by Eben Le Roux
Chapter 19
Most of the work on the stage was done, and two trucks were busy carrying objects away from the site. The team had been much better than Ross had thought. Looking at the result brought back a feeling of satisfaction. He felt impressed and was sure it was done with Diamond Steel quality of workmanship. It was only up to the engineers to give their final safety report. After this, he hoped that circumstances could turn into the better for him. Suddenly, he was plugged out of his thoughts as he heard a young voice calling out his name with so much excitement that it nearly formed part of his daydreaming.
‘Uncle Ross, Uncle Ross!’
As he turned, he saw Jason running at full speed towards him with the enthusiasm that can only be seen on a child’s face.
Damn, but this boy has grown, he thought silently and realised that it was nearly a year since he had last seen the boy. However, it was not Jason who had his attention that much, it was the woman accompanying Ray. As much as he wanted to stare, he was not going to spoil the happiness of this young soul.
With a wide smile, Ross opened up his arms for the boy to rush into them. It took just one push for Ross to lift him high into the air, which only added to his excitement.
‘You have grown, boy. Hell did you grow!’ Jason was still laughing as Ross put him down.
‘How’s the cricket going? Do you still play?’
‘My dad can’t bowl me out any more.’
‘Is that so? Hey, Ray are you losing it, or is you son gaining on you?’ Ross’s eyes were playing between Ray and the woman next to him. There was a smile on her face as she gave him a curious look. Trying to ignore the woman’s stare, Ross bent over so his eyes were level with those of Jason’s.
‘I tell you what; there is a match next week Saturday in the park. Want me to take you there?’
‘Oh yes! Hey, Dad, Uncle Ross is taking me to the match next week.’ The smile grew bigger on Jason’s face.
‘I heard that my boy. Just make sure that he does not go back on his promise.’
‘Don’t worry, Jason. Your father has always been jealous of me, and he is showing it again,’ Ross said, making Ray laugh aloud.
‘Jason, my son, before that man steals you away from me, come, let’s go up that platform and see how properly his job was done.’
Again, Ross answered by talking to Jason, ‘You see, boy, he always was, and always will be.’
‘Okay, that is enough about us now, Ross. See who I found wandering around in the city looking for you,’ pointing at the woman, who suddenly started to blush.
‘Don’t you start with me now Ray? Ross, do not believe him. I met him at the chemist, and I was just asking him about you.’ She was now blushing even more.
‘Instead of telling you, he brought you all the way down here? Ray, you mean to . . .’
He stopped abruptly as Ray was already a distance away from them. The moment became very awkward for both of them. Each just stood looking at the other, not knowing what to say. Embarrassment was strong in Ross, as he had not kept his last promise to this woman. Seven years later, she was standing in front of him, and it felt as if all the self-respect he had built up during those years had collapsed in just one minute. Although she had faded somehow from his thoughts, he had never forgotten her. It took him only seconds to realise he still loved the woman that stood in front of him. The discomfiture that came with this feeling made it hard for him to communicate with her.
Silently, he cursed Ray for not warning him about bringing Gina here. He stood with a mind on flash back to seven years ago. That was the last time he saw her. Two weeks after the final exams to be exact and they had promised to see one another the next year at university. He remembered that last kiss and the promise that came with it. With her now standing in front of him, he remembered it even more clearly. It was like a vow between the two of them. She cried when she had to get on the bus. He had held her one last time when making that promise, a promise he never kept.
‘When you arrive at college next year, I’ll be waiting on the steps for you.’
‘You better be there, this holiday is going to be so long without you,’ she had said with tears, and the picture of that sad face played havoc with his mind as he was looking at her.
She stood with a smile, even more beautiful than when he had last seen her. She was a woman now and even more beautiful, he thought.
‘Ross, is something wrong? I am so sorry. Maybe I should not have come . . .’
