"And who's my father?" He asked with so much anger laced in his voice.
Aunt Elsie paused for a moment, reading his facial expressions. Is heaven answering her prayer's. This is her best chance to win against Ryan, at least Herzl won't recognize him as his biological father just yet, and it's a perfect opportunity for herto win against Ryan.
"My love, is no other person than that leach of a man called Ryan, Ryan Lerman." She asserted, observing his close expression of what it might become.
Herzl paused for a moment, trying to rememberthe name, he knew he had once heard of it before at a time. There was a time he has heard his mother mention Ryan to his late uncle, and immediately they saw him coming, they quickly changed the topic, but his little mind wouldn't picture what was happening.
"Ryan Lerman..." Herzl dragged the name. "I don't know him, I only know Ryan, mom's friend." Herzl winched.
"My boy, he's not your mom's friend, that's yourfather. He dumped your mother when she was pregnant...
Herzl jumps up in a great excitement, without letting her finish up what she was saying.
" I knew it, he told me I looked like him when he was my age, why didn't I notice all these while." Herzl frowned his face, feeling guilty of not treating him right when he visited.
"Herzl I was trying to tell you, he dumped your mother when she's..."
"Auntie, it's between him and my mummy. When she's back to health, they can settle their differences. It's none of my business." Herzl snapped, cutting her off from finishing her manipulative words once again.
Aunt Elsie felt the ground should open and swallow her, she imagined how Herzl managed to be so smart that he knows whatever fight between Ryan and Ciara should be settled between them, and it's not his fight.
She sat down and watched Herzl took up his game and started playing it excitedly. Now, her plans were completely shattered, she could've found more manipulative words to hold Herzl or perhaps male gender are too difficult to get convinced on. She sighed inaudibly and left his room.
***************
Aunt Elsie rolled her eyes and woke up with so much anger. Isn't too early for any email delivery to start pepping the house alarm, or was he shortsighted not to see the email box in the front garage.
She tossed for another minute, knowing fully if she doesn't answer, it won't stop coming. "Bad morning with damn delivery." She cussed under her breath and headed downstairs to get the door open.
Just when she opened the door to see three housemaids with their matching uniforms lining up with their head down and hands folded under their back.
"And what is this?" Aunt Elsie asked, she couldn't keep the fact that they disturbed her precious sleep just to start her day with unnecessary drama already. She maintained her balance, adjusting her night robe again to cover up hershoulders.
"And a beautiful morning, Mrs. Kent." Ryan greeted from behind with a smile on his face. A naughty smile of feeling on top of the world. He's back to take what's rightfully his, just like he informed her before.
"How was your beautiful morning, ma'am?" He asked, his voice laced with mockery and Sarcasm, knowing fully well he was the one pressing the bell non-stop to caught her sleep short.
"What do you want, Mr. Ryan, isn't too early to start being a dramatic little boy?" Aunt Elsie asked, shooting her glaring eyes at both him and the maids who lined up in front of her house, yes it's her house now.
She wondered what game Ryan was up to since it seemed to her, he's enjoying the fair game and war he already started, but of course, let him enjoy while it lasts, her winning time is coming again, and she won't spare anyone this time.
"I came to take Herzl, my one and only-begotten son, home and these are his personal maids to take his belongings." Ryan preached, the feeling of being a father made him happy and having a son like Herzl who looks like him, smart and honest is another way to be thankful to his stars and be more proud to boast him around.
Aunt Elsie got angry immediately, when will this boy stop taunting on her, he seems like bad luck to her anytime he's around. She must do something about him, a very daring one at that, to regain her boss lady position. It feels like she's loosing everyday by day to Ryan and what next is he coming for, maybe the house she's living in or something greateragain.
"You can't do this to me, Ryan, Herzl has been with me all these while, why take him away from me, I'm all alone in this big house and I won't let you do what you came here for." Aunt Elsie asserted, her voice breaking and tears already flushing like the river Nile. Perhaps she will put manipulation on Ryan, he seems like a hard guy, but there must a soft spot of him.
"Woman, save your cries for your late husband's anniversary day, you might need it." Ryan cajoled, facepalming his front head. He knew she's been dramatic and trying to gaslight him into believing he's doing a wrong thing. Little did she know, Ryan had all her backstory right with him in his palms.
"Please give way, let my maids do their work, thank you!" Ryan said with finality and stormed into the house, with his maids following suit.
************
Ryan walked into Herzl room, he was sleeping soundly, his face was light with a smile even whilst asleep, he stood there watching his son sleep comfortably, he didn't want to make a noise, heaven was blessing him back, even if he lost his company, he won't fight for it anymore but Herzl, he's going to turn the world upside down for his sake.
He was fighting the tears dumped right on his cornea. They're tears ofjoy and regret, Ciara left with his seed, and it must have been difficult for her during the moment she was raising him all alone.
Ryan knew he did her lots of bad things and thus is the time to prove he's a changed man, he won't let anything come in between him and his son, even if Ciara rejected his apologies. He will never give up on both her and his darling son.
He walked silently not to make a sound and slept gently beside him, he loved him so much even before he ran the secret DNA test on him. That very first day they met at the hospital, he knew no sleep of not thinking about him and he knows Ciara will never cheat on him after she divorced him. Her precious Ciara would never do that to him.
Ryan slept beside Herzl and placed his hand across him to hold him in comfort. He wouldn't mind sleeping next to him all day, as long as he didn't wake up just yet.
It's not long before Herzl stretched himself only to find a hand being placed across him, he turned immediately to find it's his dad. He smiled, and his cheeks lighted up in excitement.
"You're here." Herzl whispered, inaudible, but Ryan was quick to open his eyes immediately. He already slept off holding his son's hands.
"My boy, yes I am here, I'm going to surprise you today..." Ryan whispered back, cleaning the dirt particles on Herzl eyes and kissing his forehead.