The email from Elize informing him that they wouldn't be coming over for Christmas anymore because they had to go to Taku's parents' home for a family reunion had decided the issue for him. It was so typical of Elize to send an email instead of calling. Tim's irritation flared—whenever there were serious issues to be discussed, she always retreated behind that thin façade of professionalism, but when she needed help with anything, she would be knocking at your door without even checking first if you were free.
He smelled a conspiracy. This sudden turn of events had Alleta's dirty little hands written all over it. She obviously used every old trick in her book—from emotional blackmail and guilt-tripping to threats, bargaining, and even begging—to get their daughter to change her Christmas plans. If she thought he was going to take this lying down, she had another thing coming.
Tim immediately called Alleta, but the call went straight to voicemail. Frustration gnawed at him. If he hadn't taken the Audi to the garage for one of those mandatory services, he would have driven the twenty-five kilometers to Witbank just to let her know what he thought of this manipulation. But he hated the courtesy cars they gave him at the garage. The cars always had one or two things off with them, and since the last car they had given him had almost led to a near-accident due to faulty brakes, his skepticism had soared. The Toyota they had given him this time around had no air conditioning, and although it was still too early in the day to worry about the heat, the return journey would have been uncomfortable. Besides, he hated driving on the old Middleburg road at that time of day when truckers owned the single-lane 'highway.' The thought of being greeted at the door by the pompous Taku, hinting that he had won again, further dampened his resolve.
Reluctantly, he dialed Alleta's number. He was about to drop the call when his obviously drowsy estranged wife answered.
"This better be good, Tim," she said curtly, her voice thick with sleep.
"Did you really have to drag poor Emily into this?" Tim retorted in a shrill voice, his anger bubbling over. His inability to control his emotions irritated him. He knew that Emily was grimacing at the other end, likely holding the phone at arm's length.
"What are you talking about?" she asked, sounding genuinely confused. "Drag her into what exactly?"
"Don't you dare act dumb with me…" Tim's attempts to act 'calm, cool, and collected' were obviously failing.
"You really are acting like it," Alleta chuckled under her breath. "I'm going to hang up now if—"
"Don't! Please don't," he softened his tone, almost pleading. "I just received an email…"
"So that's what this is about…"
"You bet…" Taken aback, he asked, "How do you know about the email, my dear?"
"It's because I received the same email, idiot. And don't call me that."
"It was worth a try."
"So you think I told her to cancel the trip?" She sounded genuinely hurt. "Why in the world would I do that? Remember, you were supposed to have them over for Christmas, and I was supposed to have them for the rest of the days."
"Then they're not coming to you…?"
"Don't be silly!" she screamed. "Next time, call your daughter first before—"
"Her phone is going straight to voicemail," Tim interrupted, his frustration mounting.
"It shows you didn't understand the email at all. Typical," her tone turned mocking. "And next time, look at your watch before calling, Timothy."
"I'm sorry…" But she had already hung up on him. Tim stood there, staring at the phone in disbelief, wondering why she always got the last word—and the last laugh, too. He had been getting the short end of the stick far too often. No wonder…
He glanced at the vintage wall clock as he walked back to his sparsely furnished bedroom. The hands pointed to 4:30 a.m. Tim clicked his laptop, and the email reappeared on the screen. There, at the bottom, Emily had provided an alternative cellphone number along with an explanation that she had been robbed of her cellphone and hadn't yet done the SIM swap to keep her old number.
He immediately dialed the new number, too late to heed Sharon's advice. Elize answered on the second ring.
"Dad," she said, her voice surprisingly alert. Unlike her mother, she seemed wide awake. Was Taku giving her sleepless nights again with his late nights and driving under the influence?
"Hi, Elize," he replied, uncertain how to proceed.
"I guess you saw my email," she whispered, as if afraid to wake someone up.
"I did," Tim admitted, wishing he hadn't called. The conversation felt uncomfortable for both of them. "Did I wake you up?"
"Not at all. We're preparing for the trip to Jo'burg. We want to start early. It's quite a hike, you know." Her words felt rehearsed, like a nervous actress auditioning for an important role.
"You could have saved yourself the long trip…"
"No, Dad, don't even go there…"
"It's just that it feels like I'm losing you too…you know, after all… you know…"
"I know, and I'm sorry, Dad. I really am." She paused momentarily, and Tim heard the all-too-familiar sound of a flushing toilet and running water. He waited, hearing only muffled sounds from the other side. "Dad, this is something important to Taku and his family. You know how his uncle recommended him for the promotion. And he's traveling all the way from China and all that."
"You know what, never mind," Tim said irritably. "I always knew this boy was not good for you."
"Not you too, Dad," she replied, clearly upset. "A dressing down from one parent is enough for the festive season. I need a blessing. Mother called last night… it didn't end pretty. She was pissed…"
"She did?"
"…and said I'm taking your side. Can you believe that? Imagine."
"But it was kinda short notice…"
"Just like you and Mama separating, right?" Elize's tone was growing sharper, the tension between them palpable.
"That's different…"
"You know what? It actually made things easier for me." Tim heard more muffled sounds in the background. "Will talk again, Dad. I gotta go."
"Say hi to Chelsea and Gerald."
"Jeremy, Dad. And Taku?" There was a fleshy sound of a kiss on the cheek. Obviously, Taku had been listening in on the conversation again.
"Him too," Tim said grudgingly.
"Ciao."
The line went dead in his hands. Tim muttered to himself, "Jeremy, Jeremy. I don't get to see them enough, that's the problem," he said to Alleta's cat, which had leaped onto the bed. She'll be coming for it. No, she'll be coming for everything.