007

... FIVE YEARS LATER…

OSWALD Dino Escobar stood by the French window in the semi-dark room, gazing out over the quiet surroundings. In one hand, he held a glass tumbler, slowly sipping his wine as his mind drifted.

For five long years, he had been away from home, away from family, away from his parents, away from the world of business, away from anything and anyone that could distract him or stop him from mourning his Sophia. Five solid years of self-imposed exile.

How the companies were faring, he neither knew nor cared to know. The state of his parents’ well-being wasn’t even in the last lines of his concerns. To him, as long as they had the audacity, the sheer nerve, to destroy the only soul he had truly loved, their fate meant nothing to him.

In all these years, no one had been able to find him. No one even knew where he had disappeared to. He had done everything possible to keep himself hidden and besides, he had left behind a stern warning that they should never come looking for him.

Yet, back in his home country, anticipation was building. Everyone seemed to be waiting for his return. The media discussed it relentlessly, the business world couldn’t stop speculating. His name had become a headline, a topic, a mystery people were eager to see solved.

And now… was he ready to go back? The answer was yes, but not as the man they remembered. He was not returning as the easy-going, warm-spirited Oswald they once knew. No. He was going back as a different man, a darker man, changed for the worse.

Sophia’s death had reshaped him into something else entirely and he couldn’t wait to unleash the anger he had carried all these years on whoever dared to be his next target.

He turned slowly away from the window and walked into the inner room.

***

The Grimes family had woken up that morning in high spirits, going about their daily chores with cheerful energy. It was a busy morning; everyone was working at full speed, everyone except little King, the youngest member of the household.

Father was repairing the bathroom door, Mother was in the kitchen preparing breakfast, Kate was doing the dishes, Orlanda was busy with the laundry, and Ken was under the kitchen sink fixing a leak.

But little King, just five years old, sat with his schoolwork in front of him. Despite his age, he was remarkably sharp, a true whiz kid, his brilliance shining like that of a ten-year-old.

Whenever he got stuck on a problem, he would first take his book to Kate, his eldest sister. Sometimes she would scold him for disturbing her or simply wave him away. Disheartened, he would then turn to his older brother Ken, who would glance at the work and, more often than not, direct him to Orlanda.

It was Orlanda, the second eldest sister who would take the time to sit with him, explain things clearly, and help him understand. She adored him, not just because he was the baby of the house, but also because she had a special fondness for gifted children.

That morning, everyone except Orlanda eventually finished their chores. The laundry she was tackling was no small task, clothes from the entire family accumulated over the week. With no washing machine and, even if they had one, no electricity to power it, everything was done by hand. Their parents were doing their best to make ends meet, but life was far from easy.

As Orlanda scrubbed away, Kate appeared in the garden carrying another pile of clothes. She dropped them onto the growing heap beside her.

"Thanks, sis. Just a few more to go," Kate said with a quick wink.

She smiled faintly and walked away, and Orlanda simply continued. The work didn’t bother her; it was part of her usual routine.

Soon after, Mr. Grimes stepped into the garden carrying his favourite white plastic chair and his small portable radio. He made his way to a shaded spot beneath the single large umbrella tree and settled in.

Switching on the radio, he carefully turned the dial until he found his preferred station. A program was already in progress, and he leaned forward, holding the radio close to his ear to catch every word.

🎬🎬: “Woah, I still can’t believe Oswald Dino is back, my gee!”