GRUMPY AND THE PRIEST : EPISODE 1 – 10
Episode 3
By Faith Lucky.
They got to the mall and Nina picked as many dresses, shoes and bags as she could pick. Money was never a problem for Declan Wesley.
“Do you have somewhere else in mind?” Declan asked as they both sat in the car seats after spending upto an hour in the mall.
Nina ticked her tongue for a while and replied: “take me to the cathedral, dad. I want to go there.”
“The cathedral? And what’re you going there to do?”
“Uhm… to pray of course”.
GRUMPY AND THE PRIEST : EPISODE 1 – 10
The driver started off and in no time, they got to the cathedral. Immediately they got down from the car, Declan ran off to greet a father that he had seen and Nina also set off to finding whom she came for. She just hoped she’d be able to meet him there.
She hurried to the building and found him in. Still standing outside, she stared at him. He was playing the keyboard – the same tone she liked.
She watched him as he closed his eyes with so much passion and at the same time, carewornly. She couldn’t help but ponder art his brooding attitude.
After watching him for a short time, she decided to go in and immediately he noticed her, he stopped playing.
“Hey!” He said perfunctorily as she walked in.
“Hi -again” she replied , feeling a bit shy as she sat next to him.
“On the keys again?” She asked.
“Oh, yeah. I come here most evenings to rehearse.”
“Oh, okay. By the way, we didn’t get to know each before left I yearsterday. So, I’m Nina Wesley and you are?”
“Hold on. Nina Wesley? Like daughter of Declan Wesley?”
“Well…yes”.
“Wow! Nice meeting you Nina. I’m Alvin.”
They exchanged a warm handshake.
“Okay, Alvin. Igualmente”.
“What’s that?” He flinched and asked.
“Oh, it’s Spanish. And it means nice meeting you too.”
“Spanish? You speak Spanish?”
“Kind of. I returned from Spain just yearsterday.”
“Really? Wow! That’s great”.
Nina smiled. He was really a nice fellow, wasn’t he?”
She saw some pieces of papers on the keyboard and picked them up. There seemed to be songs written in them.
“Alvin, what school do you attend?” She asked as she ran her eyes through the papers.
“CVHS” He report.
“CVHS? What’s that?”
“Carnegie Vanguard High School”.
“Oh, Carnegie Vanguard! I think I’ve heard of it before. By the way, did you write these?” She asked, referring to the songs.
“Yes.”
“Seriously?”
He took his eyes back to the keyboard and struck the keys, playing the first tone and as he started, he closed his eyes – as usual.
Nina listened besottedly and thought he only intended playing just the tone. But, surprisingly, he started singing.
Nina thought the wind had stopped blowing and everything was suspended – motionless. She couldn’t feel her heart beating and had almost thought she had stopped breathing as well.
The bodacious sound of his voice penetrated her heart and left an unexplained melody. It made her felt like she was soaring.
“If I could be like the trees,
Free to wave it’s branches anytime;
If I could be like the stars,
Free to show up anytime it liked;
And if I could belike the birds,
Free to fly wherever it pleased;
Then the sky will be my limit
Cause I’ll be flying higher than higher
Free to do what I want
Higher than higher
And go where I want
Higher than higher
Be whom I want
Just the sky,
Oh the sky will be my limit.”
Nina kept starring at his face the whole time. She wasn’t even sure if she had been blinking.
So, that was the song he always loved playing? It was so emotional.
“That’s my favorite song. But…I’m yet to complete it . this is just half of the song” he said as he rounded up.
.”wow! Alvin. It’s awesome. I love it!” She said beatifically and had almost embraced him.
“Thanks” he replied and smiled.
“So, wanna be a songwriter?” She asked excitedly.
He smiled again and went back to playing the keyboard.
Nina was surprised.
“Uhm… did I ask something wrong?”
He remained silent.
“Hello?”
“I’m a soon to be priest” He finally replied, still playing the keys .
Nina flinched and grinned.
“A priest?” She asked with disbelieve. “Like… a Reverend Father?”
“Yes ma”.
Nina could feel her lungs drying up. She suddenly became gutted.
She ran out of words as Alvin did same and although, he tried to concentrate on the keys he was playing, Nina could tell he was pretending. She could read the sadness in his eyes that blended with morose tone he was playing.
At that moment, an advance woman came in, holding a bag to her wrist.
Immediately Alvin saw her, he sprang on his feet and Nina also did same.
“Mom,” he called, sounding surprised.
“Good evening, ma,” Nina greeted politely, starring at her from head to toe.
She was pretty.
“And who’re you?” Mrs Lana asked, referring to Nina.
“I’m…”
“She’s no one, mom” Alvin cut her off as she tried replying. “She was just passing by and was drawn by the sound of the keyboard”.
Mrs Lana starred at her and took her eyes back to Alvin.
“Okay. I dropped by to pray and decided to pick you up. So, let’s go”.
“Okay mom” he replied and left with her, not saying a word to Nina.
GRUMPY AND THE PRIEST : EPISODE 1 – 10
As Nina sat beside her father in the car, she thought of Alvin. She couldn’t tell why he was so scared in front of his mom and she couldn’t tell why he had stopped her from introducing herself.
