Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

As Ryan drove up his driveway, almost expressionless as he usually is, his mind was a kaleidoscope of thoughts. His business and name has been under threat especially in recent years. He had inherited his father's large scale, world renowned brewery since he passed away about a decade ago. With his smarts, foresight and ruthlessness, Anderson breweries have attained higher heights than ever before; they are about to conquer the Eurasian front. But now a gap in his financial records had insinuated evidence of Tax fraud and money laundering. The board and the government have been on his back for the past two years. In the middle of this ,he's had to also deal with his divorce with Amelia and the almost total loss of his kids. 

His kids, that got it worse. They got to be caught up in all of this. Besides what's the point of the mansion and prestige if he can't...

"Hey daddy, is Ms Cynthia home?, I've missed her."

Joey's comment shook him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah Joey ...I call dibs on the first cookie out the tray"

"No fair June, I asked about her first"

"Well I called dibs," June stuck out her tongue to further drive home her point.

"Daddy, June's being annoying again."

Ryan looked at them through the rearview mirror. The excitement they still had when they got to spend time with him was all he seemed to have left and it had to be his most important treasure.

"It's ok, the two of you. I'll get Ms Cynthia to make enough cookies for all of you."

He looked at Danny who had been quiet on his juice box the whole trip.

"You'd like some too, right Danny?" Danny smiled and nodded in affirmation."

"Daddy what if we wanted a hundred cookies?"

"I'll get her to make two hundred"

" Promise?"

"I super promise, June."

As they got out of the car in front of the mansion, the resident chauffeur and Bruno, the butler came out to receive them.

"Hello sir"

"Hello Bruno"

The kids immediately ran in looking for Ms Cynthia. The chauffeur took the keys and drove the car away.

"You're unusually early sir?"

"Yeah I had to get the kids. Hope you got their rooms ready?"

"Yes sir."

"And the renovations?"

"Yes sir."

"And the surprises?"

"All ready and neatly wrapped sir."

"Good." Ryan made to walk inside and join the kids, but he felt like he was forgetting something.

"And uhmm... Is Cynthia around?"

"Uhmm...sorry sir, who?"

"What do you mean who? Cynthia, the head cook?"

The butler seemed a bit uncomfortable at this point.

"What is it Bruno?"

"Sir...uhmm.. your mother... She..."

"...fired her about a week ago." Ryan faintly remembered his mom calling him about a member of his house staff the last time she was here. He loved his mom, but she could be a bit eccentric and unnecessarily dramatic at times. He heaved a really deep sigh.

"Do you still have her contact info?"

"Yes sir."

"Please call her up, double her salary, give her a welcome back bonus and get her here now."

"We already hired a new cook sir."

"It doesn't matter, I don't care, just get her here." He said that with an air of finality and went in to join his kids.

....

Ryan sat in a little stool in the kids' room. It had gotten a little messy with gift wrappers, half eaten cookies and toys strewn everywhere. Normally he believes in responsibility and would have made them cleaned after themselves but now they were all asleep and he wouldn't bear to disturb them. In fact he could sit there and watch them all night long. But he had a call to make.

 He went to his room that was next door as he dialled the number on his phone. He prepared himself mentally for the conversation he would have to endure.

"Hello honey, how are you?", the voice was much too familiar than he would have liked.

"Hi mom, I'm ok. Hope you didn't miss your doctor's appointment again."

"Oh no ... I'll go tomorrow"

" Come on mom, Doctor Herman is a busy man, you'd be better keeping his appointments"

"Oh it doesn't matter, he'll make the time. Did you get my grandkids? Can I talk to them?"

"They're asleep right now."

"Oh okay, just tell them I'll be there immediately I'm back from Africa."

Ryan had to sit down with where the conversation seemed to be heading.

"Mom, I only have them for the weekend. They'll be back with their mother on Monday."

There was a bit of silence for a bit. A subtle storm followed at it's heels.

"Ryan, we talked about this. That woman can't ruin your life and then take your kids as well..."

"Mom, she didn't ruin my life."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that. You need to take your life into your hands, especially now. You can't let this single woman make you lose your focus. I always knew she wasn't good for you, but you never listen. You need to get your head straight...."

She kept at it for almost ten minutes. She commented on things like how Amelia married him for the family fortune to mundane things like her 'flawed' dress sense. And she could have kept going but Ryan couldn't take much more.

"Mom what about Dad's private records? Have you been able to get hold of Mr Clancy?"

"Oh yeah that. The man is quite difficult to find. I've got a couple people on the case."

"This is serious mom. I think you should be on it yourself. Those records could answer all the questions and I might not have to go to jail."

"Never say that Ryan. Never even insinuate it."

His mom's tone was now very serious.

"You will not spend a single night in any kind of confinement. I'm your mother. Trust me, I know exactly what I am doing, I know exactly what hangs in the balance. Nothing is gonna happen to you or the company, you hear me? Nothing."

"I hear you mom"

"Don't worry, I'll find Clancy and we'd get this all sorted in a hot minute, ok honey?"

There was a bit of static, his mom screamed something at someone in the background and went quiet.

"You okay mom?"

"I'm fine hon. I have to go now, I'll call you in about... Ten hours,  byeee!."

And the line went dead.

Ryan fell on his bed staring at the glass ceiling. He hadn't realized how tired he's been. His eyes got heavy almost instantly. He was still in his work clothes without his jacket and shoes. They should be somewhere in the mess in the kids room. It didn't matter much anyway. He soon drifted into a much needed sleep. His last thought was trying to determine the last time he slept good.