Tension came as bountifully as the autumn wind. The room was packed with people of diverse and conflicting opinion. Jake's family rallied on one side while Elizabeth's were on the other. There were a few neutrals that observed as the drama unfolded. Then there was Cindy. She felt she need of visiting the lavatory but did not feel comfortable exploring the home where Jake and his wife had shared a life together. She also did not want to bump into relatives from both sides of the once united family. She held it in. Jake had demanded that she be there, as a result division had followed. He and his wife had kept their separation a secret from most of the relatives that had now turned up for him in his hour of need. Now they further questioned why Cindy was there since all evidence pointed out that she was the reason for the rift between him and his wife. Jake did not intend to shame Elizabeth, it was not his thing. He remembered when he first fell in love with her. Also the time they got married. But then she was instated into the family's financial club and then she saw the world differently. She became controlling and it is then that she felt the need to supplement to the affection her husband was giving. This brief summary however, was just the tip of a Titanic-sinking iceberg. She had a case, but felt her guilt nullified it.
"How far are you with those drafts Jake", Mr Greenfield asked as he whizzed past Jake's cubicle. His office was just ahead of the space Jake occupied. Jake reached into the drawer and pulled out a folder. He selected some papers and with his hands arranged them sequentially. After making sure the order was apple pie, he got up from his chair and went into his boss' office. "I went through them and found some inconsistencies in the figures as was highlighted by the client sir. I managed to fix all of the errors I came across and ran over them two more times. I'm sure this time they will command your satisfaction". Mr Greenfield smiled at him as he slid his chair towards his file cabinet to grab some files. "If you ever leave me I'd probably go out of business young man", he remarked. "I doubt that, you were big before I was even here sir", Jake replied as he dropped the papers on the desk and aligned the corners with the tip of his fingers. "Anything else you need me to do?" Jake asked. Mr Greenfield remained unresponsive as he rushed through the papers searching for some documents for a merger the company was going through. "No that will be all for now," he replied after about half a minute or so having successfully located what he was looking for. Jake then took leave. He opened the door and almost bumped into a lady coming in. His hands stretched from his body just in time and got hold of her shoulders to prevent a near collision. When the effects of the adrenalin had worn off within the next second, his heart skipped a beat. Time appeared to stand still as either all things around slowed down or his senses got heightened so much that he became Clark Kent's cousin. His slightly elevated breathing levels blew strands of her beautiful dark hair. On her face, pimples dared not set a colony. It gleamed with a radiance that threatened to blind his eyes. Her eyes spoke kindly to him and as a lost sheep he longed for her to give him direction. The lips were sumptuous and her perfectly shaped nose brought about the masterpiece together. She was just beautiful. "Excuse me", she said. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. He let her go with a noticeable reluctance then watched her as she walked into Mr. Greenfield's office. He wondered who she was. Normal service resumed and the people around him caught up to his speed. As he stepped forward leaving the scene of the incident, his friend dashed to meet him by his cubicle. He got there first and as Jake got close, in a slightly lowered voice began to sing "Someone's in love with the boss' daughter".
Elizabeth's father called for everyone's attention and everyone duly obliged. They gathered around the couch on which he sat. He was unable to stand courtesy of a recurring stroke that incapacitated him for the greater part of the past year. It had plagued him and prevented him from enhancing the territory of his business conquests. He had to give up his day to day life and denial subjected him to multiple depression and anxiety attacks. His wife had been standing by his side during this hellish period and the rest of his family chipped in to make his life liveable. As the mob gathered around him, Elizabeth took to her father's side. She placed her hand on his shoulder and gently rubbed it back and forth. Before he spoke, he asked for Jake to come. One of his aunts pushed him and parked his wheelchair by his father-in-law's side. Jake smiled at him and greeted him, "How are you Mr Greenfield?"
Cindy was feeling so alone. Even her spot on Creek avenue on a quiet night didn't feel this deserted. It was in moments like these that she realized the importance of Jade in her life. She found a corner and curled up in it, hoping to escape all the politics going on around her. In the last hour, he had given her assurance and reassurance when she played the part of Thomas that her place was at the very top of his ladder. She mattered so much to him. Now she battled the paradox of being the most important yet not having a seat at the table. She had his affection, which is all that mattered. Mr Greenfield then spoke, "Friends, brothers and sisters. We find ourselves in a difficult position here. We are trying to fit ourselves into the world of these two and make for them decisions that only they should make for themselves. We are trying to resolve issues that are theirs to resolve. This will never work. We ought to let them decide what they want, all we can offer is advice. They are a pair of grown-ups, not the little kids we used to see growing up and so I implore you, let us let them discover their own path". Wisdom just oozed out from this old man.
