Change of plans

Grandma Jojo had outdone herself. The food she sprawled on the table was eligible to be called a feast. The entire evening, she stayed glued to Fredrick like an obsessed lover, and for the first time, Avery noticed a cheerful look on Fredrick’s grumpy face. Nei-nei was definitely the way to his heart, Avery thought.

If Avery was impressed by the grandiose nature of the mansion, she was doing a good job hiding it, one thing had surely caught her attention- the portrait on the wall! It was a portrait of the younger Nei-nei and Fredrick, he looked about eight in the picture. This peaked Avery’s curiosity, “has it always been the two of them?” She looked around stealthily anticipating another portrait or a photograph of some other people in the house.

“Is something wrong, darling?” Fredrick called out, startling Avery and distracting her from her contemplations.

“Not at all” Avery said as she shot her million dollar smile at him.

“Freddie, it seems you really like this one” Nei-nei said. Oh if only she knew!

“I do nei-nei, I love her” Fredrick replied without thinking. Avery and Nei-nei beamed with surprise, Avery was more surprised than anyone else at how the lie rolled off smoothly.

“How long have you been together?”

“ten months” Avery said exchanging a look with Fredrick.

“Oh Freddie, that’s such a long time! How could you keep this from me?”

“I’m sorry, Nei-nei”

“Avery what do you think of Freddie? Is he good to you?” Grandma Jojo asked, her expression changed to a more serious tone.

“He’s the best, Nei-nei” Avery said.

The atmosphere gradually became chilly and tensed. Avery could sense the hesitation in Grandma Jojo’s tone but it seemed quite serious.

“Has he told you about his parents?” Nei-nei asked.

“That’s not necessary Nei-nei”

“She needs to know Fredrick”

Avery glanced at his face, he looked vulnerable and naked, whatever it was about his parents, it was obvious he didn’t want Avery to know but unfortunately, this only peaked Avery’s curiosity.

“Nei-nei, I’ll tell her when the time is right.” Fredrick tried to argue.

“His dad, my son, died when he was born” Grandma Jojo said painfully.

“He never met him.” She continued

“And when he was two, his mother abandoned him in a baby cot right in front of my house and we never heard from her again.”

Fredrick buried his face in his palms, his breathing was heavy and unsteady.

“Freddie?” Avery called out, not knowing why she suddenly felt the need to console him. She went over to him and held him in a hug, after a while, Fredrick recovered from his opened wounds and took a sip of water.

“Thank you” he muttered.

“What do you think about getting married?” Grandma Jojo said.

“Huh?!” Avery and Fredrick exclaimed simultaneously.

“I think you both should get married.”

“But Nei-nei, I’m not ready”

“You look very ready to me” Nei-nei replied.

Avery sat staring blankly at the plate of rhizomes in front of her. Their one night of pretense was slowly developing into a complicated affair.

She listened on as Fredrick tried to explain why he couldn’t get married so soon.

“I have cancer!” Grandma Jojo announced. She suddenly broke down in tears.

In a shaky and wobbly voice, she said “please Freddie, I want to die knowing there’s someone by your side. Avery is a good girl and you know my instincts never lie”

Fredrick was lost for what seemed like forever. He stared at Nei-nei in shock and disbelief. Avery on the other hand was destabilized. She had agreed to this fake relationship because she needed the money, having to lie to a dying woman was another thing she couldn’t do. There and then, she thought about coming out with the truth.

“When did you find out Nei-nei?” Fredrick said, bringing Avery from her thoughts

“Two days ago.”

“It is stage three Leukemia, Doctor Brian said I have less than three months to live“

Fredrick covered his palm on his face and cried bitterly. He cried for the only person who was his father and mother, his heart broke at the thought of never having Nei-nei by his side.

“Nei-nei, we have something to tell you” Avery said in a weak voice.

Fredrick immediately shot her a death stare as if he knew just what Avery was about to say.

His expression hardened abruptly. He couldn’t have it, he couldn’t bear the mere thought of disappointing Nei-nei, especially at this moment.

“Grandma, we will do it.” Fredrick announced, his core shaking with determination.

“We will get married, for your sake.”

The dinner swiftly came to an end, Avery hugged Grandma Jojo as she whispered “he loves you, I can see it”

How blind was this old woman? Avery wondered but she couldn’t find the voice to speak the truth so she held it in and smiled back. After their goodbyes, Fredrick hopped into the car where Avery was already waiting. He was quiet for a while, yet his face showed he was brewing with mixed emotions. He looked broken, angry and everything in between.

“Fredrick, you weren’t serious about the marriage thing in there, were you?”

“Ten million dollars…” Fredrick blurted.

“Marry me for a year, I’ll like to honor my grandmother’s last wish. I want her to die happy. She has raised me for thirty years, I couldn’t refuse her this one thing even if I wanted to. She’s my all. You need the money, don’t you? It will only be marriage on paper for a year.” Fredrick sounded like a crazy person but the seriousness on his face showed he was not kidding.

Avery stared at him in awful surprise, yet the idea didn’t seem entirely horrifying. With ten million dollars, her whole life would change forever, she would go to Medical School like she has always wanted, she could take care of Adrian, she could move to a better place and a year wasn’t that long anyway. After all, if she wanted to save up from the tips, it would take her three more years to save up enough for just tuition. The quiet drive from Grandma Jojo’s to Maingate finally come to an end.

“I’ll do it” Avery said, her voice was weak and feeble but she was certain.

Fredrick looked relieved when she agreed to his crazy idea but of course, it was a good deal.

“Let’s go over the contract tomorrow.”