Jason looked at Fred with his confused facial expressions, shrank his eyebrows, and asked, "Mark?"
Fred smiled and responded, "Yes, Mark. Mark is a 38 years old orphanage school teacher. He looks like a normal gentleman, a well-educated and well-honored teacher".
Jason looked at the table and nodded his head by grumbling, "Hmmm".
Fred suspiciously asked, "But why are you asking me about that. I mean why are you so suspicious about transgenders?"
Jason: "Fred, look I don't know whether it's convenient to tell you that...."
Fred (lifted his right eyebrow and sat comfortably by leaning back and folding his arms) suddenly interrupted Jason's words and said, "What? Don't you trust me?"
Jason got startled and said, "No, it's not like that I don't trust you. I mean I trust you. Of course, you are a brother to me. But uhhh this is an only secret that just Row and I know about and I don't know how to tell you. I mean I will be ashamed while telling for not telling you earlier".
Fred nodded and said, "Hmmm, I understand you. Tell me what's bothering you so much?"
Jason: "Yeah but you should promise me earlier that you'll not overreact to it".
Fred smiled and said warily: " Tell me, Jason".
Jason: "My...."
Suddenly the phone rang, Fred got a phone call from his elder sister (Camile), Fred gestured (to Jason) to wait.
Fred (on a phone call talking to his elder sister): "Hello sister... I'm with my friend...What? Right now?"
He stood up and started to pick up his stuff (Coat, Car keys, wallet, glasses, and phone).
Fred (on the phone call) said (In French): "What, where are you now? Ok, I'm coming, I'm coming."
He hung up the call by looking at Jason pitifully and claimed, " Sorry bro, My sister is here. She is at the airport, so I have to go".
Jason smiled and confessed, "No, No problem. You better don't make her keep waiting for you otherwise she'll definitely kill you".
Fred said, " Thanks for always understanding me, bye".
Jason reached home in the evening. He saw Rocella talking with his mom (Lauren) cheerfully. He passed a smile and headed to the lounge (where both of them were sitting and gossiping happily). He entered the lounge and said loudly, "Wow! what a pleasant eve is today?"
Lauren and Row looked at Jason and Lauren raised a question, "What fascinating happened today, son. You look happy".
Jason happily sat on the couch and ordered Raina to give him a glass of water.
(Raina was standing near the couch where Row and Lauren were sitting.)
Jason: " Mom, you know what? Today, I saw Rocella happy after approximately three or four months".
Lauren put her hand on Row's shoulder and scolded (Jason): "Come on, Jason. Don't tease my daughter".
Jason chuckled lightly and looked around (as if he was in search of his children) and mumbled, "Where are my children?"
Rocella passed a smile and said, "Kevin is playing in his room and Edina is sleeping in our room".
Jason nodded (as if he agreed).
They all are dinner together and Jason headed to his room to get some rest.
Rocella entered her room after settling her mother-in-law (Lauren) to sleep.
She saw Jason. He was sitting on the couch and doing the office work on his laptop.
When Jason looked at Row he shut down his laptop and put it on the side.
Jason: " Row, I'm happy today".
Rocella smiled and asked, "Why?"
Jason: "I'm happy to see you happy after so many months".
Rocella passed a smile and said, "Yes".
Jason: " How's the condition of Edina?"
Rocella: "She's good".
Jason said: " Today when I was sitting in the coffee shop with Fred, I got news on TV. That was about the crime. A harassment case of a transgender. You know the percentage of cases like this, is increasing day by day".
Row made a serious face and said: "Yes, Transgenders are not safe in this society".
Jason: " Edina is also a transgender, Row."
Rocella got furious and interrogated, "What do you mean?"
Jason: "I know, I mean Fred told me there is a transgender who is living like a normal gentleman, and he can better take care of a child like him. I mean if we..."
