"Welcome to Beverly heights", uncle Thomas announced proudly as they drove onto the gorgeous drive way Luckson had ever seen. It was layed wmulti-coloured paving stones and had more manicured lawns with rose gardens on either side. The driveway led up to an enormous palatial manor whose beauty took Luckson's breath away.
Uncle Thomas noted with a sense of delight, the wide eyed excitement on young man's face out of the corner of his eyes. Luckson's eyes widened with fascination as though they would pop out of his head. The sight before him seemed straight out of a movie script.
The imposing building before him with it's spacious balcony and stylish french windows. Best of all what Luckson found most impressive was the huge door with its brass knob. He had read about such things, he had only ever seen such on movies featurung the lifestyles of the dle rich. Nothing had prepared him for such an unexpected encounter , it was delightfully wonderfully.
He had experienced many types of beauty the greatest of which had been melodious sound of his singing. This place seemed to challenge and present a whole new level of beauty he had never before encountered. It was a most delightful experience of a place so beautiful it seemed to sing to him
"Come, let's get your luggage out of the boot", said uncle getting out of the car. A few moments later they were walking across balcony with Luckson towing the trolley bag containing all his worldly possesions.
Uncle Thomas was about to knock on the heavy oak door but stopped with his hand in mid flight. Stopping himself as though having second thoughts, he turned to Luckson and invited , "Will you do the honours", with his hand stretched out in mid flight. It was a uge honour for Luckson to put his hand on the heavy brass eing dangling from the nose of the brass lion head set in the middle of the door. He banged it loudly on the lower part of the lion head a couple of times.
"How did that feel", uncle Thomas asked pleasantly. Luckson had to admit strangely feeling empowered. But he knew if he told uncle Thomas, he might be laughed at as for being a simpleton so dismissing the thought he compromised with a, "good".
"Ok", said uncle Thomas the lack of emotion in Luckson's voice.
"I 'm curious about one thing though", said Luckson.
"What's that?", inquired uncle Thomas.
Luckson was about to reply but just at that moment the door swung open to reveal a young man just about his age. The young man had a friendly manner and looking over Luckson asked, Luckson?
"Yes", replied Luckson pleasantly.
"How did you guess?", Luckson inquired.
"We 've been expecting you", came a feminine voice. The owner of the voice a visually stunning young lady who despite her beauty bore some resemblance to the young man joined her brother on the other side of the open door.
"Can we maybe come in before you proceed any further?", playfully suggested uncle Thomas.
"Of course come in, come in", invited the young man stepping upside together with his sister.
Uncle Thomas led Luckson through the open door.
"I ll take your bag to your room", offered the young man taking holding of the trolley bag's retractable handle from Luckson.
"Please take a seat", the girl urged motioning Luckson towards a some sofas, "Lunch will be served she shortly added before disappearing down a passage as her brother towed away Luckson trolley bag.
"I 'm famished, I left earlier without eating as I had to some errands to run before I came to fetch you at the chapel", explained uncle Thomas.
"You have a beautiful house", confessed Luckson.
"Thank you", uncle Thomas smiled pleasantly.
"Lunch Is served", the girl's sweet voic took him by surprise coming from somewhere behind the sofas, where he and uncle Thomas were seated.
"Ah lunch", exclaimed uncle Thomas pleasantly, getting up from his sofa, "Come", he invited Luckson and the two of them proceeded to the dinning room table beyond the sofas. Uncle Thomas set at one end of the table and motioned to Luckson to sit at the other end.
Luckson set appreciating the mouth watering spread that was set on the table before him. He wasn't that hungry but the aroma of the delicacies before him was overpowering in its appeal, making his stomach growl with a ravenous desire to eat.
He wanted to sink his teeth into the french toast, he wanted to chew the Vienna sausages and the scrambled eggs slowly, to experience the irresistible taste of roasted pork melting into his mouth. This was not ordinary meal, it was a journey of self indulgence in culinary delights. The moment he had husks crumbling in his mouth felt heavenly.
"Enjoying the food", uncle Thomas smiled at Luckson from across the table drawing his attention from the food. He realised he must have been drooling over the food. He had been so taken with the food he had forgotten to exercise his self control.
The same self control he had exhibited as a nine year old when he had been told of his parents passing by the two police officers who had visited him. That fateful day when he was deprived of his parents love. Hi iron discipline has kept him from crying out in pain in front of the police officers though his heart was breaking.
That iron will of his, which he always wore on the inside of him like a bullet proof coat of armour protecting him from even the fiercest darts of pain life could throw. That iron will had failed in the presence of the flavours and aromas wafting through the air from the amazing spread which was laid out before him like a buffet fit for a prince. Worst of all he realised that uncle Thomas had noticed, as had been indicated by the question he had thrown playfully at Luckson.
He felt in that moment that he had given away something very important to his survival. It was though he had exposed him to the age old enemy of pain which he had successfully kept at bay to date.