The Bogeyman; the tale of a man and his death list

Chapter 21(Grandpa Bruce's Turmoil)

This morning Grandpa Bruce was already up and kicking. Crazy enough, he wasn't in his mansion. What is he up to? Where is he going?

Should be the Auster Villa. That should be the obvious answer but where he stands at this point says a different thing.

Where he stood was quite far from the Auster Villa, as a matter of fact, the place is a shadow of what Auster Villa represents both in aesthetics and value.

He was at the other side of the Teleimans mansion. 

It came like a whirlwind from the east; Grandpa was on his way to Aunt Tana's home. Yeah, who would have thought?

No one in the Teleimans family would believe such incredulous rumour if not for the splitting image of old Grandpa Bruce, a few footsteps away from Aunt Tana's doorway.

This reverie was what everyone considered as a shift in power and focus. Arthur was no longer the one after Grandpa's heart. His ambitions of becoming the chairman has taken a considerable huge blow and they can't help but wonder if he would ever recover.

Aunt Tana and Oliver paced up and down the room, worries and anxiety buried beneath them. They were both troubled and tense. The news of Grandpa's emergence has infiltrated their ears.

Ruth was slightly tense too but the orchestra of the atrocious plan stood still, his eyes calm like still waters. He appeared serene. Just calm.

At the sight of Grandpa, Tana and Oliver dashed out to welcome him like servants who yearn for their master.

The old man was sweaty, steamy sweat on his forehead on a rather cold morning. The hill was something else.

All this worsened their anxiety. “Let me help you with that,” Oliver offered leniently as he got hold of his umbrella.

“Welcome Grandpa,” Tana curtsied. “ You shouldn't have bothered coming here. We would have graced your presence if you had said the word.” Tana put up faux words. 

“Don't worry, am here already. I hope Ruth is getting better, I'm here to see her.” He said as he set himself on the sofa. Oliver hurried in with a cup of coffee.

“Here, Grandpa” he obsequiously placed it on the table before him.

“Thank you Oliver,” Grandpa said warmly with a smile. A gesture that gladdened Oliver's heart. 

Grandpa sipped the coffee before raising his chin to look around the room probably in search of Ruth.

“I can't see Ruth, I guess she is still ill.”

“She is sound and healthy” Redmond curts in as he ambles inside from outside. He had gone out a few minutes ago to pay a visit to his Petit bee farm.

Suddenly the room temperature dropped drastically. Aunt Tana and Oliver's heart sank horribly. They couldn't believe their ears. Wasn't he the one that set up all these plans? Why expose them before Grandpa? 

Trains of thoughts clogged their minds while they stared at him like a ghost. 

“Sound and healthy, ah, that means she has recovered.” Grandpa Bruce responded naively, still unable to catch the phrase on the front lining.

“That's the point, she was never ill. She pretended to be sick.” Redmond dropped another bombshell causing Aunt Tana and Oliver who have been winking and gesturing at him to start panicking fervently.

“What do you mean that she was never sick?” Furrows of confusion  rubbed his face.

“Don't…don't mind him Grandpa. He is kidding.” Oliver stammered while he kept throwing a knowing glance at him, which Redmond obviously ignored.

“All this was a ploy to get you here so that we can discuss how Ruth should be treated.” Redmond finally revealed.

Aunt Tana was the one shocked the most. For the first time in her life she was speechless and confused. Redmond was a better backstabber than Arthur was. She couldn't help but wonder where he was heading with all this.

Grandpa Bruce broke his gaze at him and scoffed, “Did she put you to this?”

“No! No! Grandpa. I don't think he is in his right senses. Maybe he was stung by a bee that has left him crazy.” Tana threw a murderous glare at Redmond, demanding that he shush up.

Redmond scoffed lightly, “Stung by a bee? Those little flies are innocuous and would do nothing of that nature. However, that can't be said for Grandpa…”

“Please don't listen to him Grandpa,” Oliver panics and swings towards Redmond to gag him.

“Allow him. Allow him to speak his mind” Grandpa’s voice stopped him in his tracks and definitely left everyone else powerless.

Redmond cleared his throat and then continued, “Arthur and his father may have conspired to get Ruth out of the way but you made the decision yourself. In my eyes you’re guilty as everyone else that took part in the conspiracy. As we speak, Ruth has made considerable progress in convincing Mr. Paulson to honour the deal. In that light, we demand..” Aunt Tana and Oliver cast a deathly glare towards him at the mention of “we”

“I demand that Ruth and her family will be accorded due respect.”

Everyone was silent, silent enough that a pin drop could be heard. Redmond's lofty speech was probably diffusing into them. Grandpa grunted as he leaned forward. His eyes were bloodshot red. His face weighed a thousand pounds of worries.

“And why should I consider your bid?” his hoarse voice penetrated through the thick tension.

“That's fair, I saw that coming but I think the best question is; What do I stand to lose if I refuse and what do I gain if I agree.” 

No one has ever stood against Grandpa let alone make demands in such an audacious manner that Redmond did. He has succeeded in putting the old man in a difficult spot. It was a battle of ego. If he succumbs to Redmond he will appear weak before a spineless-shit while at the other end, if he pays deaf ears, a great opportunity to clutch his dream will be lost.