Elize's email informing him that they won’t be coming over for Christmas anymore because they had to go to Taku’s uncle's mansion for a family reunion had decided the issue for him. So Elize-like to send an email instead of calling. It irritated him how, when there are serious issues to be discussed, she always retreated behind that thin façade of professionalism, but when she needed help with anything she would be knocking at your door without even calling first to check if you are free. He had smelled a conspiracy. This sudden turn of events had Alleta’s dirty little hands written all over it. She had obviously used every old trick in her book from emotional blackmail and guilt-tripping to threats and bargaining even begging to get their daughter to change her Christmas plans. If she thought he was going to take this laying down she had another thing coming. He had called her immediately, but the call went straight to voicemail. If he had not taken the Audi to the garage for one of those mandatory services he would have driven the twenty-five kilometre journey to Witbank just to let her know his mind. He hated the courtesy cars which always have one or two things off with them and since the last car they had given him had almost led to a near-accident due to faulty brakes his skepticism had soared. The Toyota they had given him this time around had no air conditioning and although it had been too early to worry about the heat, the return journey would have been uncomfortable. Besides he hated driving on the old Middleburg road at that time of the day when truckers owned the single-laned ‘highway’. The thought of being greeted at the door by the pompous Taku, hinting that he had won again, further dampened his resolve.
He had reluctantly dialed Alleta’s number. He was about to drop the call when his evidently drowsy estranged wife had answered.
“This better be good, Tim,” she had said curtly.
“Did you really have to drag poor Emily into this?” he had retorted in a shrill voice. His inability to control his anger had irritated him. He knew that Emily was grimacing at the other end holding the phone at arm’s length.
“What are you talking about,” she had sounded genuinely confused. “Drag her into what exactly?”
“Don’t you dare act dump on me…” Attempts to act ‘calm, cool and collected’ were obviously not working.
“You are acting like it,” she had chuckled under her breath. “I’m going to hang up now if…”
“Don’t! Please don’t,” he had softened his tone, almost pleading. “I just received an email…”
“So that’s what this is about…”
“You bet…” taken aback he had asked: “How do you know about the email, my dear?’
‘It’s because I received the same email, idiot. And don’t call me that.’
‘It was worth a try.’
“So you think I told her to cancel the trip,” she had seemed genuinely hurt. “Why in the world would I do that? Remember you were supposed to have them over for Christmas and I was supposed to have them for the rest of the days.”
“Then they are not coming to you…?”
“Don’t be silly?” she had screamed. “Next time call your daughter first before …”
“Her phone is going straight to voicemail.”
“It shows you didn’t understand the email at all. Typical,” her tone had been mocking. “And next time look at your watch before calling, Timothy.”
“I’m sorry…” but she had hung up on him. Tim wonder why she always got the last word in, and the last laugh too. He had been getting the short end of the stick a bit more than she did. No wonder …
He had glanced at the vintage wall clock as he had walked back to the sparely furnished bedroom, 4:30 a.m. He had clicked his laptop and the email had reappeared on the screen. There at the bottom, Emily had provided an alternative cellphone number complete with an explanation of how she had been robbed of her cellphone and that she had not done the sim swop yet which would ensure she keeps the same number. He had immediately dialed the new number, too late to heed Sharon’s advice. She had answered on the second ring.
“Dad.” Unlike her mother, she had been wide awake. Was Taku giving her sleepless nights again with his late nights and driving under the influence?
“Hi Elizee,” he had been uncertain how to proceed.
“I guess you saw my email,” she had whispered as if afraid to wake someone up.
“I did,” he had wished he had not called. It had been uncomfortable for both of them. “Did I wake you up?” he had asked for lack of something better to say.
“Not at all. We are preparing for the trip to Jo’burg. We want to start early. It’s quite a hike, you know.” It had all sounded like a well-rehearsed piece. Something a nervous actress auditioning for an important role would say.
“You could have saved yourself the long trip…”
“No dad, don’t even go there…”
“It’s just that it feels like I’m losing you too…you know after all… you know …”
“I know, and I’m sorry dad. I really am,” she had paused momentarily as if talking to someone else. There had been the all too familiar sound of a flushing toilet and running water. Tim had waited, only hearing muffled sounds from the other side. “Dad, this is something important to Taku and his family. You know, how his uncle recommended for the promotion. And he is travelling all the way from China and all that.”
“You know what, never mind,” he had said irritably. “I always knew this boy was not good for you.”
“Not you too, dad,” she had been upset. ”A dressing down from one parent is enough for the festive season. I need a blessing. Mother called last night … it didn’t end pretty. She was pissed…”
“She did?”
“…and said I’m taking your side. Can you believe that? Imagine.” There had been no acting about this.
“But it was kinda short notice…”
“Just like you and mama separating, right?” she was getting worked up now.
“That’s different…”
“You know what? It actually made things easy for me.” There had been some more muffled sounds in the background. “Will talk again, dad. I gotta go.”
“Say hi to Chelsea and Gerald.”
“Jeremy, dad, and Taku?” there had been that fleshy sound of a kiss on the cheek. Obviously, Taku had been listening in on the conversation again.
“Him too.” He had said grudgingly.
“Chao.”
The line had gone dad in his hands.
“Jeremy, Jeremy. I don’t get to see them enough, that’s the problem,’ he had muttered to Alleta’s cat that had leaped onto the bed. She will be coming for it. No, she will be coming for everything.
