Читать книгу Uncle P - Uncle P (Alfredo E. Phipps Jr) - Страница 5

Sofia fastened Anthony and Leslie’s seatbelts and headed to the park. Sofia left the Hamilton Street to ditch the traffic, but the street was closed by the police owing to the safety of the people attending a basketball match being held at the Jefferson High School basketball court. The people filled the court with the noise of a huge crowd watched the match between Jefferson Jaguars and Roosevelt Rockets.

“My babies, we will have to turn around. The street is closed,” said Sofia.

“But why? Why are the streets closed?” asked Leslie.

“Wow! That parking lot is full of cars. There must be something exciting going on!” added Anthony.

While the cars excited Anthony, the closing of the streets disappointed Leslie. She couldn’t reach the park sooner.

“Can we stay for a while? Can we? Can we?” Anthony was excited.

“No dear, we cannot. There is no parking in these blocks, and we would have to walk. With this swarm of human beings, I don’t see it fitting. Also, do not take off your seatbelts while I am driving. Understood?”

“Aye, Captain. Let’s go!” both the kids said in unison, and all three of them laughed while Sofia turned the car around.

After turning around, she got away from the traffic and the bustle of the Jefferson basketball court. She turned to another street with less traffic, and it took her back to Hamilton Street.

She saw a poster in front of Williams High School that read:

Next Friday

The Story of Uncle P–Challenging the Unknown

Do not miss! You can invite your whole family.

Sofia slowed down her car and asked one student about the tickets and the event.

“Hello, young man, can you give me more details regarding the event?” asked Sofia.

“How are you doing, ma’am?” replied the student.

“My name is Sofia Martinez, but you can call me Sofia,” she responded.

“Sofia, the event is next Friday. We all shall gather to listen to Uncle P’s fables. Uncle P is our new Spanish teacher, a motivational speaker, and a remarkable writer. He has power in his words. His stories have something to teach, not to just one age group or one gender, but to the entire family. The tickets are free of cost, and we will serve refreshments. You and the kids will have a good time. You have my word.”

“Do you want three tickets to bring your children along?” the student asked in a weak voice.

“Oh! These children in the car? No, they are not my children. I would have been the happiest mom if they were,” said Sofia with a heavy-heart. Yes, they weren’t her children. Sofia Martinez was just their nanny, a forty-year-old Dominican woman who had been taking care of Oliver Anderson’s children for over two years. She has widowed at thirty-five, and now Anthony and Leslie were her only reason to give life another chance.

She continued, “I’m their nanny, and I take them to the park every morning. We couldn’t make it to the park. Thus, we’re going back home. Anyway, I’d like three tickets. Let’s see who can accompany me to the show.”

“I am sorry for confusing them as your children. Here are your tickets. I hope to see you next Friday. I hope you have an amazing company with you. You both will not regret coming. I can assure you …” the student said. He felt embarrassed.

“Thank you for your kindness, sweetheart. See you on Friday at seven.” Sofia tried to make the boy feel as if nothing had happened. She then put her car in drive, and soon, they were at Oliver Anderson Mansion, where Anthony and Leslie lived with their father.

Sofia parked the car in the garage. The passenger doors of the car opened and Anthony and Leslie came out.

“Kids! Don’t run,” Sofia said in a high-pitched voice.

The kids had seen their father sitting in the porch, and they raced toward him.

“I will hug Dad first!” Leslie shouted as she tried to keep up with her brother while both of them made a run.

“I will get to him first,” replied Anthony as he got to the porch and hugged his father.

“But I wanted to win!” Leslie complained as she reached the porch after Anthony. She felt sad she couldn’t hug her father first.

“My sweetheart, why are you sad?” said Mr. Anderson while he hugged Anthony. Then he went to Leslie and kissed her on her cheek and said, “Why does it matter my dear? Dad loves both of his children.” Mr. Anderson took Leslie in his arms and hugged her tight.

“I love you, Dad.”

“Dad loves Leslie more.” Mr. Anderson then saw Sofia coming and said, “Welcome, Sofia. How are you doing?”

“I’m doing well. What about you?”

“When the kids are around, I am more than fine. Thanks for taking some time off to take the kids to the park.”

“No, you do not have to thank me. I should thank you instead. I enjoy every moment with your kids, so I should thank you for giving me the chance to take care of your beautiful kids,” replied Sofia.

“You are a sweet lady.”

Sofia blushed.

“Dad, let’s go inside!” Anthony pulled Mr. Anderson’s sleeves.

“Yes, why not dear? You go inside, I’ll follow.”

Anthony and Leslie ran inside.

“Come with us, Sofia,” Mr. Anderson said.

“Thank you for inviting me, but I need to go. I have a few commitments for the afternoon.” She didn’t want to feel uninvited in the “family hour.”

