Reprisal

Epilogue (the sad version)

As the 1 PM reminder beeped on the phone, Isabel closed the lid of the laptop without a second thought. She placed her phone in the purse and stood up.

Knock. Knock.

“Yes ?” - she permitted, coming out from behind her desk.

Her chirpy assistant poked her head inside. “It's 1 PM, Mrs. Jenson. You have to leave for the school.” - she informed in excitement then turned sheepish at finding her boss all set to leave. “Seems like you already are.”

Isabel smiled, already walking towards the door. “I had the reminder set, Kiara. But thank you nonetheless.” - she said, stepping out of her office with Kiara in her wake. “I'm not planning to return to office after school so if there are any meetings lined up, postpone them for tomorrow.”

Kiara's eyebrows shot upto her hairline. It's been six years she was working at Jenson Chemicals and this was for the first time Isabel was leaving from office early. It was common knowledge among the employees that their boss was a workaholic and sometimes they worried she might fall sick due to taking unnecessary workload on herself.

“Noted, ma'am.” - Kiara replied politely.

Nodding at the employees' greetings, Isabel came down to ground floor and walked out of the building. The weather was cloudy since morning that had her upset but the reminder that she was headed to the school put a genuine smile on her face.

~

The school bell rang loud and shrill at 2 PM, announcing the school time was over. Children of age group 6, who were impatiently waiting for that exact sound, ran out of their classrooms and into the school ground to be received by their family members or conveyors at the gate.

One such child was Zacharias. Having his bag loaded with books on his back, he ran towards the gate with a smile as he spotted his mother waiting for him.

Isabel crouched down to be on her son's level and spread her arms wide to engulf him in a bear hug. His little arms circling her neck was a comfort to another and inexplicable level.

“I wasn't expecting you to remember your promise.” - Zacharias said in a surprised tone while pulling back.

On routine, it was the driver who picked and dropped him from school to home and vice versa. But today Isabel was there upon promising him that she herself would pick him up from the school and they'd spend some time together.

Isabel gasped in mock offense. “You wound me Zach! When have I ever backed off from my promise ?”

Zach gave a sheepish smile. “You haven't but this time, it was a promise of time...”

Isabel's smile turned sad. She was guilty of drowning herself in work lately.

“No matter however busy your mother gets, she will always have time for you, Zach. Always.” - she affirmed, holding her son's hands.

Zacharias smiled warmly at her and for a minute, Isabel paused. She always did when looking at her son because he was a carbon copy of Christopher. Both in personality and looks. Same ocean blue eyes, same porcelain complexion, the same face features. And she absolutely loved him being a miniature Christopher. If anything in Zacharias' looks was of Isabel then it was the jet black hair, different from Christopher's dark blonde.

“Your eyes are moist, Mum...” - Zacharias observed with a concerned frown.

Isabel blinked, just realizing. “Really ? Must be the wind.”

“Which isn't blowing.” - Zacharias deadpanned.

She chuckled and surreptitiously wiped her eyes. “Enough of watching your mother with the magnifying glass, young man!” - she said with mock-strictness.