The forgotten groom

Chapter 5

The next day

I wake up feeling thirsty and get up to look for water. I always wake up thirsty. Was it just me or what?
That's when I realize that I'm not home. A heavy feeling lodges in my chest but I try to shake it off. I have to make the best of this situation.
Finish school and maybe get a farm or something.
The only silver lining about the whole situation is that I'm free at least for now from grandfather's influence.
Maybe I could sneak a visit with my mother even. The prospect lightens up my heart.
I hurry downstairs to the kitchen and get water. Then I remember Nik. I wonder where he is! I try looking around but I'm not so familiar with the house.
I decide to go back upstairs to take a shower. By the time I return, the table has been set up for breakfast but I still don't see Nik anywhere.

Then his family come down and seat at the table. Quite surprisingly, they seem more welcoming today. They greet me and join me at the table.

"Where is Nik?" I ask
As soon as I ask, they all fidget at the table, no one looking me in the eye and giving me an answer.
I look at them puzzled.

"Uhmmm..mm....Nik" his mothers tries to say

They all look at each other and resolve to tell me the truth. His father clears his throat.

"Nik went back to Harvard" he says quietly and they all look at me apologetically.

"Okay" I say continuing to eat my breakfast.

At this point, nothing could disappoint  me anymore, really.

"Okay?" They ask

"Yeah,Nik is at school, fine, I'm going to school soon too" I tell them

"What Nik has done is not right! You are married,its his responsibility to be here for you" his father says

"We are sorry for freezing you out, it all happened so fast" his mother says

"Sorry" his sister says

I look at them all and just shrug while they look at me like I'm supposed to say its fine and absolve them of all their guilt!
They should have been welcoming! Let them stew....
I just continue and finish my breakfast, what am I supposed to say? After making me feel bad yesterday I'm supposed to roll over and do what?

"Max..." His mother tries to say

"I'm going to visit my mother" I tell them and walk head held high out of there.

I look my mother up and find her, I go visit her and its been so long. She's not that strong but you can see the fire in her eyes. She hugs me heartily and we chat for hours.

One year later

Nik....

A whole year! Its been a year since my marriage. I haven't been home in all that time and I haven't seen Max since that night. I got regular updates about him and that was it.
I know he goes to school and visits his mother.
I know he doesn't really spend time with my family, he keeps to himself and visits Adeline.

I finally reach home and my parents welcome me.
I look around but Max is nowhere to be found.

"Where is Max?" I ask my parents

"He left yesterday, he went to take care of his mother" they say

I nod and keep quiet. This was going to be a long holiday.

When three months pass and he's not yet back, I call and he tells me he wants to spend as much time as he can with his mother. She wasn't doing well and he wanted to be there for her.

A few months later

Max

Unfortunately, my mother passed on. But she passed on with me by her side. She deserved some rest and I'm glad for the time I got to spend with her.

Nik was there at the funeral but I barely spoke to him. It was all such a blur and a hard time for everyone. Nik's family was there and so was grandfather... Really!!

She explained to me that the key was for a safety deposit box and she left some things there for me.
A while after her death, I go to the bank to see what my mother kept in the safety deposit box.
I finally get the box open and my eyes light up when I see the contents!

It was the deed to a farm house and she had left it to me. The farm was called the silver phoenix.
I think things were finally falling into place.
I've always wanted a place of my own that I could keep animals and plants.

When Nik goes back to school, I pack my things and go the farm house. It was delightful.
With open an rolling compound, a beautiful three bedroomed house, a kitchen bathroom, living room and the best part was the paddocks behind the house.

The first taste of freedom from grandfather's clutches. I breathe a sigh of relief.
Nik's family tried to cajole me to stay but I told them I had to go to college anyway and leaving now was better.
I wanted to study veterinary medicine and that was that!
Grandfather railed and cursed me for not doing a business course or something so that I could join the family business but there is nothing he could do.
My father had my college money sorted already and I could study whatever I wanted with the generous some he left me.

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