Angelo went to his balcony and sat on a rattan chair with comfortable cushions. He dialled a number on his phone, and after a few rings, the call was picked up.
"Brother you called, that is rare." The voice sounded cheery and with a tone of curiosity. Usually, his brother only calls him when there is something important.
"Mom wanted me to call you."
"What does she want?"
"You need to come home within this week."
"Uh… I can't brother. You know I'm busy with my work." It was obvious that he was making up excuses and Angelo noticed it. He knows him like the back of his hand.
"I know you are done with your work there. You've stayed in there for over six months already."
"Well, I did, but I haven't explored the entirety of Africa yet. It will take time."
"I understand your love for exploration, but don't you care about your camera collections?"
"My what?! Please don't tell me that my babies are all gone." Hearing what his older brother just said, he felt like his soul had just flown out of his body. His camera collections are the culmination of his hard work, money, and passion. They are his beloved babies.
Now that Angelo told his brother about their mom's threat, it is guaranteed that his brother has no choice but to come home. "They are still fine.. for now. Come home, if you don't want your 'babies' to die."
"Can you possibly negotiate with mom? At least give me one more week?" His brother requested. He is trying to negotiate more time.
"I can't. You know how mom will always do what she said she will do. She never breaks her promises."
"But..."
"It seems to me that you don't care anymore for your camera collections. Go ahead then. Stay there for as long as you want. Don't come back home this week, if that is what you want. I'm sure mom wouldn't be mad with you." Angelo tried reverse psychology on his brother.
"Sigh... Fine."
It seems that his tactic worked. Angelo can hear the reluctance in his brother's voice, but he can't do anything. Their mom is a force to be feared with. "You inform mom yourself that you are going home."
"Ugh... brother you are too heartless. Can't you feel a little bit of sympathy for your dear brother here? At least just call mom, instead of me. Boohoo.." Angelo's brother faked-cried, trying to get sympathy from his cold older brother. He was afraid to call their mom because he would for sure be reprimanded. His ears would be abused by his mom's nagging and complaints.
"I was just tasked to call you."
" (T ^ T) "
"That fake crying won't work on me."
"Why so hard-hearted? Are you even my brother?"
"I am."
"Tsk." He resigned to his fate. All he needs to do is prepare for the fight of his life - a battle with his mom. Well, more like getting beat up one-sidedly.
"Call her. Take care of yourself, and good luck." Angelo could only say some sort of encouragement to his brother.
"Thanks for your lack-lustre encouragement, brother. By the way brother, are you still single? Any news of a possible sister-in-law? Don't tell me you are still single. You are getting old you know." Like mother, like son, thought Angelo.
"None. Don't be a pot calling the kettle black."
"Just so you know, even though I am single right now, I have dated romantically before. Not someone I know, nothing. Nada. Zero. Tsk..tsk.. are you possibly gay brother?" Angelo's brother amusedly asked. It is payback for being the bringer of bad news.
"Do you want me to smash your camera collections before mom has the chance to do it? Hmm?" Angelo wasn't affected by his brother's taunting. He just wanted to frighten him more. Well, you can call it a payback too. Who says a dignified president couldn't be petty?
"Oh come on brother! I was just kidding. Hehehe.." Angelo's brother nervously laughed.
"Come home this week, if you still wanted to see your 'babies.' I'm hanging up."
"Got it. See you brother."
Having ended the call, Angelo couldn't help but admit that he did kind of miss his brother. Well, not that he would admit it loudly to his brother. Angelo doesn't want his brother getting smug and bigheaded now, are we?
After the call, Angelo went to bed.
Meanwhile, at a well-known seafood restaurant, the trio is busy chatting with each other. They are done eating but decided to stay for a bit to digest their food. Usually, they wouldn't stay for long if the restaurant is full, because they felt that they need to be considerate of the people who are waiting for a free table. But since the restaurant wasn't that packed and there is no waiting line, they stayed for a bit.
King, who just got back from the washroom, was a tad embarrassed when Anne saw that his zipper is open halfway.
'The gall of her to laugh out loud' King glared at Anne.
"Anne, can you stop laughing for the love of all things beautiful?" King irritatedly asked Anne.
"Pfft.. hahaha… I'm sorry. Pfft...I'm not laughing at you… Pfft.." Anne was having a hard time formulating her sentences in between her laughs.
"Then tell me what are you laughing about, before I smack your pretty little head? Hmm?" King looked at the woman having a laughing seizure on his face. A nerve on his temple pulsated and bulged out, indicating his anger that is being suppressed.
After calming down from laughing too much, Anne looked at Maya. "Remember that time when I told you about meeting Mr. Fly?"
Maya thought for a bit before remembering that day. "Yeah. I remember. You were smiling and laughing in the car. You wouldn't even tell me who Mr. Fly is. No details, whatsoever."
"Mr. Fly? Who is that?" King can't help but get curious.
"You two know that I didn't get that fast food chain deal, right?"
The two nodded. They don't know where she is going with that.
"I was a bit mad because of the unfairness, so I slipped away from them. I really like their fried chicken - it was so crispy and juicy. Oh, their special spicy one is to die for. I still go there every now and then you know. Can't really stay mad at their crispy chicken, their good food doesn't really equate to those bad people that I met that day." Anne's eyes are currently glistening like stars, imagining that she is eating their fried chicken.
"Ehem. We know you're a foodie. Can you get back to what we are talking about?" King said followed by Maya nodding.
"Ehrm... So, anyways...I was walking down the hallway when I met this handsome man."
King and Maya's ears perked upon hearing the word 'handsome man.' They looked at Anne with their eyes gleaming with interest.
"He is tall, with broad shoulders and a voice so pleasant to the ears."
The two saw the reminiscing enraptured look on Anne's face. They can't help but get more and more interested.
"His fly is open."
The two were caught off guard. They thought about a lot of things that could have happened, but not that. Now they know why she's laughing.
"Soooo… have you seen his package down there? Was it big or not?" King suddenly asked. Anne and Maya's faces turned red.
"What are you even asking?" Maya got irritated by King's bluntness. She was embarrassed. The restaurant wasn't packed, but there are still people inside that could hear them. She just wanted to hide.
Anne on the other hand, felt her cheeks heat up. Now that King has asked, she began to remember that moment more in detail. Her face getting redder than before.
Seeing Anne's red face. King could only assume that the hunk is endowed. 'Hehe look at these two' thought King in amusement. "So he is big," King stated with certainty.
"I didn't see anything ok?" Anne glared at King with irritation and embarrassment. She really didn't.... tsk. She can feel her cheeks getting hotter and glared at King again.
"Suuure." King doesn't believe her.
"King this conversation is over. Can you please zip your mouth shut right now? There are people in the restaurant. It is embarrassing." Maya couldn't help but glare at King.
"Ok. Hehehe… I guess we are done here." King was grinning as if to taunt Anne.
Anne sighed and felt relieved that King wouldn't grill her more for details. She is regretting it now, why did she even tell them about that incident? It feels like King is taking his revenge on her for laughing out loud a while ago.
The trio went home after the whole embarrassing incident.
Back at Angelo's villa, the continuous sneezing of our dear president can be heard throughout his bedroom. He thought that he might have caught the flu.
What our president didn't know is that he was the topic of a certain trio.