11
Third Person’s POV
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Next Morning!!
“I’m going out for some important work and will be back after an hour or two. So, Jake!! Make sure that Brandon doesn’t leave his room for a drink. As for now, Brandon is still inside.”, Bruce instructed Jake before leaving for the mall when that kid bought the toys.
“But, sir, he doesn’t even want to look my face.”, Jake said in a low tone.
“You shouldn’t have said those things in the first place.”
“Okay! I agree that I shouldn’t have raised that topic in that way, but I really did see twin boys who were a carbon copy of Brandon, Sir. And they were so cute and adorable. That’s why…”
“Your eyes are playing tricks with you, Jake. Nothing else. Brandon doesn’t have any kids, not until now, okay? Now, forget about that those kids if you don’t want Brandon to leave you in this unknown country.
“Noted, sir.”
“Great. In case of any emergency, just call me.”, Saying this, Bruce left from there.
Jake was scared to check on Brandon in his room. That’s why he opened the door of his room and sat on the door, looking at the door of Brandon’s room which was in front of his room.
A few hours passed, but Brandon didn’t walk out of his room. Jake thought that he might be sleeping after consuming Alcohol, while the picture was totally different from this end.
When Brandon opened his eyes late in the morning, it took him a while to realize where he was, and the first thing he looked for was Alcohol. He was addicted to it like a moth to a flame. He forwarded his hand to grab the bottle, but he accidentally dropped it on the floor.
‘Damn it,’ He cursed mentally. He was about to call Jake, but he didn’t recall yesterday’s incident. He just left the bed and looked for an extra Alcohol bottle, but he didn’t have any.
He threw his clothes here and there in search of Alcohol but didn’t find it anywhere. He wanted Alcohol as soon as possible.
All these years, his morning used to start with Alcohol, so today, without Alcohol, it was getting hard for him even to sit silently. The urge to drink it was high. He was kind of behaving like a maniac. Generally, people used to have a headache after drinking Alcohol, but his case was totally the opposite; he had a headache before he didn’t have Alcohol to drink. Just like tea and coffee-addicted people can’t avoid headaches, restlessness, and many other things if they miss their tea or coffee.
On the top, he had a constant dull ache just below his rib cage. When Brandon realized that he couldn’t control his urge for Alcohol, he wore his shoes, ignored the pain that he was constantly feeling, and left the room.
He saw the door of Jake’s room was open, but he wasn’t there to be seen. He ignored Jake’s thoughts and walked away from there. And coincidently, Jake had left his position just a moment before because of nature’s call.
He walked out of the washroom feeling light and again sat at his previous position, not having any idea that Brandon had already left his room.
****
“Are you sure that that kid said Brandon Haysbert as his father?” Bruce asked again to reconfirm this information from the shop owner.
“Yes! I’m pretty sure. Since this indecent is not that old. It’s 3rd January today, and that sweet kid visited here on 1st January, but I must say that he was an amazing and caring brother. Fro this little age, he was more concerned about his brother than him. It was his brother’s birthday that day.”
“He has a brother, too?” Bruce questioned in surprise. The more the shop owner told him the truth, the more he was getting shocked. “Did you see his brother?”
“No. I didn’t, but he said that he was here with his brother as well and he was in the other shop. Is there any problem, Gentlemen? Why’re you asking so many questions?”, The shop owner asked.
“Actually, Sir!! My friend Brandon gave that card to his wife after their divorce, but after that, he never heard anything from him. In fact, he doesn’t even have any idea that he has any son or sons from his marriage. That’s why I’m asking all these questions.”, Bruce said, going ahead with the truth bit the moment he observed the defense mode of the shop owner activated. He realized that he wouldn’t share anything about that kid and the lady to hide their privacy. “Now, my friend is on death bed and wanted to see his wife and his children, if any, for the last time.”
“He is dying?”Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.
“Hmm,” Bruce nodded, and a part of his mind scolded him for lying to the old man, but he needed to find out the truth, and at that exact moment, he recalled Jake’s words. ‘I really did see twin boys, who were a carbon copy of Brandon, Sir. And they were so cute and adorable.’
‘Was this possible the twins that Jake had seen and the kid who came here to purchase toys were the same?’, He wondered. By seeing the video, he was positive that the woman with that kid was not Sophia. He had seen Sophia from the back, front, and all the sides of her face.
And also, he had seen current photos of Sophia over the internet. She sure had gained some weight, but she hadn’t changed much.
“Sir, did that kid look at this man?” Bruce asked, showing the shop owner the picture of Brandon.
There was complete silence for a while. The shop owner adjusted his specs and looked at that picture. Bruce wondered what was taking so much time? OR maybe he, too, had taken Jake’s words too seriously.
“Damn! That kid looks the exact miniature of this man. Is he your friend? Brandon Haysbert?”
“Yes!”