Her words pulled him back from the past. ‘Uh . . . no, no, I was just . . .’ He did not know what to say. There was the most beautiful woman in his life that stood in front of him after a very long time. Attractive was not the word. The woman was beyond that. The girl that was once his girlfriend at school had become a model. She must be. As he looked at her, his eyes were fixed on the contours of the body beneath her dress. She was tall and slender but not thin. Her long, curvaceous legs seemed to go on forever, her shapely ankles emphasised by a pair of stylish heels. Her hair was stylishly trimmed until just below her neck, and those green eyes that he could never stop looking into were smiling at him. Aware that he was staring at her, he turned his eyes away only to look at his own hands. It was still covered with some of the black dust from the steel. The contrast between the two of them brought some discomfort, which was exactly why he wanted her to carry on with a life without him. Suddenly, the sadness of the day that threw his future off the tracks rushed into his mind.
The month before the university had to start; his uncle had informed him that there would be no money to see him through further studies. He was told that his father had no life insurance, and the house payments were in arrears. Knowing that Ray had two more years to study at his college and Peter would not be able to help him, he knew his only path was to find a job the following year. For three days, he had cried because of the disappointment. With Peter being his role model, it was his dream to become a teacher himself.
He felt out of place, and his embarrassment grew. The woman he wanted to take care of for the rest of her life was outclassing him a hundred to one.
‘Gina Flanagan . . .’ he finally managed to say. ‘How are you doing?’
‘Well, no use complaining, Ross Carter . . . and what about you?’
If only she knew what her question did to him, she would never have let it cross her lips. Seven years ago, he could not get a higher education, and today, he had no proper income. If there was still any spirit left in him to put up a good conversation with her, that question had taken it all away.
‘I don’t think you want to know, girl,’ he said almost with self-pity.
‘What’s wrong with you? What happened to the Ross Parker I used to know?’ she said while showing her disappointment by narrowing her eyes.
‘I am sorry for the disappointment, Gina. Ray made a mistake bringing you here.’
‘For what should I be disappointed, Ross?’
‘Gina, please, I am not getting into any argument with you. You seem to be doing fine . . .’
‘You are not arguing with me, Ross. You are just trying to get rid of me. In that case, let me warn you. I am spending the rest of my holidays here. With Ray and Kim being my best friends, prepare to see a lot of me over the next couple of days. Maybe I could get some answers to all the questions that haunted me.’
‘Listen, I’m sorry,’ he tried to explain.
‘No, don’t be sorry. Best you do something about that sorrow you carry inside you. The Ross Parker I knew was capable of anything. Not only was he my boyfriend, he was also my hero. Seeing that I annoyed you, it would be better if I were the one to say sorry. Goodbye, Ross.’
He detected more than anger in her voice. He knew she was hurt, and he felt guilty for the arrogance he had shown. As she walked away, he wanted to call her back, but he could not find a reason for doing that. He knew he was not in her league anymore; he could never provide for her.
She did not look back again.
As he was watching her walking away, he felt weak in the knees. He wanted to sit down, but then he realised the situation in which Ray had placed him. He walked towards the stage in long strides. He was ten metres away when the two of them came down the steps towards him. Ross stopped in front of them, furious.
‘Ray Johnson, if your son was not here with you today, I would have choked every bit of life out of you!’
Both Jason and Ray stared at him in deep surprise. With sarcasm in his voice, Ray responded, ‘Are you choking on some love strings here, or could you kindly tell us what the actual problem is, please?’
‘Why couldn’t you tell me you were bringing her here? I have never felt so embarrassed in my life.’
‘You know what, Ross. I am going to be the one choking you if you lose that girl again! So get over your excitement and start working on it. Please, just not yet as I need to talk to you about the stage set-up first.’
Ross wanted to say something but realised this was not going to be good with Jason around.
‘Bruce left the set-up papers in the top drawer inside the caravan. When are you guys starting?’
