ELLA (completed)

Chapter 7

Chapter by syaminhazam

[EDITED]

How can he be here? In the morning like this?

“Sir? Mr. Marcel, what are you doing here?” I stammered.

He always wears suits whenever I see him in the restaurant. Sometimes I think that he lives, sleeps and eat in that suit, but today he wears a grey buttoned up shirt paired with black stone washed jeans. If suits make him look handsome with a powerful aura, casual makes him looks like a model from a magazine. Gosh! If looking handsome can be penalized than this man standing in front of me is going to pay a hefty amount of penalty.

“Hey, good morning friend,” he avoided my question and high fives Leonard as if I’m just a statue standing in front of him.

Keep your cool, you can just knock his head with your knuckle if he is your friend but he is your boss so chill.

Leonard jumped up and down when he saw Marcel. He always tells me that Mr. Marcel is his best friend. He always come and plays with Leonard whenever I’m busy with my job. Leonard only has me in his life and there has been no father figure or a man in his life before.  His face light up when Marcel calls out his name instead of answering my question.

“Buddy,” Leo yelled aloud before Marcel picked him up in his arm. I look at them in awe. This is not the first time Marcel picks him up in his arm. There are times when I was playing piano in the restaurant that I saw Leo in his arm, waving at me excitedly. That view is always from far but today, it’s just a few inches away from me.

I don’t really understand the feeling in my heart now. The bond between Leonard and Marcel is something new for me. The glow in Marcel’s face was something hard to decipher.

The news and magazines describe him as intimidating and a very hard man to please. His name is always lined up with the prominent names in business word.

Looking at the man in front of me now doesn't even has the similarities as the man the tabloid describes. Marcel in front of me is easily pleased by tickling a small boy stomach. His eyes spark with adoration as he studied Leo face. A smile crept up on my face as my eyes takes in the scene unfold in front of me.

I was so drawn into my thought that I didn’t hear Marcel call my name out. It’s only when Leo shouts mummy in my ear that I look at them, bewildered.

“Mummy, Buddy says that you can buy that phone,” his small finger pointing at the I-Phone X that I checked earlier.

Shaking my head, I put my hand on his arm, “Leo, call him Mr. Marcel, not buddy,”.

Then shifting my gaze, I look into his eyes, “It’s okay Mr. Marcel, the one I bought is good enough,” I showed him the bag in my hand.

My eyes widen as when my hand touches Leo arm, he pushes my hand away. He puts his hand around Marcel neck. This has never happened before; it almost caught me off-guard. Mr. Marcel throws his head back when he saw my expression. The only sound that comes from him is his infectious child like laugh.

His eyes crinkles at the corner when he laughs, brimmed with tears. Two dimples can be clearly seen when he laughs. It feels so good to see him laugh, and in no time, I joined them.

“It’s okay Ella. We’re quite good that he can call me buddy. And please take that phone. Take that as a gift from me,” He said when the laugh subsidies.

“No,Sir. I can’t accept that,” I declined his offer of buying the phone. I was tempted to accept but this voice inside my head keeps on saying no.

“Why, give me a good reason?” He asked, putting Leo down slowly. Leo never leaves his side.

Staring him direct into his eyes, I moved closer to him. “Have you ever given any of your employees an expensive gift?”

He takes a step backwards as if he is offended with my response. I didn’t answer him, in fact I threw him another question. His mouth opens and then closed back as he thinks of a perfect answer. On my side, I already got my answer. He has never given them. It might cause a big gossip in the restaurant if anyone get a hold of this news.

Taking Leo hand in mine, I walk out of the mall with the same bag in my hand. Leonard keeps on pulling his hand back in protest. I know he didn’t agree with my action. He is a small child. There is no way I can make him understand my action. I felt that every step I drag Leo with me, heavy.

When he knows that I won’t budge, Leo cries. I feel bad. I keep on pulling his hand but suddenly I felt his hand slipped away from my grip. Turning my head, I see him again. Closing my eyes, I tried to control the anger that is bubbling in my body. He shouldn’t do this.

I will make Leo understand with my own way. Giving in to his every wish is not the answer. Leo is a good boy, he will surely understand if I explain to him.

Gritting my teeth, turning my hand into a ball of fist, I stood still. Squaring my shoulder, I opened my eyes. “Leo, come to mummy,”

Leo’s answer however didn’t come in words, it comes in a form of his sobbing. He rubbed his nose on Mr. Marcel’s shirt. The scene almost broke my heart into pieces.

I don’t know why, when Marcel pats Leo back as he tries to soothe Leo down, i feel that the anger that I tried to suppress reappear. As if I feel threatened that Leo is looking for attention from someone else, not me.

“Mr. Marcel-,” My voice firm.

Taking a deep breath, with my arm folded on my chest, “Mr. Marcel, you might be my boss but that small kid in your arms is my son. It is for your own good that you put him down now,” I demanded.

“Ella, people are looking at us, can we just-,”

“No, put him down,” I cut in, seethed with anger.

Slowly, he puts Leo down. His hand caressed Leo cheek wiping away the tears from his face. He let out a bitter laugh when he high fived Leo again as he speaks slowly to him.
When he stands up, the smile and the light flickered in his eyes earlier is gone, replaced with sadness.

As we stands facing each other, a black Mercedes stopped beside us. “Let me drop you home, it will make Leo happy,”

I looked down on Leo eyes. He looked up with hope in his eyes. His hand holding mine. Sighing, I nodded.

The ride home was awkward. The silent tension was unbearable. My eyes keep on staring outside the window taking in the city view. Leo was already asleep in Marcel’s lap when we reached the small apartment that I stay in.

I want to pick Leo up but Marcel took him up in easy strides. The silence was unbearable. Did I overstep my boundaries?, I asked myself as I put the key inside the hole unlocking the small apartment. Smiling, Marcel walks inside the house and lie Leo down on the bed.

He was rocking on his heel with both his hand in his pocket as he stands at the door as I closed the door shut behind me.

A few moments later, through the peephole on my door I saw him standing awkwardly before walking away from my doorstep.

The day started on a great note. I found a kindergarten for Leo and one of the teachers is my neighbor.

She even offers to take care of Leo after school, with a fee of course. Leaning on the bedroom door, my gaze falls on the brown bear that Leo hugs tightly. He calls that bear Buddy. Suddenly, my heart felt heavy with worry.

Leo calls Marcel his buddy too.

🐾🐾🐾

I love how he called Mr. Marcel, Buddy.

He should be my buddy 😂😂

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