Break News - Part two
Jason nodded and knocked on the door.
"Mirenda?" Jason called out to her and knocked on the door again.
Henry was standing behind Jason, just inches away, his face full of concern as he waited to see if Mirenda would open the door.
"Mirenda, is me, Jason, please open the door," Jason said and they both heard the door unlocking.
The doorknob turned and the door opened slightly. Jason pushed it open and proceeded to enter.
"I will keep Julia company," Henry said and Jason responded with a 'hmm' before entering Mirenda's room.
The room was nicely decorated with a pot of flowers sitting close to the window. The scent from the flower gave the room a refreshing scent. The bed had curtains around it which had been dropped down except for where Mirenda was sitting. She had her head lowered and was holding something in her hand. Her hair was let down and unkept. She looked a little skinny. She had not been eating. Jason stood there for a while observing her.
"Mirenda," Jason called out to her.
"She hates me. She calls me a bad omen. She blames me for everything," Mirenda said her voice very down. "Jason, am I a bad omen?" she said and turned to look at him.
Jason stared at her in silence. His gaze moved to her hand. She was holding their family picture. Jason stared at the picture in her hand. He recalled the day the picture was taken. It was James's birthday and a huge party was organized. He took a couple of steps towards the bed and leaned against the bed pole.
"Mirenda, you are not a bad omen. You are a beautiful woman with a good heart. Do not let your mothers word's get to you," Jason said.
"Jason, I am not a Haward. She told me she would not be caught dead with my father. She told me when she found out, she was pregnant with me she didn't want me. Our dad found out and made her keep me. She said it was through me, our father found out that myself and James are not his children," Mirenda said with eyes filled with tears.
Mirenda's face looked puffy. She had been crying and not eating.
"Mirenda, do you need her for anything?" Jason asked and sat down next to her.
"She is my mum and I love her," Mirenda replied.
"Yes, but what has she done for you exactly?" Jason asked surprising Mirenda.
Mirenda looked confused hearing his question but gave it a thought. Taking her memory back to when they were one happy family, she realized her mother treated her no differently from the way she treated Jason. She will take her along with James and leave Jason behind but will give all her attention to James completely ignoring her. Jason watched her as he could see from her face she was recalling her entire life with her mother.
"Are you not who you are now because of your strong will?" Jason asked and Mirenda lowered her head in deep thought.
All her life she did things just to please her and get her attention, her love but got none. There are days she hid and cried because she went to her mum and she shouted at her. Somehow Jason always finds her and makes her stop crying.
"So do you need her?" Jason asked and Mirenda turned to look at him.
She blinked twice and one side of Jason's lips curved upwards making her reciprocate the smile.
"Thanks, Jason," Mirenda said staring at him with a smile.
"Mirenda, you are a strong woman. You have always been. Just keep being yourself and don't let anyone bring you down," Jason said and Mirenda hugged him thanking him.
"Now let's go and eat something or drink something," Jason said and she giggled.
Jason smiled and got up from the bed pulling Mirenda up.
"You always have a way to bring smiles to my face. Jason, you have a pure heart. I am sorry for teaming up with Mum and putting you through all the horrible things," Mirenda apologized.
"You just wanted your mum to love you. I understand," Jason said. "Now, really, let's go eat something or......" he began and Mirenda cuts in.
"Or drink something," Mirenda completed his statement and laughed.
While Jason and Mirenda were chatting in the room, Henry had engaged, Julia, in a conversation. As soon as Jason and Mirenda made an appearance in the living room, Julia ran to Jason in tears and hugged him.
"I am sorry Jason," Julia cried still hugging him.
Mirenda moved to Henry and he wrapped his arms around her. Jason's gaze moved to Henry with a frown wondering what he told Julia to make her breakdown like this. Henry just stared at him briefly holding Mirenda in his arms.
"Thanks, Jason, we will leave you two to talk," Henry said.
Julia calmed herself in Jason's arms as he wrapped his arms around her.
"No need. I will take my wife home. Mirenda, you are welcome to visit anytime," Jason said with a smile but when his gaze shifted to Henry he frowned.
Henry maintained an expressionless face and Mirenda went to see Jason and Julia off.
"What did you tell her?" Mirenda asked when she returned to Henry.
"I told her everything about Jason, including his childhood incident. She felt bad for how she treated him. Making things harder for him and never for once realising everything he was doing was going against his own will," Henry said.
"Babe, Julia is very soft, very emotional, you made her feel extremely bad," Mirenda commented.
"And how about you, you broke down too," Henry pointed out.
"It's different," Mirenda replied and walked towards the kitchen and Henry followed.
Jason called Peter as they were on their way back to his apartment. He was not happy with Henry telling Julia everything but he can't undo that now. Mr Wellington was already at his apartment waiting for him when they arrived at the apartment.
"Hello Dad," Jason said and Julia forced a smile.
"Are you alright?" asked Mr Wellngton seeing Julia's face was a bit red.
"Something went into my eye. Please excuse me," Julia said and left for the bedroom.
Peter was ushered in by the housekeeper as soon as Julia left carrying some documents with him.
"Great you are here let's go into my office," Jason said and they all proceeded to his office.
Mr Wellington went through the documents and signed them. Jason equally signed his part.
"So you will keep this one, here," Mr Wellington said giving the documents that supersede the documents they were going to give to Mrs Haward to Jason.
Jason took it and opened the safe and kept the documents inside.
"So now what next?" Peter asked.
Jason and Mr Wellington said nothing but Mr Wellington fetched his phone from his pocket and dialled a number bringing the phone to his ears.
"Let it go live," Mr Wellington said and ended the call.
"Turn on the TV," Jason said to Peter and he did.
'News reaching us has it that, the Wellington's have taken over Paradise Hotel. The Wellingtons have become the new owners. It appears the hotel's location was already chosen by the Wellington's for a project but with the Hotel doing so well, they have decided to buy the hotel and expand it making it....." announced the reporter.
Another channel announced;
Breaking News, the Wellington's become new owners of Paradise Hotel,
"Will you call, Mrs Haward?" Peter asked.
"No, she will call me," replied Mr Wellington.
Back at the Hawards', Fiona was back in her room. James was still not back home. Mori ran to the study and knocked on the door.
"What is it Mori," asked Mrs Haward as soon as she let Mori in.
"The Wellington's have acquired Paradise Hotel," Mori announced.
"How did you know?" Mrs Haward asked curiously.
"It's on the news. I just saw the breaking news," Mori announced and Mrs Haward quickly left the study and went to the living room. She turned on the TV and yes the news was on TV.
A smile slowly appeared on her face. Just then James entered the living room.
"Mum, Jason's Hotel has been taken over by the Wellingtons," James announced.
James was so loud that Veronica who was going into the kitchen from the dining heard it. The tray in her hand dropped to the floor drawing Mori, Mrs Haward and James's attention to her.
"I am sorry," Veronica said, picked up the tray and hurried into the kitchen.
"When will this woman leave Sir Jason alone? Mr Haward, why did you have to leave your son in such a mess," Veronica thought as she placed the tray on the table.
"Are you alright?" asked one of the servants who noticed Veronica's sad face.
"Nothing, let's get supper ready," Veronica said and opened the fridge, bringing out some ingredients for the food preparation.
Back in the living room, Mrs Haward, Mori and James were celebrating Jason losing the Hotel with drinks in hand.