‘We will work into the night, maybe ’til morning. Bruce wanted everything done by 8 a.m. Inspection is at 9.30 a.m.’
Jason’s shouting interrupted the two. ‘Look, Daddy.’
Both of them looked in the direction where Jason was pointing. Collin was walking towards them with a bag in his hand. There was a sudden frown of concern on Ray’s face.
‘When last did I see this brother of mine, Ross? How is he coping?’
‘This boy is a natural; there is nothing that he cannot do. You see that canopy over the stage? Well, he was the leading hand there. I am happy with him. He still has to learn a lot about life, but when it comes to work he is capable, very capable.’
‘Hey, Ross,’ said Ray with compassion in his eyes.
‘Yes.’
‘When last have the three of us been together? Our dad is back. He is uniting us again.’
‘He sure is, Ray. He sure is.’
‘Hi, guys,’ Collin greeted them with a smile. Not waiting for a response, he dropped his bag and lifted up Jason, the same as Ross did.
‘What are you feeding this boy, Ray? He is nearly as tall as I am, and handsome too. What have you been up to, little boy?’
Ross could see Jason was really enjoying the attention he was getting from his two uncles and a smile started to form on his own face.
‘Hey, guys, before I forget. Dad is staying at my place now. You are welcome to visit him any time. It will take all of us to make him know he is still our father. Therefore, I will be organising a coming home celebration for Sunday. I will invite some of his best friends as well. He must settle in as soon as possible, and all of us must help to instil that sense of belonging back in him.’
Ross was very impressed with the news. ‘Thank you, Ray. You have done the family proud. Let me know the time. I am not missing it for anything.’
‘Yeah, I feel the same, Ray. I know you are the best to take care of him.’
‘Thanks, little brother. Say, you look tired . . . Is he working you like a slave?’
‘Well . . . at least the work is done now.’
‘No, not done yet . . .’ There was surprise on Collin’s face as he looked up at Ross.
‘Don’t forget. We still have to break it down, but in the meantime, I have to go . . . something very important have to be taken care of. Come, Collin, let’s go!’
Both of them detected some sadness in his behaviour. Ray knew immediately what it was but thought against asking him with the other two around.
‘I’ll take him home, Ross.’ You go. I have some catching up to do with this brother of mine. You will know about the inspector’s results as soon as we have them.
‘Thank you, Ray,’ he said before turning to Jason. ‘I guess I will see you right here tomorrow night, little boy, and do not forget about next week.’
Knowing Ross, Collin also noticed something was bothering him. ‘He seems a bit down. I wonder what is wrong with him,’ He said curiously.
‘I tell you what’s up, brother. Gina is back in town.’
‘But why is he . . . ? I mean he should be happy.’
‘I think he needs some help with that broken character of his.’
As Ross drove away, he only had Gina on his mind.
Bruce Ashton’s smile was taken away by one phone call. One moment, he was still thinking of the enormous success the ‘Hour of Truth’ had brought to him and Channel 91 when the next moment it was to become a disaster. Singing along with the radio, he was in a happy mood when the call came through. Noticing the call was from James Mathews, he switched the phone over to hands free. The drive into town would take him another ten minutes, and he greeted James with the same good composure he was undergoing.
‘Hi, James, it is a lovely day, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, it is, but I am afraid I have to spoil it for you,’ James said. There was something gloomy in James’s voice, and Bruce became immediately alarmed.
‘What is wrong, James? You sound really depressed.’
‘When did you last check your mail, Bruce?’
Bruce did not know how to answer as he found such a question very strange.
‘What sort of a question is that, James?’ Bruce asked with concern. ‘What is that supposed to mean’
‘It is over, Bruce. We have to call it off.’
‘James, can you tell me what the hell you are talking about?’
‘The ‘Hour of Truth’, it is over; we will have to scrap it immediately.’
There was a lengthy pause as the words of James hit Bruce with a full might of misery. When he started to speak again, he spoke with the anger it caused in him.
