Terry: The Family Man
Chapter 1, by mrscage
"Terry's story"
- Mr. Grandchester, your letters...
- Thank you Agathe, please tell the maid to bring me a coffee
- All right Mr. Grandchester, is there anything else that I could do for you?
- You may close the door while leaving
- It's that...
- What is it Agathe, what do you want? I didn't even have my morning coffee, I'm not in the mood to chat with you!
- I'm sorry Mr. Grandchester, I was just going to ask you for permission tonight, it's Christmas eve and I wanted to spend it with my family.
- Christmas? Again? I remember that I let you go last Christmas; you certainly can't go to your family in this one. We have a lot of work to do; you must type my new play... You know that you can't be a rich girl and achieve your goals in life, if you keep doing holidays...
- But Mr Grandchester... one year passed since the last Christmas… I only asked for tonight and I work hard all the year…
- Well Agathe dear... if you leave today; don't come back tomorrow, is it clear?
- Yes, sir
- Now please tell the maid to bring my coffee
- Alright sir, what about Madame? Would she like to drink something?
- Oh yes, I almost forgot about her, bring us two coffees…
After Agathe leaves the room, Terry is alone looking at the letters that he received. He hate Christmas so much, it's just an excuse to not work. If Agathe wasn't such a good assistant, he would have fire her so long ago for giving too much importance to these kind of holidays. He doesn't understand why people keep sending him Christmas cards, he never replies them. He is looking at the useless cards, letters and the phone messages that he received , when his mate of last night comes out the bathroom
- Terrence... is the breakfast ready?
- Breakfast? I thought you were not eating anything to keep this body as perfect as it is...
He gets up from the bed and holds her, she is a new and young actress, she is beautiful and she really is good in bed. Her name is... well it's... alright Terry doesn't remember it but he can tell you where is her birth mark. Terry starts to kiss her passionately and drags her to bed. But she stops him.
- Terrence, I have to go, don't have time for this now
- What? You don't have time for me? Are you sure honey, you may regret it...
- Yes, I am sure. It's Christmas eve and I want to spend the day and night with my family
- What a silly idea! Spending the day and the night with your family? We could have our private Christmas eve together, I could be Santa Claus if you want and you could be the good girl who deserved her present from Santa!
- O Terrence, you really don't understand anything in Christmas at all, do you! Well I must go now, see you in two days
- Don't count on it honey…
The girl leaves Terry alone in his room.
- Where is this coffee? I will fire Agathe and the maid... Let's check the letters... one from Nila, one from Frida, one from Amalia, one from Sandrine, one from Marie Alice, one from Céline, one from Ivy, one from Paloma? ... who are these girls? Don't even remember their names but I'm sure they were cute... let's see the phone messages, one from Candice... Candice?
Terry reads the note that her assistant wrote, "Candice White Andrew called, she wanted me to tell you…"
- Candy called me? After all this time, she called me? I wonder what she wants...
The maid comes with one cup of coffee while Terry is still in bed looking at Candy's note doesn't dare to read it all…
- What ?
- Your coffee sir
- You only brought to me one coffee?
- Yes
- I ordered two!
- But the lady left so I thought...
- Do I pay you for thinking?
- No Sir...
- Don't think then, bring me another coffee
- Alright sir
When she leaves, Terry has in his hand Candy's note. He can't decide what to do with it...
- Alright let's read it...
- Mr. Grandchester
It's the maid who interrupts Terry's thoughts once again.
- What do you want ?
- I brought your coffee and also would like to inform you that you have a visit
- A visit? Is she beautiful?
- Yes, sir, she is your mother.
- My mother? What does she want from me? Did you say her that I wasn't at home
- Yes, she said so but I didn't want to believe her. Says Eleonor Baker, who followed the maid until her son's room. Can you leave us alone Mary?
- Yes madam, do you want anything to drink?
- No, thanks
When the maid leaves the room Terry and Eleonor look at each other, it's Eleonor who breaks the silence
- How are you Terry? You don't look good...
- Oh Thank you mother, you came all the way here to tell me that I don't look good?
- I didn't mean that... oh Terry it's Christmas eve today and there is nothing in
world for me and your father that matters more than to see you with us tonight…
- Oh really? What for?
- We are a family Terry, please...
- Are we? I'm sorry but I must protest madam. This duke of yours may fooled you but he can't fool me. He is old and his wife left him, that's why he is with you now. And you forgave him! Well I won't forgive you for that! You two made all my life miserable and now you are back together!