While he spoke, everyone was attentive. The grumbling found no place and disappeared behind concentrating faces. He looked at Elizabeth and said, "She is my daughter…" He then looked at Jake as he finished his sentence, "…and he is my son". Jake extended his hand to meet his father-in-law's. The man who gave him a break when he was fresh out of college. He had mentored him and guided him in all aspects of business. Despite his reputation as a renowned businessman, the moment he handed her only daughter to this young man who at the time was about to blossom stood as one of his proudest. When her daughter's scandal hit, he was devastated. He blamed himself for spending too much time tending to his companies rather than his children. In his vast business empire, he had diligently applied the principles of the industry so well that if he had done half that teaching his kids the fundamentals of life, maybe they would have turned out differently. But that was all in the past.
Elizabeth asked her husband for some alone time, so they could try to reach a consensus but after a lengthy period behind a closed door, deadlock was all they could accomplish. Elizabeth and her family would stay in the house while Jake and his family would go to his apartment. He insisted those he could accommodate would stay there and he would book the rest in the nearby town motel despite offers from Elizabeth. There were uncles Robert, Dennis and Aaron who had come with their wives. Then aunts Sylvia, Martha, Sharon and Glenda. Cousin Richard and Jake's sister Hazel brought up the rear as far as the pecking order was concerned. From Elizabeth's side, only her brothers Pritchard and Harvey weren't there. These resided out of town minding the family's business ventures. They had been too caught up to make the trip even though their sister had tried to persuade them to come and stand with her. Mr Greenfield insisted no one leave until they had had lunch. As they sat at the table, with a sumptuous meal filled with a myriad of pleasant aromas, merry deserted mood and all they had was dull for company. Silence was in abundance but still gold. After the fancy meal, Jake and his family departed and left Elizabeth and her family.
Over at Jake's place, they sought answers to plug the gaps in their minds. They questioned the reason for keeping them in the dark for this long. The apartment was not built to accommodate this many people and space was oversubscribed. Cindy longed to be by his side but his celebrity status was making him unreachable. She was getting frustrated and hated the fact that there was nothing she could do about it. She was the designated corner resident of the day. Hazel returned from her in-laws' place and came with an adorable set of twins. As soon as she entered the room, she noticed everyone going about their business. Then she saw Cindy, with absolutely no business going on. She navigated her way past the bodies and came to her. Cindy was surprised since nobody had shown even distant intent of casting care upon her. Cindy got up and Hazel gave her a warm compassionate embrace. The twins left to look for fun away from their mother, roaming around unaffected by the toxic tension that held the room captive. This gave mom time to take a breather and catch up with her brother's new fling.
"How old are they," Cindy asked. "They turn three in two months," Hazel responded. "How did you manage the day with these terrible people?" Hazel asked suppressing her voice so she wouldn't start a tumult. "I just didn't get in their way", Cindy replied with a smile on her face. "Why is it you don't like your relatives Hazel?" she asked. Hazel softly laughed and then responded, "They are not related to me. Only to Jake", she responded. Cindy put on the puzzled look then Hazel went on to tell her of how their parents had struggled to have a child for about nine years. When the loneliness had become unbearable, they visited an adoption agency. Then there was Hazel. Four years later, miraculously Jake was born. "That is why he's second name is Gift". Cindy had no idea. "He never told me that", Cindy remarked with facial cues suggesting a strong element of surprise. "He never tells anyone that", Hazel added. Cindy was curious as to what Jake had told his sister about her. She asked expecting some kind of brother to sister pledge of confidentiality to hinder her fact finding mission. But surprisingly Hazel shifted in her seat as if preparing to answer her question. "Well, he told me about you guys back in high school. I couldn't believe it myself but it seems the Upper East high school crush never ended". Cindy's turn to shift in her chair had come. She looked straight into Hazel's eyes and in a bold voice uttered, "Whaaaat?!"