‘Are you mad, James? You cannot do this to us now,’ he said, starting to get upset with James. He could feel the effect of a disaster running through him, and it brought a lot of temper with it.
‘Bruce, it is not me. I am sitting with a letter from the lawyers of Live Entertainment. I am instructed to suspend all business and work I have with you. My lawyers also advise me to start the suspension immediately.’
‘What?’ he shouted loudly into the phone, so upset was he that he had to steer the SUV to the side of the road.
‘I am sorry Bruce, but according to the letter, you are still employed by Live Entertainment. Did you know your case with them has not yet been finalised? You tell me what I should do in a situation like this. I do not want to be drawn into any legal matters, Bruce, and unless we find a permanent solution within the next twenty minutes, our only option would be to drop the programme.’
He felt close to being hysterical, but still Bruce thought it wise not to speak before thinking. He walked up and down at the side of the road, trying to focus his mind on a solution to this disaster-in-waiting while at the same time cursing Shannon Buoys.
‘Bruce, are you still there?’ James’s voice was close to shouting. He was as worried about losing a winning programme as much as he was about losing Bruce.
‘I’m here, James. I am just trying to let this sink into my mind. Honestly, I don’t know how far this woman will go to destroy me.’
‘I don’t think it is only the woman involved now, Bruce. With lawyers involved, it means instructions from the top. They are trying to force us into a legal battle, and it could costs thousands upon thousands while the programme is suspended. There would be no business sense in fighting it whatsoever. Can you see what I am trying to tell you?’
‘Yes. That it is over, as we speak.’
‘That is right, Bruce, as we speak. I am happy that you understand that I can no longer be involved with this.’
‘James, wait. In eight hours, Peter Johnson is scheduled to stand in front of a live audience, and we are dropping it like a hot potato?’
‘No, Bruce, I am not dropping it. I am only making the best business decision under the circumstances. Please find the bes
t possible way to inform Peter about this. I am sorry Bruce, but I see no other way out of this. I will schedule a press conference for twelve o’clock this afternoon to make a national announcement.’
Bruce could feel his whole world falling apart in those words. As much as he wanted to go ahead with the event, he was also aware of the complications it could cause for Channel 91. He wanted to prevent James from having that news conference, for he needed time to think with a composed mind.
‘James, if you could give me four more hours, I might think of something, please.’
‘What is there to think of, Bruce? What can we accomplish inside a space of four hours?’
‘I don’t know, but I also do not want us to give up so easily.’ Bruce knew he said this out of desperation for James to give him the time.
‘I am sorry, Bruce. Over ten thousand people are expected tonight. If I had to give you the time you are asking for, I will not have the time to inform them of the cancellation early enough. I do not want anybody to hear this at the last minute and most definitely not from that podium tonight. It is tough to acknowledge, but it is over . . . sorry.’
It was over, and Bruce knew it. He could feel every grain of hope disappearing. He knew Live Entertainment had played a very dirty game by sending them the restriction order so late. Somebody could have held a gun to his head, and it would have felt the same. He could see no reason to keep James on the line any longer, as he stood emotionally beaten. With a lot of sadness, he said goodbye to James and got back into his car. As he drove away, his mind refused to give up the search for a solution. He thought of Peter; what will this do to him? It was a thought that started a shiver as he hoped this would not break the spirit of Peter Johnson again.
With both hands off the steering wheel, he started to shout deafeningly at God. “Why...why are you doing this?” As he starred at the sky through the windscreen, he had great annoyance on his face.
The next moment, his whole body jolted as a thought entered his mind. Not thinking properly, he applied hard on the brakes without leaving the lane he was driving in. Other drivers behind him had to brake much harder than him to avoid going into his rear end. A speeding car had to pass him on the outside of the road to avoid a collision. Realising his mistake, he tried to apologise with hand signs, but everybody was already giving him rude gestures and swearing at him. He pulled over to the side of the road and hurriedly dialled James’s number. Pick up James, please pick up, he said impatiently.
