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Chapter 20
Next morning, Mason appeared at his father’s doorstep.
He had to make a choice as to whom to visit first, his own father, Pamela or Dr.
Nicholas. He felt he had to pay visits to all the three.
He could imagine his mother’s reaction, and he felt bad enough already. Mason
was genuinely sorry for Dr. Nicholas too, as, most probably, Alex Nicholas would
be the only person who’d mourn Elena sincerely and whole-heartedly. Mason just
did not know what he could say to relieve the pain; still he felt obliged to go and
talk to Elena’s adoptive father.
Both Pamela and Alex Nicholas must have heard it in the news that Elena had
been killed; so there was no hurry. But CC – CC was different. He could have
heard it, but he had no idea it was his daughter; Mason preferred to be the one to
tell him.
Hardly had Mason stepped over the threshold when his father’s voice boomed,
“MASON! What the hell…”
‘Oh no,’ Mason thought wearily. He was suffering from a terrible headache after
the night events and the drinking-bout that followed; not only was he hung-over,
but also torn apart by conflicting emotions about Elena and her death and what he
could or should have done; his father’s familiar vehemence was a bit too much
for him now.
“What the hell WHAT?!?” he interrupted.
“I hear Mason Capwell was fished out from the ocean yesterday night just taking
a swim by a yacht that exploded; and the yacht’d been rented for a romantic
getaway, and…”
“Was there ever a time,” Mason interrupted again, pretending to be meditating
aloud, “when you’d just hear me out first before attacking me with endless
accusations--”
“Mason.”
It was spoken in a much gentler manner; only too familiar, too. Mason turned
round. “Good morning Sophia.”
“Can I have a word with Mason?” Sophia said placing her hand on Mason’s sleeve.
“Sophia,” CC rolled his eyes, “can’t you see we’re TALKING, and could it wait!”
“No I can’t see you’re TALKING, CC, and it cannot wait. I don’t ask for this too
often, just once in ten years,” Sophia said and turned her big imploring eyes to
her stepson. “Mason. Please.”
Mason was always glad to vex his father a little more. “Of course Sophia; you will
excuse me, dad.”
He followed her out. “What is it?” Sophia looked a bit pale. It alarmed Mason.
“Sophia – is anything the matter?”
“Mason,” she said. “No; not really. First of all let me say how happy we are, both
of us, to have you back safe and sound.”
“Both – you mean you and…? – who else, I just can’t see.”
“Mason,” she said with a hint at reproach. “You don’t know what it was like for
your father when he was told Kelly and you both could have been killed. It was
such a shock – such a stress--”
“Ok, Sophia. What is it you want from me?”
Sophia sighed and looked away. “Mason,” she said gently. “Your father—Please
when you come back to fight, before you strike out, look at him carefully. And see
just how much you like his complexion, his looks--”
“What’s up, Sophia? Heart trouble?” said Mason, immediately concerned and
repentant.
“Yes. Not too serious but still. You remember I asked you once, when you were
about to tell CC Channing was gay... Mason—You use your own judgment, of
course; but please just look at your father first.”
Mason dropped his eyes. For some reason, he saw a grown-up Matt standing
there and Julia pleading with him while Mason himself, old and fuming, was
waiting to lash out at his firstborn. ‘No – please God – it will never happen this
way,’ he thought.
“Okay, Sophia,” he said, tamed; “but I – I need to tell him something, and I’m
afraid there’s no pleasant or gentle way of breaking this kind of news.”
Sophia put her hand on Mason’s arm again, her eyes shining at him with emotion
that looked like tenderness. “I trust you, Mason,” she said softly. “You’ll do what
you have to do. You’ve never been the one to kick him who’s down.”
Mason shut his eyes for a short moment. “Thank you Sophia,” he said, and then
he kissed her hand.
“Thank you Mason,” she whispered.
He walked back to the lounge then.
CC was sitting, bent down wearily. He didn’t hear his son’s light step this time,
and Mason paused watching his father.
CC did not look too well, Sophia was right. Was it the time to stop seeing him as
immortal and infallible, Mason wondered. The idea was not new to him, but every
time CC’s powerful ego just made Mason run along the road he’d just been paving
with good intentions. ‘Just how many children of my own, and how many nights
like this do I need to become an adult – as far as dad is concerned,’ Mason said to
himself bitterly.
