John Mellark
The gates to the estate were impossibly tall: black wrought iron with long bars and a curling design on the top. There were no gatemen; it was manned electronically by the few specific people who had the remotes. Inside there was a driveway, long enough to almost be a road. It was smooth, beige colored, surrounded by gardens on either side. The one on the right had orchards: apple, cherry, whatever the season was. It was almost like a personal forest, that even had a waterfall. The other side had a beautiful round three tiered marble fountain, and flowers of every kind all around. The main entrance to the mansion was covered, the roof was intricately carved with an imported chandelier hanging from the center as four white pillars stood on the corner of the shade’s entrance.
“...Somethings ought to be kept a secret. And John loves this quality of mine.”
The house keeper, Mrs Briganza brings over the tea to the breakfast bar.
“Tea?”
“Yes please. So I was saying that John-Hey! Hey! Wh-What are you doing?!”
“Pouring your tea, sir.”
“So pour it just in the cup, not in the saucer too!”
“I’m sorry, it’s just a little spill, I’ll get you a new cup.”
“‘Just a little spill’? What if because of your little spill my house set on fire?!”
“That’s funny, the tea spilled here, and your house burned down?!”
“Simple logic: the tea could have fallen on my shirt. I would wear this shirt home. In the dark my wife would mistake the tea stain for a lipstick mark. She would doubt me that I’m having an affair, fight me. She would try to commit suicide, drench herself in gasoline, she’d set herself on fire and set the house on fire!”
“But you’re still a bachelor, Al!” Said the man sitting next to Al.
“But if I had been married, wouldn’t this have happened?!”
As Al went on defending the matter, upstairs the gym was a buzz with its own noise. Clink! Slide! Clank! Clink! Slide! Clank! The weights moved up and down the puli as the man synced his breathing with his crunches. His golden hair was messy and sweat was forming on his face, and along the ridges of his buffed arms. Trring! Trring! The phone rang and the man stopped his exercise to pick up the phone. He smiled as he recognized the name flashing on the screen before he put in the ear piece and began to clean his machine.
“Good morning, nana! How are you?”
“I’m fine, Johnny. Now quickly come on Skype so I can see you.”
“I’m coming nana, just give me a minute .” He chuckled as he made his way to the computer in the room and Skype called his grandma, who quickly answered.
“There you are, nana”
“Silly boy, turn on your camera.”
“Oh sorry, is this better?"
“What’s this look, your hair’s unruly and you’ve got stubble on your face?”
“I was exercising, nana. But as usual, you’re looking fabulous.”
“Stop flattering me and tell me when my baby is coming to Montecito?”
“Nana my cruise launches next week, and the day we come back, I’m coming home to you.”
“We all can’t wait for you to be with us, Johnny. Tell me, has Al been taking care of you?”
“Taking care of me? I have to watch out for him. If something happens, he makes up a scenario and when you question him, he says, “what if it had happened?”
“I know. But he’s a good heart.”
“Whatever you say, nana. I gotta go, and you take double care of yourself and I will see you when I get back.”
“Alright, bye Jonny.”
“Bye nana.”
“Sir, your juice.”
John takes down the workout drink in one gulp.
“Are Al and Wilson here?”
“Yes sir, they’re waiting for you at the breakfast bar.”
“But if I had been married, wouldn’t my wife burn herself and the house?!”
“Whose wife, whose house, Al?” John asks without looking up as he buttons his suit jacket on the steps down the spiraling stairs.
“Actually I’ve been teaching them simple logic, Johnny boy. If they still don’t understand, there will be a flood in this house! But don’t ask me why!”
“Am I crazy to ask you!”
“Try asking...I guarantee a flood!”
“Mr. Mellark your car’s been pulled up for you.”
“Thank you, Hundly.”
“Al, you take Wilson’s car and go to the paperworks. Ask Mr. Jacobs to give you what I asked him, and bring them to my office. Wilson you ride with me.”
“Yes, John.” Wilson climbed into the passenger seat of his boss’s Audi R8 Spyder as John continued to discuss business matter all the way to the office.