Rocella got furious and said: "If we give our child to him. Right? Is that what you mean? I am her mother. I can better take care of my child. You or your friend what's his name? Uhh.. yes Fred, You and Fred don't need to take care or think about my child. You know I'm very possessive about Edina".
Jason stood up and said, " You don't need to be furious. Row, It's not what you think. I just want to give our child a better future. You can't take good care of him and I also can't even protect our child from this evil society".
Row: "Society? Do you even know what is society? We are a society? You and I are also part of this society".
Jason tried to calm her (Row) down and said, " Look, Row I know you are very possessive and you love Edina. But she is not only your daughter. She is my daughter also".
Row started to cry (her tears burst out of her eyes) and said, "I don't know what are you saying. I can't even understand you".
Jason sat beside Row on the couch and said, "I have an idea".
Row: " What idea?"
Jason: "How about we give our child to its community (to the people like him) and they better know how to treat him/her. I can't even imagine it (abuse/harassment) to happen to our child.
Row: "But Jason, Edina is my love. I love her so much. I can't move her away from me moreover mommy (Lauren) and Kevin are deeply bound to her."
Jason: "So what do you want? Still, want to hide the reality from everyone and still want to lie to everyone even with yourself? Moreover, my mom kept her name, 'Edina."
Row: "You promised me earlier when I was crying while lying on the bed. You promised me to give him a better future and you also told me it's neither my fault nor yours to become the parents of the transgender."
Jason: "Look, I know. And I remember my promise it doesn't mean that I turned away from my words or I forgot that promise. I still remember that promise and every single word that I spoke to you earlier. And as far as for fault, I know it's not our fault but it's written by fate. Okay?"
Jason took a deep breath and continued his conversation: "I'm not telling you that it's your or our fault or not. I just want our child to get a bright future and trust me I met him. I met that person named, 'Mark'. He is a gentleman and a very honorable teacher in the orphanage school. It's not the better place for Edina to live here".
Row: "So kill her or kill me too. What about it? Just depart both of us".
Jason: "Shut up, Rocella. Why don't you understand? I have my reputation in society and the marketplace. What if someone in the society and marketplace knows the truth? Not just you and me, it would hurt this child also, when other people or some other kids avoid him. Just tell me wouldn't it hurt you too?"
Rocella got depressed and asked, "And what about the people who know her and who have seen her. What about Kevin and mommy?"
Jason took a deep breath and said, "I have a plan for that. Just leave Kevin home with mom and we'll tell my mom that we are going to have fun at the hill station for three days or pretend to go on a business trip and then we'll send her to mark. I know it's better to do right now."
Rocella didn't respond, lay on her bed, and pretended to fetch slept.
After a silence of a whole night, In the morning, Rocella told Jason that she is agreed.
Row: "I agree with you, Jason."
Jason got awake and said, "Oh! okay, we'll talk about it later on!"
Row: "But promise me, You'll never stop me from meeting her and visiting her".
Jason responded: "Okay. I promise".
After three hours, Jason called Fred and said, "Hey Fred, I wanna meet you."
He thought that Fred was a reliable person and he was the only one who can help him (Jason) in this matter.
***After some minutes***
Fred appeared at the Coffee shop where Jason was sitting and waved happily towards Jason but Jason didn't notice because Jason was looking on the floor and He looked depressed. Fred got ashamed and looked around the coffee shop and moved his hand down in the normal pose and pretended to smile (In an embarrassing manner). Fred came near to the seat (Where Jason was sitting and he looked like an extremely complicated person). He (Fred) waved his hand in front of Jason's face, and whispered, "Bro".
Jason suddenly looked at Fred and said, " Ah! You are here, what a relief!"
Fred shrank his eyebrows while sitting and raised a question, "Relief? You even distract my beauty sleep just to get relief from seeing me."
Jason again looked down (towards the floor) and Fred looked around the coffee shop and called (Gestured) a servant (who was standing near the counter).
The servant came near the table (where Fred and Jason were sitting). She asked, "Yes sir, What would you like to order?"
