Dad's point of view.
Keela came downstairs when the doorbell went with my Mum and Dad entering the house. Mum looked impressed with the order of the staff, and when she saw Keela, her face lit up. Keela and Ben were her first priority now. She was so proud to have my children as her grand children. Heck, I was impressed that I could have created these children.
Keela sauntered down the stairs very quietly: Not like herself. She had plaited her hair on either side of her little blushed face. Her pale blue eyes were staring at the next stair downward. She looked very subdued, and I instantly knew that there was something bothering her.
I knew I had to tell her that I was the father of Jolisse's new child. But I couldn't bring myself to it. I didn't want her to think that I was not going to be there for her, because not matter what, I would always be there for. And the idea of this child being born wouldn't affect anything between Keela and I. I wasn't even going to have a relationship with this new child. I wouldn't let anything even try to get in between my children and I.
"Hello Granny." She said quietly but sweetly. Mum smiled at her, but in a sideways glance she looked at me, worriedly. Very quickly, she looked back at Keela, and grinned again.
"Hello Keela. How are you today pet?" She asked her, hugging her. Keela seemed very wooden, even with her Grandmother. She was never this awkward with her. With the hug, she stood like a robot, which was scaring me a little. What on earth was wrong with her? I couldn't ask her right now, because she was going to be in the company of a massive group of people and I didn't want everyone to know about her being upset.
"I'm OK thanks." She replied. She awkwardly shuffled out of the hug that my Mother had got her in. Keela walked out of the room, after smiling sadly at me, and sat down on the big sofa in the 2nd living room.
Mum turned to look at me.
"What's the matter with Keela?" She asked me.
"I honestly have no idea." I replied instantly.
"Well, you'd better find out Michael, she is really unhappy. It's not like her at all." She warned me.
"Hi son." Dad now entered the house.
"Hi Joe." I answered, not even staring him in the eye, and looking away as soon as I had finished saying his name.
He walked right into the 2nd living room, and sat down next to Keela. I nearly ran over to him to get him away from her. I was never keen on having Joe near my kids, after what he did to us as children.
I walked through to the 2nd living room and sat in the opposite chair.
"How are you Joe?" I asked him. I never called him 'Dad', because back in the day, we weren't allowed to call him that. He was strictly a businessman.
"I'm great Michael." He answered me. Mum saw that I never liked him around my kids, so she called him over. He unwillingly stood up and stomped out of the door. Now that Keela and I were alone. I was ready to ask her why she was unhappy.
"Keela, you don't seem your normal self tonight." I told her.
"Sorry Dad." She apologized straight away. I never expected an apology; in fact there was no point in her apologizing to me.
Instead of being able to talk about it, the doorbell rang, which exploded my plan of finding out what was wrong with her.
Keela took this as her escape, so she stood up and sauntered back out to the hall, and into the bathroom, where she locked the door. She locked the door? Keela never locked the door! Something was really badly wrong with her.
I decided to leave her for now. I walked over to the front door; where there were about fifty people who were huddled in big groups, ready to get out of the cold night and into our cosy house.
"Hi folks! Come on in." I smiled. I always put on a great show, whether or not something was bothering me.
It was raining extremely heavily, so they all came cramming into the doorway, hanging up their soaking jackets.
After everyone entered my house and made themselves comfortable in the leather, tall dining chairs, Keela still hadn't made her entrance yet. I was wondering whether or not to go to the bathroom where she was.
I looked at Susie, who was nearest the door. Susie looked over at me very worriedly, clearly wondering where Keela was.
I nodded for her to go and get her.
She quickly, yet very quietly left her chair and went to the bathroom. She walked, in her too high heels, with great difficulties.
Everyone in this room was making such a noise, with chatting to their neighbour and the clanking of the cutlery. My waiters were serving some starters, like melon, or salmon or garlic bread. There was even more of a selection, but I was too worried to even select anything off of their trays. Ben was sitting next to me, and Keela was meant to be sitting next to her friend Emily, who was the daughter of my bodyguard.
Emily looked very bored, so I decided to go and say hello. She was a lovely girl. She was two years younger than Keela, so Keela knew her since Emily was born. They were very good friends.
I walked over to her, and crouched down to her height. Even in this tall chair, she was very small.
"Hi Emily. How are you today? Are you excited about dinner?" I asked her happily. She looked up at me and nodded her head extremely hard. She didn't say anything. She turned and looked back at her empty plate.
"There is some cake over at the buffet over there, if you want some." I offered her. She didn't look like she was going to say anything. I stood back up, when Susie entered the room with Keela, whose hair was now out of the tidy plaits, with eyes red, and closed up, which was what she always did after she cried.
A lump in my throat built up. I couldn't stand seeing her like this.
Susie bent back to her height and smiled at her. Susie's back was facing me, as she chatted to Keela again. Keela was looking down at her, nodding her small head, occasionally glancing over at a watching me. Every time she looked at me, I smiled a small smile at her.
She sniffed loudly. Susie gave her a cuddle and then I saw that she whispered something into her ear when doing so.
Susie took her hand and led her to her chair, which was directly across from me, next to Emily. Susie watched her for a while. I swear that Susie was a mother to Keela.
I mouthed the words 'What's up' to Susie, when Keela wasn't looking at me.
'I'll tell you later'. She mouthed back. She looked mad at me for a second.
