In the afternoon, Ferrod anxiously waited for Matthew. There was a growing concern and worry in him after learning that Matthew's mother was sick but not getting medical help. As he saw Matthew coming out of the gate, he immediately called out.
"Matthew!"
"Oh, it's you again, sir?"
"Can I give you a ride home?"
"Why?"
"Just to know where you live."
"We live at the back of the school, sir. We have a shanty there. You drive from here and stop at the corner. I will run from here to there," Matthew explained.
"But why? Have a ride with me."
"Ohhh... No need, sir. Your car might get dirty from me, and I smell bad from the sun's heat."
"I insist," Ferrod urged.
"Okay," Matthew said and hopped in the car.
When they reached the place Matthew mentioned, there was a shanty.
"Nay... Nay... I am home," Matthew called as he disembarked...
"Come in. Change your shirt. It's hung there at the back of the door," a woman's weak voice responded.
"Come in, sir. Take your seat. I apologize for our home," Matthew insisted.
"Nothing to worry about," Ferrod reassured.
He looked around and saw a small table with three chairs, a one-burner LPG, a few kitchen utensils, a bamboo bench, and two single-seater chairs. The floor was uncemented. A clear picture of poverty, yet the house was tidy.
"Who is with you, Matt?" the voice came from behind a curtain.
"Sir—"
"Ferrod."
"Sir Ferrod is with me, Nay, the one we met days ago. He insisted on coming with me."
"Ah, okay... tell him I apologize; I cannot welcome him... I cannot rise," the woman's weak voice conveyed.
Ferrod, hearing the voice, grew concerned.
"For a while, sir. I will let Nanay have her early dinner," Matt said, bringing with him a bowl of porridge and a glass of water.
"Nay, you're hot," Ferrod heard Matthew say.
"It's nothing. Hand me the paracetamol; I'll take it. After a while, I'll cool down, and the heat will subside. You take your dinner. I'm sorry; I only cooked a boiled egg and rice...We need to save for the next few days until I can back selling again," the woman behind the curtain said, Ferrod overheard.
"Oh, nothing to worry about. That's my favorite!" Matt replied.
It puzzled Ferrod that a boiled egg was a favorite. After a while, Matt came out from behind the curtain.
"Sir, though I wanted to invite you for dinner, I only have a boiled egg, the only thing our meager income can afford," Matt explained.
Ferrod felt tears welling up.
"Can I invite you for dinner or get takeout from a fast-food place?" Ferrod asked.
"Oh, thanks... never mind sir. I'm not going; I can't leave Nanay," Matt replied.
Ferrod was dumbfounded.
"Okay... so, tell your Nanay to get well soon. I'm going," was all Ferrod could say, and then he left.
YOU ARE READING
Veiled Vengeance
Romance"Veiled Vengeance" unfolds as an emotionally charged love story interwoven with themes of passion, betrayal, and redemption. The narrative revolves around protagonists whose lives become entangled in a web of secrecy, revenge, and ultimately, the tr...