When James eventually picked up, he spoke without wasting a second.
‘James, you don’t have to cancel anything. We can still go ahead with the event. If it is my presence that is causing the legal problem, then I am willing to stand aside. Call on your producers to take over from here . . .’
‘Bruce . . .’ James tried to explain something to him.
‘Wait, James, let me finish. Channel 91 is still working with the original organisers of the miracle event, so there is nothing they can do to you. Besides, I was never registered as an employee at your company. You go ahead, James. Tell Brad and Maurice to go on without me, this is too good to let go.’
Never in his entire career had Bruce Ashton left halfway through any of his productions. This was the first, and it was hurting him more than a thousand swords. An uncomfortable silence was hanging between the two of them, and James felt as if he could touch this man’s loyalty.
‘You know, Bruce, if my father was still alive, he would have given you an award for your words just spoken. You will not be disappointed, I promise you. In fact, I feel so good I feel like giving you a free ticket to every one of Peter Johnson’s venues.’
‘That is one promise you better keep, Mr James Mathews, or I will put you up with the Teacher himself.’
They were both laughing loud over their phones.
‘Thanks, Bruce. I owe you a big one. Just do not forget when this is over, you are working for me.’
As he stood at the side of the road, Bruce could still feel the effects of his project nose-diving. He was no longer himself but a person filled with hatred. This could easily go down as the lowest point of his career and was by no means of his own fault. Never had he sworn revenge against anybody in his life, but today he just could not stop himself from hating Shannon Buoys with every nerve of his body. From the moment he ended that call with James, he could think of nothing else but bringing that woman to her knees. Loads of ideas were going through his mind, and it was hard to concentrate on his driving. Working under Shannon was never the best days of his career. She would always try to find some kind of flaw in everybody’s work, including his. There were times when he thought he had a programme thoroughly wrapped up for broadcasting, and she would always come up with one or two of her ideas to make some changes to it. She had a passion for showing off the power of her position. Although still missing Live Entertainment TV, Bruce was happy to be away from her. He knew it would have been hopeless to complain about her because of the manner in which she had risen to the top. Nobody was going to lay a finger on her. From the day of her appointment, he knew the relationship between them was never going to be healthy.
Today, he felt hatred for her in multiples and never did he know it could be so bitter. While driving, he was cursing under his breath. At one stage, he hit the steering so hard that the horn sounded. The more he thought about the phone conversation between James and himself, the more his anger built up.
As he got out of his SUV, he dialled Shannon’s number.
‘Hi, this is Shannon.’
‘Shannon, this is Bruce,’ he replied with very little respect in his voice.
‘Hi, Bruce, what makes you call me so early on a Friday morning?’
He silently cursed her, for he knew they were expecting him to call.
‘I need to come and see you,’ he said abruptly.
‘You mean . . . come to see me now? Uh, let me think . . . I . . .’
Knowing she was playing games with him, he displayed his anger. ‘Shannon, cut the crap. This is serious. Can I come or not?’
‘You’re really serious, aren’t you? Do you want your job back? You know it’s still waiting for you, and the bosses would be . . .’
‘This is not about getting my job back. It is something much more serious than that.’
‘What could be so serious, Bruce?’
He could sense that she was still trying to play him and he shouted loud into the phone. ‘You!’
‘Me? What about me, and why can’t we just discuss this now. I will be a bit busy today. You know, with you not being replaced yet, I am now involved in a lot of fieldwork.’
‘Well, in that case, I will make an appointment with Tim. I bet he should have a lot of questions for me.’
She suddenly went quiet, and he knew he had her attention.
‘Okay, I think I can spare you a couple of minutes, but you better come now before I leave.’
‘Hundred per cent,’ he said as he put the phone down.
