| Fan Fiction |
by Shweta
“What?” Vikram had Joe’s full attention now.
“Sir...Mrs. Lucy Cheng...you’re mother...” Vikram added for good measure. “Has been dead for the past 23 years.”
Ariel looked from one man to the other. If this weren’t such a serious situation, she would’ve laughed at Vikram’s tone. He sounded like he was trying very hard to explain a simple mathematics sum to a dyslexic child.
“Vikram...” Joe said impatiently. “this is not funny. I do not appreciate jokes like this. You better mind yourself before you get yourself fired.”
“Sir, do I seem like the kind of guy who would joke?”
Ariel blinked. She had to control herself. This was a serious situation, and did not deserve her laughter.
“No Vikram, you don’t.” Ariel said cautiously looking at Joe.
“Yes, thank you ma’am...now please sir. I think you must be confused. I heard the elder sir has remarried...”
“Remarried? He was married only once!”
“Sir. Please don’t joke.” Vikram said patiently. Ariel looked at Joe. The vien on his forehead looked like it would burst. She had never seen him as angry as this. Not even after all the things she put him through. Ariel realised family must be the most important thing to Joe.
“I’m joking? This is funny...a man says, my mother has been dead for 23 years. My mother! The woman that gave birth to me...the woman who raised me for 23 years...the woman sitting back in Taiwan waiting for him to come back! That woman, has apparently been dead for 23 years! And apparently, this was hidden from everyone, except the butler that hasn’t seen her for the past...God alone knows how many years!”
“Joe...” Ariel decided it was time to calm Joe down. He looked like he would crush Vikram into million pieces.
“Ariel please...let me deal with this.” Joe threw her a warning glance, which shook Ariel to her very toes. Apparently Joe was not to be tamed.
“Sir...please relax.”
“Relax? Relax?! You want me to relax when you sit here lying? Joking? Whatever it is you are doing. Well let me tell you...this is not funny, and neither will it get you a raise!”
“Sir listen...” Joe cut him off before he could complete the sentence.
“No you listen! If you take this joke any further, you will not only loose your job but also your nose!”
Ariel wanted to warn the butler and plead him to listen to Joe. Joe was obviously very angry, and completely serious about the breaking his nose threat.
“Sir, if you harm me, I would bring the police here so fast...”
“Yeah? I don’t mind being arrested. As long as I put your stupid imagination to a rest, it’s all worth it!”
“Do you want me to show you her grave?”
Joe stilled. Ariel looked at Vikram like he was crazy. How could you show a man a dead woman’s grave, if they were alive?
“What?” Joe asked. That was the only thing his mind allowed him to ask...what and how. How can Vikram show him his mother’s grave? What kind of sick joke was he pulling. Joe got out of his trance. Anger swimming through his entire body. He formed his hands into a fist and waited...waited for Vikram to say he was joking. And God help him when he did, Joe would break the man’s nose into a million pieces.
“Her grave sir. I take care of it...visit it everyday. Plant flowers around it. Roses...she loved roses.”
“My mother loves lilies not roses.”
“Lilies? Did you say lilies sir? Perhaps you are talking about Ms. Lucy Tian?”
“Lucy Tian?” Joe asked bewildered. He forced himself to stay calm.
“You’re mother’s friend. She had the same name as your mother, only she was a Tian and your mother was a Yan.” Vikram finished in one breath. The wheels in his brain started turning.
He was talking about Mrs. Lucy Yan Cheng. Who was Joe talking about? How could a child not know his mother is no longer alive.
His supposed mother had the same name as his real mother. Then did Mr. Baron Cheng remarry? Why would he hide the fact that he remarried, and that his mother was dead, to Joe-his son? It didn’t fit. Some pieces of this puzzle were missing.
“Oh, so now my mother had a friend of the same name...and what? My mother’s maiden name was Yan not Tian. I don’t even know a Tian!”
“Yes sir...you are right about this, you’re mother’s maiden name was Yan. You’re mother’s friend’s name was Tian. Lucy Tian.”
“Ok, this keeps getting better and better...so my mother’s dead? Not just dead...she’s been dead for 23 years, and her son doesn’t know about it...ok this I can deal with...now my mother likes roses, and her grave is apparently decked out with them. Then, I hear...my mother had a friend with the same name. And what? My dad married this friend of hers?”
Joe paused looked at Vikram and burst out laughing.
“This is hilarious! Maybe my father doesn’t know his wife is dead too! Maybe he’s been sleeping with her ghost for the past 23 years. Not just him...no one else knows she’s a ghost! Not even me! The only person who knows...apparently...is here in Dubai, decorating her grave everyday, while she fools everyone into thinking she’s human!”
“Sir, I think you have a great imagination...”
“No Vikram...you’re the one with the great imagination.” Joe said while pulling out a cheque from his pocket. He scribbled some words on it and looked up at Vikram. “Here! Take this.” He said handing the cheque to Vikram. “Here’s this month’s entire salary, plus a little bonus for making me laugh so much. Take this, you’re fired!”
“Joe!” Ariel gasped. “This man has been working here for a long time. You cant just fire him like this.”
“Says who?” Joe challenged. Again Ariel went quiet and couldn’t say a word. Never had she seen him this angry.
“Sir.” Joe returned his gaze to Vikram. It was amazing, Ariel thought, how calm he sounded. He didn’t flinch under Joe’s horrific gaze.
“Yes?” Joe asked looking the man deeply into his eyes.
“Would you like to visit her grave?”
“You’re obviously senile, old man! You’ve lost it! For the millionth time, my mother is safe and alive, back home at Taiwan!”
“Then who’s body had you’re father, Mr. Baron Cheng, his father and mother, and Mr. Yan and his wife Mrs. Yan and Lucy Tian bury along with me, and the rest of the staff that lived there at the time?” He asked with the same tone he used before.
But Ariel didn’t feel like laughing now. She was very close to loosing her marbles. If she hadn’t seen Joe’s mother in person, she would’ve believed Vikram. Of course, he didn’t have proof, while Joe had the best proof of his mother’s life. That she wasn’t buried six feet under, but was very much alive, and happy.
But something about Vikram’s tone, his manner, the way he believed he was right, this all made sense to Ariel. She wanted to believe Vikram even though Joe had a better case.
“Vikram, get out! You’re fired!”
“Sir, please. Would you like to visit her grave?”
“OUT!” Joe yelled. But Vikram didn’t even blink.
“You inherit you’re mother’s temper and stubbornness sir.” Vikram smiled.
Ariel thought Vikram had lost his marbles. He was smiling at Joe? Joe was very close to squishing Vikram like a cockroach!
“Vikram, if you do not leave this residence in the next ten seconds I am going to call the police.”
Vikram sighed. Smiled. Bowed and then went into his room. After fifteen minutes he was back with suitcase in hand.
“You’re mother fired me fifteen times in all our time together. So much so, that Mr. Arron Yan was gracious enough to lend me a flat in his apartment building to stay every time she did.” He smiled up at Joe.” You are just like her. When you want to visit you’re mother’s grave, please do give me a call. My number would be in your staff list.”
“Out!”
“You...have her eyes sir. Lord bless her.” Then Vikram walked out of the door, and the gates and was gone before Ariel could look back.
“Joe?” She asked cautiously. But Joe was already dialling a number in his cell phone.
***
Hey! I also updated A maths geek's super secret diary. Do check out the site, Ive added a new layout featuring my favourite lead man...No! Not Joe =P Someone I adore. And he recently had a drama with Rainie!
Check him out at shwetastories.webs.com