Chapter 16

The day my grandparents came back from their holiday. Things didn’t work out as I had planned. The little white lie I told Jade when I first met her had backfired on me.

It was late afternoon on Monday. I was still at the garage, working on a classic Mercedes. I had spent half of the day taking off and fitting new track rod ends. The majority of the time, I was struggling to take off the old ones. It was supposed to be finished by five, but it took me much longer to get it ready. My original plan was to be out of the garage by five and meet with Jade by six. I was going to tell her then about my relationship with Mr and Mrs Porter. That was the plan before I introduced myself to them. I should have told her earlier, but I can’t change the situation now.

With the car reversed over the garage pit, I made the last adjustments on the rods. There was the sound of a car pulling up in front of the garage. I didn’t take much notice of it until the loud slamming of its door. Heavy footsteps marching in my direction made me look.

“Why did you lie to me?” It was Jade.

I put down the spanners I was working with and climbed out of the pit. Jade was not too delighted to see me; the expression on her face showed it. “Let me explain to you,” I said.

“Explain what, Michael.” her eyes were moist. She was upset. “You lied to me. You don’t even know Mr and Mrs Porter!” she yelled.

I turned away. I didn’t dare to look at her in the eyes. “Please, give me a chance to explain,” I pleaded.

There was the sound of more car doors closing. I turned to see who it was. An elderly couple approached Jade. The lady stopped by Jade’s side and put a cardigan over her shoulders. I didn’t see the ladies face as there wasn’t much light illumination where Jade was standing. The gentleman advanced towards me. He was big, like a rugby player with broad shoulders. When I looked at him, I saw my mother’s eyes.

I turned to my side, resting the palms of my hands on the Mercedes bonnet. I leaned forward and stared at the cars chrome emblem. “Let me explain,” I repeated.

The gentleman, which I presumed was my grandfather, was only a few feet away from me. In a deep clear voice, he said, “Do you know how much grief you have caused this young lady by lying to her?”

From the moment my mother told me my grandparents were alive. I have been playing different scenarios in my head on what to say to them. Now that I have them in front of me, I’m speechless.

“My husband asked you a question, young man. Do we need to call the police to get some answers? Why were you sneaking around our property?”

I turned to face them. Jade and the lady were standing next to the gentleman. My eyes misted up. She was the spitting image of my mother but more aged. There was an unexpected change in the lady’s face. From anger, it turned to sadness. She raised her hand and pointed her index finger towards my chest.

“Oh, my God. Where did you get that crucifix which is around your neck?” The lady asked.

I raised my hand to my chest, clutching the cross. I held it tight. “It was a gift from my mother,” I said.

On the back, it says. ‘To our loving daughter Francis.’ The lady said. She was waiting in anticipation for confirmation.

I checked the small gold object, verifying with a nod that the words she told me were engraved on the inside of the cross. Jade and the lady raised their hands to their mouths, both of them shaken up. The old boy, on the other hand, was a tough cookie. He wasn’t too convinced. Once I showed them a photo of my mother and me together, he was satisfied as well. It didn’t take long for his eyes to mist up.

My grandmother was assured that I was her grandson. She embraced me, kissing me on the cheeks, then the crucifix. She continuously said, “Thank you, God, for this day.” Her tears were running down her cheeks. Jade rubbed her back, comforting her. Looking at me, Jade smiled, and with the movement of her lips, she said, “I love you.”

Moses was in his office. When he heard all the commotion in the garage, he rushed out to see what was happening. After I explained to him everything and why I was in Brentwood, he nodded his head. “This all makes sense now. A person of your knowledge does not belong in a small garage like this. That is why you stayed in Brentwood.” Moses said.

I introduced him to my grandparents. Moses praised me as one of the best mechanics to work in his garage. I’m sure my grandfather seemed a foot taller than when I first saw him. My grandmother’s smile glimmered. After been lauded by Moses. He gave me the next day off. When I tried to protest, he said, “Enjoy the time with your family.”

My grandparents insisted to take me home to their house, but I told them that I would go to the hotel to freshen up first. Jade would not leave my side.

I drove like a maniac back to the hotel. Thank God Jade was with me, nagging me to slow down. The police would have indeed stopped me from speeding if she wasn’t with me. I had a quick shower, but getting dressed was time-consuming. Jade wouldn’t keep her hands off me. “I told you to wait in the lobby. I knew this would happen,” I laughed while she tried to tickle me.