Bruce was then convinced that he needed to break all ties with Live Entertainment, this time for good. Even if it meant that he had to use the cell phone recording, he would. His mind was made up. Shannon Buoys was poison, and he needed to be as far away from her as possible. His future does not rest on her decisions any more. He could get to better heights without her or Live Entertainment. He had the intelligence and the qualities to believe in himself. If they thought he was going to sit in a corner and die, they had it all wrong. For now, he knew he still had unfinished business with Shannon, and he was going to play by her rules.
Twenty minutes later, he was at her office door. For the first time in his life, he felt uncomfortable being in this building. The reasons for him being there were nowhere near the daily routine he once knew. Hearing voices inside, he knew she was not alone. The door opened before he could knock, and he looked directly into Tim Zimmer’s face.
The surprise hit Tim as much as it did Bruce.
‘Bruce . . . ?�
�� Tim said with a stagger.
‘Hi, Tim,’ was all that Bruce could say. It suddenly became a moment of inconvenience as he thought he could settle the matter with Shannon alone.
Shannon herself felt awkward in this spot for Tim had come at the wrong time to her office. Knowing her awkwardness was not going to help, she stepped passed Tim to let Bruce into the office.
‘Hi, Bruce,’ she said with a smile, doing it only to break the uneasiness in the room.
‘I did not expect you so soon,’ she said, looking from him to Tim.
‘What does this mean? Is he coming back?’ Tim asked anxiously.
Neither of them was prepared for such a question, and it clearly showed on their faces. The stillness that followed made Tim realise that he needed to involve himself in whatever reason Bruce was there. He stepped back into the office, facing Shannon.
‘Shannon, do you mind if I stay for this?’
They knew it was not a request, for he was already taking a chair. Bruce followed and closed the door behind him.
‘Okay. Who is going to start?’ Tim’s gaze shifted from one to the other. Bruce took out an envelope he had inside a file he was holding. On his way there, he drove past his postal box and cleared his post. ‘Tim, this is a letter for an internal enquiry concerning the company and me. I would like you to disregard this completely and to no longer consider me part of Live Entertainment.’
Tim was not expecting such a straightforward statement, and it showed on his face. ‘Now wait a minute Bruce. Is there any particular reason why I should do that? Am I the only one that is missing something here?’
Tim had waited for this moment long enough, and he was not going to let go without the truth coming forward. After Bryan had told him that Bruce had left for good and nobody could give him the true reasons behind it, he knew he would not found a better opportunity to get behind the truth.
Shannon could feel the atmosphere growing warmer and knew that only professional business statements or decisions were acceptable now.
‘Tim, I think it would be better if I put forward my resignation with immediate effect. I admit that I did not handle the matter with Bruce correctly, but I still stand by my decision not to accept his proposal to have that man as part of my programmes. It might be a huge success now, but at that time it just was not the right thing to do.’
If Tim had expected mudslinging for the next twenty minutes, he had the surprise of his life. Here were two of his best producers, each firmly believing in their decisions and both sticking by them. As a professional himself, he knew they were both right, given the circumstances at that time.
‘What is this with people who want to leave the company when the issues were never even under discussion? What happened to loyalty, commitment, and the sense of belonging? Is my company not good enough for you anymore? I do not like what I am hearing. If you think that Live Entertainment has failed you, I would like to know why. I refuse to give up on people who have brought this company to where it is today. This office is not the place where people are hired or fired, and it seems to me that this is becoming the case now. Shannon, you carry on with your work, and Bruce, I want to see you back at your desk on Monday morning.’
Shannon looked at Bruce invitingly to accept the offer while he also felt tempted by it. His nameplate was still on the door of his office. That he saw as he walked here. The thought of that hobo that night on the stage overwhelmed Bruce’s mind. Suddenly, he remembered Sean’s words: ‘You had the desire to do so . . . now finish the work . . .’
This was enough for him to make his decision.
‘I am sorry, Tim. As much as I can feel my life at this company right now, I still want to go.’
