Mike's gaze darted around the airport. Everything looked different from what he had known; well, it was bound to be different after fifteen years. He stood still to take a deep breath of motherland. Steve stood beside him and chuckled, "It's good to be home."
Mike's response was a nod and a slow pat on his back. He moved to where people were gathered waiting for arrivals. He tried to see if there was a familiar face or if his name was on anyone's board. After glancing from right to left then left to right back. There was none. Steve must have sensed it or he just had the same expectation as him. "Did you tell anyone we are coming in today?"
It was a rhetorical question. He was there when he called his mother after booking the flight, they know his arrival time, yet, they didn't see it fit to send just a cab man to pick him up. It was one of the reasons they had kept him unknown to social media. So, they could maltreat him without any newspaper having an idea of what was going on.
"Let's just hail a cab." He dragged his luggage outside, while Steve followed behind murmuring. "Did you not tell anyone that you were coming?"
Unlike him, Steve's family worshipped him. If they had an idea he was coming, Mike could bet that they would have filled the airport with their noises. He had no idea which one he wanted most; the silence that filled him, leaving him enough time to think or the noise they would have created to distract him from thinking of unnecessary things. Anyways, he was stuck with the silence that he preferred so much. Steve hailed a cab and told him their destination. The cab man looked them from head to toe thinking how they were associated with the Afonso's. "Are you going or not?" Steve asked annoyed by the unnecessary delay. Mike stood there quietly, he was used to getting judged and checked out whenever people knew he was associated with the Afonso's.
"Come in." The cab man helped them with their luggage and drove off. Mike was silent; he wondered how his father was going to react to seeing him back. Would he be happy? Or was he going to act in his usual indifferent manner?
"I can't wait to see your sister." Steve's voice distressed him from his thoughts. "She must be very beautiful now. She won't be the young girl anymore; she must have grown to be a young lady."
Mike hit his head, "If you go anywhere close to my sister, just know you are dead."
Steve shrugged, "All I know is you won't be the one to get married to your sister."
Another knock on his head and a smile graced Mike's lip. He was thankful that Steve brought him out of his thoughts and kept him occupied until they got to their destination. The cab stopped in front of the gate, "This is as far as any public transport is allowed to go."
Mike nodded; he knew that. They both dropped in front of the gate, paid the cab man off and stood in front of the gate. They were both not ready for whatsoever they would meet inside. After two minutes, one of the security guards came to meet them. "Hello, you can't stand in front of the gate like this?" He said shooing them off like they were flies disturbing the vicinity. Mike just stared at him. He must be a new worker in the mansion, the old workers knew him well enough.
It was Steve that responded, "We are not just standing here. We live here."
The guard repeated the cab's man's action by looking at them from head to toe. "I think it will be best to leave this place. If the owner finds out, you will not like this."
Mike finally spoke, "Call me the head security, Rowan."
The guard paused and wondered how he knew the name of their head security. He thought if they were really serious about living in the mansion. Confused, he placed a call inside and requested the attention of the head of security.
Mike was angry about all the procedures. He couldn't believe that his parents didn't see it fit to inform the guards that their only son and heir to their company was coming back home. The rude guard was suddenly quiet, but his gaze spoke volumes. "What are you looking at?" Steve complained. The guard averted his gaze from them with a simple murmur.
His family house had really changed; they were having more security than before, and there were flowers outside the gates now, he remembered when he asked his mother to plant flowers outside the gate to beautify the environment. His father had shunned it down, and it was not considered till he was sent out of the country. Finally, they planted the flowers they had rejected then.
"Mike. Is that truly Mike?" Rowan's voice called his attention back towards the gate. Before he could speak, Rowan had engulfed him in a warm hug, patting his back like he used to do when he was a little boy. He released him to look at him well, "You are now a grown man, not that little boy you used to be."
Mike's response was only a smile. Then his gaze went to Steve, "Is this not Steve?" He hugged him too. "It's good to see you boys back at home."
The guard was apologizing to them. "I'm sorry, Sir. I did not recognize you." Mike ignored him, while Steve patted his back, "Next time ask questions before jumping to conclusions. You could have easily lost your job this way, but thankfully, we are kind people." He said with a smile.
Everywhere was different, everything felt different. Yet, Mike was glad to be back at home. He walked slowly beside Rowan who was giving him updates on the securities around the house. Steve was moving slowly beside them not interested in the stories as his gaze searched around as if he was looking for something. The rude guard was behind them helping with their luggage. When Mike left home, he thought it was just for a few years, he believed blindly that his parents were going to miss him and call him back home. Then five years came ten and finally fifteen years. To him now, they were practically strangers who had just birthed him.
A young lady appeared from nowhere and dumped her body on him almost making him fall. He pulled her back, and glanced at her slowly, "Sharon, is that you?"
The lady laughed as she nodded her head; pulled herself back on him. "I miss you, brother." He pulled her back again not believing the little girl that had wept while he was going was now this beautiful young lady in front of him.
"You did not miss me, Sharon," Steve said with his arms wide open. Sharon moved away from her brother to eye the strange guy, "Who are you?"
Mike hid a smile that lingered on his lips. Steve held onto his heart dramatically, "You don't remember me." he feigned tears and a sob. "You really mean you don't remember me at all."
Sharon just stared at him, then back at Mike, "Who is he, brother?"
"Nobody. Let's go." He cuffed his hand on Sharon's shoulder. "How's mum?"
Steve cried dramatically, "I have no friend in this world. I have no friend."
Rowan patted him on his back and dragged him forward, "You will survive, Steve."
"I can't. I'm too heartbroken."
Rowan laughed, "I missed your jokes. It's good to have you back home."
Sharon told Mike all about his parents and how their mother missed him so much. It was hard to believe that the mother who never bothered calling him to check on him truly missed him. When he got into the sitting room, everywhere was silent. "Where is mother?"
Sharon's gasped, "I forgot. They went to visit our future in-law."