100 Days With Mr Romero

Gideon flipped through the files on his table, trying so hard not to think about Emma and his little son he had lost because of his negligence. He was more than devastated after Emma’s departure and Ryan’s death. He’d been staring at this particular page of his document yet he couldn’t understand the words written there, his mind was far far away from work.

Suddenly the door to his office was open and in came a woman, she had her grey long hair tied in a bun, glasses covering her almond eyes and a hand bag was slung over her left shoulder.

“Mom?” Gideon asked surprised to see his mother at the entrance of his office.

“Mom!” He yelled again as he got up from his seat and rushed to embrace his mother. Catherine hugged her son briefly and detached herself from him, stylishly removing imaginary dust from her Christian Dior customized gown. If Gideon noticed this, he didn’t show it. He was used to the lack of affection from his mother. This incident was nothing new. But each time his mother visited, the little boy in him would hope she’d hold him and tell him how much she had missed him but he knew better than that anyways. Catherine had failed as a mother.

“You forgot to pick me up from the airport Romero, cabs here are very hard to find, I’m not supposed to even board a cab when my son, my son is the number one richest bar owner in all of New York” another thing Catherine loved to do? Nag and flaunt Gideon’s position to anyone who cared to listen. She dwelled in wealth, loved money more than she loved her own son and herself even. Gideon had totally forgotten about his mother phoning him about her visiting him soon. He has been so caught up with his grief.This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

“I’m sorry mama, it won’t happen again” Gideon spoke, his voice emotionless. Catherine muttered a ‘it better not’ as she made herself comfortable in his office. She sat on the chair directly across Gideon’s. Gideon walked over to the table and sat on his chair.

“So what brings you here mother” Gideon asked. Knowing his mother very well. She could never visit just because, it was either to torment him or torment even more. Catherine looked at her son as though she was wounded by his question.

“What do you mean by that Romero, can’t a mother visit her only son anymore” Gideon rolled his eyes at this. Always the dramatist. Gideon said nothing to this, he knew without her even knowing it she’d come to state her main reason for visiting. He closed up the file in front of him and payed attention to his mother who was currently looking at his office with a lot of disgust on his face.

“I still don’t understand why you chose to own bars instead of continuing in your father’s business Romero” there is was, the torment to come. Gideon’s hands balled at this and he tried so hard not to scold his mother. Instead he got up from his table, went to her, took her hands in his and suggested they go home.

Gideon and Catherine were welcomed into a surprisingly quiet house. Catherine called for the servant Alda to take her luggage to her room.

“Ryan isn’t home, and what about your wife, what’s her name again” Catherine asked, the word ‘wife’ filled with venom. Gideon froze at this, he hadn’t informed his mother about the death Ryan’s death nor Emma’s departure. He had thought as his mother, she would have noticed how thinner he had gotten, how swollen his eyes were from excessive tears and drinking and how his once bright eyes were now very dull. But she hadn’t, she never notices anyway. He wasn’t even surprised that is mother hadn’t heard the news of Ryan’s death. It could be displaying on television her eyes even though focused on the screen would be counting how much money she would bill her son, Gideon to get a new jewelry set.

Catherine turned around when after five seconds of her question and she still hadn’t gotten a reply. She saw Gideon looking stiff and saw a lone tear fall down his left cheek. She rushed to him and quickly wiped the tear away then pulled him into a hug. It wasn’t the usual 2 seconds hug Gideon got from his mother. He was surprised at this and decided to bask in the moment. Mother and son stayed that way for three minutes before Gideon broke up the hug.

“What is it that has you so down Son?” Catherine asked Gideon as she led him to the couch in the parlor and the two sat down. She began to run her fingers through his hair, something she had never done. Catherine was scared, in all her years, she had never seen Gideon she’d a tear except when he lost his father at a young age. Once he got to the age of ten, he had never shed a tear from that age until now. So she knew whatever that had him so down must be terrible.

Gideon detached himself from his mother’s warmth. His mind clouded with so many thoughts. He for once, did not know how he was to tell him mother that she had lost her grandson, her only grand child. He honestly didn’t know how he could say these words without breaking her heart and breaking down again. He didn’t even plan on telling her about Emma’s departure, she’d be more than happy about that. After all she had never liked the woman, she only tolerated her because she bore her grandson, she hadn’t even shown for their wedding.

Catherine could tell that an internal debate was going on within Gideon, so she placed her palm against his back and began to rub in circles as a way to comfort him.

“You know you can tell me anything Romero” She pushed trying to coo him into telling her. His silence was killing her and her mind had thought of so many things as to what was tormenting her son but the next words that came out Gideon’s mouth was too painful for her to bear

“It’s Ryan mama, Ryan is dead.”