‘Why, Bruce? You have a good future here. Why risk it for something that might be over in a very short time?’
‘Best I don’t talk about it now,’ he said as he looked blamefully at Shannon. Tim could see the message in Bruce’s eyes and instinctively knew not to take the conversation too far.
‘All right, Bruce, it is not easy for me to say this, but I sure hope you change your mind. Do not hesitate to phone me any time if you wish to return.’
‘So can I consider my service terminated with immediate effect?’ Bruce showed him the document as he spoke.
‘I guess so,’ Tim said through heavy breathing, very aware of his loss.
Bruce stepped forward to shake hands with Tim, saying, ‘It really was a pleasure, Tim. Honestly, it was.’
To Shannon, he just nodded and said, ‘See you guys around.’ He then left the room without looking back.
Tim turned to Shannon, saying, ‘That hobo has just brought you a nightmare.’
She knew he meant it; as there was a lot of misery showing on his face.
Holding the car door open, Bruce took a last look at the huge building blocks of Live Entertainment. He could feel some sadness as this is where he spent twenty-three years of his life. A smile slowly started to form on his lips as he thought aloud, ‘Peter Johnson, you sure are one son of a gun . . .’
The smile turned into a little laughter as he drove away.
Ray was knocking for the third time, and just as he thought Ross was not at home, the door opened.
‘Hi Ross, how are you?’
‘Morning, Ray. Perfect day, isn’t it? Any news regarding the results of the stage?’ Ross asked eagerly.
‘It passed first time. Well done, Ross . . . but that is not why I am here.’
‘Oh . . . Something I should know?’
Seeing that Ross was not inviting him in, Ray walked past him to sit on the sofa.
‘It is about Gina and . . .’
‘Ray, please let it go. You have no business in my private life . . .’
‘Oh yeah . . .’ Ray interrupted him somewhat loudly. ‘When circumstances went wrong about you not being able to go to college, you came to me. You opened your heart with me, Ross. Please do not tell me I do not know your problem. Seven years back, you made it mine because you trusted me as your brother and best friend. Yesterday, I could see it still bothered you.
‘Listen to me, Ray . . .’
‘Ross, if you interrupt me one more time, I will get in my car and drive away without you knowing what I came here for. You are my brother, damn it, and I will only do what is good for you. Yesterday, when I told Gina I could take her to you, you should have seen that look on her face. She was excited, Ross, very excited. The two of you are not over one another, and it is time you dealt with it.
‘Circumstances are not the same any more, Ray. She is much . . .’
‘Ross, I am proud of you, and so is Dad. Whatever you do, you always do it well. Look at that stage. Everybody is so damn impressed they all are wondering why you are not starting a business on your own. You sit and cry over the “could have been” that will have nothing to do with where you could go. Don’t look at Gina as a person that is better off than you. Look at her as a woman that might still be in love with you.’
‘It has been seven years, Ray. What if . . . ’
‘I am not here to fill in the “ifs and buts”, Ross. That is your duty, and if you are only half the man we all think you are, you will ask her to accompany you tonight.’
‘You came all the way here to tell me that?’ Ross asked with a stern face.
‘No, Ross. I came because I am the son of Peter Johnson, and so are you. I am here to remind you of his words, “Don’t let one bad decision dump your whole future into a life of regret”. Do yourself a favour, spend some time with her while she is here, and take it from there. Most of all; don’t do it for me, do it for yourself.’
A long silence followed, and Ray knew he got his message delivered loud and clear.
‘I have a lot to do today, Ross. Just see that you make that call. Here is the number,’ he said, placing a piece of paper on the table.
While he looked at the number on the paper, Ross’s heartbeat went into abnormal mode.
Ray, who was st
aring at him, said in a very severe tone, ‘This is your chance to get yourself back. You know what to do. I have to leave now. Goodbye.’
Twenty minutes later, Ross was on the phone with Gina.