chapter twenty four

"Hey", Jullie softly whispered. She was crouched beside me on the floor, gently rubbing my back.

"Do you want me to hurry and grab you some water?", she asked worriedly.

I shook my head, "no need to, l'm feeling better now". I noted that my voice was subtly raspy.

"Are you sure?", she asked concerned.

"Yes, let's go before we're late for the family dinner", l said strenuously staggering to my feet.

Jullie looked at me worriedly before she reluctantly nodded. She helped me straighten up before she gently slid her hand to the small of my back for support.

I smiled at her appreciatively before we made our way through the doors to the dinning room.

Chattering and cluttering of porcelain plates, silver trays and forks was the dominant sound when we entered the room. A long table, capable of sitting the entire cabinet in the center of the room, with expensive white chairs occupied with the whole Greyson family.

Waiters were gracefully overlaying the table with trays of closed basins end to end. The room was mildly saturated with the sound of the voices of the Greysons chattering among themselves.

As soon as we showed up through the doors, everyone around the table glared at us. My stomach made several flips with nervousness.

Jullie must have felt it because she drew more closer to me and lightly rubbed the small of my back to remind me that she was still supporting me.

I felt a sensation that someone was giving me a burning stare. I looked at the table and my eyes collided with Keisty's intense blue ones. I looked beside her and saw an empty seat and there was jullie's name written on the card by the table respectively.

Jullie walked me to the other side of the table and my chair was positioned right across Keisty's.

Just when I was about to pull out my chair, someone sitting next to my chair quickly stood from his sit and pulled it out for me. I turned to look and saw that it was Stewart.

He gave me a gentle smile. I weakly smiled back. Jullie retrieved her hand from my back and l stood before the table. Stewart courteously pushed back the chair without making any sound and l sat down. He nervously sat back beside me.

"Everyone here?!", an old man, called from the head of the table. He stood up, his finely trimmed golden suit shone with the moderate lighting of the room.

"For  almost two decades, our family had been split apart. Conflicts that only proved our immaturity, things that shouldn't have separated us.

We lost more through that period of desolation than what we could have lost if we had just accepted one another and supported each other. A family that lost its essence.

Tonight we reunite, tonight we turn our backs on the past and start afresh. Our family union is more important than any conflict we might face. From now on, we orth to stay huddled, one big loving family.

United we stand, divided we fall.

From now on we move on and it starts tonight.

Tonight everyone!"

He said lifting up his glass of transparent wine. Everyone did the same.

"Tonight!", everyone repeated lifting up their wine glass then took a sip afterwards.

"Before we all start!", a shrieky voice came from the head of the table. I saw an old lady whom l recognized as Stewart's grandmother from that night at the prom, standing up with the support of the man who had led toast whom l assume is her husband.

"Before we all start", she repeated. "I want to take this chance to apologize to my son, Patrick son, please stand up".

Mr Greyson carefully rose from his chair with his head hung with humility.

"My son, l want to say, l'm sorry. It was foolish of me to turn my back on you because you chose the love of your life. l know l hurt you deeply, not just as being selfish but also for not being a loving mother to you", she was about to cry.

"I know that my faults might be numerous to forgive at once and l might not have another chance to prove my love for you but please, as a son to his cruel mother, as blood is thicker than water, do not turn your back on me", she sniffed.

Mr Greyson pushed back his chair and walked around the table to her. He embraced her in a hug. The entire table applauded.

I looked across the table to Jullie who was sniffing uncontrollably. The tip of her nose was red and her cheeks were wet. She excused herself from the table.

I didn't want to look at Stewart at the moment, men do not want woman to see them crying. Instead l looked at Keisty.

She took one big swig from her wine glass, chugging down half the contents without so much as a wince. My mouth hung low at seeing this. Keisty was not supposed to drink wine. I looked around the table searching for auntie Yolei, she must be furious at seeing what her daughter just did.

Surprisingly, neither auntie Yolei nor Deborah were at the table. I assumed that they had decided to leave and just come back to pick us after the dinner.

The dinner started, the waiters lifted up the covering basins revealing mouth watering dishes. Bowls of sauces were being passed around and everyone filling his or her plate with their heart's desires.

The butlers walked around the table with bottles of different wine balanced courteously in their trays. Stewart scratched one and asked for him to change our wine glasses for fruit juice.

The butler nodded understandingly. After a short while he was back with fruit juice. He replaced both Stewart's and mine with juice. I was expecting Keisty to do the same but instead l saw her asking for the butler to refill her wine glass.

Jullie returned with a fresh look on her face and a much lighter mood. She slid in her chair beside Keisty.

"So you're Arielle's cousin sister?", Julie said whilst filling up her plate full.

"Yeah", Keisty reluctantly answered.

"My name is July, most call me Julie, can l ask yours?"

"Keisty"

Julie nodded. She must have also got the signal that Keisty wasn't in the mood for small talks.