Fred looked at the servant and said, "We would like to order two Iced Americanos".
She nodded and wrote the order on the memo note and inquired, " Do you want anything else?"
Fred responded, "No, thank you."
Fred again looked at Jason. Jason was silent and still looking on the floor and he looked worried and unhappy about something as if something is bothering him".
Fred remained silent with Jason and noticed him.
They were sitting in the same seat where they were sitting before (some days ago).
They remain silent for more than 10 minutes (Just like they don't have any topic to talk about or Jason was plotting his words like why to speak or how, to tell the truth to Fred).
Finally, after the silence of more than 10 minutes, Fred eventually broke the silence and asked, "Man, Why did you call me here? You said you had something to talk about but it seems like you don't have anything to say".
After hearing those words, Jason looked at Fred and also broke the silence of the scene.
Jason: " Yes. I want to tell you something and ask you something".
Fred: "First, Tell me, and second ask me. Now answer me, what do you want to tell me?"
Jason took a deep breath.
Jason: "My daughter. I mean Edina is not my daughter. She....."
Fred suddenly got shocked (He smacked his hand on the table) and stood up and shouted, "What, not your daughter! Who's daughter is she then?"
[Everyone in the coffee shop glanced at both of them (Jason and Fred) weirdly].
Jason felt ashamed put his hand on his forehead and looked down and decreed, "Shut up, you retarded man! sit back".
Fred looked at everyone, bowed his head in guilt, and sat back on the seat.
Jason pointed Fred to move his head forward and whispered, "It's not what you think. She is my daughter but she is, not a daughter to me...."
Fred got confused and asked, "What are you trying to say. I couldn't understand".
Jason whispered, " Edina is neither a girl nor a boy, she is a transgender".
Fred shouted again and uttered (loudly), "A what? Excuse me! A transgender! Are you serious? Really?".
Again everyone glanced at them and Jason said, " Can you be quiet. Please prevent your loud echo".
Fred took a deep breath and said, "Okay, no wonder you were shocked by hearing a news bulletin on the TV and asked about Mark, but why do you want to ask about Mark?"
Jason moved his head and looked around.
Jason: " I want to want to meet him and propose him to adopt my child".
Fred: "Man, Are you insane?"
Jason: "I don't know? I just want to give him a better future and I think Rocella can't give him a better life".
Fred got shocked and said: " Rocella is the mother of this child".
Jason: "She is not good in upbringing our children I mean she even hired a maid to undertake Kevin, to take care of Kevin. I still remember she was so careless about Kevin. So just think, How could she take care of Edina?"
Fred nodded and mumbled: " As if it's not my matter to get involved in it. But did you asked your wife about it?"
Jason: "Yes but I told her a lie that I've met Mark. I want to see him and talk to him."
Fred: "Oh! Ok, No problem man. I'll help you with that".
Jason: " Ok then call him and ask him to come over."
Fred passed a smile and said, "You want to order him? Wow!"
Jason: "Come on! Call him and ask no! wait, request him to come over."
Fred: "Ok, hold up."
[Fred's friend was the owner of that orphanage and mark is his employee. Fred and everyone there personally respected Mark as if Mark was the elder one there.]
Fred dialed the call.
Jason ordered (in a gesturing manner) Fred to put the call on speaker.
Fred connected his phone with earbuds. He (Fred) gave one earbud to Jason and another one he settled in his ear. The phone was on the table and they were both leaning on the table.
A cool and enormous voice came from Fred's phone saying, "Hello, How are you, Fred?"
[That was Mark.]
Fred said: "Mark uhhh, my friend wants to see you. Can you come over?"
Mark got astonished and questioningly raised a point.
Mark: "Come over? What? and why do you want me to meet your friend?"
Fred and Jason looked at each other with blank expressions on their faces.
{Author's note => Please vote with a power stone and add your reviews (via comments) to my story. Let me know how you like my story.}
:)
To be continued!!!