The Sun was bright above our head by the time we reached Devro Lane .The breeze was pleasant and the morning birds had started to get busy for the day .
The houses became fewer in number , until there were only lush of green fields streching to the horizon .
A single two storied house stood in the middle of nowhere .
We stopped infront of it.
As Liam rang the bell , my brother disappeared from my side with an excuse of looking around and exercising in the fresh air .
I assumed that it was more like he could not wait to get seperated from the brother-in-law he hated .
A man in his fifties wearing a green shirt and blue pants opened the door . I recognised him from the profile picture. It was Dr. Ravesh , himself .
As we entered the house aroma of blueberry and cherries engulfed us . From somewhere the children's laughter could be heard . The whole place inside was painted in warm yellow and orange shade . On the walls there were more degrees hung than the pictures of the family and deities I could not recognise.
We took the stairs upstairs to sit in his studyroom that was stacked with more books than I had seen in my lifetime.
As soon as we sat down , the doctor greeted me ," Hasn't it been a while , Mrs . Anderson?"
I smiled at him , totally clueless. I did not recall ever meeting him . Maybe it was at some kind of party or official meeting - I would not know . Although I had met too many people in my professional life to remember every one of them , I was surprised that there was not an inch of familiarity that I could recognise in anyway .
" How are you sleeping these days ?," he asked again. Embarassed, I wondered if he was politely asking how I was doing in the middle of everything with the scandal on my plate .
Liam put an arm before me like he was shielding me from something,"Actually we are here for me , today ."
The doctor considered for few moments as the doctor and Liam stared at each other . They were certainly having a conversation that I was not part of . And then they both looked at me .
Liam cleared his throat ," I would like to talk with him alone ."
Dumbfounded I sat there letting the fact sink in that there were things that he would rather not discuss before me .
Alright ?
I got up and the doctor called on his phone .Soon a woman burged in the room. She had warm brown skin like Dr. Ravesh which seemed to glow against her golden earrings and necklace. She wore emrald green skirt with a blue top - every inch of which was decorated with sparkling strings and golden beads .
" Mira ,why don't you let Mrs. Anderson take a tour through your lovely garden ?," the doctor asked in a pleasant voice ," I am not bragging or anything but Mrs. Anderson, you will be in wonder after you ses how mervalously my wife's garden is kept by her ."
" You are embarassing me infront of the guests ," the woman said , smiling shyly ," This way , please ."
So I was getting kicked out as soon as I had entered the room.
I wanted to say that I also had questions to ask to the doctor. Things like - what was wrong with my husband? How bad was it ? If he was going to be okay .
Warm palms of Mrs. Ravesh wrapped around mine ,"Let us go ," then she whisphered," Sometimes it is harder to tell the closest people about yourself. Let's give him some space ."
I followed her down the stairs to the back of the house .
An area had been cleared off all the grass and Mrs. Ravesh was growing plants whose most of them were up for some kind of competition. Sunflowers which were bigger than my whole body , Roses that smelled like heaven in colours I did not know were possible - everything about her plants made my own greenhouse back at how look like a kindergartner's work .
" I will bring you some snacks ," Mrs.Ravesh helped me on a chair and went inside the house .
There was no umbrella but the sunlight was not uncomfortable.
There were a low fence of wire barbed with thorns separating the field from the garden .
" Sis !," Jayjay waved at me from the other side . He might have been walking around all by himself.
I got up from the chair ," Are you done sightseeing?"
" No ," he shook his head ," I was just wondering how much it would cost to have home in a place like this "
" Well , it would cost a degree and a stable job ,first ," I reminded him.
" Or just your card ," he winked at me .
" I am buying you a house now ?," how spoiled did he wants to be ?
" Our house," he corrected ," We can move in somewhere like this , you know ..."
" And what do we eat , grass ?"
" Oh common , that much I can manage to earn ," he waved my concern away .
" You can not even manage to buy grass ," I said , coming near to the wire . It was as high as my knees.
" You would know I can manage more than it ," he opened up his arms ," I am an adult now," said my little nineteen years old brother .
The sun was so blinding behind him that it took me a minute to realise there was a figure behind Jasper .
It might be some workers or someone who needed to meet the doctor or just a neighbour,I thought ignoring the familiarity in his appearance.
" Jasper ?," my heart started to beat faster as I recognised the man who was not rushing towards him," No."
Jasper froze watching my expression and started to turn around. But he was too slow . The man had long as at his left hand ,the cane that I was as much familiar with as my family .
And it would hit my brother in any second
No...
No No No No No....
The jeans I was wearing ripped open at my knee and the thorns from the wire dug into my flesh as I jumped over the fence to shield my brother .
But I was too late .
The first hit landed on his back and he fell to the ground .
I threw my arms around him ," Stop please , I will explain."
" But dear Autumn , you are not in the wrong here ," the man who had turned my life into a hell spoke as gently as ever ,"Let this poor old father talk with his ungrateful son for a second ."