Chapter 07 The Bryant Family
CHICAGO, UNITED STATE OF AMERICA
TWO MONTHS LATER
RIA ROBERT HOMENôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.
“Ma’am Elise, can you please check out this drawing if the style came out correctly the way Mrs Belinda had explained it.” Ria requested as she sat blindly behind the desk designed for drawing purpose.
“Oh sure! Let me take a look.” Ma’am Elise came closer to Ria and collected the drawing pad from her to check the drawing.
“Wow Miss Ria! You got the dress so perfectly! You are so talented! Well I was expecting this much from you. I am sure Mrs Belinda would be so happy to see her dress.” Ma’am Elise giggled.
“Thank you ma’am Elise. I just hope she likes the dress.” Ria toyed with the pencil in her hand.
“So what’s next now?” Ma’am Elise asked as she dropped the notepad at the spot where she had taken it.
“We should get the materials for the dress and some other things that we don’t have anymore.” Ria answered.
“Okay.. okay.. that’s not a problem. I’ll contact the man at the store and send a list to him.” Ma’am Elise said.
Ria nodded her head in agreement. “Are you sure I got the drawing perfectly?” She placed her palms on the drawing pad and traced the lines she was seeing in her head.
“Actually the drawing came out the same way Mrs Belinda showed it to me on phone. I am serious when I said that you are so talented.” Ma’am Elise complimented even as she glanced down at the drawing again.
“Alright. This is good to go.” Ria heaved a sigh of relief.
“Oh! That reminds me I bumped into Mrs Helen at the store this morning!” Ma’am Elise snapped her fingers.
“Did she like the dress we delivered to her yesterday?” Ria demanded.
“Yes.. yes she liked it and she even said one of her friends liked it too. I remember her saying that her friend would like to have the same dress. Isn’t that amazing Miss Ria?!” Ma’am Elise coaxed in excitement.
“Of course it is amazing. I am glad she liked it and I just hope that she comes around with her friend.” Ria smiled.
“And also Sophie called me this morning and she promised to transfer the money for the dress she ordered last week.” Ma’am Elise added.
“Yeah. I think Phoebe already packaged it this-” Ria was interrupted by the beeping sound from the home phone.
“I will take that.” Ma’am Elise moved to the home phone while Ria paid attention to the drawing pad again.
“Hello. Yes.. yes.. this is Miss Ria Robert’s home.” Ma’am Elise confirmed before she screamed out. “What?! Okay! I’ll be right there!”
Ria became frightened when she sensed danger in the rest of the conversation. “Ma’am Elise what is going on? Who called?” She stood up abruptly from the stool and tried to be careful so she won’t knock it off at the same time.
Ma’am Elise moved back to the desk. “Actually Phoebe’s teacher just called.” She replied shakily.
“Is everything okay with my girl?” Ria asked as her heartbeat accelerated.
Ma’am Elise was quiet trying to find the right words to break whatever the news was to Ria. “Ma’am Elise are you there?” She clasped her almost sweaty hands together.
“OH yes.. yes.. yes.. it is just that Phoebe is at the hospital.” Ma’am Elise informed her.
“What?!” The pencil in her hand dropped. “What… what’s wrong with her?” Panic filled her almost immediately.
“I don’t know.. the teacher just said she fainted after lunch.” Ma’am Elise rushed out her words.
“Oh my God.. Phoebe.. we should go to the hospital right away to check on her.” Ria tried to move away from the spot but she heard a thud. She just knocked off the stool.
“Miss Ria, you have to calm down and-”
“I can’t calm down!” Ria yelled in an unusual tone.
Ma’am Elise was shocked by the sudden outburst but she still move closer to help Ria away from the desk.
Ria tried to relax. “I am sorry. Please let us just go to the hospital.” She didn’t mean to yell at ma’am Elise that way.
“Yes.. you are right.” Ma’am Elise replied.
“Please help me with my purse.” Ria requested.
“Okay.” Ma’am Elise rushed off to look for the purse and she found it on the couch. “This is it, miss Ria.”
“Thank you. But what about my walking stick?!”
“It is right here on the sewing machine.” Ma’am Elise grabbed it and gave it to Ria.
“Phoenix must have dropped it there.” Ria breathed out heavily as they exited the house to head to the hospital.
AINSLEY HOSPITAL
IN A PRIVATE WARD
Lauren Bryant placed her hands on her waist as her eyes watched her mother who was sitting on the bed with a roll of tissue in her hands. “Mom, will you stop crying and tell me what happened between you and dad again?” She said.
“Mom, you have to tell us what’s wrong? What did dad do to you?” Josie demanded but Mrs Perla didn’t give any response
“Mom, you know how busy I am… I can’t keep sitting here with you when I have loads of files to tend to and sign at the office.” Piper said in a harsh tone almost grumbling at the same time.
“You can leave if you want to… it is not like you care… none of you care about me anyways except for my son. You are just anxious to know what happened so you can support your dad again.” Mrs Perla replied finally after a minutes of silence.
“Mom, you know we love you so just tell us what transpired between you and your husband.” Lauren spoke up again.
“I am not going to say anything until my son arrives. You can all leave if you want!” Mrs Perla shot her daughters a glare.
Lauren and Josie sighed while Piper rolled her eyes. Some minutes clicked by and then Ian rushed into the room. “Mom!” He stopped to catch his breathe after he was sure that his mom was good.
Ian had drove all the way from his office after Josie called and said their mother collapsed at home “Oh mom!” He walked ahead to the bed and hugged her.
“My baby.” Mrs Perla began to cry over again.
“Oh mom please don’t cry.. just tell me what happened? Why did you collapse? What did dad do to you this time?” Ian questioned frantically.
Piper cleared her throat when she saw tears in her mother’s eyes. “She’s so dramatic.” She muttered.
“Show some sympathy, Piper.” Ian gritted signifying that she should play along with their mother’s drama.
“What sympathy? It is not as if she lost her husband.” Piper snorted.
“Whatever. But you ladies just keep taking sides in critical issues. I am sure it is all dad’s fault again.” Ian pulled away from the embrace.
“Don’t mind them son. None of them care about me but they only care about their dad.” Mrs Perla sniffed.
“We care about you mom.” Josie said.
“It is okay mom so please just tell me what’s wrong. Listen mom, if it is about dad having another mistress we can sort that out like we always do okay?” Lauren added.
Mrs Perla nodded. “Well I wish it was just about him having another mistress this time but it is way bigger than what you think.”
“Like what mom? Just go straight to the point.” Piper grumbled.
“Like I said earlier, you can leave if you can’t calm down and listen to me.” Mrs Perla directed that to Piper before facing her son.
“Tell me mom.” Ian gave her hand a small squeeze.
“Your dad’s new mistress is carrying his child.” Mrs Perla Bryant blurted out
“What?!” They all exclaimed with a shocking look on their faces.
“Are you serious mom?” Ian asked
The ladies exchanged glances when their mom began to cry again. “Yes.. yes and I am sure of it my son.” Mrs Perla sobbed
“Who is she?” Piper asked with a raised eyebrow. Their mom might be too dramatic but they all choose to believe her knowing that their dad was never a saint when it comes to women.
“Now you want to know? Why don’t you just go and ask that your father who is never satisfied with one woman or even two!” Mrs Perla fired back at her daughter.