CUSTODY

HANSEL'S OFFICE

Mr Hansel sauntered in with Delia behind. He trod over to his seat, facing her in the process.

"Here, have a seat" He offered with a stretched hand, pointing to a seat over his desk. She titled her head with a smile.

"Well–Thanks." She mumbled as she settled down.

"So, what brought you here after that long while."

Without a word, Delia pulled out a file from her bag– a faint smile dazzled on her face as she tilted her head, tucking a lock of hair behind her hair. She placed it on the desk and gently pushed it over to him. He spontaneously glanced down at it and back at her with furrowed brow.

"What's this about? " He asked and she gesticulated in response.

"Go ahead– Hansel" She mumbled, leaning back on the chair. Not hesitating, he picked the file and flipped it open; his eyes swiftly scanned through.

"This is the documents concerning Ben's custody –I want to have my son back" She announced. Hansel's gaze swiftly drifted from the file.

" What?" He howled with squinted eyes, his lips instinctively curled in a tight–lipped smile. " Listen here, Delia" He stuttered as he pushed back the file to her. "If this is one of your jokes, let just end it here– because it's not funny as you think. And you can see, I was in the middle of something so let's bring an end to this discussion."

She scoffed. " Does it look that funny?" She queried with steady eye contact and raised eyebrows. "No, Hansel– I won't sit back and watch you kill him like you did to Marvin. Isn't it enough already! " She shouted almost in tears. He sneered with a clenched fist, jerking to his feet with a sharp breath. His eyes squinted and his veins throbbed in his neck.

"That will never happen, Delia– Done just start what you can't finish" He roared.

Meanwhile, Ben shuffled through the corridors to his father's office. Just when he neared, he overheard loud voices from there. He slightly jerked his chin with tugged ears. "What's going on?" He mumbled. His mother's voice instinctively dawned on him. "Mum?–What's she doing here"

A voice queried in his thought but a sudden hit of his name got him glued to the door. He spontaneously leaned a bit closer for clarity.

"Do you think our son will like to be with a mother like you?" Hansel's voice echoed. "A woman who abandoned her family for another man?" He scoffed. "Don't think of it, Delia"

"You know it's false, Hansel !" She cried. "I won't just give up so easily this time around–We'll meet in court" She glared with unblinking eye contact and snatched her bag from the desk, dashing off. Hansel gazed at her back, his chest rose and fell with rapid breath while his anger engulfed him.

Delia opened the door only to meet face on with Ben. He flinched, disgusted by her; his squinted eyes scanned through her eyes.

" Can't believe this, mum" He tilted his head with a sneer and his eyebrows lowered.

"No, my love–Is not what you think" She stuttered.

"But what, mum–What? You don't need to say any further. I hate you!" He howled in tears and stormed off.

"Ben !– Ben, please come back" She called after him but he sped in the distance without harkening to her call. Alixies saw them from the distance– she tapped Rubin on the shoulder.

"I'll be with you shortly " She muttered and rushed off. Rubin stared at her back with furrowed brow. "What's up with him?" He mumbled.

"Who?" Laura suddenly mumbled beside him which made him flinch. "Gosh, Laura– Do you have to always act like this?" He loud whispered. "Disappearing and reappearing whenever you wish." He jerked away with a furious glare.

"Hey, sorry – Didn't mean to scare you" She howled as she hastened after him.

"I'm sorry– Please, please... " She nudged with a wink and he glanced at her, their back faded in the distance. She instinctively waggled her eyebrows; her lips curved in a smile which made him laugh. He spontaneously draped his hands around her neck and pulled her along.

"Awwn, awwn– Stop it, Rubin" She yelled and guffawed.

**********

Mya kept gazing at her back from time to time as she hobbled through the corridor towards the staff room.

She instinctively blow out her cheeks. "That was so close "She mumbled. The thought of the strange folder she had noticed on the monitor, hit her again.

"What was in the folder?" She tilted her head, her lips pressed together with steeple fingers. " Gosh, this is so frustrating – always get to a lost when I'm close to it" She swiftly ran her hand through her hair with a sigh. She instinctively came to a halt in front of the door. Her hands rummaged through her bag for her pass ID card but noticed it was gone.

"What?–" She cried. " I thought I kept it here" She swiftly scanned through it but still no sign of it at all.

"Oh ?" She gasped with a creased bow; her eyes narrowed. "Where did I keep it then?" She muttered. Just then, a voice called from behind– She sharply jerked her head in the direction of the intruder.

"Oh, Mr Del" She smiled.

"You look stressed– Any problem? " He queried as he neared her. Mya slouched, a faint sigh escaped her lips.

"Well, I can't find my card– I guess I left it at home" She stuttered.

"Awwn, then I guess we can use mine for now." He offered. Mya instinctively jerked aside as he inched over– Del spontaneously flipped the card over the lock and with a beep sound, it cracked open. He bobbed his head with a smile.

"After you, Miss Mya" He implied. She thanked him and trekked in.

***************

Alixies secretly tailed Ben with her gaze keenly stalking his every move. Ben wandered off to the play field, wearing a flushed gaze. He instinctively sat, hunched back with a sharp sigh– his gaze fixed on the ground while he stared down at his feet. Memories of his brother and their family time flooded in; he felt his throat chocked up with tears. His eyes squinted as the tears he fought back trekked down his eyes.

At that instance, a hand suddenly tipped a handkerchief his way.

"Here– Are you okay?" A voice instinctively followed which made him jerk his head towards the direction of the owner.

" You?" He howled with a wide stance.