An Immortal's Favour

Jack- Help

*

Mother retracted her arm, letting it fall limp against the sparkling surface of the kitchen island. Her fingers inched towards the plate of eggs before her but they stopped short.

Studying her with a hard glint in my eye, I nodded. "I'm happy you're willing to lend me a hand."

"I'll still be working, though," she admitted, her face twisting into a grimace as her gaze fell to the table. "I'll need something to keep me going during this." She lifted her eyes again and they bored into mine.

"I understand. But you're free today?"

"Only for the next few hours."

"Then I suppose we'll have to make the most of it. I think-" I paused, hands frozen in the air. "Wait, let me get something to write with."

After grabbing a pencil and an old notebook, I returned to the kitchen and sat back firmly on my seat. "First order of business: phone calls. We need to get it touch with anyone who might be of help. Is that alright?"

Mother nodded. "And after that?"

"I don't know. We'll try this first, but I think that, if we manage to pinpoint where Father is, it'll be best to get to him as quickly as possible. He's the only one who knows the whole story."

"Then let's get started."

"Are you sure you don't know where he is? We could try calling hotels on the way to Equino that he frequents. Or maybe any friends, acquaintances we think he might be staying with."

"You think I haven't tried that already?!" Mother snapped, a clear scowl growing over her features. "Don't take me for a fool, Manu."

"I didn't mean to offend. I'm just trying to make sure we're considering  all the possibilities."

"I know." She pressed two fingers against her temple. "I know. But this is too much."

For the next three hours, we sat hunched on two chairs, opposite to one another at different ends of the main lounge. Clutching desperately at receivers, we called family friends, old college mates, colleagues, acquaintances- anyone who we thought might've had any idea as to father's behaviour.

A few didn't answer, despite being rung multiple times. Even more were just as clueless as Mother and me. But, eventually, we got somewhere.

"Good evening, Uncle Adom, my name is Jacob Manu Agyakwa. I don't know if you remember me, but you know my father, Peter Essien Agyakwa?"

"Good evening, boy, how do you do?" a rough voice replied from the other end of the line.

"Actually, Uncle, I'm in a bit of trouble. You see," I started, already dreading the response, "Father acted...strangely after arriving home about a week back from now. He seemed upset about something."

"I see." Rustling came from the line, and Adom swallowed thickly. His heavy breathing came through in steady intervals, as though he'd only stopped to think. I looked at Mother, who was clutching the brown receiver of her phone, nodding every so often. Returning my gaze to my set of notes, I decided I'd waited for long enough.

"Uncle Adom?"

"I take it that your father hasn't told you has he, son?"

"No- no! If you could just help us by tel-"

"Us?" Adom ground out.

"Mother and I-"

"He hasn't even told his wife?"

"We have no idea as to his whereabouts, but I don't even know if he'll be in the right frame of mind to explain-"

"Alright, alright, slow down, my boy. I'll tell you what I can. I'm aware this is no business of mine, but seeing the trouble that Essien has left you in, there's not much else to be done."

Once more, I glanced at my mother. She stared at me, eyes wide and eyebrows raised. With a smile of relief, I gave her a thumbs up.

"Roughly three months ago," Adom started, "Your father got mixed up in a bit of a spat, so to speak. No doubt, it would've been brushed under the rug, had it not involved the president's son, Clark Benson."

"What started it?"

"Somebody from your father's group of friends had accused Clark of causing some trouble abroad in New Henson a year ago. Some sort of debauchery. They claimed your father knew about it, and- immortals forbid -was involved in some of it."

But what had that got to do with me?

"But he didn't, of course," I pressed.

"No, he did not. I saw him again at The Crown Prince's birthday celebrations a month later, and the whole thing had blown over by then. He seemed a little shaken, but he still had that spirit of his."

"Does anyone else know about this?"

"That big mouth Reagan didn't get to spread his hot air very far. As far as I'm aware, only a few people know. I guess you have Clark to be grateful to for that."

"Okay, I understand. Thank you for your time, Uncle."

"Take care, Jacob."

My fingers latched onto my pencil, and I scribbled down the last of the information. Finished, I turned to find Mother staring at me. Both of us stood up at the same time, but she came over to me, sitting on the small chair to the other side of the phone.

"Who was that, Manu?"

"It was Adom Tracy, the economic officer at our embassy in Anglia. Did you get anything useful out of anyone?"

"Not really, but I know that you did." For the first time in hours, Mother offered me a smile. "Let's have a look."

I handed her my sheet of notes.

"Sorry, it's a bit hard to read."

She gazed over the last of the words and folded the paper up. "No worries. Very well done, my dear." Placing it back down, she then exhaled. I fiddled with the cuff of my sleeve.  There was a brief moment's pause.

I licked my lips. "There's got to be more to it than this."

"My thoughts exactly."

*

Discussion: Have any of you readers been curious about Jack's dealings during his time back home? Now that we get to see what he's been up to, what are you first impressions from this chapter, and how might he solve things with his father once and for all?

Feel free to comment and vote if you enjoyed this chapter!