The Days and the Nights

At the dinner table

Chapter eleven:

Dinner felt awkward. It was quiet, the only sounds were the forks and knives scraping against plates. Elijah had thought this would be very different from how it was turning out. He thought that Edgar would talk about his accomplishments, he thought that after dinner he'd take him out to the courtyard and tell him something that would stick with him for the rest of his life. But it wasn't turning out that way. Edgar didn't say a word. He silently ate his food.

Elijah looked at his glass of wine that Edgar had offered. His parents told him he was too young to drink but what they didn't know couldn't hurt them, right?

He picked up the glass and brought it to his lips. He took a deep inhale, it smelled of cherries. He parted his lips and poured some of the liquid in his mouth. It had a sweetly bitter taste. He wasn't sure if he liked it or not. He put the glass down and put his hands in his lap and stared at his plate. After going into the house a word was barely exchanged between the two. He looked up only to see Edgar staring at him, his hands clasped together resting under his chin.

"Elijah might I ask you a question?" Edgar asked him.

"Depends on the question." Elijah laughed nervously as Edgar gave him a tight lipped smile.

"I heard that around a month ago you had to go to the hospital, why was that?"

Elijah stayed quiet, he couldn't tell Edgar that his father beat him for falling in love with a girl from the other side, who knows how that will turn out. So instead he thought of a lie, too quickly then he liked to admit.

"I had fallen down the stairs, broke my rib, it was horrible." Edgar looked at him, he seemed to buy it but his eyes screamed that he knew he was lying.

"Alright, then why did your father kick you out?"

"I..." He didn't know what to say, he had absolutely no excuse for why his father had kicked him out. "I broke the picture frame in his bedroom."

"Surly that wouldn't warrant him to kick you out now would it?"

"You would think so, but I've never really been on his good side so I guess that was the final straw."

"Well your father does not speak to highly of you"

Elijah cocked his eyebrow.

"Does he not?"

Edgar chuckled and shook his head.

"He barely even mentions you, what about your sister? Or do you even have one?"

"What do you mean, do I have one?"

"Your father mentioned a girl about ten years ago. I just thought that maybe you had a sister, or maybe he was talking about a mistress."

"I have a sister." Elijah said in a small voice. The thought of his father having a mistress made him sick. He hated his father but to do something like that made him have even more hatred for him.

Edgar noticed the boy's discomfort from him mentioning another woman.

"Tell me, did your mother have her?"

"Yes."

"Well in that case, he was talking about your sister. What's her name?"

"Naomi." An image of his sister's smiling face flashed in his mind making him smile.

"That's a lovely name, I'd like to meet her, maybe I'll arrange a meeting with her." he said while he got up from the table pulling a notebook from his pocket.

"I don't know about that, she's a shy girl, doesn't like people she doesn't know."

Edgar only hummed in response, too wrapped up in whatever he was writing in his notebook to fully process what he had said.

"Well Elijah it has been a wonderful meal," He checked the time on his watch "Where does the time go?"

"I guess we were having a lot of fun."

"It appears so." he gave him a small silme

"As much as I would love to escort you out I have business to attend to, my maid Alaia will lead you to the door." he made a motion with his hand and a young girl came into view.

"Darling, would you be so kind as to escort this young man out?"

"Yes sir." she said, giving him a curtsy before turning to Elijah.

"This way." She led him away from the dining room into the entryway .

He thanked her and walked out. It was dark out. The stars were in the sky, the water in the fountain could be heard. It smelled of water and flowers, he started walking around the grounds taking in the peace and quiet. The grounds were very large and very beautiful.

Edgar stood in the window and stared through it, watching Elijah's every move. Alaia came into the room, making her way to the fireplace and started to light it.

"Alaia darling?"

"Yes sir?" She said not moving from her place.

"I need you to keep a tab on that boy."

This time she stopped, turning around to face him.

"I beg your pardon?"

Edgar turned around to meet her eye.

"I said I need you to keep an eye on him."

"How will I do that sir?"

"You will do exactly as I say."

Elijah was walking to the gate when he noticed his father. Sure he was expecting him to be there but he wasn't expecting the look on his face.

He looked troubled, like he had seen or heard something he wasn't supposed to. When he saw Elijah he snapped his head out of his sight. Elijah was very confused and was curious to know what was bothering him so much. When he got up to the window he knocked. His father jumped but calmed down when he noticed that it was only him. He gave him a small smile while rolling down the window.

"How was the dinner?"

"Awkward, please don't ever make me do that again."

"I won't make any promises now."

Elijah got in the car but still couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about his father.

Whatever it was he was going to find out.