My Perfect Lady 152 The Boy On His Shoulders

Jimmy got the entire restaurant booked for safety and so that whatever went down there remained private. Ten minutes later, they were about to turn into the parking lot of Herb 'n' Urns when they saw the Chairman's car already parked there. The old man himself stood with his big black bag hanging over his right shoulder as he peered at the arriving vehicle of his son.

His father's attire shocked Jimmy Hunter, as he saw the man dressed in a sky blue tee with a painted minion on it. If the young master wasn't wrong – it had 'Because it's Sparta!' written over it too. And of course – the minion was holding a sword and declaring war on someone apparently. Jimmy rolled his eyes.

Did the Chairman really wish to dine dressed like that?

And wasn't he going a bit overboard with the black bag draped on his shoulder?

Unless –

Oh s.h.i.+t. This man…

Jim's mouth twitched as Chenric parked the car and they stepped out. The Chairman barely spared Miya and Jimmy a glance and simply went over to greet the child.

"You called for me, young man," he said to Ben by way of greeting. Ben shook his hand and nodded seriously too.

Miya herself was surprised at the old man's getup, but her expression remained fixated on her son. Meanwhile Senior Hunter merely took Ben by the hand and walked into the restaurant, indicating to Miya and Jim to stay in the parking lot and not follow him inside.

Miya immediately panicked.

Jim however stood with a solemn face, and then shrugged at his missus.

"He won't be staying here for long," he reported to her annoyedly, "the way he is dressed, he's definitely not here to eat."

Miya gulped.

"But he did go inside, Jimmy."

She would have said something further, but only minutes later, the two had come back. Miya's eyes almost fell out of their sockets as she saw that her boy had changed – he was now wearing white pyjamas along with a bright red t-s.h.i.+rt that had 'I'm Not Just Cute, I'm Smart Too!' written on it in bold, black letters. The child was also wearing a matching white cap, the same as that of Senior Hunter.

Wasn't that a bit too fast?

Even she couldn't help Ben change within minutes!

The Chairman and Ben were holding hands when they came out too, and Senior Hunter looked pleased with himself. He still had the black bag draped over his shoulder.

He walked over to the towering, frowning Jim and the confused Miya.

"We're off to the amus.e.m.e.nt park nearby," he said sternly to the two, "You're both to head to the head office and finish off the paperwork there. I sent over the details earlier to Jimmy. Also, I have a cla.s.s set today to learn the art of pottery making. The teacher is brilliant and she's only here for a day, but I have a change in my plans. So as part of the grounding, I want you two to learn it in my place and teach it to me later as well."

Jim's jaw tightened.

"Father, I'm not –"

He had only begun to retort, when Simon said dismissively instead, ignoring Jim's existence completely, "Also, you're not to return back until you've made at least two pots each of your own. That's what you're to do for the grounding."

Miya had difficulty concealing the shock on her face.

What?

What!

Grounding – really? They couldn't be serious!

She was not a child!

The girl was ready to revolt, when Jim read her expression and held her hand instead. Then giving her a look that told her not to say a word, he nodded curtly at the Chairman.

The old man then ruffled through the pocket in his pyjamas and took out a wallet. Jim almost rolled his eyes to the back of his head at the sight.

It was actually Jimmy's own wallet that the man had brought! Jim remembered the time when they had been in Country S and father had met Miya before the cloth store. Jimmy had sent over his Luxury Mastercard for the missus, and the Chairman had broken the card but pocketed the purse.

Jim couldn't believe the man was actually using it too!

Simon Hunter handed over a card to Jim.

"I'm not eating here," he told him rather condescendingly, looking at Jim as if he were an idiot, "Why did you book the entire place? You cost the owner business. Compensate him. Have some occupational ethics."

Jim breathed deeply and clenched his fists. He couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "You're one to talk of ethics. You stole my wallet."

The old man heard that.

He gave his son a very sharp look, and then with all the confidence in the world, pocketed the purse again.

"I own the Hunter Corporation," he said defiantly, walking to his car now, "And you work there under me. All your money is mine. So is all your stuff."

Jim rolled his eyes at that absurd logic, while the Chairman helped Ben into the shotgun seat of his car. While Miya tagged along to try and talk to her boy, Simon gave her an a.s.suring look and said, "Just concentrate on the pottery cla.s.s. Everything else is under control."

With that, he drove away.

Miya was left flabbergasted, and Jimmy fuming.

Throughout the car ride, the Chairman said nothing to the boy. And once they reached the amus.e.m.e.nt park, all h.e.l.l broke loose.

