Page 22
“Do you not have work today?”
“Nope! I took the day off to wish your grandfather a happy birthday.”
“Are you worried I’ll take her away and not give her back?” Raph enquired in a light-hearted way.
“What are you talking about?” Sammy said, looking entirely uninterested. “Mr. Blunt Senior is also an elder in my family. I have to pay my respects because it’s his 90th birthday.”
“Really?”
“What else?”
Raph joked, “I thought you were worried about Tonia and me getting back together.”
Sammy answered quietly, “I know she wouldn’t.”
“Are you really that sure? After all, Ton and I used to be…” Raph stopped.
“I trust her,” Sammy said, interrupting.
Raph couldn’t say anything.
“But just to be clear, I think you should be careful what you call her. For now, you can call her by her name. After we’re married, she’ll be your cousin-in-law.”
The birthday party for Lanre was really big. A lot of important people from Bathlo City came to pay their respects to Raph.
His business had developed quickly, and many people had heard rumours that he was going to enter the Silicon Market before the end of the year to compete with popular games like Realm of Wars.
Raph was stuck in a swarm of people and couldn’t move. He looked across to Tonia. She was sitting on the floor next to Lanre and talking to him like a cute young child. Lanre laughed hard at her funny words.
Raph remarked, “Excuse me, I need to say hello to my grandpa,” as he moved through the crowd.
He got there just in time to hear the happy chatter and laughter all around them.
“Lanre gestured to Tonia, who was next to him, and exclaimed, “You’ve spoilt her rotten! Now she can say whatever she wants.”
Tonia smiled slyly and said in a playful voice, “But I’m not wrong, am I? If you were 50 years younger, every girl in Bathlo City would be crazy about you!”
“No way! My wife would have ripped my ear off!” Lanre laughed.
“No problem,” Tonia said. “She can’t hear anything, so she’s probably dancing with the little angels in heaven right now.”
She covered her ears with her gloved hands and shook her head while she talked. She looked so cute and ridiculous that everyone around them laughed again.
Windy Bright, Raph’s mother, was also happy. But when she spotted Raph coming, she walked over and touched him on the shoulder.
“You’ve finally come to your senses, haven’t you? It’s good that you and Ton made up. She seems happier now than she did before you got married, and she’s even put on a little weight. Seeing the two of you like this finally makes your father and me feel better,” Windy stated.
Raph’s smile turned sour. “Yes.”
“Have you stopped talking to those other women?”
“Yes. It’s done.”
“That’s good. Ton was there for you when things got tough. If you ever left her for those other women, people would talk about you behind your back.”
Raph took a big breath and drank the champagne in his palm. “I get it, Mom.”
“Good. Now go wish your grandfather a happy birthday,” Windy said.
Raph stabilised himself and then knelt down next to Lanre’s wheelchair. “I wish you a long, healthy life and endless happiness, Grandpa.”
Lanre was quite happy. “You’re finally here, Raph. I haven’t seen you all night. Ton has been keeping me company.”
“I ran into some business partners and got caught up talking to them,” Raph said as an excuse.
Lanre said, “Family is what matters most. Business comes and goes. Those people out there are all fair-weather friends. When you’re on top, they come to you, but when you fall, they’ll be the first to step on you.”
“At the end of the day, only those who really love you will be there for you through thick and thin.”
“Yes, I know,” Raph said in a tight voice.
Lanre took Tonia’s hand and put it firmly in Raph’s. “You two have to take care of each other, Raph and Ton.”
Raph and Tonia didn’t say anything.
“I’m tired now,” Lanre replied in a gentle voice. “You kids go have fun.” I’d prefer to take a break for a little.
Windy walked forward and said, “Let me push you back to your room, Dad.”
Tonia hurriedly pulled her hand back as Lanre was wheeled away. She still had gloves on and hadn’t touched Raph’s flesh directly, but she felt the need to pull back.
Raph’s fingers reflexively clenched, seeking to cling on, but it was too late. All that was left in his palm was the faint feeling of her knitted glove brushing against his flesh. It felt soft and warm, exactly like her.
But in the flash of an eye, another man grabbed her hand.
Sammy took her hand and raised it to his lips, breathing warm air on her fingers. “Are you cold?”
Tonia laughed. “How about you?”
“A little,” Sammy said.
“Then you should do something helpful. If you move around a little, you won’t feel cold.
Sammy raised an eyebrow and said, “What are you up to now?”
“Carry me back later,” Tonia responded with a smile.
Sammy laughed. “It’s 25 miles from here to my house.” And you want me to take you all the way back? ”
“Mm-hm.” Do you think you can pull it off? ”
“Of course!” A man can’t claim he can’t.
Tonia cuddled up to him and teased him, “Hey, I heard that a man starts to lose his strength when he turns 35.” You don’t have a lot of time left, do you? ”
“Tonia, I’m going on vacation next week.”
