CHAPTER 3: A MESSAGE FROM HELL.

　　“I’ve missed you dad.” It was the last thing on Sonia’s mind as she braced herself to meet her father.

　　A tear tickled down her cheek, a tear that she felt had no right to be there at the happiest moment of her life.

　　“Why did you delay?” She asked as they sat opposite each other.

　　“Like I said, I thought I wouldn’t make it at the first place. But we’re here, right?”

　　“ How have you been, and every one else?” She started.

　　“ We’ve been great, what about you?” He asked back.

　　She nodded her head. “Good too. Though, I’ve got a lot challenges but, thankfully I’m working on it.”

　　“Challenges like what?” He asked.

　　She shrugged her shoulders. “ Many of them I can’t explain. The contracts, costumers being so annoying sometimes and some other stiffs..” she sighed. “ I don’t know how to explain them.”

　　“ You’re working on it, right?”

　　“ Yeah, I am.”

　　A waitress approached them with a menu book. Sonia read through it, ordering for two meat pies and an ice cream while Richard ordered for two burgers only.

　　“What about the enterprise, how is it going?” She asked back.

　　“Great.”

　　“I wish we can have this time together some other time. You know, I’ve never gotten the chance to look at your face since I was little. Plus now we all are business men and women, it’s a lot difficult to have each other’s time. But I just hope that one day, we can have such a time like this together.”

　　The waitress appeared with their ordered food, dropping it in the table before them. “Have a nice night.” She smiled and they both returned the smile.

　　“ I’m sorry I haven’t been there for you when you needed me. I haven’t been a good father to either of you. I can’t promise I will make it up but I can try, especially for you.”

　　“ Thank you.” She forced a smile on her face.

　　“ How is John by the way? “

　　“ He called this afternoon, I believe he’s doing good out there.” She licked her ice cream with the meat pie in her mouth.

　　“ So, how is the preparations going?” He asked.

　　“He’s working on it. But for the meantime, he’s trying hard to shift every schedules for next week to the upper one. I guess that’s when he’ll be returning to Florida for a talk with you and mom.”

　　“ That’s a progress, I’d say.” He ate a piece of his burger, wiping off the cream stain with his hand towel.

　　“Mind for an ice cream?” She asked.

　　“No, thanks, I’m okay with this.” He refused.

　　She took a spoon of her ice cream, pointing it to his mouth. “ No one refuses my offer.”

　　He opened his mouth and she drops the spoon of ice cream into it. She laughed at how he licked it, pointing another spoon at him.

　　“Have some more.” She ended up feeding him half of the ice cream, then licking the remaining.

　　“You’re funny.” He laughed.

　　“I took that from you.”

　　As they walked up Park Avenue, they were both discussing over some business matters and found themselves on Sixty-eighth Street before their conversation came to an end.

　　“Whew! It’s been a long walk.” Sonia sighed, holding her knees.

　　“Never had a long walk like this before?” He teased.

　　“Nah, you know I can never walk even if I want to. I’ve got about three cars to do the job.” They laughed. “ So, we’re gonna head back on foot?”

　　“You want us to?”

　　“Nah, I’m fu*king out of oxygen right now.”

　　“ I’ve got a lot with me, we can share. “

　　“ Thanks, but I think you should reserve yours for next time. “ She stopped a taxi. “ Take us to Sparrow Restaurant.” They hopped in.

　　The drive back to the restaurant was a brief but quiet one. Richard’s phone rang, it was his wife calling.

　　He picked the call, placing it on his right ear. “Hello, sweetheart, where are you?” She asked.

　　“ I’m in a taxi with Sonia, “ he answered. “ Is there a problem?”

　　“ How is my baby girl doing?” She asked from the other side of the line.

　　He looked at Sonia who was was now staring outside the window, her head rested on the dashboard of the door.

　　“She’s doing good.” He replied.

　　“I hope the dinner went well? “

　　“ Yeah, it did.”

　　“ I’m happy.” She sighed. “ Well, did you see the message?” She asked.

　　“What message? “ Sonia rose her head from the door, staring at him.

　　“ The message from hell. I think everyone has gotten the message already, check your inbox now. “ He cuts the call, checking on his message inbox.