“Then, I’m pretty sure that that kid was your friend’s son. In fact, he and his Aunt had told me clearly that ‘Brandon Haysbert’ was the name of that kid’s father.”, The shop owner responded. Bruce’s mind is still trying to process everything. He didn’t want to jump like a monkey out of happiness until and unless he confirmed this news on his own. “In other situations, I wouldn’t have been sharing any details of my customer, but knowing that your friend is dying and he should get a chance to meet his Ex-wife and his hidden babies.”, he added, looking for something around him. He even started looking for it in the dustbin.
“Do you know anything, Sir? Like their address or phone number?” Bruce asked hopefully. Well, this help from the shop owner was unexpected.
“Yes! That kid had purchased a giant panda for his brother and asked to deliver it to their apartment. That’s why I’m looking for that paper where that lady had shared the address and her number.”, he replied. “Yes! Here, it is!!”, Saying this, he picked up the paper that he had thrown in the dustbin, thinking it was of no use to him now.
Bruce looked at the tiny piece of paper, which had been torn into two pieces. He joined the both and read the address and phone number written on the paper.
“Are you sure that this was the one?”, He asked to reconfirm.
“Pretty sure!! It’s not that someone buys some giant toys on a daily basis and asks it to deliver at their place.”, The shop owner said with a smile.
“Thank you so much, Sir. You have no idea how much your help meant to us.”, Bruce said. “I want to buy each and every toy in your shop.”, he added out of happiness.
“What?”, The shop owner looked at him in shock. “No! No! You don’t have to thank me for buying all my toys.”, he politely denied. “These toys are just the source of happiness to kids, and I guess I just gave one of the best reasons to that kid and his brother to smile by clearing the path because both of them can meet their father.”
“Still, sir, you did a great help, and I have no idea how to repay for the details which you have shared with me.”
“Trust me, and I didn’t do anything. It’s all God’s wish. I’m just a mere pawn in this game which is made by him, and who knows, this was my role in this game. Because you see, we meet everyone in this world for a reason. Maybe I met that kid for this reason.”, The shop owner again denied Bruce’s offer.
“Thank you.”, Bruce thanked before asking the driver to take him to the place which was written on the paper. They had booked a local car with a driver so that they didn’t have to waste their time in cabs and unknown streets of the Manaus.
After half an hour, he was finally standing in front of the apartment, which was written on paper. Keeping that paper inside, he rang the bell.
He checked the time and realized it was around twelve in the afternoon!! So, there could be a chance that Sophia wouldn’t be here in the apartment because of her work.
After waiting for a while, Arya opened the door and saw an unknown person standing on the other side of the door.
“Yes?”, She asked, raising her brow.
Bruce looked at that unfamiliar face and assumed her to be the caretaker of the kids or their Aunt. Well, he wasn’t sure yet, so he asked, “Does Sophia Weasley stay here?”
Arya narrowed her eyes and looked at him, eyeing him suspiciously because she doubted that Sophia had invited anyone at home when she was in the office. And even if she would have, then the person should have been confident about her place. On the top, something was off about his scent, she couldn’t name that, and her wolf was asking her not to let him in.
“No!”, Saying this, she slammed the door in Bruce’s face.
“Why did you lie, Aunt?”
Shit!!
‘The apartment is so small that even though I knew Calvin was coming out after hearing the doorbell. I couldn’t finish the conversation before his arrival.’, She mentally thought.
Arya turned around and saw Calvin holding a football in his hand. “Sophia Weasley, our mom, stay here.”, he said.
“Really?” Bruce asked, opening the door which he had stopped at the last moment from getting close with his legs. Because of Calvin’s sudden appearance, Arya didn’t check whether the door was actually locked or not. Meanwhile, Bruce heard the conversation between him and Arya. “Your mom will be so proud of you after knowing that you speak the truth.”, he said, looking at the miniature of his friend in his son.
Hearing this, Calvin’s face lit up before speaking. “Thank you, Uncle …”
“Bruce.”
“Thank you, Uncle Bruce.”, he said and dropped the football before introducing himself, “I’m Calvin, younger prince of mom,” he added, walking toward him to shake hand.
‘He is miniature of Brandon, but his behavior is like Sophia.’, He thought.
He was so engrossed in his thought that he didn’t see the other hand coming.
“How many times I have to tell you that don’t be so friendly with strangers.”, A carbon copy of Calvin said, pulling Calvin away from Bruce.
“But, Colton….”
“Even Aunt Arya doesn’t know him. So, he is a complete stranger to us.”, Colton explained to his over-friendly brother before narrowing his eyes and looking at Bruce suspiciously.
“Damn! You’re just like Brandon.”, Bruce said with a smile. Years back, Brandon always used to scold Sophia for trusting everyone she met, and now, one of his sons was scolding the other because of the same reason.
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#TBC