“No, please don’t leave so soon,” Mr. Anderson impressed.

“Okay, but only for a while, just because you are insisting, Mr. Anderson,” replied Sofia.

“Thanks for your consideration,” replied Mr. Anderson with a faint smile.

Mr. Anderson then went inside, and Sofia followed. Just like any gentleman, he opened the door for Sofia to walk in.

“Thank you, Mr. Anderson.”

“My pleasure, Ms. Martinez.”

As they walked into the living room, they saw Anthony and Leslie jumping on the sofas.

“My babies please get off the sofas. Don’t jump; you may end up hurting yourself,” Sofia said with great concern.

“Sofia. You. Are. Staying. We. Are. So. Happy,” the kids said in intervals, and they jumped on the sofas. The kids loved Sofia as much as she loved them.

Sofia smiled, and Mr. Anderson stopped the kids from jumping. He first went to Anthony, held him with his hands, and told him to get on the floor.

“But Dad—”

“Please, my child.”

“Ah, okay!”

Anthony came off the sofa, though he didn’t want to.

“Leslie?”

“Dad! But this is fun. Why don’t you also join us?” replied Leslie. She didn’t want to stop, and she kept jumping.

“Please, Leslie, Aren’t your papa’s best daughter?” interrupted Sofia.

“If Sofi says so …” Leslie hopped off the sofa.

Mr. Anderson smiled and kissed his daughter.

“Children are the best creation of God,” said Sofia.

Anthony, who said, “Dad, what do we do now?” Interrupted the conversation.

“Go to your room and see your new toys. Go check them out and bring them here.”

Both of their faces showed a rush of excitement.

“Yay! Thanks, Dad!” Anthony made a run to his room.

Leslie followed her brother to the bedroom.

The kids soon went out of sight. Mr. Anderson offered Sofia to sit. He said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t even ask you to sit. Please sit.”

“Sure.” Sofia sat on the sofa.

“Would you like some juice?” asked Mr. Anderson.

“Yes, please.”

Mr. Anderson dialed the extension for the kitchen and asked them to bring fresh juice.

The maid came in with a pitcher of fresh orange juice and two glasses. Mr. Anderson poured juice for both of them.

They both had a good time. They laughed and shared stories. Sofia told him about her time with Leslie and Anthony and how the kids tried to make her stay just another hour.

Mr. Anderson listened to everything that she said with great intrigue. He shared stories of his secretary and his associates at his law firm. He also told Sofia about his struggles of putting the kids to bed when she is not around.

They both laughed at how Leslie and Anthony tried to avoid eating vegetables and how much they enjoyed jumping on the sofas.

“I must confess, it had been a long time that I haven’t chortled like this. All thanks to you, lady. I feel so alive; this conversation made me realize the difference between living and existing.” Mr. Anderson felt happy; his face brightened.

The kids were not coming back. They liked the new toys so much that they played with the toys rather than joining their Dad and Sofia in the living room.

“It is important for everyone to take some time out for themselves. Maybe two hours only can help you enjoy life because a joyful heart makes a face cheerful, but a sad heart produces a broken spirit. Laughter is the best medicine; even I laughed whole-heartedly today. I too had a good time with you. Thank you, Mr. Anderson!”

“Thank you for spending time with us, Sofia. Since the death of my wife, I have never sat downed and spend quality time with a beautiful lady,” said Mr. Anderson. His wife had passed away from cancer three years ago, and the grief had been in his heart ever since.

Sofia had shared much of her responsibilities of looking after his kids, but at the end, he had to play a big role, since Sofia could not be around now and then, even though she tried her best to be.

Oliver Anderson was forty-five years old, but his loneliness made him look older. He couldn’t let go of his wife’s memory of taking her last breaths in his arms. He felt afraid to start over.

Since Mrs. Anderson departed from this world, he became wary of spending more and more time with his loved ones. Since the death of his beloved wife, he knew it’s just in a flash of a second that the heart stops beating.

“Wow! Are you serious?” said Sofia.

“Mm-hmm!” Mr. Anderson replied.

“Excuse my boldness, Mr. Anderson, but can I ask you a personal question?”

“Go ahead.”

“In the environment that you are developing, you must have met that someone special who has caught your attention. I mean, you must have met amazing women as a lawyer, as an entrepreneur, and even in your social circle. Why haven’t you considered starting a new relationship?”

Mr. Anderson was silent at first.

“You may not answer this if you don’t want to. That’s fine!”

Sofia thought she had crossed the line, but then Mr. Anderson replied, “No, I shall answer it. I considered starting a new relationship, but I like to keep my professional life separate from my personal life. In a competitive environment, and since I am a lawyer, I have to be wary of the woman I choose since I would never know her true intentions and what she has in her heart.”