“Nope! I took the day off to wish your grandfather a happy birthday.”
“Are you worried I’ll take her away and not give her back?” Raph enquired in a light-hearted way.
“What are you talking about?” Sammy said, looking entirely uninterested. “Mr. Blunt Senior is also an elder in my family. I have to pay my respects because it’s his 90th birthday.”
“Really?”
“What else?”
Raph joked, “I thought you were worried about Tonia and me getting back together.”
Sammy answered quietly, “I know she wouldn’t.”
“Are you really that sure? After all, Ton and I used to be…” Raph stopped.
“I trust her,” Sammy said, interrupting.
Raph couldn’t say anything.
“But just to be clear, I think you should be careful what you call her. For now, you can call her by her name. After we’re married, she’ll be your cousin-in-law.”
The birthday party for Lanre was really big. A lot of important people from Bathlo City came to pay their respects to Raph.
His business had developed quickly, and many people had heard rumours that he was going to enter the Silicon Market before the end of the year to compete with popular games like Realm of Wars.
Raph was stuck in a swarm of people and couldn’t move. He looked across to Tonia. She was sitting on the floor next to Lanre and talking to him like a cute young child. Lanre laughed hard at her funny words.
Raph remarked, “Excuse me, I need to say hello to my grandpa,” as he moved through the crowd.
He got there just in time to hear the happy chatter and laughter all around them.
“Lanre gestured to Tonia, who was next to him, and exclaimed, “You’ve spoilt her rotten! Now she can say whatever she wants.”
Tonia smiled slyly and said in a playful voice, “But I’m not wrong, am I? If you were 50 years younger, every girl in Bathlo City would be crazy about you!”
“No way! My wife would have ripped my ear off!” Lanre laughed.
“No problem,” Tonia said. “She can’t hear anything, so she’s probably dancing with the little angels in heaven right now.”
She covered her ears with her gloved hands and shook her head while she talked. She looked so cute and ridiculous that everyone around them laughed again.
Windy Bright, Raph’s mother, was also happy. But when she spotted Raph coming, she walked over and touched him on the shoulder.
“You’ve finally come to your senses, haven’t you? It’s good that you and Ton made up. She seems happier now than she did before you got married, and she’s even put on a little weight. Seeing the two of you like this finally makes your father and me feel better,” Windy stated.
Raph’s smile turned sour. “Yes.”
“Have you stopped talking to those other women?”
“Yes. It’s done.”
“That’s good. Ton was there for you when things got tough. If you ever left her for those other women, people would talk about you behind your back.”
Raph took a big breath and drank the champagne in his palm. “I get it, Mom.”
“Good. Now go wish your grandfather a happy birthday,” Windy said.
Raph stabilised himself and then knelt down next to Lanre’s wheelchair. “I wish you a long, healthy life and endless happiness, Grandpa.”
Lanre was quite happy. “You’re finally here, Raph. I haven’t seen you all night. Ton has been keeping me company.”
“I ran into some business partners and got caught up talking to them,” Raph said as an excuse.
Lanre said, “Family is what matters most. Business comes and goes. Those people out there are all fair-weather friends. When you’re on top, they come to you, but when you fall, they’ll be the first to step on you.”
“At the end of the day, only those who really love you will be there for you through thick and thin.”
“Yes, I know,” Raph said in a tight voice.
Lanre took Tonia’s hand and put it firmly in Raph’s. “You two have to take care of each other, Raph and Ton.”
Raph and Tonia didn’t say anything.
“I’m tired now,” Lanre replied in a gentle voice. “You kids go have fun.” I’d prefer to take a break for a little.
Windy walked forward and said, “Let me push you back to your room, Dad.”
Tonia hurriedly pulled her hand back as Lanre was wheeled away. She still had gloves on and hadn’t touched Raph’s flesh directly, but she felt the need to pull back.
Raph’s fingers reflexively clenched, seeking to cling on, but it was too late. All that was left in his palm was the faint feeling of her knitted glove brushing against his flesh. It felt soft and warm, exactly like her.
But in the flash of an eye, another man grabbed her hand.
Sammy took her hand and raised it to his lips, breathing warm air on her fingers. “Are you cold?”
Tonia laughed. “How about you?”
“A little,” Sammy said.
“Then you should do something helpful. If you move around a little, you won’t feel cold.
Sammy raised an eyebrow and said, “What are you up to now?”
“Carry me back later,” Tonia responded with a smile.
Sammy laughed. “It’s 25 miles from here to my house.” And you want me to take you all the way back? ”
“Mm-hm.” Do you think you can pull it off? ”
“Of course!” A man can’t claim he can’t.
Tonia cuddled up to him and teased him, “Hey, I heard that a man starts to lose his strength when he turns 35.” You don’t have a lot of time left, do you? ”
“Tonia, I’m going on vacation next week.”