Chapter 6: Victorio Alvares Villaflor III – My cool grandfather

“I’ll go in and check on her. Henry dear, don’t be grumpy all right. Be kind to her, she isn’t yet familiar with your sudden mood swings. Plus, she is not yet accustomed to her new life as Zam. She needs a lot of time to adjust. Don’t scare her away Henry or she might think of leaving us. Think of the poor Ma’am and Sir.” I hear a woman’s voice.

It is not my mother and she has called Henry by name so that must be Nanny Dolores. I see the doorknob turns and the door starting to open. The two are surprised upon seeing me standing there waiting for them to open the door.

“Oh dear Lord, dear you frightened me!” Nanny Dolores said as she rubs her chest while I just smile at them.

Henry is just standing there like a statue and it pissed me off. This man is really an A and he is like the type of man I like to kick on their groins to give a lesson they won’t forget.

“Good morning, is there something you want from me?” I casually said trying to sound as if I didn’t hear anything. Pft that jerk’s face really pisses me off.

“Oh good morning dear, I see you are already up this early. Well! Henry, I’ll leave her to your care. Take good care of her okay. Be easy on her and… be kind.” Nanny Dolores said as she smiles and taps his shoulder and left.

“Let’s get going, your first lesson will start now.” He said looking disinterested at me as he turns to walk down the stairs.

His face shows me how he doesn’t care about my presence there. I walk faster to reach him and walk beside him. When he didn’t even give me a glance as if I don’t exist I block his path taking him by surprise. I smile at him sweetly placing both my hands on my back before I use it to slap this freaking A.

“Good morning to you Henry. Don’t worry I’m a fast learner; I WON’T take much of your time. Just so you know, I don’t need a teacher.... especially if it is YOU.” I said then my sweet smile changes into a serious scary smirk.

I spin around and walk ahead of him down the stairs. I really want to strangle him and bury him alive. Only if I could, if only I am not thinking of my real parents I would have done it.

“What a freaking A hole.” I utter making sure he heard it. If he wants attitude? I can give it to him ten times fold.

“What an arrogant jerk!” I even said making sure he heard my rumbling and cursing of him.

If he thinks I will be the damsel, ignorant, stupid, kind, soft, and meek province girl or Cinderella girl he is expecting, he is so WRONG. As I said, I am not like any of those fairy tale shits characters we usually see or watch. I grow up being a fighter and my brothers taught me well. Expect me to be a rebel and a fighter.

My days went so tiring, my lessons are too easy. The problem IS my ever so moody and emotionless teacher. He doesn’t give good feedback that is encouraging, he screams when I do wrong. Come on, he is teaching ME how to pick a bulk of ripe grapes from the vines like hello... that’s too easy. We are now in the grape plantation as Henry is teaching me things. It is actually easy but his cold and annoying voice I so hated to keep on bothering my concentration so I keep on making a mistake.

“You’re hopeless. This is getting so irritating. Did no one ever teach you to handle a sensitive object?” He yells after I mistakenly pull one bulk of ripe grapes and some of the pieces drop and some were crushed into my grasp.

What can I do when someone keeps on talking and talking behind me? What he said made me lose my temper. He really is challenging my patience. This is like our 4^th lesson since we started, all those times the only words I heard are offensive words and yelling from him. I drop the whole bulk of grape that I am holding into the basket and face him; my face is now emotionless and pissed.

“Oh right! Why don’t you just SHUT UP and stop yelling at me! Who are you, my mother? You are even worse than a menopausal woman. I can’t put up with your rotten personality. You want to really know who Anna is. I’ll show you JERK.” I screamed on his face making him froze as he looks at my face stunned.

I look around and I see that all the workers stop what they are doing and look at us. I look up to the vines and see this perfect ripe bulk of grape. I slowly pluck it and it is now safely in my hands, I pulled Henry’s hand still angry and pissed then force the bulk of ripe grapes into his hand.

“Happy now! God, you’re so rude and cold. Who do you think you are to say those words to me? If you don’t like me being here, just say so and stop yelling! Why do people like you even exist? How arrogant and self-absorb you are.” I said out of anger and frustration before I spin around leaving him still stunned.