Mr. Anderson continued, “People can misinterpret it as an opportunity for a promotion. I think it will be inappropriate if you run a law firm. Also, this is my preference. I don’t want to come home to a wife with the same profession or a profession that stops her from prioritizing her family first.”

“You’ve put much thought into this!”

“Yes, I have. I also don’t want my wife to work for someone else when I can provide my family with the necessities of life. You know, among all, what I fear the most?”

“Oh, what?” Sofia had been carried away with whatever Mr. Anderson poured on this sensitive topic.

“I fear not finding a woman who would love my children as my wife did. I think this is my biggest fear. Among everything else, this is the biggest reason I have not considered bringing that someone special in my life and my kids’ lives.”

“I am sure that God has reserved someone, somewhere special for you in this world. All you need to do is standing with open arms when that opportunity comes,” Sofia said.

“Thanks. I will keep this in mind. You have an optimistic outlook on life. I would like to know a little more about this optimistic woman,” said Mr. Anderson with great interest.

“Sure, ask away.” Sofia was curious to know what Mr. Anderson would ask.

“You are a young, elegant, and attractive woman. Don’t you have that someone special in your life?”

“Um! I had that someone special in my life once. He was the love of my life, and I lost him in a car accident. A negligent drunk driver destroyed my entire world. He was everything to me; he was my world. The way he left… We didn’t even have time to say goodbye. Since then, I have stayed alone.” Sofia had tears in her eyes.

“Sofia,” said Mr. Anderson. “We attach ourselves to someone, and then they leave us. They become a memory. A beautiful memory. But you know what the worst part is? That they only exist in our memory.”

Teardrops ran down Sofia’s face.

“I didn’t mean to make you sad. I’m very sorry that I made you recall everything.” Mr. Anderson felt bad upon making Sofia revisit her past.

“No, Mr. Anderson, he was one of the best things that happened to me. Though I miss him, but missing him is still beautiful and worthy …”

“You are a different lady. Why don’t you give yourself another chance? You deserve to lead a happy life. Why haven’t you thought of forming a home and having children?”

Mr. Anderson could see the tension on Sofia’s face. It seemed like the blood had drained from her face.

“Mr. Anderson, can we continue this conversation on another occasion? I need to go.”

Mr. Anderson knew it wasn’t time to stop her. Sofia was uncomfortable answering the questions. He nodded.

Sofia had her reasons. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She knew that someone would ask this question one day, and she wouldn’t be ready to answer it.

Sofia got up from the sofa, and she wanted to bid him goodbye as soon as she could. Mr. Anderson was embarrassed for making her uncomfortable. The atmosphere had an air of unease.

“Sofia, excuse me …”

“Yes, Mr. Anderson?”

“I did not intend to hurt you or make you uncomfortable, but I still did it. More than once. I am very sorry.”

“Do not worry, Mr. Anderson. You just had a few questions. That’s it. Everything is fine. It was a pleasure for me to spend some time with you and your children. Will you please call Anthony and Leslie so I can give them a goodbye kiss?”

“Sure. Wait, I will call them,” replied Mr. Anderson.

Rather than calling them or sending someone to bring the kids, Mr. Anderson went himself. He found that fitting.

Sofia was waiting in the living room when Anthony and Leslie came running.

Mr. Anderson followed, walking at his normal pace.

“Sofia, please don’t go. We want to play with you.” Leslie held her hands and pleaded with innocence.

Sofia kissed her cheek and said, “My darling, I have to go. But I will come back Monday.”

“Promise?” said Anthony.

“Yes, promise.”

“Okay, then you may go.” Leslie made a sad face.

“We love you, Sofia,” said Anthony.

“Sofia loves you guys more,” said Sofia as she got on her knees and hugged both the kids.

After giving love to the kids, she headed to the car.

Mr. Anderson and the kids followed. As she sat in her car, she waved goodbye to all of them. The three of them waved back.

While Oliver waved her back, he kept thinking about the questions he had asked her in the living room.

*

In a dimly lit room, sunlight shone through the glass walls. It was a beautiful office.

While two walls were made of concrete and had beautiful gray bricks on them, the other two walls were made of glass and allowed the sparkling sunlight in.

Everything was arranged on the table in perfect spacing. The table had everything in a square shape and only in black and white.

From the mug to the notepad, to the laptop and the furniture—even the interiors were a combination of the two. There was a cozy black chair with the table. A man came walking toward the chair and sat down. He was wearing colors. A blue business suit this time. He sat on the chair and began to read from his laptop screen with great interest. Keeping his eyes on the screen, he moved his fingers across the files that had been arranged on his table neatly. All the files were black; and the printed pages inside it were white, just in sync.

Ring, ring.

Before he could pick a file, the telephone extension in his office rang. Rather than picking up a file, he picked the phone.

