Twin Sister
The moment Raph yanked Carter away, pin-drop silence fell in the The Great Hall. The supposedly whispers of two old people could be clearly heard by all the people in the Hall.
"R…Raph?" Greg squeaked again as the girl in front of him glared at him with death in her eyes. She stood there without moving an inch indifferently.
"Say hello to them Harper." Raphael yipped with a humor in his voice. Greg almost strangled his grandson for laughing at such situation.
"Hello Grandpa. Hello Grandma." The girl moved her lips and greeted in steady manner. The old people shivered with the coldness in the greetings.
"Long time no see…"
"Oh sorry. Never seen."
"No. Better. Not even aware."
The sarcasm in that sentence was so cruel! Raphael felt it in bulk not to mention the two old people standing in front of her.
"Raph. I….Is she… Who is she?" Greg asked with tremor.
"W…Why does she look like Nikky?" Karen added to his question.
The girl still stood there quietly with narrowed eyes. Watching the drama unfolding in front of her. Carter clicked with his tongue seemingly bored with this. Raph sighed as he came forward and put his arm over his sister's shoulders.
"Grandpa. Grandma. This is Harper. My twin sister." Raphael uttered slowly.
"Twin." Greg spoke.
"T…Twin Sister." Karen added with difficulty.
Greg clenched his teeth as well as his fists. "I have a granddaughter." His dumbfounded majestic face seemed to be aged more in these few moments. His eyes started watering and his lips made a pucker. The large old man with height of 6'2 crying with a pout made the sight extremely comical.
"We have a granddaughter." Karen was not any better as she mumbled absent mindedly. She put her hand on her husband's upper arm to keep the balance as her eyes also teared up. Seeing this the still standing Harper moved swiftly and held her grandmother steady. Karen regained her attention and her trembling hands traced her granddaughter's features oh so softly as if sensing some precious gem. She did not dare to even press her fingertips in case it left bruise or something.
Harper felt embarrassed at this close scrutiny. She cheeks warmed up as she felt her grandfather's large hand covering her held and softly caressing her hair. Both old people sobbed while holding their granddaughter.
"Why am I feeling left out?" Raph asked while feeling conflicted at this reunion, which seemed more like a reunion than his reunion with them. His friends laughed heartlessly at him. Greg yanked his grandson in this group hug as well.
"ANDREW LYRIC VLAHOS. I SHALL KILL THAT BASTARD. LET HIM COME BACK FROM HIS YEARLY HONEYMOON. IF I DO NOT SQUEEZE OUT EVERY BIT OF GLOW THAT HOUND HAS COLLECTED FROM HIS HONEYMOON, I SHALL CHANGE MAY SURNAME." Not only the teenagers and Roman but also Gregory Vlahos stood stupefied in the Great Hall of the Vlahos Manor. Yes. It was not the old man who cursed out. It was Karen Vlahos; Andrew Vlahos' super virtuous, elegant, loving mother who was fed up with these father-son drama which was going on for decades and he dared to hide this huge thing from them, finally let out her steam at her son.
"AND YOU. YOU HAVE CLEARLY VISITED IGNYS VILLA. EVEN IF IT WAS ONLY THREE TIMES, HOW IN THE WORLD DID YOU NOT REALIZE THAT THERE WAS AN EXTRA CHILD IN THEIR HOUSE? HOW COULD YOU BE SO OBLIVIOUS OF SOMEONE'S EXISTANCE?" She turned to her husband who was as liable for the situation as her son. Stubbornness of both of them resulted in her missing out on her grandchildren's' growth.
"BLAME ME FOR MY HEALTH THAT I COULD NOT VISIT THEM. BLAME ME THAT I DID NOT TAKE ANY STEP TO REUNITE YOU. BLAME ME THAT I CONVINCED MYSELF TO STAND BEHIND MY HUSBAND. THIS IS ALL MY FAULT."
"ALL MY FAULT…" A hiccup left her throat as she desperately tried to control herself.
"My granddaughter. My grandson. I could have them in arms when they had born. I would not have to thirst for even a picture of my grandchildren. I could have seen them grow up with eyes. How much I have lost…" Karen sobbed as she took out her pent up anger on herself as she flopped on the sofa with a thud.