He walked up to the wicker table and sat across CC. “Dad,” he said in a
reconciliatory tone, “I’m sorry. I feel awful this morning; I shouldn’t have lashed
out at you, and you shouldn’t—Forget it. I want to explain to you what I was doing
‘taking a swim’ out in the ocean, and dad, there’s something about it you--”
Damn it, where was his famous eloquence this morning.
“I’m listening to you Mason,” said his father with dry sarcasm. Mason managed to
ignore it.
“The yacht was rented by Jeffrey for Kelly, - that’s the romantic getaway you
were referring to,” he said. CC raised his eyebrows, but Mason put up his hand, “-
please let me finish. So; I got a tip the yacht was not safe and I told Jeffrey to stay
home. I went to check it. On board the boat there was Elena – Elena Nicholas. You
might have met her.”
“A few times. She worked for Cruz.”
“Right. And we needed to talk.”
“Stop. There’s something I don’t understand,” CC said with the same sarcastic
note. “Why should you need to talk to a strange woman on the eve of your
wedding?”
“This is the hard part, Dad.”
“Oh, now you call it ‘hard.’”
Mason bit his lip and – looked at his father, just like Sophia’d asked him. “Yes;
because – it’s the hard part for you, dad.”
“What do I have to do with it?”
How do you tell a father he’s lost his child he never knew?
“Dad,” Mason said, trying to be very gentle. “Please try to collect yourself; I’m
about to tell you something that will change the way you see things. It’s a very
unpleasant piece of news for you--”
“I don’t see you to be gloating, so I don’t believe you.”
“Maybe I deserved this one,” Mason replied. “Ok. You’ve heard Elena Nicholas
was killed in the explosion.”
“Yes I have.”
“You just don’t know who Elena was.”
CC started saying something, but Mason put up his hand again. “Dad; she was
your daughter.”
CC gaped at him. “Mason--”
“It’s true and you’ll have it checked very easily. I’m sorry Dad. Mother was
pregnant when you – when she left, and--”
He stopped. CC seemed to be looking through him. “Daughter?” he said. “MY
daughter?”
“I’m sorry.”
Next morning, Mason appeared at his father’s doorstep.
He had to make a choice as to whom to visit first, his own father, Pamela or Dr.
Nicholas. He felt he had to pay visits to all the three.
He could imagine his mother’s reaction, and he felt bad enough already. Mason
was genuinely sorry for Dr. Nicholas too, as, most probably, Alex Nicholas would
be the only person who’d mourn Elena sincerely and whole-heartedly. Mason just
did not know what he could say to relieve the pain; still he felt obliged to go and
talk to Elena’s adoptive father.
Both Pamela and Alex Nicholas must have heard it in the news that Elena had
been killed; so there was no hurry. But CC – CC was different. He could have
heard it, but he had no idea it was his daughter; Mason preferred to be the one to
tell him.
Hardly had Mason stepped over the threshold when his father’s voice boomed,
“MASON! What the hell…”
‘Oh no,’ Mason thought wearily. He was suffering from a terrible headache after
the night events and the drinking-bout that followed; not only was he hung-over,
but also torn apart by conflicting emotions about Elena and her death and what he
could or should have done; his father’s familiar vehemence was a bit too much
for him now.
“What the hell WHAT?!?” he interrupted.
“I hear Mason Capwell was fished out from the ocean yesterday night just taking
a swim by a yacht that exploded; and the yacht’d been rented for a romantic
getaway, and…”
“Was there ever a time,” Mason interrupted again, pretending to be meditating
aloud, “when you’d just hear me out first before attacking me with endless
accusations--”
“Mason.”
It was spoken in a much gentler manner; only too familiar, too. Mason turned
round. “Good morning Sophia.”
“Can I have a word with Mason?” Sophia said placing her hand on Mason’s sleeve.
“Sophia,” CC rolled his eyes, “can’t you see we’re TALKING, and could it wait!”
“No I can’t see you’re TALKING, CC, and it cannot wait. I don’t ask for this too
often, just once in ten years,” Sophia said and turned her big imploring eyes to
her stepson. “Mason. Please.”
Mason was always glad to vex his father a little more. “Of course Sophia; you will
excuse me, dad.”