　　“ Dad, is there a problem?” She asked, concerned.

　　Mr Richard was silent, his gaze still on his cell phone. “Dad, did something happen?” She asked again, sounding more worried.

　　He looked at her, “ It’s a message from hell. I think you should check your inbox too.”

　　Quickly, she unlocked her password, clicking on the message icon. Just then a message beeped in.

　　She clicked on the message, reading through the four letters; ?THE MASTER RETURNS TONIGHT. ?

　　She returned her gaze back to her father, “So, what now?” She asked.

　　“As soon as we drop off at the restaurant, we’re heading home. Master won’t be happy to hear we aren’t ready before his return.”

　　When they reached Sparrow Restaurant, they hopped into Mr Richard’s car, zooming off.

　　As they got home, there were other cars parked both in and outside the garage.

　　“You think they all got the message too?” She asked as soon as the car came to a halt.

　　“ Yeah. The devil doesn’t joke with his time.”

　　They quickly went upstairs to the sitting room where everyone sat, patiently waiting for them.

　　There was a brief jubilation the moment Sonia stepped inside, like a prodigal daughter welcomed back home.

　　“Oh, I have missed you so much.” Her mother cried in her arms. “It’s been months, Sonia.”

　　“I’ve missed you too, mama. I’m glad I came.” She kissed her cheek. “ I saw the message, you sure Master will be coming tonight?” She asked.

　　“ Certainly. The last time we got his message, he came an hour later. We aren’t sure of what he is up to, but we’ve got to wait for it.”

　　She exchanged smiles with her siblings, and likewise her little cousins who weren’t actually part of the meeting.

　　They all gathered at the dinning table, while the little kids played at the sitting room.

　　The room was quiet. Seconds turned minutes, minutes to hours yet the devil haven’t showed up yet.

　　Sonia was beginning to fear the master’s visit won’t be a good one. The last time he did visit, then she was eight, she can’t even remember how he looked like.

　　All she did know is that he is the devil, the fallen angel the bible did tell us about.

　　But according to those who had seen him facially, he wasn’t just as his name sounds, he was indeed an angel heaven once knew him for.

　　According to her mom, he was the most handsome male earth can ever recognize. And if she wasn’t married then, she would have fallen for his beauty.

　　To Sonia, they were all superstitious stories to praise the fact that he was their Master.

　　An hour turned to two, then three. Some of them were already feeling sleepy, likewise Sonia. Her eyes was growing heavy every minute she blinked.

　　“It’s close to 12 midnight, we have to wait a little longer, who knows if Master will show up.” Said Mr Richard.

　　Sonia fought so hard with the sleep which has already clouded her eyes. She took the menthol gum from her small purse, chewing on it.

　　“I’m not so sure Master will come tonight, I think we all should get some sleep now. There’s a lot to do tomorrow.” Mrs Sotomayor suggested.

　　“ That’s right. “Mr Richard added.

　　Just exactly what Sonia has been waiting for.

　　“Least I forget,” Abel, Mr Richard’s younger brother said, drawing every one’s attention to himself. “I’ll be lunching my new company by tomorrow at 12 noon. I’ll be honoured if you all attend to it. “

　　“ Who would want to miss such a great party? “Bella, Sonia’s elder sister said. “ We all are coming, Uncle Abel. That’s a promise.”

　　“ Thank you.”

　　While they all returned to their room, Williams, Abel’s first son pointed to the center seat of the dinning table. It was always reserved for the Master, and no one has ever sat on it.

　　“Dad! Dad, there’s someone sitting on the master’s favourite seat.”

　　Everyone moved their gaze to the chair, but there was no one sitting on the chair.

　　“Williams, not now. We don’t play pranks at the middle of the night.” His mother warned.

　　“ I saw him. He’s putting on a black cloth.” He described but no one listened to him.

　　Williams always played prank on people, so it was difficult to tell when he was saying the truth.

　　“I know what I saw.” He murmured, walking beside his mother.

　　Everyone had gone ahead, Sonia stood back, staring at the Master’s chair.

　　“If it truly was the Master Williams saw, why didn’t he show up physically?” she thought to herself, and left to her room.

　　To Be Continued…

　　SEX WITH THE DEVIL