“What a freaking A. Who does he think he is? Am I his maid, his puppet, his slave, his……? HIS SO ANNOYING!” I scream as I march away from that place.

I walk away from there and when I see that I am now alone I drop to the ground. I start to fan my face and calm myself; I take my cellphone in the pocket of my pant and dialed the number of the one person who can alter my rage right now.

“Hey, Anna what’s up? You didn’t text me after a few days about what happened. Did you head back to your province?” Rose’s voice starts to calm my burning anger and annoyance; I admit that I can be an Amazon woman like what Rose calls me but what can I do? I can’t tolerate hateful attitudes and maltreatments.

“Ahmmnn sort of – yah sorry. I am in a nightmare here you know. I miss there, school, you, and the others.” I said as I look around the vineyard.

It is such a beautiful yard. It is as if I am in the Garden of Eden. We talked for almost an hour, somehow I am now laughing. When I end the call, I stand and look up at the hanging grapes. I hear my stomach starting to rumble so I sigh and start to head back to the mansion.

“How can I live here in peace if someone like Henry is bothering me? Why do I feel that something bigger than Henry is coming? I can do it; I can act as Zam even without anyone teaching me how. I am great at pretending anyway.”

I really can’t imagine living as Zarianne and living here, though for the sake of my ‘real’ parents I will try even if it’s like pretending. I walk towards the gate and the guard opens it as he bows at me with a sweet welcoming smile.

“Welcome back, Milady.” He utters and I just nod.

These all need getting used to. I just smile and greeted him back making him flinch as if surprised but smiled again. When I am now in front of the door, I am stunned when it automatically opens when I am about to push the door.

“Welcome back, Milady.” A maid who is now bowing at me appears and welcomed me back.

I am still uneasy about this all but I just suck it all up. I ask her where my parents are and she said that they are in the kitchen waiting for me. I sigh before I ask if Henry is there but the maid said no. Knowing that it made me feel a little better; facing him now is not really good for me. I might burst into anger once again. When I enter the door I see the maids lined in two lines like in the movies when a princess arrives all the servants will line by the side of the carpet. They are all bowed and their hands are interlaced right in front of their stomach.

“Welcome back, Milady.” They said in unison.

“Ahmmnn please – ahhh fine. Thank you; please go back to what you were doing. You don’t need to do this.” I said as I walk towards the kitchen feeling really weird about what is going on in this place.

I stop walking when I hear some amused voices. My mother is telling my father how my lesson with Henry went.

“Henry finally found his match. Zam really surprised him right there making him unable to say anything.” my mother laughs as I stop there for a while to listen; I hope I didn’t upset them or anything.

“Henry is at the wrong most of the time for being unable to control his temper. He is a good kid but with his coldness and seriousness, people are scared of him. All of the servants and the workers here are scared of him. No one even bothers to talk back to him. This is going to be a great shock to Henry, for the first time, someone gives him a piece of their mind. By the way, where is our Zam? Nana, it is already past 12 can you look for her.” I heard my father said with his worried voice.

With a sigh of relief, I slowly walk in, and when they see me, a smile forms on their faces. A maid pulls me into a chair so I walk there and sit. We are eating when a weird sound is heard outside making us all stop eating and listen to find out what is it. I look at my mom’s face to see her puzzled face.

“Alvic is that a helicopter?” my mother asks as my father’s face turns pale.

What is going on? Is this trouble? Oh no, I hope not.

“Don’t tell me.” My father said when the sound stops and after a few moments, we hear someone enter the door.

“Welcome Master!” the servants said in unison.

We all stand and walk out of the kitchen to see who arrived. All of the servants are lined like what they did when I entered. They are bowed as a man wearing sunglasses and wearing formal clothes starts to walk in like a king, men wearing black suits and a white earpiece is on their left ears follows him in. They stop just in front of us as silence and coldness are felt in the air.

“So Alvic, Leliana this is SHE.” He said as he seriously looks at me, though I can’t see his eyes because of those dark sunglasses and his hands are on his back.

