“The forks should be on the left, Waxlyn. Have you not been listening to anything I have been saying?” Dogara yelled as she arranged the cutlery herself.
Waxlyn merely rolled her eyes. “I have, I just chose to ignore. Seriously, grandma, why do we have to be the ones setting up dinner? We have servants for that!”
“Well, those servants are currently on Christmas break. Now if you would stop being so naughty and help me, the sooner this would be over with.”
“Why are you in such a hurry anyways? A normal dinner takes place in the evening. It’s just four o’clock, and that’s three hours before seven!” Waxlyn cried out.
“Today’s different, Waxlyn. Also, today’s dinner will be quite long, and since I wouldn’t want to ruin anyone’s evening plans, I have decided that dinner would take place at this hour,” Dogara explained.
“Will grandfather be dining with us?” Waxlyn asked as she arranged the chairs.
“Why do you ask?” Dogara asked as she set the plates evenly. There was a lot to eat for sure.
“He wasn’t here for lunch. I just wanna know if he would be around for dinner,” Waxlyn replied.
“I don’t know, Waxlyn,” Dogara said with a sigh. “Your grandfather didn’t disclose his plans for the day with me.”
“Oh okay. Guess I’ll just have to ask him tomorrow.”
Dogara was curious. “Ask him what?”
“If my great grandmother would be home for the holidays.”
“Nemada, of course.”
“Why?”
“Wow, Ogra. I didn’t know you could be this curious.”
“Zikur.”
Dogara exhaled sharply before turning to Zikur. He was dressed casually, his shirt and ripped jeans outlining his muscles and arms. She swallowed swiftly. She didn’t think he would stick around for the celebration. She had hoped he would disappear the moment she had replied to Novgorod’s letters.
“Zikur…”, she whispered, a little pale.
“The one and only,” he said with a grin. But she knew better. There was nothing good about his smile. “Waxlyn, do me a favor and go tell your uncles that it’s time for dinner.”
Waxlyn hopped away, leaving Dogara alone with Zikur.
“What are you doing here?” Dogara asked curtly.
“I just want to know one thing, Ogra. Why?”
“Huh?”
“Oh, don’t act dumb. I believed in you. You used me in the past and I let you use me again just for our son, and yet you chose to betray me.”
“I read the letters, Zikur. I replied to them.”
He laughed. It was bitter. “Replied? Replied to what exactly? Our son, your son wrote you letters saying how much he loves you and misses you, but what do you do in return? You went ahead to tell him how much you hate him and never wish to see him!”
Dogara rolled her eyes. “You asked me to express my deepest feelings, and I did. It’s not my problem if it doesn’t suit your taste.”
Zikur shoved his hands in his pockets to avoid slapping her. There could only be one lady beater, and it sure as hell couldn’t be him. “You will write another reply to those letters, one that my son would like to hear.”
“And if I don’t?” Dogara asked.
“Trust me, you don’t wanna know.”
She raised a brow.
“Are you threatening my wife, Zikur?”
“Thjis.”
Dogara exhaled sharply before turning to Thjis. He was dressed casually, his shirt and ripped jeans outlining his muscles and arms. She swallowed swiftly. She didn’t think he would stick around for the celebration. She had hoped he would disappear the moment she had replied to Novgorod’s letters.
“Zikur…”, she whispered, a little pale.
“The one and only,” he said with a grin. But she knew better. There was nothing good about his smile. “Waxlyn, do me a favor and go tell your uncles that it’s time for dinner.”
Waxlyn hopped away, leaving Dogara alone with Zikur.
“What are you doing here?” Dogara asked curtly.
“I just want to know one thing, Ogra. Why?”
“Huh?”
“Oh, don’t act dumb. I believed in you. You used me in the past and I let you use me again just for our son, and yet you chose to betray me.”
“I read the letters, Zikur. I replied to them.”
He laughed. It was bitter. “Replied? Replied to what exactly? Our son, your son wrote you letters saying how much he loves you and misses you, but what do you do in return? You went ahead to tell him how much you hate him and never wish to see him!”
Dogara rolled her eyes. “You asked me to express my deepest feelings, and I did. It’s not my problem if it doesn’t suit your taste.”
Zikur shoved his hands in his pockets to avoid slapping her. There could only be one lady beater, and it sure as hell couldn’t be him. “You will write another reply to those letters, one that my son would like to hear.”
“And if I don’t?” Dogara asked.
“Trust me, you don’t wanna know.”
She raised a brow.
“Are you threatening my wife, Zikur?”
Thjis.
Dogara swallowed and took a step back, eyeing her husband. “Oh dear, had he heard?”
“I didn’t hear anything, dearie, except the treat, of course,” Thjis said to Dogara, and his words reassured her, only a little.
