such a great physique, you must work out a lot!" Hempston walked passed him, ignoring him completely. He went over to the closet and started fumbling for clothes.
"Why were you gasping earlier" Bradly asked. Hempston answered quickly, "Couldn't stand the temperature of the water."
Bradly asked again, "Very cold or hot?"
Hempston, "You don't have to know."
"What do you want?" he asked. Bradly wasted no time, "How to use that item to shower, would you help me with it?"
Hempston asked, "Did you even try using it?"
"No. Feared I would destroy something." Bradly explained.
Hempston muttered, "Lazy brat." and told him, "Wait for me in your room." and dismissed the boy.
Hempston helped Bradly prepare for shower and asked for his overcoat before he left. Bradly recalled something, "Were you in my room, earlier?"
Hempston answered dryly, "No." Bradly added, "I wonder who saw my naked body. Nobody has ever seen me naked a part from my grandfather, I should talk to them."
Hempston was surprised and couldn't stop asking, "About what?" Bradly replied, "It's not appropriate, I should marry them, according to what my grandfather taught me."
Hempston held in a laugh, "That's strange, does it also apply to men?"
"Nops, ladies only, I guess." Bradly affirmed, "If it's a man then they should at least, apologize, and explain to me why they entered without knocking."
Hempston assured him, "Don't worry about marrying anyone. There're no ladies in this house." he then reminded, "I want that overcoat." Bradly realized then realized it was the only clothe he had on.
"I don't have any clothes I can wear." Bradly stated, "Won't you even let me wash it first, I've dirtied it."
Hempston explained, "Clothes will be brought to you. I'll get it washed."
Bradly asked, "How do I give it to you, now? Should I undress before you?' Hempston threw him a towel, "Use this. " and stepped outside the washroom. Bradly gave him the overcoat before he left the room.
When Bradly finished showering, he had forgotten something important. He hurriedly went to Hempston' s and dashed inside without knocking. What he saw in the room surprised him.
Did he just see Hempston sniffing the overcoat or was he hallucinating? How to turn back and unsee? He had no choice but to enter.