Jasper shifted uncomfortably in his office chair. He was confused on what to do. Sweat formed on his forehead from the sudden panic and anxiousness he experienced. The fact that things got out of hand suddenly without him having an idea got him annoyed. What bothered him most was receiving the call from someone he doesn’t even wish to see in years to come. The person who made his life a living hell.
He walked from a corner of his office to the other end anticipating Carl’s return. Earlier, Carl had offered to go out and check the situation and how worse it was.
The door to his office opened and Jasper raised his head eagerly expecting to see his best friend and partner. To his amazement, Jasmine ran to where he was crying.
“Not at this time. Why would she have to cry at this very moment?” he muttered inaudibly soothing her on her back.
“What is it princess?” he asked when he squatted in front of her. Jasmine held her father’s cheek asking him if it hurts.
“Why did you ask baby?” Jasper wanted to know what was going on in her mind.
“I heard them saying someone slapped you,” she said with a teary eye.
“That’s not true Jasmine, It’s just kiddies talk.”
“Don’t lie to me daddy, I watched it on the TV just now.”
“Damn it. How could I not think of it?. I should have told the guards not to allow her to watch TV, but as fate will have it, I didn’t even think of the idea.”
“Ok fine, I got slapped but don’t worry. It’s my fault, dad did something terrible.”
“That’s not true daddy. You’re always the best and will always be. Anyone who says you did something terrible wants me to send them to jail.” Jasmine said to her father and Jasper smiled forgetting about his problems for a moment. One reason he cherishes Jasmine so much was that she brought him joy at his saddest or most troubled moment. She was always there to make him laugh or smile.
“Jasmine, go get your things. We have to go somewhere,” he informed her.
“Where daddy?. We’ve done a lot of shopping today right?”
“We’re not going shopping baby. We’re going elsewhere, go get ready.” Jasper urged Jasmine and she reluctantly left for the playground to tidy up her play things while Jasper placed a call through to the nanny and told her to return home with Drake.
Jasper got into the elevator and texted Carl about his intent and where he was heading. Stepping down into the compound, the reporters swarm around him encircling him in their midst.
“What happened Mr Callaghan?. Who was the lady who slapped you?. What’s your relationship with her?. What we’re you doing at the hospital?.”
Several questions were thrown at Jasper who struggled to find his way out with the help of the company guards.
Safely, he got to the garage and entered his car slamming the door behind him.
“Please say something, Mr Callaghan.” the reporters pestered continuously till Jasper’s car drove out of sight.
“Why are they so many?. What do they want daddy?” Jasmine asked from the back seat. She had been led into the car before Jasper exited the elevator.
“Just irrelevant things baby, you don’t have to mind them.”
“Busybodies.” Jasmine snarled and looked out of the window. Jasper’s phone rang and he took a glance at it. It was Caitlyn. He hung up and continued driving. The call came again and he hung up again.
A third time, the phone rang and Jasmine picked it up. Before Jasper could say jack, she answered the call.
“Have you seen the news Jasp…?”
“Who is disturbing my daddy?. Who are you?. Don’t call him again okay?” she yelled into the mouthpiece and hung up. She dropped the phone back to where it was and frowned her face.
“Why did you do that?” Jasper asked glancing at his daughter through the front mirror as he drove along the road.
“They’re so annoying daddy,” she replied innocently making Jasper smile. Without a doubt, she thought the caller was one of the reporters they just left behind as it was not her first time seeing her father take such calls and Jasper didn’t bother to tell her who it was.
After an hour’s drive, Jasper’s car pulled up in front of a black gate which opened automatically after scanning the plate number of Jasper’s car.
“Grandpa’s house?” Jasmine gasped, her mouth wide open looking at the environment they just entered. The last time she was there was on her third birthday and she could hardly recall what the house looked like except for some features she inscribed in her brain by heart like the beautiful plum trees in the surrounding.
Jasper drove to the guest garage not too far from the gate. He alighted the car and Jasmine got down also, jumping around excitedly.
“You’re welcome sir, Mr Hanswort awaits you.” a lady said pointing out her hand in the air towards the direction Jasper was expected to go. She was dressed in a short black skirt that stopped exactly above her knees, with a girly sparkling white shirt and a pair of black flats.