Just in time, Butler Simon came out with a tray full of grape juice. Harper immediately rushed to him, taking the lead to take a glass with a thanks and ran to her grandmother, scaring the old butler with her swiftness.
"Huff. Young people now-a-days." The old butler mumbled as he slowly marched towards the crowd. He left the Great Hall as soon as old Madame started scolding her son and her husband to get the already prepared grape juice he had ordered the chef to squeeze in advance when he helped the guest into the Manor. Looking at the old lady on the sofa while his Master coaxed her like a large dog. Her granddaughter ran to her with a glass of freshly squeezed grape juice and fed her with her own hands while her grandson massaged here stiff shoulders. The angry old lady's ruffled feathers were smoothened out till shiny and was persuaded till blushing. The old butler sighed with relief and called the guest to drink the juice.
"I'm sorry, Love. I didn't take note of your feelings all these years. I was very selfish. I thought that even if Andy was not there, in our two persons' world we would be alright. I am so sorry darling…" Greg cupped his wife's aged but still beautiful face and bopped her nose with his gently.
"I know. I was also in wrong. I did not communicate with you properly about how I felt. I should have told you about how I felt regarding this situation." Karen squeezed her husband's hand which was cupping her cheeks.
"Nikky could not have any say in this as she was newly married at that time. But I had the say. I had the power to stop you two's stubbornness. Still, I couldn't speak up. All these years I could not clear my muddled thoughts. And spent all these years without any reaction; hiding behind you. I'm so sorry that I took out all the frustration on you. I am equally liable in this mistake. I don't have any right to scold you." She admonished herself.
The teenagers were silent as the atmosphere was too serious for them to interfere. It was as if they were watching some old romantic retirement movie. Harper sucked the left over juice with her straw and the noise of which successfully broke the silent atmosphere. The old couple came to knowledge that they weren't the only ones in the Manor.
"Ah. I was making breakfast. Come on, let me go. Roman, Little Joe, you are having breakfast here…" Karen addressed both of them leaving no room for any argument. Roman and Joe looked at each other and shrugged.
Seeing the old Madame getting up in hurry, Butler Simon called out from the side, "Madame, I have instructed Chef Loris to resume your work. He just finished making the breakfast meal for all of us. Let's move to the dining hall. You can continue your discussion there while having meal."
"Wah. See. Simon has prepared everything. You don't have to fret yourself dear. Let's go and have a meal." Greg helped his wife from the sofa. While teenagers curiously glanced at the old butler who was extremely poised and disciplined. Carter had noticed him the moment he helped them for the luggage. The old butler was wearing proper butler uniform with white dress shirt, black trousers, black tie and charcoal vest along with a black morning coat. The unstripped coat revealed the pocket watch chain hung from the middle button of the vest to the side pocket. His hands were wrapped in white gloves. In the overall, he did not look like some ordinary old housekeeper. But a bodyguard, with a communication device attached to his right ear.
Seeing the blonde eying his old friend and the butler, Greg introduced him, "Kids. This is butler Simon. You can call him Uncle Simon. He has been with us for almost three decades after his father passed his duties to him as a butler. You can ask him if you need anything or Kary and I are busy with something."
Butler Simon was surprised at his introduction. He smiled and greeted the teenagers. Then he led everyone to the dining hall where servants had already placed the breakfast on the dining table. The table was huge with almost twenty people could sit comfortably. Greg took the head seat while Kary sat beside him on the left. Raphael and Harper sat on the right respectively. Lana, Anna and Little Joe sat beside Kary. Carter and Roman sat beside Harper. Butler Simon stood behind the head seat, waiting for the members to start the meal.
"Um, Simon. You can go. You don't have to wait on us, we will serve ourselves. How many times have I told you? Go and have your own breakfast... Well, brunch. It's late." Kary scolded him and told him to go as he will not have his breakfast along with them anyway. Courtesy to his precious code and ethics of Butler.
Simon smiled and bowed before leaving the dining hall. Servants waiting upon him also left behind him.