65 His father is home....

Coming down the stairs, Ray started calling out for the maid, "Mrs. Mija….Mrs. Mija…."

Hearing his voice, a mid-aged lady came out from the kitchen hurriedly with a tray in her hands.

Ray sat down at the dining table. She started serving him, his breakfast.

"Hurry up Mrs. Mija….I'll get late for the practice." He said, putting a napkin on his lap.

"Yes Master Ray." And she filled his glass with milk.

Looking at the wall-clock, where the time was about 6:35 in the morning, Ray increased his speed of eating.

"Slow down Master Ray." The maid said.

"Umm….Master Ray…." She hesitated before saying anything further.

As he understood that, he said, "What is it Mrs. Mija? Say it already."

"Umm…Actually…"

"Hurry up. I am getting late."

"S-Sir has come home. Yesterday, at midnight." She blurted out.

Ray suddenly stopped eating, '…..Father?.....' He looked up at her; she nodded slightly.

"Where is — "

"What's this fuss going on early in the morning?" A rough voice of a man came from the living room following the sound of the footsteps towards the dining area.

And a tall man wearing a robe entered the dining area.

"Ray?"

Ray quickly got up from his seat, "Good morning father." He greeted him.

"Good morning. What are you doing so early in the morning?" Father asked.

"I am…Um…"

"M-Master Ray is going for the football practice, sir." The Maid answered.

"Football practice?"

"Yes Father." Ray answered.

But his father's face seemed disappointed as he heard that.

Ray noticed it and lowered his eyes.

The maid felt the tension in between them, trying to break it, she said, "Master Ray, you were getting late…"

As soon as Ray realized that, he looked at the clock.

"I am getting late. See you in the evening Father. Thanks for the breakfast Mrs. Mija." And with those words, he gushed out of the door.

"Master Ray…You didn't finish the bre—…." But he was already gone.

His father kept staring at the door from which Ray went out just a second ago.

"S-Sir?" The maid asked. "Do you need something?"

Ray's father didn't turn back, "No Mrs. Mija. I don't need anything…Thank you…"

~

It was late in the evening. The sun was already set.

With exhausted steps, Ray entered his house.

"Good evening Master." The maid greeted him and took the bag from his hands.

"I have prepared everything for your bath. You can go to take the bath right away." She said.

"Where is he?" Ray asked.

"Um…Sir is sitting in the living room with madam." She answered.

Taking a deep breath, he entered the living room, and without saying anything he walked towards the stairs. He knew it was obviously possible that his father and mother were gonna notice him, but he was just too exhausted and didn't want to talk with them at the moment. But,

"Ray? You are back honey?" His mother's voice made him stop in his way.

"Yes mother." He said without turning back and as he was about to take a step further,

"Where are your manners? Is this the way to greet your mother and father?" Ray's father's strict voice echoed in the whole room.

Sighing to himself, Ray turned back.

"Good evening father. Good evening mother." He greeted them.

"Come over here." His father ordered.

"Yes father." Ray went towards them with heavy steps.

"You said in the morning that you went to football practice." While his father started talking with him, his mother got up from there and went towards the kitchen.

"Yes. I did."

"For the whole day?"

"Yes. A competition coming in the next 2 weeks."

"Competition?"

"Yeah. Interschool Football Competition."

"Okay. And for how long you are going to do this?"

"Huh?"

"Yeah. I mean, are you serious about all this? Are you willing to do your career in this field?"

Ray stayed silent for couple of seconds, "I…I haven't decided yet…" He said.

"That's good then. Because you know, what you are supposed to do, right?

You are the only heir of Kim family and you are the one who's going to take care of our business in America."

"Yes father." Ray's eyes saddened.

"How's your study going? What's the result of this term?"

"Um…I…I got 84…."

"84?" His eyes widened. "From when are you getting such low marks?"

"Sorry father. I didn't get much time."

"Is this because of football?"

"Umm….I…Yes Father…"

His father got up from his seat.

"I have told you so many times Ray. Don't let other activities disturb your academic performance. You've never got marks below 90 and this time 84?

You have disappointed me."

Ray looked down.

Mrs. Mija was standing in the corner and was looking at Ray concerned.

"That's why I told you before joining the high school here, to come with me to—"

"I don't want to go to New-York!" Ray's firm words made his father look at him in disbelief.

He was looking at him in the eyes.

"…..H..How can you talk to your father like that?" Father's face turned red in anger.

But avoiding what he said, Ray turned back and ran up to the stairs, towards his room.

"Ray? RAY!!!"

But he didn't stop.

Hearing his voice, Ray's mother came out from the kitchen. As she looked at Ray running towards his room, her eyes saddened. '….Oh Ray…..'

His father started walking in the living room to and fro. Disturbed. Angry.

'How can he talk to me like that?.....I should have taken him to New York with me….So, I would have paid attention to him….But here…He is just….Ugh…'

Ray's mother signaled the maid to come in the kitchen.

She looked at Ray's father once and then towards Ray's room. Sighing to herself she went into the kitchen.

~