And the looking his eyes when he had told her he was a soon to be priest.
“Dad, she called after awhile .”Reverend fathers don’t marry right?”
Declan looked at her and felt surprised.
“Of course they don’t. They live a sacred life.” He replied.
“But; why wouldn’t they get married? Like…they’d just be lonely and live without kids or family?”
“Whoever said they were lonely Nina? They live a happy life with Christ, dedicating their full time to serving him.”
She sighed and stared through the window, starring at the moving people and buildings.
“Nina, who was the guy I saw you with?” Declan asked.
“At the church? He’s just a friend.” She replied.
“A friend? Since when?”
“Oh! Just yearsterday.”
“He was the reason you asked me to bring you to the church, right?”
She remained silent.
“Do you like him?” He asked and she blushed.
Was her dad really asking her that?
“Uhm…kind of…just as a friend”.
“Nina,” he sighed and held her palms. “You need to be careful of your feelings. I don’t think you need love in your case”.
Nina wore a foxed look. “What does he mean by that?” She thought.
She was about asking him about it when a call came into his phone, cutting heroff.
“I’ll be enrolling you on Monday into Carnegie Vanguard” he said immediately the call ended.
“Carnegie Vanguard High School?”she repeated.
That was the same school Alvin had said he was attending.
“Isn’t it owned by Lowell Sidney?”she asked.
“Hm. It seems you really like the Sidney family a lot )”
“Yes, Nina. We’re far more closer than you think. The Sidney family and Wesley family have been close for generations. We’re more like relatives.”
“Wow!” Nina exalclaimed.
“So I’ll be enrolling you on Monday and I’m sure you’re gonna love it. It’s the best school here in Texas and one of the top 10 best schools in the country. They don’t make use of uniforms, so you can go in on anything you want.”
“Wow! That sounds great, dad. I can’t wait to show off my new dresses.” Nina replied and winked at him.
GRUMPY AND THE PRIEST : EPISODE 1 – 10
She laid on the bed with Declan sitting beside her, trying to cover her up.
“Goodnight dad” she told him as usual, but he didn’t reciprocate.
“Let me tell you a story, Nina” he said.
“Okay.” She replied, curiously.
She wandered what story he had to tell.
“A long time ago,” he began. “The Sidney and Wesley family were always arAt loggerheads with each other. There was never a time when two members from each family would pass each other on the way without having a dispute. The main reason for the misunderstanding was unknown to us, but our parents’ parents all grew up, knowing the Sidney family were mortal enemies.
“It was years later, in a particular generation that love cured it all. A daughter of the Wesley family had fallen in love with a son from the Sidney family. Of course, both families had cursed and fulminated the union, but both hearts were determined.
“In order to maintain the good name of the family, each family members obligatorily attended. They all went with bittered hearts and swore to cut off ties with the couples after the marriage.
“But with the activities going on at the ceremony, both families had to work together.
“Please, help me out with this,” one would say to the other and to another, one would say: “your perfume smells nice. What’s the name?”
“And in the end, both families ended up drinking and chatting together. That was when they realized that pride and ignorance was the only thing keeping them apart and after that, they promised to be best friends for ever
“So, the union between Jane Wesley and Greg Sidney brought about the closeness of the two royal families and after the marriage, the elders of both families made a vow. I’m not sure if it had included blood, but they made a strong vow. They agreed that after every fifty years, a daughter from the Wesley family and a son from the Sidney family would get married in order to strengthen the bond and keep the friendship flowing.
” It was more like an oath and since then, for generations, it had always been practicalized and honored. That is why you find the Sidney and Wesley family inseparable and because that oath is always being honored, both families are blessed beyond imaginations” he concluded with a frail smile.
GRUMPY AND THE PRIEST : EPISODE 1 – 10
Nina got into a ruminative mood after listening to the story, trying to fix the scenes in her head.
“Wow! What a great history. Nice story she commended.
“It isn’t just a story that’s meant for entertainment, Nina. You should always have it in mind.”
“Of course, I will.”
“But one thing you should always remember Nina, is that I love you and will never do anything to endanger you. I’ll never make a decision that’d work against you. I know what’s best and want the best for you, okay?”
This time around, she stretched forward and kssed him.
“I know dad. You don’t need to remind me of that. And I love you too” she told him and he embraced her.
Somehow, she could hear him sniffle.
“Okay. Get some sleep. Goodnight.” Declan said as he covered the bed sheets on her.
“Goodnight” she replied and he switched off the gleaming lights and left.
GRUMPY AND THE PRIEST : EPISODE 1 – 10
Nina shut her eyes but couldn’t sleep off in media. She really hoped her dad was okay.
She thought of him again – Alvin and remembered his song:
“Free to do what I want
And go where I want
Be whom I want
Just the sky will be my limit”
Those lines kept niggling at her. Could he be in any form of oppression or something?
She also thought of her new school Carnegie Vaguard – the best in the city. That was Alvin’s school and she was looking forward to meeting him there.
She heard the school was full of rich spoilt brats and she also learnt one of the first sons of the Sidney family was a student there.
She heard his name was Theo.
GRUMPY AND THE PRIEST : EPISODE 1 – 10
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