- Honey please try to understand us, don't be so mean!
- I'm not mean, mommy dearest, I'm just telling the truth. I can't wait until he dies, you know he told me that I would be the duke when he would die. Yes, I will be the Duke of Grandchester. It's the funniest thing you know, and I certainly will not marry anyone, won't have any child and would do anything to make him not to rest in peace in his grave.
- Terry!!!
- Now if you excuse me I had a very passionate night and need to take a shower...
- I don't know how you became like this. It's all Susanna's fault…
- Who?
- Don't act like an idiot, you know who I mean... You became more and more mean when you were with her and after she left you, I thought you would go to Candy, that you would change... It's has been 8 years now, and you became the meanest person I know…
- Oh really? Sorry for this, say hi to daddy dearest, and let me know when he dies…
Eleonor leaves her son's room. She knew that it would be impossible to convince him to come with her but she had to try. She doesn't understand why her son is like this but it hurts them both, her and her husband to see him this way.
After Eleonor left Terry starts to feel bad. He goes downstairs to have a good breakfast. He hears the maid, the cook and Agathe talking. They all are complaining about him, they all talk about Christmas Eve. It makes him feel worse. He goes to his library to read some plays to pass time. He reads more than four hours than remembers that there is a Christmas party at the theater.
- All right Terry! Why not? There would be some beautiful girls there…
He leaves the big house that he has, to go to party. He takes a taxi to go there. The party is really like he imagined it. There are beautiful girls laughing everywhere but tonight Terrence Grandchaster isn't lucky. All the girls want to spend the night with their family. The party is about to finish when he remembers Candy's note. He decides to read it.
"Candice White Andrew called, she wanted me to tell you that she leaves the country tomorrow for good, she has some of your belongins that she would like to return."
- What does this mean? She calls me to give me back my belongings? What belongings? Did I give her anything? Don't remember… I wonder how she got my phone number… There is also her phone number on it. Should I call her back? Where is she going? Oh, whatever… I don't have time to spend with the ghosts of the past …
Terry starts to feel his head spinning, he needs to take some fresh air, all that happened today were too much emotions even for him. He starts to walk. The snow is falling and it's getting more and more cold. He starts to walk faster to get warm. He looks at the people who walk in the streets, they are all so joyful, so happy. He feels good too… Why not? He has all that he wanted all his life! Didn't he leave the school to become famous? Well he is famous now, he is rich, and he has all the girls that he wants. No one could be happier than him! But it's getting colder, this isn't a good time to walk in the streets happily, so he decides to get in a store nearby. There is only the shop owner and a boy looking like 16 years old there. When Terry gets in the store he hears them talking, then he sees the knife that the boy has in his hand.
- Hey, take this money! I'm giving you money and you don't accept it, I'm not stealing anything!
- This money isn't valid, it's ripped and covered with blood.
- I don't care about it, you will take it and give me what I need. I will bring this bicycle to my sister no matter what!
- I'm telling you this money isn't…
- Enough about the money, I will kill you if you don't give me this bicycle
Terry feels that he has to intervene. He walks two steps forward and comes near to the boy. He is blond with blue eyes and doesn't look like a punk at all. Terry turns to him and says:
- Can I look at the money?
- What for?
- Well if it's still good I will take it and use it in some other store. I will give to this one another money that I have…
- Why you would do that?
- Because I will buy the bicycle with less money than you will give me. I will make money in this, and you will have your bicycle.
The boy looks at him. His blue eyes are shining. He gives his money to Terry, takes the bicycle and leaves. Terry gives to the store manager the money that he needs for the bicycle and leaves the store. Outside, while he walks slowly he sees the young boy again. He wants to talk to him so he walks towards him.
- Hi again, he says
- Hi, what do you want?
- I want to talk
- To me?
- Yes. What's your name ?
- Tony…
- Tony… were you going to kill the store manager for a bicycle?
- Yes, I were
- But why? Don't you know that our lives are the consequences of what we do?
- I do, but do you?
- What do you mean?
- Don't you regret sometimes your life? Don't you wonder how it would be if you made the right choice when you could?
- I don't know what you are talking about but I love my life and there is nothing that I regret about it!
- Alright… remember that you wanted it.
- I wanted what?
- You'll see… he says and leaves. While the snow is falling Terry feels colder, he walks as fast as he can to his home. He is shaking, and doesn't know if it's from cold or from what Tony said to him. When he is at home, he goes directly to his room, takes off his clothes and gets in the bed. He starts to sleep… deeply…