He followed her out. “What is it?” Sophia looked a bit pale. It alarmed Mason.
“Sophia – is anything the matter?”
“Mason,” she said. “No; not really. First of all let me say how happy we are, both
of us, to have you back safe and sound.”
“Both – you mean you and…? – who else, I just can’t see.”
“Mason,” she said with a hint at reproach. “You don’t know what it was like for
your father when he was told Kelly and you both could have been killed. It was
such a shock – such a stress--”
“Ok, Sophia. What is it you want from me?”
Sophia sighed and looked away. “Mason,” she said gently. “Your father—Please
when you come back to fight, before you strike out, look at him carefully. And see
just how much you like his complexion, his looks--”
“What’s up, Sophia? Heart trouble?” said Mason, immediately concerned and
repentant.
“Yes. Not too serious but still. You remember I asked you once, when you were
about to tell CC Channing was gay... Mason—You use your own judgment, of
course; but please just look at your father first.”
Mason dropped his eyes. For some reason, he saw a grown-up Matt standing
there and Julia pleading with him while Mason himself, old and fuming, was
waiting to lash out at his firstborn. ‘No – please God – it will never happen this
way,’ he thought.
“Okay, Sophia,” he said, tamed; “but I – I need to tell him something, and I’m
afraid there’s no pleasant or gentle way of breaking this kind of news.”
Sophia put her hand on Mason’s arm again, her eyes shining at him with emotion
that looked like tenderness. “I trust you, Mason,” she said softly. “You’ll do what
you have to do. You’ve never been the one to kick him who’s down.”
Mason shut his eyes for a short moment. “Thank you Sophia,” he said, and then
he kissed her hand.
“Thank you Mason,” she whispered.
He walked back to the lounge then.
CC was sitting, bent down wearily. He didn’t hear his son’s light step this time,
and Mason paused watching his father.
CC did not look too well, Sophia was right. Was it the time to stop seeing him as
immortal and infallible, Mason wondered. The idea was not new to him, but every
time CC’s powerful ego just made Mason run along the road he’d just been paving
with good intentions. ‘Just how many children of my own, and how many nights
like this do I need to become an adult – as far as dad is concerned,’ Mason said to
himself bitterly.
He walked up to the wicker table and sat across CC. “Dad,” he said in a
reconciliatory tone, “I’m sorry. I feel awful this morning; I shouldn’t have lashed
out at you, and you shouldn’t—Forget it. I want to explain to you what I was doing
‘taking a swim’ out in the ocean, and dad, there’s something about it you--”
Damn it, where was his famous eloquence this morning.
“I’m listening to you Mason,” said his father with dry sarcasm. Mason managed to
ignore it.
“The yacht was rented by Jeffrey for Kelly, - that’s the romantic getaway you
were referring to,” he said. CC raised his eyebrows, but Mason put up his hand, “-
please let me finish. So; I got a tip the yacht was not safe and I told Jeffrey to stay
home. I went to check it. On board the boat there was Elena – Elena Nicholas. You
might have met her.”
“A few times. She worked for Cruz.”
“Right. And we needed to talk.”
“Stop. There’s something I don’t understand,” CC said with the same sarcastic
note. “Why should you need to talk to a strange woman on the eve of your
wedding?”
“This is the hard part, Dad.”
“Oh, now you call it ‘hard.’”
Mason bit his lip and – looked at his father, just like Sophia’d asked him. “Yes;
because – it’s the hard part for you, dad.”
“What do I have to do with it?”
How do you tell a father he’s lost his child he never knew?
“Dad,” Mason said, trying to be very gentle. “Please try to collect yourself; I’m
about to tell you something that will change the way you see things. It’s a very
unpleasant piece of news for you--”
“I don’t see you to be gloating, so I don’t believe you.”
“Maybe I deserved this one,” Mason replied. “Ok. You’ve heard Elena Nicholas
was killed in the explosion.”
“Yes I have.”
“You just don’t know who Elena was.”
CC started saying something, but Mason put up his hand again. “Dad; she was
your daughter.”
CC gaped at him. “Mason--”
“It’s true and you’ll have it checked very easily. I’m sorry Dad. Mother was
pregnant when you – when she left, and--”
He stopped. CC seemed to be looking through him. “Daughter?” he said. “MY
daughter?”
“I’m sorry.”
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