9 Chapter 9. [ Baby On The Way? ]

Belinda touched down the elevator by the eastern wing of the reception area to behold her mum—in—law. Her excitement was priceless as she exclaimed, "Alla buon'ora! Mum is back!!!"

[ Alla buon'ora! — At last! / Finally! ]

Before mum could bat an eyelid, Belinda dived into her arms causing her to stagger lightly. Smiling behind her back, Belinda spoke, "Mum, how I have missed you!"

Mum regained her balance before speaking to her cheerfully, "Hahaha, I've missed you too my jewel."

Both women soon lost Humberto and me in their girlish conversation.

Mum observed her before muttering, "You look immensely beautiful. I must commend my son for taking good care of you."

Mum's compliment made the skin on her cheeks to appear flushed in an instant causing her to swirl around to wink at me. I grinned at her.

"You are right, mum. Your son is taking good care of me," She reaffirmed.

Mum laughed oddly, "Haha! I can see that. Hm," She paused to continue her observation further, "Or could it be that there is a baby on the way? I hope so because from my perspective, It has been a couple of years now. You both should have worked things out by now," She cast an accusatory gaze on her daughter—in—law.

But why not at me though?

At that instant, Humberto pleaded to take his leave. While, Belinda struggled to keep a straight face.

"Let's talk about you, mum. How was your journey to the States? I hope your flight back wasn't stressful?" Dissolving the initial topic was a clever scheme of hers. I give it to her for being a woman with a mind of her own and not expectant of anyone to step in for her.

"Nonsense!! I couldn't have had a stressful flight with a personal pilot as skilful as Enrique. More so, my boxes are proof of how well I enjoyed my stay. Haha!"

She turned to speak to me, "Gustavo! You are oddly quiet today. You didn't even welcome me with as much excitement as you would normally do."

"He has a headache, mum," Humberto's annoying voice preceded again with the same headache gig. I think I really might punch him in the face because he was irritatingly nosey.

He instructed the two men he returned with, to take her baggage to her suite. They wore their work uniforms. Smart gentlemen; Pablo and Fabian. They arranged her luggage in the Baggage Cart and whisked them off to her suite on the fifth floor making use of the lift.

Mum began her speech after the men departed, "Gus, what is the matter, my love? Are you particularly worried about something? Is that the reason for the headache?"

Her words caused potential tears to brew in my eyes. But why wouldn't I feel the need to cry?

Firstly, I miss my real mum who is in heaven now. I miss my Pa and aunt who are back home in Parco Saraceno, but I can't see any of them for now.

I wanted to be famously rich, but now I miss my freedom; freedom to laugh carelessly as I want with Antonio, to run about like innocent seven—year—olds.

"Stop it! Santo! If you feel all these, can you pause to imagine how I would be feeling?" Gustavo's ghost interrupted my sulking with his moral speech. His words hit me on an entirely different level.

He is right. I better appreciate fate's gift rather than complain. I am now living in so much luxury, I should be grateful.

I replied mum, "You are right, mum. I have a lot of thoughts in my head mostly about the Japanese guests. I mean what if they return to our Japanese investors with a negative report about the hotel and some other work-related concerns." The most logical excuse I could come up with.

"Haha, I have never known you to not be in control of any situation." Mum's soothing words hit my eardrums.

"Exactly Mio Amore. We are all here by your side," Belinda assured me also.

Reality Check : Gustavo's ghost was no longer present. My words probably made him go away.

**

12:00 noon

Mum had long retired to her suite to freshen up and do other stuff that women her age do; loosen up and nap. Belinda had also excused herself to go have the kitchen staff fix up an early lunch for me since I skipped breakfast for the day.

In an instant, I beheld three smartly-dressed Japanese men in black leather suits and pretty dark shades. The transparency of the computerized revolving glass slides afforded me a vivid view of them standing at the other side of the door.

A fourth man slightly chubbier than the rest, pranced in along with them. He looked Japanese, no doubt.

Humberto and me walked in their direction with the former stealing a second to whisper to my hearing, "That is Mr Ohmura Yoneo."

I didn't know who he was, but I started to freak out and wish Gustavo's ghost would appear already.

"How do you know his name?" I questioned Humberto.

"Well, I just know these things," he snapped.

"Okay." I resigned from further questioning.

Standing face to face with the lot, I initiated a conversation, "Mr Ohmura, you are welcome to our grand hotel. I hope that you all get to enjoy your stay here and hopefully form an alliance for business sake." These were the words I could come with, trying to keep things simple.

Mr Ohmura was not a man of many words as he simply bowed slightly and muttered a cold "Thank you."

I reckon he might be a difficult man to please. Well let's see how things get.

Humberto insisted on walking them to their suite and for the first time today, I was feeling a tinge of gratitude for having him around.

As all five of them disappeared from plain sight, I decided to take a walk outside to one of the poolside.

I needed the break.

**

I plunged my weight into one of the sun loungers to take in the refreshing calm, but the presence of a familiar ghost cut short my solitude.

"You left me to make a fool of myself. Now, you show up!?!"

"I.. DIDN'T.. LEAVE.. YOU" he said through gritted teeth before continuing his speech, "I was with you the entire time. I just wasn't visible. I need you to be confident enough to pull off the act of being me. You can't be perfect if I'm always at your beck and call. Do you understand me?"

"Look! Whatever man! But when next you need to bail out on me like that, a brief communication wouldn't hurt. Alright?"

I tilted my head sideways only to behold someone peeping from a safe distance. In order to feed my curiosity, I walked to the area but found nobody.

I am positive that I saw somebody. I just didn't see his face. I am not loosing my mind altogether, am I?