Thereafter, he walked out briskly, and returned with some clothes in his hands, and a briefcase. Nevertheless, George showed worries, and he explained at once, “Mommy said I will be sharing your room with you for the moment. It is like she is around. How can she just displace me?” He asked angrily, and attempted to drop the clothes in the wardrobe.
“I will be ruthless with her. She would regret ever meeting me,” Benson concluded with visible anger. Now, George was weak, and could not think of what to do. To steady himself, he left the window, and walked back to the couch. Then, he simply asked the overzealous Benson, “Who will you be ruthless with?”
Likewise, Benson, who thought that he was protecting his big brother from a forced marriage, was surprised at his question. He locked eyes with him, and inquired, “What?”
Prologue
At Rose's House
Now, Mrs. Owens had assured Rose that all was set for her to meet with her son, and she was expectant. Meanwhile, she could not wait for that day to come.
“I will meet my Prince Charming soon,” the euphoric Rose assured herself when she recalled the discussion that she had with Mrs. Owens a few days ago. She took another look at her new hairstyle, which she made specifically for the date in the mirror to ensure that it was up-to-date.
“How do I look?” She quizzed, and got no answer from anyone. Now, she could feel the drops of tears that ran through her cheeks when she cast her mind back to the days her mother would praise her looks.
“May you find peace in paradise, mom,” she prayed for her dead mother as she often did, and dried her tears. Likewise, she waited for Mrs. Owens' arrival.
At Mrs. Owens' House.
Now, George was nursing the pain of losing Rose, and his mother was rubbing it in, by harassing him with a date with a girl he hardly knew. That day, he decided to take care of the issue once and for all.
“Mom, I wish to clarify this for you, I may take your opinions on everything, but not on the issue as sensitive as a partner. I mean my emotions,” George poured out his heart to his mother as soon as he got back from work. Then, Sarah, broached the subject that had given her and her husband sleepless nights.
“Why haven't you introduced any lady to us, if you are capable of getting one for yourself?”
“Capable! It is my business, mom. Allow me to worry about that,” George, elucidated.
“There you go again, son. I thought we were through with this. If you took my opinions on every aspect of your life, including the family you were born into, and succeeded, what made you think that your choice of partner would be an exception?”
Now, George was speechless because his mother was right. After all, he never applied to be her son, and she was his mother. Even though he had his conviction that his mother was right, but whatever that was his mother's standpoint on the matter of his marriage, he had made up his mind that he must have his way.
“Mom, I'm twenty-four years old, and not a baby anymore. I can handle the issue of my partner. You just have to steer clear of this,” he blurted out angrily and set to walk away.
“Come back here, George,” Sarah shouted. Then, he stopped suddenly, and took his seat on the couch. Sarah, who just returned from school, took her seat too, and continued, “You don't need to remind me of your age. I'm conversant with that, more than you do. All I'm saying is that, I know what is good for you, and I have gotten one for you.”
Now, George breathe freely and locked eyes with her, who was one hundred percent correct when she said that she knew what was good for him. He was aware that she had been a supportive mother to him and her little sister, Lillian, Lilly for short, and the mainstay of their dad's success. In an argument like that, he was bound to lose. Then, Sarah ordered, “Prepare to meet her. I will arrange for her to meet you soon.”
Afterward, she attempted to get up, but George lost his temper and got up first. Then, he yelled, “Mom, you cannot impose any woman of your choice on me. I have gotten a girl that I love. I will bring her to meet you soon.” Without courtesy, he walked out on his mother.
“Come back, here, George,” Sarah called out, but he was already out of the parlor.
'What had come over this boy? If he was capable of getting a wife, why has he not done that, before now? Besides, why did he believe that he could handle a matter as delicate as a life partner?' Sarah asked herself as she stared at the wall. If only she knew that the lady George would introduce to her was the same Rose that she had in mind.
The issue of George's relationship had given his parents a concern. One morning, before she even met Rose, while they were getting ready to leave for work, Evans inquired, “Sarah.”
“Yes, hubby.”
“I expected that by now, George should have introduced his future partner to us. Or what do you think?”
“I feel the same way too. I wondered what could be his problem,” Sarah, who was disturbed, pointed out. Now, Evans was through with his shoes, and stood up from the couch. He gave his wife an assuring smile and consoled, “Don't let it bother you too much. Maybe he is too shy to engage women in a discussion. You remember how difficult it was for me to talk to you.”
Now, Sarah cheered up, and they laughed heartily before they left for work.
After a few weeks, Sarah met Rose, a well-behaved girl, and made up her mind that she would be her son’s wife. Although, she did not seek George's opinion, but she was certain that her son would love the unassuming Rose. Nevertheless, Rose, an orphan, who yearned for love and identification, accepted Mrs. Owens’s proposal because she believed that she would be comfortable with her as a mother-in-law, and that her son would be as good as she was.
After George walked away, Sarah sat back on the couch, and mulled over her family and background. She came from a terrible background, just like her husband. As a couple, they had built a loving and a peaceful family, and wished that their children would enjoy the same.
“George became clingy at two and had never changed until now. He needs a woman like Rose, who would tolerate his emotionally dependent lifestyle,” she considered. Now, many thoughts ran through her mind.
“If the love between Evans, and I was not strong and deeply rooted, our marriage would not have been feasible because of the way my father treated him. Even if it was, it would have collapsed before it started.”
“Good day, mom.”
Benson's greetings interrupted her thought, and she jolted.
“Good day, Benson. Welcome back,” she said in response to his greetings.
“Thank you, mom.”
“How is work?”
“Work is fine. You looked tired. What is happening?”
Now, Sarah smiled and attempted to conceal her worries by asking, “I'm fine. What of your uncle. Didn't you come back together?”
“No, mom. I came back on the staff bus. I guess he was still busy in the office.”
“I see. Welcome back.”
“Thank you. What of big brother? Is he not back from work yet?”
“He is back, and in his room.”
“Okay. Excuse me, mom.”
Benson Owens was Evans' nephew and George's cousin. He was the son of his late step-brother, who was a replica of his late father. They believed in womanizing, drinking and gambling. After the death of Benson's father, Evans picked him out of his numerous children and resolved to give him a bright future. At twenty-three, he was still in his freshman year and as a medical student. Meanwhile, he worked with the medical center of the company whenever he was on holidays.
Nevertheless, George's inability to get a partner was connected with the stories he heard about his grandparents, uncle, the General Managers of his father's company, Mr. Angus and Mr. Benedict. Besides, he was badly affected by the death of his maternal grandfather, who died as a result of an attack on him by his grandmother. As a child, such experiences made him skeptical about relationships.