Chapter Seven

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When you feel burdened with all there is to do, reassess your priorities. Then, do the most important things first, and leave the rest for later.
Maria Fontaine.

It was now exactly five weeks since that Sunday and everything was going pretty smooth between Jaden and Sylvia. He had accompanied her to shopping malls, swam with her again, and had painted with her. Or better still, she had painted with him because he was the one who had taught her how to. He played golf with Ben and Wayne on weekends and also shopped with Ashley too or Ms. Humphrey.
Now it was a Saturday and Sylvia was out with Ashley to assist with the business. It was around three in the afternoon and Jaden was in his room. He had his earphones on as he listened to music.
Suddenly, his phone rang. He took off his earphones and looked at the ID of the caller. It was unknown. He contemplated answering it for a while before finally answering the call.
“Hello?” the caller asked. It was a woman.
“Yes, who is this?”
“Is this Jaden Ludascott, please?”
“Yes.” His gut tightened as he now suspected something was wrong.
“Mr. Jaden Ludascott, this is Lily Stevens, your father’s secretary. You are needed home urgently, say like in three weeks at most.”
“Why? What’s wrong?”
“Um... I can’t say exactly what’s wrong on the phone.”
“Just tell me.”
There was no reply.
“Who said to call me?”
“Your mum.”
“If you’re not going to tell me whatever is wrong, I wouldn’t come.”
“Wait, please! Um... your dad is currently in the hospital. He was admitted recently for his heart condition and you’re expected to take over the business.”
Jaden swallowed. Sick? Was this a kind of trick to get him to come home or what? He wondered. His dad was never sick. And what the hell was wrong with his heart? Oh, drat.
“Uh... okay. I’ll be there in two or three week’s time.”
“Okay. Just call this number when you’re ready to come and we’ll send someone to pick you up.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
“Bye.”
The call ended and Jaden threw the phone on the bed. What was the meaning of this? He wanted to return home to meet everybody hale and hearty, not sick of a heart illness. He buried his face in his palms and cursed silently. Maybe his dad had been worrying a lot about him and that had caused him stress. Or maybe, the business had been stressing him lately. And instead of Jaden to have been there to ease off the load, he had been wasting the time stupidly.
He had known as he grew up that he was going to inherit his dad’s business, but after schooling in the U.S. he had suddenly wanted to go into music. He remembered vividly the day he had told his dad that he was not going to involve himself in the business yet. His dad had been angry, very angry, but as time went on it had died down. He left home and travelled back to U.S. and stopped talking about his roots so people wouldn’t know he was the son of Chris Ludascott.
He picked up his phone to call Keith. He answered after the first ring.
“Hey. Wazzup man,” Keith said from the other end, obviously in a good mood.
Jaden grinned in spite of news he just received. “I’m OK.”
“Long time, my bro.”
“You’re crazy, man. We talked just last month.”
Keith laughed. “Last month is a long time, Jade. Since when did you become this clueless?”
Jaden chuckled. Keith never changed.
“So, how’s your job going?”
“It still is good.”
“And how’s the ice princess?”
“She’s okay. We’re getting along better now. I even told her about my family.”
“Why?”
“One of her friends kind of found out. So, I just came out clean.”
Keith sighed. “You screwed up.”
“She was too pretty for me to continue lying to her.”
Keith smiled. “You’re still attracted to her?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
“I can see what’s happening,” he said, mimicking Timon and Pumbaa in the famous Lion King in a sing–song voice.
“What?”
“And you don’t have a clue.”
Jaden laughed. “Stop it, man.”
“Someone has to tell you,"he said."You’ll fall in love and here’s the bottom line, our duo is down to one.”
“It’s not going that way for sure.”
“Yeah, that’s what you’ll say.”
“Keith.”
“Yeah, Jade.”
“Stop it.”
“Okay, but when it happens don’t say I didn’t say it.” Jaden smiled. “So, what’s wrong?”
If it was someone else, Jaden would have denied that something was bothering him. But he couldn’t tell that to Keith. First of all, there was no way Keith was going to fall for ‘it’s nothing’. And second, he already knew there was something bothering Jaden so there was no need him denying it.
“My dad’s secretary called.”
“What did she say?”
“That my dad was admitted in the hospital for a heart illness and I’m needed at home, mainly for the business’ sake.”
“Drat! A heart illness?”
“That was what she said.”
Keith puffed out a breath. “So, when are you going home?”
“Either next two weeks or next three weeks.”
Keith nodded although Jaden couldn’t see him. “That’s okay. But it’d be better if you went earlier than that.”
“Yeah.”
Keith understood that tone perfectly well. Jaden would have a hard time leaving.
“Don’t worry; I’ll join you in prayers so you wouldn’t come home with a broken heart.”
“You’re a definition of madness,” Jaden smiled.
“You were always my teacher.”
Jaden grinned. “Shut up.”
“Alright.”
“When will you be going back?”
Keith had travelled for business. “Friday.”
“Okay. I’ll just call my mum today.”
“That’s good. Just call me when you decide when you’re going home.”
“Okay. I’m hanging up.”
“Yeah, just don’t love her too much.”
“You’re nuts.”
Keith grinned and ended the call. He hoped Jaden would handle the business better than his dad. He just hoped so.


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