26. What is done, is done

Immediately the news spread around, a home in the coast was busy getting unimaginable number of phone calls from neighbors, old relatives, lost friends and nosy others. The intruders did not care how late it was.

"This is bad!" The woman seated outside on the mat on the verandah said to the man seated next to her. "We have done well to hide her and her secret from the world for twenty-three years. Now that is becoming famous, will what we have worked so hard to hide be laid to waste?"

"Calm down dear. You know stress is not good for you."

"Benjamin! Don't you see what is happening?" She growled at him. It was obvious that she was worried.

"Our sister is famous now!" Came a voice from behind them.

"Ronald, what have I told you about eavesdropping on your parent's conversation!" The woman shouted, throwing her slipper at him but he docked and it hit the other young man coming from behind him.

"Ouch!" He growled and everyone burst out laughing.

"I am sorry Immanuel. Your youngest brother here was my aim for that beating. Mischievous one indeed!" She turned around and looked at her husband, who was dressed in a vest and wrapped a red sheet round his waste. Despite the light dressing, he was still sweating. Lately, the temperature in the coastal region had been unbearable. "This is bad!" She whispered assertively.

The two brothers looked at their parents who looked extremely worried.

"What is their problem?" The youngest asked the oldest.

"Do we ever know? When it comes to our sister, we never know what their problem is, Ronald." Immanuel reassured his younger brother.

"Mom, is it true that our sister is a big person in a big company now?" Ronald enquired.

"Yes my dear." Sandra affirmed. "And she is going to unleash havoc." She whispered half to herself. Only her husband heard it. "Bring me my phone Ronny. On the table." She asked and it was soon placed in her hand. She looked at her husband, as if asking for permission. He looked at her with the 'you-already-know-what-I- think' look and she dismissed it anyway and dialed her daughter's number.

Natasha's phone rang. Everybody in the limousine had been quiet, replaying the events of the night. She was seated next to Brandon so when she pulled out her phone from her purse and he saw the caller ID, she already knew what was going to happen. Fred and Edward were seated on her left while Jacob and Watson sat on her right. She answered. The volume was slightly high so Brandon could clearly hear the conversation, especially now that the car was quiet.

"Mother, hello." Natasha said after slightly clearing her throat.

"My daughter, how are you?"

"I am well mom. What about you? Are you doing okay? Why are you calling this late? Is dad okay? My brothers?" Brandon could hear the anxiety in Natasha's voice as she spoke.

"They are all fine. We are all fine my dear. It is only midnight. Can I not call and check up on my only daughter?"

"No mother, that is not what I meant. I am glad you are all fine." There was a moment of uncomfortable silence. "Mother, are you still there?"

"Is it true?" Sandra suddenly asked. Natasha wanted to ask 'is what true' but the drama for the night had already drained her. She refrained. She bit her lower lip and looked at Brandon. Brandon looked at her sweetly. He knew this is the moment he would know whether she liked him or not. "Tasha?" Her mother's sweets voice echoed through her phone.

"Mother, don't worry. You should go to bed now." Natasha said, still looking at Brandon, who then looked away, slightly disappointed. The men in the car observed this oddly behaving couple. They were still in shock at how they played it so well, so, natural.

"Natasha, please." Sandra insisted. Natasha knew that she would worry. So she bit her lip again and looked away from Brandon, who was still looking at her via the window's reflection.

"Yes mother. It is true. Now, please sleep. Good night. I love you." Natasha said sweetly and hang up after hearing a sigh from the other end. The men in the car all knew to what possible question that answer belonged to and they all smiled at each other. Brandon, who was still looking out of the window, saw his friends smile at him via the window's reflection and gave a brief smile. Natasha did not seem to notice all this body languages going round. After an hour or so of a short-long ride, they arrived at Silver View Five Star Hotel. In the elevator carrying six elegantly dressed people to the top most floor:

"So, are you two official now?" Edward asked Brandon. They were at the very back end of the lift. Brandon was sandwiched between Edward on his left and Fred on his right. In front of them, two step ahead in the spacious elevator, Natasha was sandwiched between Watson on her right and Jacob on her left. Brandon looked at the woman two steps before her and just smiled. Edward looked at Fred and the latter shrugged. They did not know whether it was true. Brandon himself was uncertain of it. He did not know whether the woman was sure either. The same scenario was happening the trio before them.

"Ms. Claire…" Jacob started.

"Natasha. And no, I do not know the answer to your question." Natasha interfered.

"But I did not ask you yet?" Jacob said.

"I know. But I know what your question is. And the answer is I don't know whether it is official." Natasha said calmly. Her eyes were fixed at the door. Jacob looked at Watson and the latter shrugged. The elevator doors soon opened to let the people in it out and each of them rushed out to their rooms. As Natasha took out her keycard and opened her door. She was immediately pushed in and the door shut behind her. The lights were automatic upon entering and soon, the room was lit. She was trapped between Brandon's arms, again.

"Ms. Claire." He called out softly, seductively. He could smell her sweet calming perfume.

"Boss Bran." She called his name out too, sweetly, nervously, seductively.

Sandra looked at her phone then looked at her husband and her two sons.

"It is true. She is dating that business tycoon." She said softly. At least it was not a ruse therefore her principles were still intact. But she could still not help but worry for her daughter.

"Is that not good news? We now have a big fish in the family!" Ronald said.

"But she has only known him for a month or so now. How could it be?" Immanuel asked curiously. Sandra looked at her eldest son.

"Your sister and our daughter is a smart woman. We have raised her well. So well in fact that she has captured the richest and one of the most powerful men in the country. She will not let us down. We just need to have some faith. Hm?" Benjamin comforted his family. He then embraced his wife. "Come on, it is time for bed. Ronald has to get up early for school tomorrow." He added as he slowly stood from the mat and stretched out his hand to help out his wife. She hesitated. "My dear, you cannot change what has happened. What is done, is done. What you can change, is your reaction to it. "He added."

"But if she got in between the relationship of two powerful couples…then…then she will be the mistress. And maybe…maybe her life will be in danger." Sandra added worryingly.

"My dear, do you not have any faith in your daughter? At all?" Benjamin asked placing on hand on his wife's shoulder. "Do you remember when she was in high school and she was constantly being bullied by one of her rich classmates and one day she came home with a purple eye? Then when we asked her what had happened she told us that the same rich girl found her fetching water at the school tank and punched her in the eye?" Benjamin paused and watched his wife nod in agreement. "When she came home crying, telling us to help her fight against her fellow school girl, and I agreed to go to school the next day and report that girl to the school's principal, what did you say to her?"

Sandra laughed and looked at her husband. "I told her, 'Tasha, some battles need to be fought by you alone. You have to fight for your space in this world and the respect that comes alone with it. Another person cannot come and fight your battle for you, otherwise, it will become an unnecessary war which could have been avoided if a coward had just become slightly brave. And this house, has no cowards. So go back out there, to that school, and fight for your respect and space. I have faith in you. Don't disappoint me.' And I remember she was so mad at me that night. The next day, she came home running like a happy little pup. She had put that rich girl in her place. And that was the last time she was bullied."

"Show her the same faith right now my dear. Come." Benjamin said and helped her get up from the verandah.

"What did she do to the rich girl?" Ronald curiously asked.

"She never told us. And we never asked. Because we knew we would get angry at her yet we were the one who encouraged her. Maybe one say, she will tell us." Sandra answered and laughed. The family went on to retire for the day.