“Come on, let’s go back for lunch.”
“Alright, Uncle!” Tony nodded. The convoy, led by Roy, was already ready. Since they were heading to Flintstone Estate, which wasn’t too far away, only two security vehicles accompanied them.
Imogen looked out from her dorm’s floor-to- ceiling window, watching the two cars departing from the Flintstone Residence. A strong sense of loss welled up within her. She believed that one day, she, too, would become an indispensable part of Zacharias’ life.
Shirley sat beside Zacharias in the car, feeling more relaxed since they were only out for a meal. After about half an hour, the convoy entered the Flintstone Estate’s courtyard. It was an older area with no tall buildings around, so it exuded a serene atmosphere, free from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Shirley stepped out of the car, and Zacharias turned to her, saying, “Let’s go! I’ll show you around my room.”
Shirley appeared calm on the surface, but deep down, she felt a growing sense of anticipation. She was surprised to find herself eager to learn more about this man.
“Grandpa Josef!” Tony called out as he walked into the hall, where Josef emerged. “Tony, you’ve come too.”
Shirley immediately greeted Josef. “Hello, Old Mr. Flintstone.”
“Miss Lloyd, welcome to our home. Please come inside.”
“You’re too kind, sir,” Shirley said. Josef’s overly enthusiastic welcome made her somewhat bashful.
“Dad, I’ll take care of her,” Zacharias said. Old Mr. Flintstone nodded, and Tony said, “Grandpa Josef, let’s play chess. There’s still some time before lunch is ready, right?”
“Do you think you can beat me?”
“Well, I’ve come to learn from you, haven’t I?” Tony said and headed toward a side room where a chessboard was always set up.
Meanwhile, Zacharias took Shirley’s hand as they headed upstairs. Out of panic, Shirley attempted to pull her hand away, but Zacharias held it tightly, making it impossible for her to break free. So, she could only let him lead her upstairs.
“Zacharias, let go of me. I can walk on my own.” she whispered. Once they reached the second floor, Zacharias released her hand and walked toward his bedroom door. He opened it and invited her in, saying, “Come in! Let me show you around.”
Shirley entered. She used to think her father had the most trophies in his room, but now it was Zacharias’. On a long table, there were trophies of various sizes that he had won. On the wall, there was a photo wall featuring pictures of him from childhood to adulthood. Shirley admired the photos, but suddenly, her breath caught in her throat.
Good heavens, what is that?
Mortified, Zacharias covered one of his childhood photos. He was a little over a year old at that time and was dressed in open-crotch pants, bearing everything that needed to be hidden.
“Don’t look at this one.” The man blushed. In a rare moment of catching him off guard, Shirley reached out and moved his hand away. “Why won’t you let me see it? You invited me to look around, right? Move your hand away.”
She pulled his hand away and stared at the photo with great interest. The toddler in the picture looked absolutely adorable. However, as Shirley looked at it, she began blushing.
Very quickly, she looked away and turned her attention elsewhere.
Zacharias took the chance to take the photo away, deciding to keep it out of sight. He didn’t mind letting her look at it if she wanted to, though.
After spending about fifteen minutes in Zacharias’ room, Shirley went downstairs. She heard laughter coming from the side hall and couldn’t resist her curiosity. As she approached, she found Tony and Josef playing chess. Shirley stood by with great interest to watch.
Clearly, Tony was still too young and naive. He became proud after capturing one piece, but little did he know that Josef had a powerful move coming up. By the end of the game, Tony suffered a crushing defeat.
“You’re not my match. Zach is.” Josef chuckled.
“That’s just because I don’t play often enough,” Tony protested, and then he noticed Shirley standing there. He immediately said, “Goddess, how about a game with us?”
Josef also thought it was a good idea for the young folks to play. He stood up and said, “Miss Lloyd, why don’t you play with him?”
“I’m not very good at chess,” she admitted, waving her hand.