“Jeffrey Scott speaking.”

“Hello Jeffrey, this is your manager calling.”

“Good morning, sir. How may I help you?” replied Jeffrey.

“I need you to come to my office as soon as possible. I have a few assignments for you to be completed in the next few days.”

“Sure. I’m coming to your office right away,” replied Jeffrey.

Jeffrey hung up the phone, got up from his chair, and walked out of his office, toward his manager.

Knock.

The manager saw Jeffrey through the glass door and signaled him to come inside. As Jeffrey turned the doorknob and opened the door, his manager invited him to sit.

“Come, Jeffrey; have a seat!”

“Sure, thanks.” With this, Jeffrey sits on one seat facing his manager.

“How have you been, Jeffrey?”

“I’m fine. What about you?”

“I’m fine too.”

“No news as yet; everything is marching in order, huh?” said the manager.

“I am glad that everything is going as per your wishes,” replied Jeffrey.

“First, I would like to congratulate you for the excellent job that you are doing!” said the manager, on which Jeffrey smiled.

Jeffrey had a successful career as an English journalist. He had worked for twenty years for the Freedom Newspaper of London, England.

Now he was working for the newspaper, The Light of Washington, and had moved to Washington, DC. This was his fourth year with this newspaper and publication house. A professional and witty journalist, his interviews always left the audience talking for a long time, and his words buzzing among the masses. He had a reputable name in his field and had a legacy of keeping his bosses happy. This instance was also an example of that.

His boss continued, “All the staff gives a very good reference for you. They always have something good to say about you. Everyone keeps you in high regard, and they all tell stories about how your experiences have helped them all along.”

“I’m glad,” added Jeffrey.

“The company is also happy about the work that you are doing. Each interview that you conduct leaves people with a greater urge to know more regarding the issues they highlight you. Also, here you go, with a gift from the company. A gift for a job well done.” Saying this, the manager offered Jeffrey an envelope.

“A gift? I hope this won’t get me in trouble.”

Jeffrey still hadn’t taken the envelope, on which, the manager kept it in front of him and said, “Well, if you don’t want it, then I can get it deposited into my account. I also don’t vouch for anything bad either.”

Upon this, Jeffrey responded, “One moment, sir. I didn’t say that I don’t want it. I just want to make sure that it won’t cost me in near future that is just my concern. Thanks for the recognition and the bonus, anyway.”

“We also have some assignments lined up for the next two weeks. We considered sending another journalist, but since he wasn’t available for the dates, so we are relying on you for a job well done.”

“Okay, so what do I have to do?”

“We require you to write two articles and an interview.”

“Fair enough.”

“The first one will be at a basketball match. The Jefferson High school has a match, and you have to attend the match and write to motivate parents to get involved in the sport and show support to their children who have the sporty knack.”

This was before the basketball match that took place at Jefferson High School. Jeffrey would cover the same basketball match in which Ariel took part.

The manager continued, “The second is an interview with Mrs. Amanda Wilson. We all know that you have a healthy relationship with her. The interview will cover her success as a businesswoman. The purpose of this interview will be to urge young women to take up programs offered by nonprofit organizations who strive to develop more independent and successful women in the region.”

“I’d love to,” Jeffrey added. He appeared more interested in the second assignment.

“The third assignment is an article about an event taking place next Friday, followed by the basketball match. It will hold this event at Williams High School, called ‘Challenging the Unknown’ by their Spanish teacher, ‘Uncle P.’ He is a mentor and a motivational speaker. He tries to inculcate the spirit of optimism and positivity among masses.”

“He sounds impressive,” said Jeffrey.

“He is. He has words of wisdom for anyone who values it. You will also have a good time in that event. It is not only an assignment, but it has educational benefits.” With this, the manager smiled.

“I will keep this in mind,” said Jeffrey as he smiled back.

“I would wait to know what you have to say about Uncle P and his story,” replied the manager.

“I would like to share my valuable experience with you, sir. Also, this sounds intriguing. You can count on me!”

“Thank you so much! I knew you would do it.” With this, the manager got up from his seat and so did Jeffrey. Then he added, “I will have to retire for the day. I have a few commitments to attend to. Don’t forget, I’m counting on you.”

Both of them shook hands, and Jeffrey took his leave. Once he returned to his office, he began to organize things. Known for a job well done, he always did his homework, so he began to plan on his assignments. He updated his to-dos, dropped an email to his designer that he would require a suit for a special meeting and then; he took his phone in his hand and looked for Amanda’s name. He called her, but no one answered the call, so he left a message.

“Hi Amanda. How are you? I hope you are doing well and that you have had a good trip while coming back. Please call me when you’re free, and also, if you don’t have any other commitment, I’d like to invite you to dinner. I’ll be waiting for your call. Take care.”