8 Chapter 8

Louis looked up over the top of his bifocals at the clock. He had been sitting in his study for three hours discussing strategies on how to curtail the potential uprising with his Chief-ofSecurity.

"Juan, go to Maria's room and see if she returned from her evening with that tennis instructor. Also summon Julia to meet me at the dinner table. I've strategized myself into an appetite."

"Yes, sir," Juan said as he headed out of the study towards Maria's room. As Juan approached her bedroom, Solono exited, shutting the door behind him.

"She's sleeping," Solono said.

"Your father requested that I come and check on her because he hadn't heard from her."

Juan nodded and went to search for Julia. Solono's hands curled into fist as he stood in the hallway. Unsure what to do next, he decided to reenter Maria's room and sit on the large fauteuils that sat in the far corner opposite the door. The light from the moon was the only glow the room received. He sat, stared and pondered over the information she just shared. He stared at Maria, who had cried herself to sleep, lying innocently on her bed. He recalled the times when they were children and she confided in him that her dream was to find a handsome guy and marry him and have a bunch of kids.

"When I grow up Solono, I want to find a man that will love me and take care of me and protect me and nothing else in the world matters to him but me. That's my dream. I'm asking for too much? Do you think I will find someone like that Solono?"

He could still see them playing under the kitchen table.

"Yes, sister. You will," he reassured her.

His eyes began to water. An overwhelming numbness overcame him. Before he could figure out what was wrong, the tears began to stream down his cheeks.