I know that he is the one Beth is talking about, the father of my father, my grandfather. I feel like the air around us becomes unbearable as I wait for the moment of truth. Is he a strict, cold, and heartless grandfather like those in the movies and novels I read or not?

“Yes, sir this is our Zarianne Andrea Marlile. What are you doing here sir?” my father said coldly to the man in front of me making me feel nervous even more.

If my father treats him like this... then it means that my grandfather is not so likable.

“Zam finally, she – looks – f.....” he starts to quiver and take off his sunglass throwing it behind him as the men behind him caught it and place it into his pocket.

I am taken by surprise when he suddenly pulls me into a tight hug and he starts to cry like a child.

“Sir, you’re going to crush her. Now that you see her you may leave.” I am puzzled to hear what my father said but when I look at him he smiles, the look on his face is not like those in the movies rather he looks so happy as he looks at us while my grandfather is hugging me tightly.

“That hurts so much, look how they are treating your poor grandfather Zam. After the troubles I went through taking good care of them they treated me like an old fool.” He said now crying heavily making me smile feeling this eerie feeling and look at my parents.

Somehow, this grandfather of mine made me feel really welcomed. He didn’t ask anything or look at me from head to toe BUT instead, he hugged me really tight as if he misses me more than my parents did.

“Oh stop the drama, sir. Let her go before she dies of suffocation.” my father said and the old man cries even harder.

“Dear, I think that’s too much.” I heard my mother whisper.

“It’s okay dear.” my father whispers back.

“Hello dad, how was your fast trip coming all the way here from Canada?” my father said changing his tone as my grandfather let me go and his face got serious but his soft expression is still there.

I just watch as my father hugs my grandfather before my mom did the same.

“Pretty fast, I came as soon as I can upon hearing that you found my lovely beautiful granddaughter. I might stay here long so she can get to know me well too.” My grandfather said as he smiles and looks at me.

He pulls me again into a wide hug and when he let me go one of the men behind him handed him a handkerchief that he uses to wipe his eyes and his face. We all return back to the kitchen, the old man’s arm is still on my shoulders. He sits beside me at the table and we continue to eat after the maids laid another plate in front of my grandfather. My grandpa starts asking questions about me.

“We need to conduct a global party. The world needs to see my granddaughter. Your friends and relatives will be happy to see her.” my grandfather said taking me by surprise. The idea of it is like a cat is scratching its claws into my mind.

“Happy? I don’t think so, dad. The party can wait besides; Zam needs to learn before she will face those mocking relatives of ours. They will surely push her harder to be out of the picture.” my father said.

Upon hearing that, I start to feel so nervous. Many images from the movies I watch relating to my situation keep on appearing in my mind. I already have the feeling that our relatives are not so nice and they might be some people who look down on others. I might have a big problem with that.

“Alvic are you trying to say that they will want her dead?” my grandfather said in disbelief.

“Money’s temptation father, if the inheritance is at risk. We can never be too trusting.” my mother said and my grandfather just nod.

“We will talk this all through with Zam later. She needs to understand and be well prepared. She needs to learn now how to protect herself and her place into the Villaflor state.” My grandfather said and I just take a deep breath.

I can’t believe that I survived 1 month living here. My parents, the maids, the servants, and my grandfather are never been a problem to me. They are all nice and always understand me when I sometimes make mistakes. Henry on the other hand is another story. All our lessons are full of yelling and quarrel. We never became friends because of Henry’s attitudes and coldness. The way he treats me and looks at me is really degrading. I really feel like having a menopausal step-mother who yells at me every time.

“Tsk somehow... I am getting tired of this fighting. Can he at least realize that his attitudes are the problem as to why we are not getting anywhere in this lesson?” I sigh in frustration as I look up at the sky.

I wonder, what will happen to me next? Will I face something scarier than knowing I am adopted and that my real parents are rich? Why do I feel that my heart is beating so fast every time I think of meeting those relatives my parents are talking about? Somehow, I feel danger approaching.