"Your cousin sister is beautiful, my brother is so smitten on her"

I don't know the reason why Julie said that, maybe she wanted to lighten up the mood but it caused Keisty to tense at once.

I also tensed being in the proximity of the strange aura that Keisty was emitting. It was murderous.

She gulped down the entire contents in her wine glass to the last drop in one go. She stood from her seat and excused herself and then disappeared through the doors.

"Your cousin is not fond of me", Julie remarked.

"She is like that to everyone that she is not used to", l had to give a reason even though I was certain that something was bothering Keisty. Did it have anything to do with our conversation prior. I guess I have to talk with her later. I just wonder where she has gone just now.

"Arielle, have you heard that you are sleeping over?, your aunt will pick you over tomorrow morning", Julie said excitedly.

"Oh great!", l faked enthusiasm.

"Yeah, l will show you your room. It's the same wing with mine and your cousin sister's".

The family was going to have speeches after dinner but l wasn't going to stay for that. Just after l cleared my plate, l rose from my seat. Julie noticed and did the same.

She led me through another maze connecting to many rooms. We were now in an entirely separate wing from the one we had been before. This one held many bedrooms and was much more quieter than the rest.

"I don't think l have ever been so happy before in my life like l am tonight. It's like all my happiest dreams are coming true at once", Julie's voice was genuinely joyful.

"You do look lighter than the time we first talked ", l commented.

"Yes, you know, when l left the table l went to the bathroom and called my mom. I couldn't keep it to myself so l told her all that happened today"

"Your mom?, l thought you said..."

"Yeah, mom and dad separated physically but that didn't stop dad from secretly taking us with him to see her. We only had to keep it to ourselves so much that until now, besides dad and Stewart, you are the only one who knows about it"

That made me stop for a moment to think. So her mom is still alive but can't be directly involved with her children because she fears her family. How similar it sounded. Could it be the same reason why my mom isn't directly involved with my life.

"You know, l told her about the reunion and mostly about you. I told her about how the reunion wouldn't have been possible without you. I told her how my brother is so deeply in love with you and l also told her how beautiful you are. She can't wait to meet you already. She said she already feels the love for you even without seeing you in person. She said she has a feeling that you will also like her...", Julie continued on and on until she stopped in front of a door along the passage.

"Here", she said looking at me with twinkling eyes.

"Thank you, do you know where my cousin sister's room is?", l wanted to talk to her later.

"Her room is just around the corner, last room down the hallway"

"Okay, thanks"

She handed me the keys to my room and left. I sighed before I inserted the key and twisted it. I pushed open the door revealing a large bedroom. Exquisitely furnished with a blend of modern touch and classic finish.

My eyes landed on the small pile of folded clothes on the lamb stand. I walked to the bed and picked up the little pile.

There was my short flimsy baby blue night dress neatly folded with its black straps hanging loose. A change dress for tomorrow and my blue robe was folded neatly beneath. I spotted my fir slippers at the foot of the lamb stand.

This is definitely Deborah's touch. She must have expected that we might sleep over.

I went into the suite bathroom and took a deep shower before blow drying my hair and putting on my night dress.

I was about to flop onto my bed when l suddenly remembered that I wanted to see Keisty. I slid on my slippers and walked out my room. I remembered that I hadn't put on the robe when l was almost reaching the door to Keisty's room.

I ran for the door and hurriedly knocked. I was anxious of someone seeing me like this.

"Keisty please open the door!", l was now pounding impatiently. "Keisty please, l'm only in my night dress and l forgot to take my robe", l pleaded.

There was no response so l turned down the door knob to see if it was locked, surprisingly, it opened. I hesitated if l should enter or not, well, guess I have no choice.

I quickly stepped into her room and closed the door behind me. I looked in the room and saw Keisty sitting on the edge of the bed hugging her knees to her chest. Already wearing her red night dress.She had headphones on and her eyes closed.

I quietly made light steps towards her as stealth as a preying wild cat. I lightly sat beside her and just enjoyed watching her.

As if on cue, she pulled away her headphones and put them beside her on the bed. Her eyes remained closed.

"Arielle", she softly whispered.

"H-how did you know l was her?", l asked.

"You smell so good, like a blooming white rose", she answered in a low voice.

I smiled. Keisty was slowly recovering herself.

There was silence for a while, l didn't know where to start the conversation with her. Should l be angry at her for drinking wine  which she knew too well was wrong?, should l feel guilty because l could be the reason that she did it, she was too upset Should l comfort her or entirely ignore it?

"Arielle, what did that girl, July talk about with you?", Keisty's words caught my attention.

I promised Keisty to tell her everything. "Many things", l didn't know where to start.

When l turned to look at Keisty, her eyes were already searching mine with a steady gaze. She was now kneeling on the bed facing me.

"She talked to you about marrying into their family"

"Keisty how..."

"Are you going to do that?"

"Keisty it's not that easy, l need to consider before l ..."

"Arielle you're mine"