Wing Of Change
Chapter 44

Aria woke up the next morning with a splitting headache as she lazily reached for her medicated glasses seating across from her right on the lamp stand before dragging herself to the bathroom to do her morning routine.

She couldn’t sleep throughout that night as she kept turning and tossing the length and breadth of the bed.

Aria was practically restless even when she finally thought she had closed her eyes and shut off her mind and was sleeping_she woke up with a scream. She had nightmares of that woman snatching Frank away.

Staring at her reflection in the vanity fair mirror that hung facing her on the wall, she pulled off her glasses and squeezed her eye lids closed for a moment.

Opening it again; she could see how disoriented she was looking. Her hair was packed into a messy bun in the middle of her head. Her eyes were pretty red and swollen, thanks to all the crying from last night. Dark visible bags circled around her eye lids reminding her of last night torment.

Not withstanding the face staring back at her, she signed in exhaustion with her shoulders slumping down in defeat.

Wheb She couldn’t bear to stare at herself any further. Placing her glasses on the tile beside the washing sink_she pushed the tap head to the side causing sprinkle of water to rush forth before she reached out and collected some with her hands before repeatedly splashing some against her face.

The water was cold enough to wake up her senses as her mind began to race yet again.

Why can’t she just shake off that horrid thought from her head.

What if Frank decide to leave her for that woman. Even though he already assured her he wouldn’t, Aria still couldn’t help the thought making the rounds in her head.

After brushing her mouth and taking another cold shower, she pulled up a loose blue cotton trouser up her waist as she paired it with a white polo shirt before heading toward the kitchen for breakfast.

With a bowl of cereal in hand, she pulled out a chair in her dinning and settled in. Two spoonful of that cereal before her eyes met with the item lying on the table beside the files she came home with from the office.

Pushing her breakfast slightly to the side, she reached for the brown envelope before examining its contents with a skeptical frown.

Turning it over in between her palm, she felt the scrunchy brown envelope to be empty but on a second thought, She realized it wasn’t after her curiosity got the best of her and she tore it open.

A piece of white paper was folded on the inside as she pulled it out and unfolded it.

Dear Aria,

You seemed like a really nice person when I first saw you so I thought I should maybe warn you. Be ware of those who pretend to be your friend and be wary of that woman! Trust no one!!

Aria read it again for the sixth times but was still as dumbfounded as she could be. She very well understood the meaning of the letter but who could have sent it. No address was written on it nor could she figure out the writer of the letter either.

Aria understood why the writer would want to keep his/her identity a secret. But what she couldn’t understand was the encrypted word at the end.

Who else should she be worried about other hand that woman.

Now more than ever, she could feel the uneasiness creeping into her chest yet again. Aria already knew she couldn’t trust that woman. not even in the slightest and now she has more than enough reason not to trust her.

**

Meanwhile….

Frank was still fast asleep when he was awaken by a loud noise coming from outside his window.

Groaning out in annoyance, he pulled himself out of the bed and went to the window but couldn’t see anything as the room was still dark due to the curtains being let down to keep out the sun light.

Gathering the curtains in one hand before peeping outside to check out what the commotion could be all about.

His eyes widen in shocked when he noticed a woman trying to run over his butler Larry by the door. It apparent he won’t let her through as she had asked. Seem Larry wasn’t as daft as he had always thought him out to be.

Frank doesn’t need a telescope to prove it was indeed her. The high pitch voice with a lot of swearing was proof enough as to who the uninvited guest was.

Frank had warned him the previous night against a certain woman and he was right to think that she would show up at his house. What he didn’t realized was in the fact that she would be sensible enough to bring Daniel along.

It wasn’t long before he noticed the little boy standing quietly by the side as he watched his mother verbal exchange with the man who was far from succumbing to her demands of granting her entry into the house.

Grinding his teeth in annoyance, he turned away from the window and walked back to his closet. Looking for what to wear before those two out there decides to murder each other while trying to prove a point.

Putting on his black and white joggers with a T shirt, he began to descend the stairs, heading straight for the door.

The commotion outside was about to take a nasty turn as expected when he finally pulled the front door open and stepped outside.

Sandra whose palm was ready and about to meet his butler Larry’s face was now hanging in mid air as she took notice of his sudden presence, not to mention the murderous glare in Frank’s eyes.

“Put your hands now woman and stop all these curse word for crying out loud. Your son is just an earful away”

“I wouldn’t have used such words if only this useless Butler of yours had just let us in when I had asked nicely”

“That’s enough now” his voice was loud and clear as he snapped at her.

“What’s all the commotion about Larry” Frank had asked, ignoring her presence completely as he turned to Larry for an explanation.

Larry quickly straighten up at his boss’s question.