Simon Hunter knew no restraint!

He dragged Ben from one shop to another, one game to another, and soon the child had forgotten why he had called the old man out in the first place. Mommy had taken him to an amus.e.m.e.nt park before, but this was a different one. And Simon was just too excited to be in it. It was particularly the shooting of the balloons that got him fired up, and he helped Ben pick up a rifle that was too huge, hold it with a steady grasp and shoot relentlessly at the balloons till Ben had improved considerably in his aim. When Ben had won three teddy bears of his own, Simon patted him on his back and but the bears in his black bag.

Next came the roller coaster ride.

The look of it scared Ben to the point of freezing up.

Simon sensed his fear. Then picking up the boy as if he weighed nothing, the old man put him on his shoulders and went to buy a ticket.

"Uncle! I – I don't want to go –" Ben tried to resist, but Simon Hunter shrugged.

"You're scared of how it looks," he said simply, "Wait till you ride it."

Ben almost lost his soul.

The child's screams were the loudest as he held onto Simon's hand in a death grip. Old Hunter's laughs echoed madly into the air too, as he consoled the boy while enjoying thoroughly at the same time. The ride went on for a full four minutes. When they were done with a single round, Ben couldn't feel his feet on the ground. Groaning, he instantly threw up once they stepped out.

Simon pursed his lips, then patted the boy, ma.s.saging the small of his back.

"There, there," he said in a gruff, yet gentle voice, "You did well, Ben. I didn't know you were so brave!"

While the child was embarra.s.sed, Simon was ready with water and wipes to help him clean himself up. He even produced magically a huge bar of chocolate from the inside of his black bag.

A walk around the park calmed Ben down. He looked up at uncle Hunter with red eyes and a puffy face when he was finally not afraid.

"I'm sorry for the trouble, uncle," he apologized.

"Meh!" the old man dismissed it gruffly, ruffling the boy's hair, "Don't apologize for something natural. How much did you hate the ride?"

"Um… I didn't hate it –"

"Really?" Simon looked at the child queerly. Ben flinched under his gaze, then swallowed.

"It was very, very awful uncle."

The old man burst out laughing, and he picked up the child and replaced him on his shoulders again. Simon told Ben of a lot of stories too, as they walked around the park. Some were random, others were part of his own history. Ben told him a lot too – some stories of pranking mommy, and others of him secretly using her phone to read during night times.

The old man was amused at that.

They came to sharing secrets. Simon earnestly told Ben how he thought Jimmy was fabulous at his work, but kind of immature otherwise. Ben nodded at that, and reported how he thought the same about his mommy. She was brilliant at taking down thugs, he said, but super angry and childlike otherwise.

Simon nodded in agreement.

It was only when they started talking about Jim and mommy that it hit Ben again – he had forgotten to ask uncle Hunter about the matter of mommy's marriage!

"Uncle!" he quickly called out to Simon, "You didn't tell me about what I asked!"

"About what, Ben?"

"Mommy and um, Jimmy. Uncle, I texted you!"

"Oh. That, yeah."

Simon fell into thought. They were now in a small square field marked out for mock archery. The target board was placed five meters away, and Simon Hunter had brought his own wooden bow and arrows. He was helping Ben practice.

He approached the question tactfully.

"What did Miya tell you?" he asked the boy.

"I did not ask mommy about this."

"Not even when you started living with Jim?"

Ben shook his head.

"We've lived in lots of places, uncle. I thought –"

Simon nodded in understanding.

"Do you like Jimmy, kid?"

Ben nodded rigorously.

"And mommy?"

"Mommy is the best!"

"Good."

Silence. Ben frowned.

"Uncle?"

"Yes?"

"Did mommy and Jimmy mar –"

"Yes."

He knew it!

Ben fumed with anger and indignity again. He clenched his fists, and was ready to retort, when the Chairman placed an arm around his shoulders, instructed him to straighten his back, mark his aim and shoot an arrow.

Ben had zero concentration, and his shot missed.

The Chairman sighed.

"Are you mad at them because they didn't tell you?" he asked.

Ben nodded furiously. "Yes!"

Wow. He really was too much like Miya.

"Well, they don't have to," the Chairman said nonchalantly at that, "You're legally not an adult, and its not like property is involved that you need to know of your rights as a minor. They technically don't owe you even a single piece of information. That's what's the worst part of being underage, my boy."

Ben blinked.

What?

Simon saw that Ben didn't get it, so he said simply, "Concentrate on the mark, make a perfect shot and I'll explain again."

Ben frowned at uncle Hunter, then turned around and glared at the mark. Breathing heavily, he shot.

