OUNCE OF FREEDOM

As the city skyline appeared visibly clearer in the fading fog, so did Evania’s relentless thirst for Marcus's freedom. Her zeal to meet Thomas’ associate drove her punctuality to its peak. She's already at Wendy's, a small coffee shop by the road, sipping her usual latte as she scrolled through her phone as early as seven a.m.

The young man arrived later on, dressed in a sleek white cotton shirt and black fitted trousers. His hair fell back and his broad chest stretched the cotton shirt to its limit. He looked around the balcony where a few green umbrellas harboured the coffee drinkers, his eyes searched the entire place then finally landed on Evania, the radiant and friendly look prompted him to approach without hesitation.

“Glad to finally meet, I'm Graham Foster.” He said, sitting on the other end of the black vanished wooden table.

“You know who I am, so I'll just be straight…” She responded, throwing her phone back in her handbag and taking her final sip before covering the cup with a folded pile of soviets___“How exactly do you plan on helping me save my brother?” She asked.

Graham stared at her, his sharp gaze tearing through her soul, then with a simple smile, he pulled out a blue striped envelope from his briefcase. He placed it on the table and made a gesture, as though sounding an order. “Have a look at this.” He commanded,___ “This is your only shot at ever seeing your brother again.”

Evania hestitated, looked at him for a second then forced her right hand into the envelope. She pulled out a document, and she stared obliviously at the piece of paper as Graham silently gazed at her confused face. His lips moved slightly with a smile but Evania became more furious and perplexed as her eyes scanned the paper.

“What's funny, what is this?” She asked, her voice growing louder.

“Well, that's an MOU. Thomas gave me that as our last shot at freeing Marcus.” Graham replied, in a more calm and humble tone.

“Where's this from?, what are you talking about.” Evania inquired again, as she read through the document.

“Mr. Starkov wants us to agree to those conditions before Marcus can get out.” Graham answered.

“Or what?” She reasoned.

“Or you pay a cash bail of five hundred thousand pounds.” Graham replied, his lips moving sideways.

“I'm not signing this memorandum, there's nothing understanding about these conditions,” She murmured.

“It's the only way, he promised to make it hard for your brother if he threatens anything about the casino or him.” Graham warned.

Evania shook her head in disbelief, as she returned the paper into the envelope. As frightening as the conditions were, the money needed for cash bail was simply unrealistic. “No way I can raise all this money, but I need to save Marcus.” She contemplated.

“Think about it, I'll need an answer before Friday though I suggest you sign the paper.”Graham revealed.

Evania watched the tall brown lawyer walk out of the shop, his image diminishing as he shut the car door and drove off. She fixed her gaze on him as the vehicle cruised past the balcony on the asphalt. 

Meanwhile, in the countryside just a few miles from Essex, the fierce tall blue eyed Jonathan had just arrived at his uncle's castle.  His wife, Charlotte, probably in her late thirties fell on his chest and hugged him tightly,as Geoffrey unloaded the items from the car. Jonathan could feel the cold natural scent filling the air with immense tranquility.

His Uncle Moses was in the garage, fixing his 1980 porsche when he heard voices approaching him. He stood firmly at the large entrance, holding a metallic hammer in his left hand and shook his nephew's hands with a tight manly grip

“Someone still remembers their roots, took you long enough, did it?” He asked, his deep growling voice complementing his tight grip.

“This apple didn't fall far enough from it's family tree, you know.” Jonathan said, his head nodding in agreement as they all laughed.

“Uncle Jona?” A young female voice called out, as she ran towards Jonathan who quickly picked her up effortlessly off the ground. It was little Diana, Moses's last born named after Princess Diana. 

After the greetings, Geoffrey and the ladies walked back inside the castle as Jonathan and his uncle took a ride in his red vintage ford convertible to his stable, a few meters from the castle. Jonathan stared at his uncle whose eyes were fixed on the road, the man noticed and raised his voice.

“You don't seem to feel this place anymore.” He suggested.

“Of course I do, I spent my whole childhood here.” Jonathan replied, as they approached the wooden structure.

“Ah! Then what bothers you my boy, does the old man haunt you too,” He asked, referring to his late father.

“Not really, It's mother actually, seems to be annoyed at anything that brings me peace,” He responded, as his uncle hit the brakes and parked the car next to a head of dried feed besides the stable.

“Is she meddling with your personal life?, because that's her speciality.” His uncle inquired.

“She wants me to get back with Yelena,”  Jonathan said, as they approached the two gentlemen tending to the horses.

“What? After all you've been through with her,” He asked, as he paused, for a moment before taking a step further.

“I guess that's why she convinced you to resume the sunday dinner.” Jonathan replied.

“So you're here to stop the occassion, are you?, you two are really something,” He teased, fixing his gaze on Jonathan who's throwing heaps of hay into the troughs.

Jonathan poured his last heap and sighed, he turned his gaze to his uncle who'd stepped back from the last cage in the stable, having cleared his throat and his left hand in his jean pocket, yawned and said to him____ “I'm here to free my soul, just an ounce of freedom for the weekend,”

The middle aged white haired man paused for a moment, his deep voice mixed with a tinge of curiosity echoed through the chiming and chewing of the horses.

“You're here to stop it.” He said.

“She wants me to come with her and pretend as if we're back together,” Jonathan responded, as they walked out with Joshua, one of the gentlemen at the stable.

“Why is she obsessed with her, can't she see past her sultry voice and sharp deceptive eyes,” Uncle Moses argued.

“She’s not willing to listen to any of that, I even met Yelena at one of Mark's freak offs,” Jonathan revealed.

“Imagine that! Anyway it's quite complicated right now, I mean Ivy is flying in, Catherine canceled her weekend trip, I mean i-its alot but I'll see what I can do,” His uncle stammered, fumbling over his words.

“Call them and tell them its canceled, I mean, there's always an excuse in such situations,” Jonathan suggested.

“I can't Jon, even you're late father wouldn't appro…” His uncle fumbled, nodding in disagreement.

“You will, I trust you. Anyway I have a meeting in ten, see you next week at dinner.” Jonathan said, parting him on the shoulder as he pulled the car door.

The two gentlemen sped off to the castle, not a word was said except a few uncomfortable glances at each other as the car tyres cruised through the gravel. Jonathan watched the sparrows flying aimlessly above the castle, free from any form of duty or responsibility. He was then struck by his own reality of being the eldest of his family's next generation, the sheer thought of his decisions impacting an entire generation troubled him so much that he envied the free birds