Jasper nodded his head following silently behind the lady with Jasmine holding his hand tightly. After the not-too-long walk through a series of hallways, a beautiful quaint wide room came into view.
There were several sets of white furniture with silver decorations on them. The large chandelier hanging above on the ceiling was sure to be an Italian one.
Bronze-coloured antiques were placed at several points of the house. Jasper bowed his head lowly and greeted an elderly man seated on one of the chairs with his legs crossed on each other. A hot ceramic jade-like mug was on a wooden stool not far from him, steam lifting from it.
On a close observance of the house odour, the house smelled of freshly made tea. Sure, it came from the steam emitted from the mug on the stool.
The old man carried the mug swiftly by the handle and took some heavy sips from it.
“Good day father,” Jasper greeted making sure his tone sounded courteous and not rude. There was no answer as silence shrouded in.
“What’s good about the day?” the man snapped loudly and Jasmine flinched hiding behind Jasper. She held on tighter to his hand.
“I…..” Jasper trailed off trying to say something, probably make an excuse. His confidence cracked totally at that moment. His father-in-law…….
“….. what happened father?” he managed to ask. Though it was not his first time receiving such remarks from the man, he still wanted to know what the complaint would be at that time.
“What’s this?. Tell me, what’s all this?.” a few neatly folded newspapers were flung on the table in front of Jasper.
Jasper picked them up and checked them all, each had Jasper’s scandal as the hot topic on its front pages. Some read: ” The young Callaghan CEO cheating on his wife and seen with a girlfriend in the hospital.”
Jasper’s eyes widened and he clenched his fist trying to control his emotions.
“Why would you cheat on my daughter?. Tell me!.”
“With due respect father, I didn’t cheat on Cassandra. You can ask her yourself.”
“Really? Then listen to this.” The man played a recording loudly on his phone to Jasper’s hearing. It was a recording of Cassandra lamenting to her father about how she suffered so much in Jasper’s house.
“Mum?” Jasmine asked inwardly clearly listening to everything that was going on.
“Sir, this is not true. Perhaps she was just vexed at something for her to rant like that.”
The man stood up in front of Jasper holding his dark shining supporting stick.
“What do you mean my daughter is ranting?. You think telling her father about your misdeed is ranting?”
“Never sir, I don’t mean that. I…”
“Enough, I give you just three days to explain what truly happened to the media. Clean and clear!. Just three days to set things right.” the man yelled and began to cough loudly.
“Ok, sir. I’ll try to figure things out.” Jasper said and turned to leave after getting yelled at. He was not so pleased with the remarks, he had no choice but to take everything in for the sake of his parents who were friends with his father-in-law. Ever since Jasper got married to Cassandra, a slight mistake from him was always reflected on his parents by his father-in-law.
“Like father, like son. Ungrateful creatures.” Jasper heard behind him. He clenched his fist tighter and turned around to give the old man a reply but Jasmine circled his hand in her arms pouting her lips. If her grandma was there, she would have been happy for being there as she treated her far well than her mother and maternal grandfather does.
Angrily, he stormed out of the building. Jasmine stopped before entering the car and told Jasper she had to ease herself.
“Should I follow you?” Jasper asked not trusting the people in the environment they were in at that moment.
“No need daddy, I’ll be back in a few minutes.” she ran back to where she and her father had just left.
“What are you doing here?” Mr Hanswort asked Jasmine upon seeing her. His voice, stern and harsh.
“I came to see you.”
“What for?. Where’s that ungrateful father of yours?” he yelled and Jasmine giggled more or less like she was mocking him then changed her face to show full seriousness.
“Stop saying that grandpa. For your information, my daddy is the best. Whatever mummy told you is a lie. She’s the one that does everything….” she paused waiting for her grandpa to say something but he didn’t.
“…… I don’t care about whatever you do, but I want you to never shout at my daddy again. Never should you raise my voice at my daddy. He’s the best and I would protect him from you.” she said pointing her index finger at the grandpa.
“You!” Mr Hanswort wanted to hit her with his stick but stopped himself. After all, she was still his granddaughter. With that, Jasmine turned around and left swaying her short skirt behind her for her Grandpa to see.