22. Meeting his old man.
"Gary,"
"Yes sir?"
"Am I a bad person?"
"Definitely not sir, you're the best boss a person could have, and the perfect romanticist too. You're the definition of a gentleman."
"I know right... But I think I shocked her with the present I left for her." He nods as he picks up Helfer. "you think I was extreme?"
"I think not sir! They all got what was deserving of their actions."
"Is that right Helfer?" he asks the lizard.
*You reap what you sow. That is the way of life.* The lizard also nods in agreement.
True, he hasn't known her for long. It was also true that they just started dating. But... He could tell, she was a softy. A really cute softy that would allow others to ride over her very easily, and let them go with it too.
She was the kind of person who would feel bad for someone who did the worst thing to her. She wasn't crazy like he was. In fact, she was his complete opposite.
He knew it when he ordered his men to paste those posters in her school, he knew she was going to call. He had expected it. There was probably no one else around her who could do something like that, so he knew he was going to receive her call, and he knew what she'd be thinking.
He wasn't scared of telling her the truth, he wasn't worried that she'd rat on him to the cops, there was no evidence to pin it on him anyway. He made sure of it, so he didn't mind telling her that he was the one behind the value training of Gray and his gang.
Yes, they saw his face, but No, just them seeing his face wasn't enough evidence to pin down a man of status like him.
The only reason he's keeping it from her is that she's too good. And she probably wouldn't want anything to do with his kind of nutcase.
She'd probably leave him before the three months is over, and he wasn't going to let any girl leave him again. He does the leaving and not the other way around.
But if she finds out about this slightly sadistic side of him, she'd probably run from him... Not yet. No one's leaving anyone yet.
"How many protesters are left?"
"About seven sir, the rest already took the money, upped, and left."
He had no idea why he had to personally handle this. It's all because of that old man of his.
"Just leave them be, they'll give in by tomorrow." He says as they walk towards his car that was parked in a far opposite direction to where the protesters sat.
"Is the Old man back yet?"
"Yes sir, I got the message that he arrived this afternoon."
"Alright. What do you think Helfer? You still want to see the old man?"
*I never desired such.* thought the lizard.
"Okay then, let's go see Father." He says and collects the keys from Gary.
...
The car drove through an orchard of tall trees. Reuel quietly looking out the window as he drove with one hand and gently stroked Helfer with the other. He watched as the little black birds chirped in the trees, some of them seemed to be fighting. Flying and attacking with their beaks.
On another side were a different set of birds, going back and forth, carrying dried straws to make nests for themselves. They looked like a family, as they seemed to be working very well together.
His eyes trailed down a little lower, and he saw a tortoise, slowly moving deeper into the woods. He saw a squirrel run past the tortoise, and he laughed.
But then he saw a white fox chasing the squirrel, and that clean, white fur that dazzled even under the shadows of the tall trees brought an image flashing through his eyes.
He could see her... Her hair, her brows, her lashes, her eyes, her smile. He could see it all too clearly. And his hand on the wheel tightened, as it vexed him that he thought of her.
"Out of sight, out of mind." He shuts his eyes close for three seconds before flipping them open again, throwing her to the back of his mind as he drove deeper into the woods.
...
After the long drive of almost two hours, Reuel finally parked his car in front of an onion-shaped cottage.
Beds of flowers of various kinds lined up all over the front of the building.
Flowers placed in beautiful butterfly pattern vases on both sides of the stairs that led up to the front door.
"Hmm," Reuel breathed as he stepped out of the car with Helfer in hand, his eyes and head turning side to side, looking around, studying the building, "I thought there would have been a renovation." He smiled as he strokes Helfer.
"But it's still the same... Don't you think so Helfer?"
*Let us just get this over with.* thought the lizard.
"Let's see what that old man has been up to... I'm sure you're also curious about him." The lizard nods, as if to tell him he wasn't a bit curious about the man at all. But Reuel took the iguana's nod as a YES.
Slowly, Reuel climbed up the stairs, carefully looking to his left and right, vigilantly studying his surroundings, thoroughly listening to every sound, even the smallest of them like the tapping of a beetle on the tree.
He focused on them all. And as he turned the doorknob, and gently pushed the door open, his eyes played around as he stuck his head into the house like a thief looking around to see if anyone was awake in the house.
Seeing that there was no one near or behind the door, his left leg went in next, followed by his right leg, and soon he was fully inside the house, and he closed the door behind him.
Now he stood inside the place, looking from ceiling to floor, from window to door. His eyes fell on the corner of the house where different flower vases sat, and in them was a collection of flowers, some tall and widely spread, while others were just sprouting roots.
"I don't see the old man anywhere here," Reuel states, as he opens a door and peeps inside. "I won't let him creep up on me this time." He determines, still warily looking around him readying his heart for the jumpscare from his old man, but the man was nowhere inside the house.
"Let's check outside." He turns... "HEY BOY!"
"AHHHH! DAMN! EVERY GODDAMNED TIME!!" Reuel flinched and yelled in shock, flinging Helfer to only the gods know where, as he went tumbling over a wooden stool, at the appearance of the man he had warily been looking for.
"How do you always do that? I checked everywhere this time." He complains as the man stood in front of him laughing his heart out.
"Magic, son. It's all magic."
"Yeah, right!" He hisses, a warm smile crawling up his lips as he accepts the man's outstretched hand.
"Okay, let me see how tall my son has grown." the man says, standing side by side with Reuel, checking their height difference with his palm, "Ah, I'm getting old, but I'm still two inches taller than you. So give me a hug." Reuel laughs at the man's words as he wraps his arms around the man's warm body.
"I won't say I missed you, old man, but it is nice to see you, dad."