“Good morning Sir..” He began..”this woman came here this morning demanding that I let her into the house and I refused and that’s why she was trying to force her way in” He finished and just threw Sandra a sideways glare in which she returned with an equally warning snarl of her own.

“It’s okay Larry. Go back to your duty post. I will take it from here”

Larry took one last glare at her direction before he turned and walked away.

Turning his attention back to the woman whose angry eyes were still trailing the butler who had left their presence already. He noticed how well dressed she looked.

Dressed in a red chiffon gown that was half way across the knee with her makeup filled face. Her lips painted in deep red as it formed a thin line in an obvious scowl.

“Why do you always have the need to cause trouble anywhere you go? Isn’t it too early for this sort of visit?” His voice was calm as he studied her face.

Frank could see how hard she was trying to compose herself at this point as she summoned a pretty little smile on her face.

“I don’t think it’s ever too early for a son to want to have breakfast with his father Frank; unless you think otherwise?” Her smile was taunting as she pulled her son close to her bosom.

Frank could see how she was trying to put him on the defensive acting like an angel while he was the devil who wouldn’t want to have breakfast with his son.

His gaze fell on the little boy as he stood beside his mother. His eyes were watching him closely but he said nothing as they fell to his feet.

“Come Daniel” he called, ignoring his mother’s comment.

He held out his hand to the little boy who gladly took it before adding…

“How are you Daniel”

“I’m okay”

He took a deep sigh as he pulled Daniel closer….”I’m sorry Daniel you had to listen to all that adult talk. Don’t pay mind to any of it and be a good boy okay?”

“Okay” he answered with a nod.

“Mom said I could see you whenever I wanted because you are my Dad now and I thought I could come see you because you promised to play with me..it wasn’t mom’s fault” His sentence seem pretty rushed as he looked up to replace Frank watching him with a confused expression.

In Frank’s mind, he has come to realize that Daniel might not be comfortable around him and hence the need to apologise for his mom obvious behavior and he need to change that if they were to have a good father and son relationship soon.

“Yes Daniel, you can come see me whenever you want okay, And no my dear. No one is blaming your mom for anything okay?”

His eyes light up with pure happiness as he replied with a nod.

“Come let get you inside my boy…You must be hungry” He said pulling him along with Sandra trailing him from behind.

**

Daniel wanted to have noodles because it was his favorite and Frank decided to have whatever the little boy was having.

Not trusting anyone to prepare his meal especially if that someone is Sandra. He decided to do it himself while Daniel sat at the kitchen counter narrating all the ordeal with his friends at school. The little boy turned out to be more talkative than he appear at first glance.

Sandra was not too far away as Frank would rather have her seating idly by the corner than making his breakfast.

Breakfast was served after a while as they all sat around the dinning table eating away at their noodles. Daniel sat between Frank and his mother from the far right as he ate quietly. He seemed to be a slow eater as he was barely picking his noodles with his fork.

“You don’t like your food?” Frank had asked.

“It’s still hot” he replied

Before Frank could turn towards him, Sandra had pulled her son closer before picking up some noodles into his fork..she blew at it for a couple of minutes before holding it up to his mouth.

“Here baby; it’s cold now” she encouraged.

Frank watched without saying a word. There was no doubt that she was being a good mother or trying hard to be a good mother at that moment. Whatever it was that she was playing at, he would see the effort she must making.

Frank knew to be in his best behavior for the boy sake as he continued to eat away at his own plate of noodles.

After breakfast was over, Daniel found something to interest himself with as he took the opportunity to pull Sandra to the side.

“What game are you playing?” His brow raised in suspicion.

Faking nonchalance, she replied.. “How do you mean?”

“You think am stupid don’t you?, you showed up at my house with my son this early in the morning just to play mom in front of me?”

“You think too highly of yourself Frank but fear not. Am not here to try to seduce you or act on any of your imagination because its obvious you have quite a few to be reacting this way. Daniel had quite a fist last night wanting to see you so I promised to bring him here as early as possible so here we are”

Her l*p coiled into a lopsided smile. It was obvious he didn’t believe her but nothing would give her more pleasure than to keep him guessing.

“You know I won’t be acting this way if you haven’t given me enough reason not to trust you” he countered back with a warning glare as he walked away from her_ heading back to the living room.

“Proving Daniel to be your son should be enough reason for you to stop acting this way Frank”

Her words halted his next step to get away from her as he whirled around to face her.

“Proving Daniel to be my son has only showed me how unpredictable you can be and I can never trust someone like that so stop trying”

Before she could recover from his word and think of a comeback, Larry barged into the seating room, his face on alert.

“What is it Larry?”

The question should have been ‘who is it Larry’ as he heard the door open only to reveal Aria standing by the door way with her eyes wide total shock!