His Life Without Her (13)

My human alarm woke me up at six o'clock early morning the following day. I elbowed Dan who was still soundly asleep. We need to go back to the city today.

"Get up sleepy head monkey! You need to start climbing trees now!" I pulled the blanket over him.

"Hmmmm ...not going with you!" Dan mumbled with eyes still closed while waving his hand on the bed trying to pull back the blanket.

"Ha ha! Shouldn't that be my line? Remember you left a pregnant monkey down there." I nagged.

"Can't we go later? Please give me 30 more minutes. My head feels heavy. " Dan refused to get up.

"Why?Are you pregnant?" I asked sarcastically.

"Shut up! Go and find your woman to annoy. Don't annoy me, I'm just sleeping!"

Seeing Dan has no intention of getting up, I got my phone and went down quietly. I strolled around the backyard. There were assorted edible fruit bearing plants sorrounding the front and side yard. At the back of the house were banana plantation and coffee trees around it.

I strolled to the hill where we went yesterday. When I was some distance away from the house, I called Sunny for an update.

"How is she doing? Where is she now?" I asked after hearing him greet me with a sleepy voice.

"Boss, they might be discharged today to go home for the election. That was what I heard last night from the briefing. She's sleeping in the headquarters of campaign volunteers." Sunny said from the other line.

"Are you sure she is safe there? Did you check who else is sleeping in there?" I asked worriedly knowing that in such times, mixed kinds of people are interacting with each other and with different motives.

"Boss, how could I possibly know whom she is sleeping with? I can't intrude inside a ladies quarter you know?"

"Useless!" I blurted out. " Call me later if they be discharged." I instructed the man on the other line, hung up then called grandpa. After several rings, he picked up the call.

"Mark, Lina said you arrived yesterday! Why did you not show up? Where are you?" Grandpa's groggy voice came.

"Grandpa, I'm at the home of my future father-in-law. It's feels so nice up here! I feel like I don't want to go back anymore!" I told grandpa over the phone.

" What? How could you be so shameless! Are you being serious? I can't believe I raised a thick-skinned lad." Grandpa's voice roared.

"Is there something wrong with what I did?" I asked knitting my brows in confusion.

"Atleast, you should have taken your elders with you if your intention is to ask the hand of their daughter! How could you act so arrogantly!?" Grandpa reminded me of some protocol.

"Ouchhhh! Grandpa! I totally forgot about that. I was so mentally occupied and worried when I arrived that I didn't think anything of such sort." I suddenly felt a sense of shame. I felt that instead of winning the favor of my in-laws, I was actually giving them reason to reject me.

"I just hope Mr. Law is understanding enough to accommodate you. Stupid! Get your ass out there now! You have no shame at all!" Grandpa roared again then cut the call.

I smirked then bowed my head as I walked to house. Grandpa's words were ringing on my head repeatedly until I found myself in front of the bungalow kitchen. I smelled an aromatic brewing coffee and a heard slight coughs. I took a deep breath to compose myself and gather my thoughts. Should I apologize for having not brought with me my elders? But it wasn't my intention yet. I just wanted to know the current situation first.

I peeped inside the kitchen. Mrs Law was sitting near the fireplace with a mug in her hand. The fireplace was just opposite the door but Mrs. Law was seated sideways so that she could both watch the door and the fireplace at the sametime.

"Good morning Aunty!" I greeted Mrs. Law with a smile.

"Good morning Mark! Come in! Where's your friend? " She greeted back with eager smile as she rose up to grab a mug from the cupboard.

"He's still asleep Aunty. Where's uncle?" I asked.

"He went to the pasture. He will be back in a short while. Here take some coffee first while waiting for them." Mrs. Law replied as she handed me the coffee mug.

I nodded as I accepted the mug then sat down on the chair beside the huge long table.

I was drinking my coffee silently while reminiscing the past and trying to figure out the possible future. Mrs Law went at the store room seeming to be busy preparing things. Perhaps, they need to go to the farm today. I should wake Dan up and leave early not to delay their work. With that thought, I hurriedly finished my coffee then stood up to check Dan in the main house. When I was about to step out from the kitchen, Mr. Law arrived wearing his working rubber boots and a long bolo tucked by a leather belt at his side.

"Good morning Uncle, you went out so early! You sure are a cowboy!" I greeted him cheerfully.

"I just went to check those beasts out there. I should have took you out to look around. But never mind. " Mr. Law said as he unbuckled the belt if his bolo. He hung it by the door, removed his boots, changed into slippers then sat down on the bench at my side.

"Uncle, my hired man said those campaign volunteers might be discharged today to go home for the election. I hope Fem could come home to vote and stay for some time to talk to you." I sat beside the cowboy.

"I'll wait. I hope so. But don't you need to vote also tomorrow? You aren't going to wait for her here, right?" He asked softly.

"It's just sad I can't delay my stay. Anyways, I will leave you my phone number. If you have a cellphone someday, you can contact me. If I wasn't in a rush coming here, I should have bought one for you." I said.