It missed.

Slowly, after fourteen arrows, Ben hit the mark five times in a row. Then turning around to Simon, who was simply giddy with joy now, he said, "Please tell me now, uncle."

They strolled around a bit more, then bought an ice cream that the old Hunter insisted tasted the best with popcorn. They sat on a bench, side by side, with a huge bowl of popcorn in the middle.

Ben was angry, but he was eating his favourite ice cream – the black currant. It lifted his mood, and he sat leisurely on the bench, his feet never touching the ground. Every now and then he would take a handful of popcorn and put it all in his mouth at once – the way the Chairman did. It didn't taste too bad.

Uncle Hunter was weird, Ben realized.

The old man munched, then spoke, "I understand you're mad at them. But don't you like them together, Ben?" Ben thought about it.

"They fight a lot," he said.

"So you don't like them?"

"I didn't say that!"

"Ben?"

"Yes, uncle?"

"I think Jimmy would make a good father to you."

The boy stayed silent. From the very beginning, he remembered being only with mommy. He knew he didn't have a father like other kids, but he never felt he wanted one either. Mommy was so cool, and she took care of everything.

But –

It was good when Jimmy was around too. It was a lot more fun, and they didn't have to move around a lot. Mommy smiled a lot more too, and she wasn't always working. And Jim was exactly like someone Ben wanted to be when he grew up. He knew a lot of things, and he was cool – and he took care of everything too. He could even take care of mommy!

Ben pressed his lips. He stared fixedly at his feet, but nodded slightly.

The Chairman beamed.

"You forgive them then?" he asked.

Ben nodded again.

Simon Hunter smiled ear to ear at that. This was easy!

Just then, a kite swished through the sky making a loud sound. It distracted Simon, and he looked up on instinct. His eyes gleamed.

"Ben!" he quickly called out, "Look at that!"

Ben looked up reluctantly, only to see a kite that had been cut from its string. It was dangling in mid-air, but headed for the ground. Simon stood up in excitement.

"Run it for me, little one!" he said to Ben, helping the boy off his seat rapidly, "If we can get that kite, a spot would be open, and we can fly our own. I brought the kite we made together!"

Ben looked at the old man in surprise.

"Yes, yes!" Simon said, "I'll tell you where exactly this kite will land, so go!"

Only nearby a kite flying compet.i.tion was going on, but the entrants could only be children. Simon would have run for the kite himself, but it was against the rules.

The old man looked at the sky, calculated in his head, felt the wind that rushed across his face. He estimated its speed, then called out loud to Ben, "15 degrees to your west, and then run to the south, boy!" Simon himself ran close by.

"Yes, uncle!" Ben ran in front of Simon, as a few small footsteps ran behind him, several children chasing after the kite.

"45 degrees to the north, now!"

"Yes, uncle!"

"12, 12! You got it, boy!"

"12, yes, I'm going uncle!"

"The last run, 10 meters to your south son!"

Ben looked at the sky, and then at the children behind who had simply started following him when they noticed the old uncle saying directions they couldn't understand. Ben breathed in, grinned to himself and dashed for the kite.

Within seconds, it landed into his hands.

A loud roar of cheer erupted from the Chairman as he ran to Ben and picked him up in joy.

"We're in the compet.i.tion! You did it Ben! You did it!" he bellowed.

Ben laughed out loud too.

"We did it uncle! You're awesome!"

"Grandpa, brat, Grandpa! Didn't you see our teamwork?! We're both awesome!"

Ben pumped his fists, as the Chairman gave the boy a piggy back ride. Ben waved the kite in the air, beaming as he declared, "We're Team Grandpa then!"

Simon pumped his fist too, "Let's register under that name, son! Let Team Grandpa show these losers who's boss! Let's win this compet.i.tion!"

"Team Grandpa!" Ben cheered.

"Team Grandpa!" Simon roared.

The other parents looked around, frowning at the weird duo that was so hyped about the kite flying compet.i.tion. They rolled their eyes at them, complained about the situation some, wondered why the old man looked familiar, and then went on to watch the show with their kids.

Meanwhile, Simon Hunter couldn't stop smiling.

Grandpa.

Pa!

For a second, he wished time took a turn around. Then he could stand on these same grounds, thirty years back, and the boy on his shoulders would be his own son.

He looked up, at the merry face of the child he was actually carrying.

Ben, huh.

This boy wasn't too bad either.

And in some peculiar ways, Simon did like him more.

Satisfied, the old man walked ahead. Who knew? Maybe someday, he would make up with Jimmy too.

Just in case.