“I wasn’t threatening your wife, your majesty. I was just…” Thjis cut in. “Letting her know that you’re still available if she’s down for a quick fuck? Look, Zikur, I don’t care if you’ve laid with my wife in the past, but the past is the past, and I would be a fool to let the past repeat itself. Is that clear?” Thjis asked, authority lacing his tone.
Zikur only disappeared. Thjis then turned to Dogara. Swallowing hard, she took a step back.
Thisjis, I…”
“Is it true?”
“Huh?”
“Is it true that you have a son, Dogara?”
So he did hear. She should have known better than to believe him.
She laughed sheepishly. “Not just a son but sons. Twelve in number.”
Thjis’s face hardened. “Don’t play with me, Dogara. It’s bad enough that I’m upset from my meeting earlier today, so don’t make matters worse. Do you have a son for Zikur?”
She looked away. “I wouldn’t actually call him a…”
He grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. “Do you have a son for Zikur?” he asked, punctuating each word.
“Yes.”
“And I’m just knowing this now.”
“I was going to tell you, Thjis. I swear. I was afraid that…”
He cut her off. “You were right to be afraid because I won’t spare you, neither will I spare your bastard child. I took you in as my wife, introduced you to luxury, and this is how you repay me? You know what? We’ll continue this conversation later. Now, straighten up and join me for dinner. Our sons would be here soon.”
A tear rolled down Dogara’s cheek. She didn’t want to converse later because later might involve his fists.
“Thjis, I’m sorry.”
“An apology wouldn’t erase what you have done, Dogara. Now, straighten up and join me for dinner. Our sons would be here soon.”
Dogara did as she was told, and the moment she sat down beside Thjis, Ruarc walked in, sporting a white shirt and beach shorts.
“Hello, mother and father,” he greeted. “How did your meeting go?” Ruarc asked as he took his seat.
“Great,” Thjis responded. “I’ll tell you all about it after dinner. I thought your wives would be joining us.”
“I thought so too, but it appears that they have ditched me for shopping.”
“That’s all they ever do, those wives of yours. Throw our money around on the streets,” Thjis sneered.
“At least it’s for a good cause,” Ruarc defended.
“Where are your brothers?”
“We’re here,” Eleanor announced as he strolled in, his brothers all in tow. They all took their seats.
“Cocci, how are you feeling?” Dogara asked with great concern.
“Great,” Cocci replied.
“Thane, where’s your daughter?” Thjis asked.
“I’m here,” Waxlyn announced cheerily as she walked into the dining room before taking her seat. “Great to see you, grandpa. We’ve got so much to talk about. And oh, nobody should bother with Yale. He won’t be joining us.”
“And why is that?” Sia asked as he poured himself a glass of wine.
“I don’t know. He just won’t be joining us. Neither would Eloive,” Waxlyn replied.
Thane turned to her. “You don’t know where they are, do you?”
“Does it matter? Look, I came here to have dinner, not to be interrogated. So, if you could stop questioning me, I would be glad,” Waxlyn replied haughtily.
“Waxlyn, that is no way to speak to your father!”
“Apologize now!” Dogara yelled.
Waxlyn scowled. “I would rather eat shit!”
With that, she rose and walked out of the dining room.
“What’s with everyone and being rude today? I mean its Christmas Eve, and you all are just acting anyhow,” Dogara stated.
“We are acting anyhow?” Sia asked, disbelief lacing his tone. “Mother, you are the one who insisted we have dinner early!”
“That was just so I could know if you guys were set for tomorrow!” she cried out.
“Set as in, you want to know if we’ve memorized what to say and how to behave?” Massa asked. “I think we’ve got that covered, mother.”
“I just want everything to be perfect,” Dogara cried out.
“And that’s the problem! Everything cannot be perfect, mother, especially when we are not perfect beings! You’re pushing us too hard, mother. Every time there’s an event, you command utmost perfection, and we are tired of giving you something we don’t have! So, if you could please, just let us rest this season, we would really appreciate it. And don’t worry, tomorrow would go on as planned, given we already know what to say and how to behave,” Ruarc stated.
Dogara looked close to tears. “I’m so sorry.”
“An apology won’t fix things, mother. It won’t change the fact that you have invaded our privacy with your rules and lines, barely giving us the space, we so desperately need,” Thane explained.
“I’m sorry, but the last time I gave you guys space, Ruarc ended up married to barren women, Izal lost his arm, Eleanor and Elvis their babies, and Massa his humanity! So, forgive me for trying so hard to protect my family!” Dogara yelled.
“If you want forgiveness, you’ve got to earn it,” Ruarc spat as he stood up. “I’m done here. Merry Christmas, mother and father, and my darling brothers, but I won’t sit around and listen to this woman blabber!”
Thjis turned to his sons after Ruarc left. “Anyone else wanna leave?”
Silence.
“So, you’re staying. Dogara dear, say the grace. Hopefully, the Lord God won’t reject your prayers.”
For a split second, Dogara hoped he would.