It was a busy evening in Pissine Falls. Today being Friday, you shouldn't expect the honks of the vehicles to be sitting idly – They need to work. It didn't feel like the streets as usual, but walking down the road is surely better than this.

André Pastore sat down in his car, thinking about the time he had spent on the road. His indecipherable, bright brown eyes discerned exceptionally with his light-toned face with every bright light coming from other cars as they passed him by.

"Won't you leave the way!? I have important things to do!" A driver yelled, bringing his head out of the window.

Everyone was complaining, but André didn't. It is not going well now, but he definitely won't waste his energy screaming at whosoever is causing the holdup.

"Won't you love to pull over? Follow me and let's have a good time inside," a lady dressed in seductive clothes popped her head into André's car. He flinched and dismissed her.

A few minutes after she had gone another came. Dressed in feminine wear, the voice therein was masculine — Crossdresser.

"Will you please leave here before I take my anger out on you?" André glared at him and he left without saying a word.

He took pleasure in pressing the honks of his car and stopped when no one would answer. He saw a man running toward his car through his transparent window. He stopped when he got to André's car.

"Sorry for keeping you in this place. There was an accident in front of us, so we are trying to fix it right now. Another passage would be available to you in a minute," he couldn't stop panting, but he passed the message without leaving any behind. André sighed and nodded his head in response. "Thank you," he sniffed the cold air and left.

"This place never gets old," he smiled and kick-started his car after the one in front rode off.

Apart from the cheers from kids on the street, people walking in groups on the walkway, and people going in and out of the mall, the journey for André was quiet.

In a few minutes, he got to the family house. He got out of his car and walked toward the gates of the most beautiful mansion in the town. Every corner of the wall was beautifully carved, and the layouts were made with perfect care. With the mixture of sky blue and spotless white paint, it was looking like a palace from a fairyland. Greeneries moving with the waves of the wind around the mansion were adding more beauty to it.

André recalled the last time he was here. His father was lost in thought and didn't know what to say — He was 10 at that time.

_________________________________________

19 years ago…

10-year-old André watched his family members except for his mom. His father couldn't say anything and five-year-old Enzo watched his brother as the security team took him out of the gates.

_________________________________________

"Who is there?" An elderly man asked.

André smiled. "Gakpo, are you still working here?"

Gakpo, the security in charge of the gates, moved forward to take a sneak peek at the person outside the gate. "Do I know you?"

André was amused about everything now. He has missed the hide and seek in the house, he missed his mother. "I don't want to take my bath. It is not like I'm going anywhere," André said.

"Young master?" André grinned. Gakpo opened the gates wide. He couldn't keep in the joy of seeing André again. "How many years now?"

"Yesterday made it 19," André replied.

"I have missed you, young master. This house has not been like before since you left,"

"I did something terrible,"

"It was a mistake. You are a kid. You didn't know what was happening until it did. It was not your fault,"

"We can't turn back the hands of time, Gakpo. One way or the other we have to move on and face life," he tapped his shoulder and handed him the car keys. "Help me with my bags, please. My hand aches from holding the steering,"

"How was the flight?"

"It was alright. No stress until I landed in Pissine Falls," André halted. "Who is home?"

"Big boss,"

"My dad," André nodded and walked in. "So good to be home," he whispered.

"Why don't you drive in!?" Gakpo's voice resounded.

"I feel like walking. When I get inside I don't know when I would be free to stand again," in a millisecond he remembered he wanted to get something in town. "Oh, shit,"

As he entered through the front door on the east facade, André passed into a grand balcony. The wallpaper is an Angelo-Kristen design with Greek and Roman themes in the frieze on the walls and ceilings.

The prevailing colors are dark with sky blue and white highlights, creating a fascinating discrepancy to the original interior sleek painting of ashen neon, tans, pale blues and black detailing.

This mixture of colors is repeated throughout both floors of the building. The tall, heavy, and varnished wood entrances have as the cap panel, colored goblet panes of amber, pink and blue in a geometric layout.

On either side of the main entrances are tinier, lengthier versions of the colored goblet windows. The doors and small windows have moulded surrounds of painted wood with bulls-eye corner blocks and ornamental accents on the door surround and the baseboard. The hinges, door knobs, and plates are brass with high Eastlake-style decoration.

At the sight of his son, Raymond Pastore dropped his cell phone and hugged his son, André. "Welcome back, son"

"Thank you, Dad," André held his father tight.

"Your brothers and sisters are not around," he picked up his phone and spent the next few minutes dialling numbers and telling them, "your brother is home,"

André stood still and waited for his dad to finish what he was doing. "It remains Drake and Enzo. They are not picking up," he sighed. "Glenn!"

"Yes, Boss,"

"Take this. Go and bring Drake and Enzo. You know where they'd be right?"

"Yes, Boss,"

"Why don't you tell me where they are?" André asked. "I need to drop something off in town. I would just pick them up on my way back,"

Raymond stared at him for a couple of seconds. "Alright," he replied reluctantly.

As he left, Gakpo entered and gave him his car keys. They both watched him as he disappeared. "Do you think he is happy?" Gakpo stared at Raymond then back to André who was almost out of sight.

"I don't know. He lost the most important person in his life and he was the one behind it. It won't be easy. Even I who didn't commit the crime still feel unhappy," Raymond heaved a sigh.