Following a long narrow and richly decorated passage, and stopping in front of a beautifully carved rosewood door. The man in his late fifties tapped softly at the door.
"Old master." He called
"Come in." Came a reply in a deeply hoarse and laced with authority voice.
The butler pushed down the handle of the door and it opened with a click, revealing a spacious room.
Each piece of furniture was orderly arranged and placed in its suitable position.
A large shelf filled to the brim with books stood domineering at the center of the room neatly dividing the room into two.
At the right side of the room was a polished medium sized wooden desk accompanied with its compatible chair.
From a closer glance, not a speck of dust could be detected, not even on the night lamp standing on the desk or the series of magazines and brochures resting side by side.
At the farther end of the room was a transparent glass door exposing the splendid view of nature; a field of greenery and blooming flowers associated with chirping birds of different sizes and color flying upwards and downwards, back and from the trees with its strappy leaves; tall, thin.
Adding to the beauty of the field was a pool like the sea in the middle.
Sitting in front of the door was a man in a mahogany chair with a steaming hot liquid placed on the table adjacent to him.
From the back view of the man was a glinting bald head, with tiny gray hairs.
The butler walked up to him, and bowed respectfully. The man hummed in response, his interest still on the magazine placed on top of his thighs.
"Old master, Young Miss had just arrived."
That statement seemed to get the whole of the man's attention as he whipped his head towards the butler. His sharp eyes which were partially covered by a spectacle resting on his nose was suddenly alive with repressed joy.
Lines of wrinkles can be seen on his forehead and on the corner of his mouth. However, despite his old age, he still exudes an impression of power and activeness.
He nodded repeatedly like he wanted to confirm with himself.
"I see." He muttered to himself,
Tilting his head to the butler who was looking expectantly at him.
"Are the kitchen ready?" He asked
"Yes." The butler replied
He nodded in satisfaction.
"Make sure everything is set accordingly."
"I understand."
May walked into her bedroom wearing a gray oversized shirt and black baggy pants while holding a towel which she used to dry her wet hair.
Dropping the towel, she picked up her phone lying carelessly on the bed and pressed it on. It was after seven.
She sighed softly, placing the phone on a simple and compact table with a flat surface and adjustable height next to the bed.
She sank into the bed, shutting her eyes but then, the doorbell rang. Her eyes fluttered open,
"What?" She asked.
"Young Miss, dinner is ready." A feminine voice from the outside said
"Alright."
May walked into the dinning room and saw her grandfather sitting at the table. However, she was surprised by the presence of the two familiar people sitting beside him.
"Granddad." She greeted her grandfather choosing a seat at the far end of the table, intentionally ignoring the man and woman beside her grandfather.
The Old master nodded in response, amusement evident in his eyes as he seemed unfazed by her behavior.
The man was dressed impeccably in a black suit and the woman was elegantly adorned in a golden dress with her dark silky hair elegantly tied up.
The man frowned deeply, "May it's been long since we saw each other. Now, your father is too small for you to greet him,"
May, in the midst of cutting her food with a knife and fork, paused and looked at the man with her eyes arched up like she had never seen him before.
She casually remarked, " I never said that, but you think that way, I can't help it." Then her lips quirked up and she added.
"Perhaps, I didn't see you,"
The man's eyes widened in offense, "You...." He trailed, presumably, remembering the presence of the old master.
The woman, seemingly his wife, gently patted him as if to calm him down.
"May, your dad is worried about you. We missed you during the time you're abroad. You don't have to be so indifferent to your own father." The woman said in a pitiful and worried voice.
May was completely apathetic to the speech. She only gave an unconcerned shrug, totally focused on her food.
The woman was a little bewildered at May's reaction. It was plainly not what she was expecting. May, she knew, would have turned the table upside down.
She opened her mouth to say more but the old master forced her to do otherwise.
"Alright, since you are all here, I might as well tell you the reason I invited you over," the old man began directing the statement to the duo beside him.
"I want May to continue living here," the woman frowned while the man opened his mouth in protest.
"Of course, I am not asking for your permission. Even if I need one, it shouldn't be from you right?"
May could feel the gaze burning towards her and she looked up. "I will obey grand father's order." She said, tonelessly.
The man placed his palm on his forehead as if to wipe invisible sweat on hearing that.
The old master let out a chuckle, "It is not an order. But since you want to, then it's settled."
"And again, May, I have made arrangements and preparations for you. You will continue your college education in Crescendo."
Those words were like bombshells but it only invited silence of tension as the couple stared at one another, the old master whose attention was back to his food totally unaffected and then settled on May who had once more paused her movement.
She looked up to her grandfather, "Okay, I understand."
The couple wore identical looks of puzzlement and surprise.
They stared at May in confusion and like they had never seen her before.
However, the old master simply hummed.