Pain Mascara

Chapter 10

Next day early morning I got dressed in formal attire, in black pants and off-white blouse with black high wedge heels which I wore for my university interviews. And I remember Sheila was so happy seeing me taking the offer given by dad, watching me getting dressed, maybe she thought everything was back to normal by then.

She hugged me with so much love wishing me, “Miss Stephie do well, I pray for you from the bottom of my heart and I know you will bring in joy back again to all of us”. Remembering all her words now tell me how wrong those predictions were.   

And as I took down stairs dad was standing in the living area waiting for me. As soon as he saw he smiled and said “Sheila, look at my beautiful daughter who has grown up so fast, Stephie I am glad you took this step forward”.

Me and dad drove all the way to San Diego to the new venture he has invested on with Mark driving all the way. It was a large hotel renamed “The Caledoscope”, a subsidiary of the main hotel chains which belongs to Andaz San Diego, CA.

When we went there a bold headed Black American who is tall and strong build was waiting so eagerly at the arrival bar.

“Hey Troy, Good morning, meet my beautiful daughter Stephanie, she will be helping you with all the management work”

I said “Hi”with a polite smile to this Troy guy while shaking hands, later on I realized he was the Hotel Manager here and I will be his assistant here at the hotel going on.

My first day at “The Caledoscope” was so interesting as Troy showed me the whole location, it was a huge hotel with one hundred and fifty three hotel rooms, a large bar and a huge pool arena. Oh my god I can’t believe that dad has invested on a hotel like this because his interest was always on manufacturing not any like these, and among the family it was only me and Jerrard who always had the interest over tourism.

Speaking to Troy only I got to know that dad has invested on this as a gift for Jerrard and later on I realized that since Jerrard ran away from home he has recruited a new set of highly qualified, talented and trust worthy set of young individuals to manage the operation.

In the hotel I learnt lot of things which helped on my education and I managed to catch up on work as a fast learner. As a result of my performance dad offered me an increase in my salary as well so that I managed to save all on my own apart from the travelling expenses.

As days goes by remembering my brother I called him always and as usual I failed to get through to him. At times I felt embarrassed over taking over his role here at the hotel after Troy explaining dad’s interest over the hotel field. But in the hotel as I was given already my own office room every day I managed to contact mom and it made me so happy and relaxed to be hearing her voice.

And one day all of a sudden mom asked about dad and Jessica and she almost cried out hearing about them and she hang up on me.

I rang her up again, “Mama please don’t hang up on me, listen dad is not going out with any”

“Stephie don’t lie to me, I know what’s happening around over there, what hurt the most is you hiding all from me”.

“Mom I never lied, please trust me, I am trying to settle things up here”.

“Ok then tell me where’s Jerrard, why you never told me all of these?”

“I never wanted to hurt you, because I have seen you going through hell and I knew that if I put all of those out you won’t be able to cope up with it”.

“Enough Stephie, enough, I don’t know what you and dad doing there, what hurt is you never ever told me what’s happening over there and none of you ever looked for Jerrard, my son”, and she hung up the phone.

I was so clueless over mom’s words, I knew it was so hurting for her to get to know things later but as a daughter how am I to tell all those to her, what’s happening around with dad, Jessica and Jerrard moving out from home.