Secret Life of Fox Tail - Chapter 3.John and Mr. Browns

Looking in to my eyes, John said “Forest Paradise is not my home, this is my home”. “This is why you didn’t want your father to find out?” I asked in return. “This is the place I worked so hard to create in my spare time. Every time I am lonely or sad I come here to drown my sorrows in the waterfall and gain happiness from this sanctuary. Once my father found this place out, I was severely punished by him, all he wants me to do is to take over that no good lodge of his. But I am not his real son; I am just an orphan that he adopted.” He said looking very sad. “If you like, if it reduces your pain you can tell me your story, I will listen to you” I said in a gentle voice. Later that day we returned to the lodge, nearing the lodge he said he will be disappearing and that he will meet me again tomorrow. With his story in my mind I wandered in to the lodge, meeting his father at the entrance quiet startled me. “Hello, Mr. Browns “I said in a shaky voice. “Hello, Ms.Ms. Maria, have you seen my good for nothing son, John?” I searched through my memory what to say but I was left blank. “Hmm…I saw him this morning Mr. Browns inside the lodge, but I have not seen him apart from that”. “That’s strange Bobby told me he saw you two going in to the forest together can you explain?” he demanded. I was completely lost, what to say I searched through my vast memory of words, if I was going to become a lawyer in the future I must be able to tackle things like these. “Oh, yeah I asked him this morning if I can go hiking in to the mountains, how should I go, what is the safest road, so he showed me that’s all actually, Bobby probably must have only seen that.” I said high spiritedly so he won’t be suspicious of me. “Oh...That’s all? How was your hiking trip? Did you get lost?” he questioned me further on. What’s with all this questioning I told to myself in my head, “If I got lost I wouldn’t have return back here right Mr. Browns?” I said with a little sarcasm. He smiled oddly and went away, finally I was released. I slowly went back to my room, cleaned myself up, and lay on my bed staring at the ceiling, recapturing every word John said today.

Why does, Mr. Browns wanted an adopted son to take over the lodge when he already has a son I thought to myself. It was very strange to me this story. So John was actually lost in the woods when Mr. Browns found him. He was almost at his limit. At the tender age of 5 he was abandoned by his parents in the forest. He grew up happily here with his adopted father, but why are they in such cold terms now? Why did, Mr. Browns had a change of heart wanting to give John the inheritance instead of his own son? By the way who is Mr. Browns’ son? John is in a lot of pain it looks like to me. “I just wanted to be an employee working here with my father who took care of me since my abandonment, but suddenly one day he demanded me to be the heir to this place without even consenting me whether I like it or not, I was forced to. I became a target of hatred in his own sons’ eyes, that I dearly called big brother. Mrs. Browns passed away as soon as hearing Mr. Browns’ declaration of change in inheritance causing my big brother to hate me to the last straw. All I wanted was a happy family who took care of me, Mrs. Browns was very kindhearted woman she treated me very gently, but later her passion changed in to hate has I excelled in everything quicker than her own son. Mr. and Mrs. Brown were frequently at each other’s end when matters came over me. I don’t know what changed Mr. Browns heart’s decision but everything went down hell after his decision. He was not the kind father I respected so dearly after he changed, he was so strict and would punish me every time he got the chance for it, I felt running away thousand times but still I cannot do that him, that’s why even with pain I am bearing all this on my shoulder for him as respect”. After hearing this story something stirred up inside me, curiosity took over me, I wanted to ask Mr. Browns all this but if I did he would fly in to a rage with John who has spilt the beans on him. As I drowned in my thoughts I didn’t hear the knocking on the door, I ran to the door quickly, upon opening the door I saw Bobby at the door, “Hello Bobby” I said. “Good Evening Ms. Kurenai, dinner is ready for you please come to the dining hall.” He requested politely. “Thank you Bobby, I will be there.” I replied closing the door and went to get ready for dinner. Opening the door I was shocked to see Bobby standing there in front of my door, “Bobby! How long have you been there?” I asked, “The time I came to see you before” he said. “Why?” I demanded. “Mr. Browns told me to bring you along, so I waited here till you got ready”. I was speechless and just looking at him curiously. “Shall we go then Ms. Kurenai?” I just nodded my head and silently followed him to the dining hall. Upon entering the dining hall, “Please come and take a seat Ms. Maria lets all of us have dinner together.”Mr. Browns said. “Thank you” I replied taking a seat. As I looked around Mr. Browns was at the head of the table, on his left sat John, and on his right sat Bobby. And all other employees after them, at the other end of the table I was sitting face to face with Mr. Browns, what an awkward moment I thought to myself. I stood up suddenly like lighting has struck me and bowed to everyone “Thank you for having me over for dinner with all of you, I am really grateful to all of you, specially you Mr. Browns” I said, as I lifted my head I saw John snickering to himself secretly, I will get him for that tomorrow I noted in my mind with a flash. “Let’s have a feast tonight my dear family” Mr. Browns said with a big smile across his face.

After the meal, I met Mr. Browns back at the front desk, “Thank you very much for making me feel like home Sir, I really appreciate your kind gesture.”I said very fondly to him. “You are welcome Ms. Maria; please join us for dinner throughout your stay at Forest Paradise.” He said very kindly. I felt like an angel at that moment, too bad I had to lie to him about his son like that; well I cannot create problems worse for them I thought. “Thank you” I replied with a big smile. As I turned to leave back to my room there was a strange noise, turning back I saw Mr. Browns collapsed on the ground. I desperately called out for help as everyone came pouring in to the Lobby area. Resting him in his room, giving his medicine he has relaxed. He tends to faint from fatigue time to time the employees told me. I just sat next to his bed hoping and praying he would be okay. In an hour’s time he woke up surprised to find me next to his bed. “How are you feeling? Are you alright now Mr. Browns?” I asked. “Yes, Ms. Maria, thank you for concerning for me please get some rest today.” Mr. Browns said very weakly. “Why are you pulling yourself to the edge where you can’t?” I asked softly. “Because my stupid son won’t take over no matter how I asked him to. I try to force him and then he disappears god knows where he goes to.” This was my chance, I struck the gold pot when I least expected it. “Why won’t he? Why did you force him? Don’t you have anyone else to hand over if he is refusing?” Mr. Browns looked at me with teary eyes and said “I have one more son, Bobby.” “Bobby!?” I gasped. “Why can’t he take over from you Mr. Browns?” I asked. “He has no pure intention of continuing this place my dear. I heard him once talking with someone saying he wants to sell this place and start something of his own, he is just waiting for me to die. This place has come down for many generations and I like it to be the same way for the future, the only person having a pure intention is John.” Mr. Browns said sadly. What a shame I thought in my head, I felt very sorry for this person lying in bed in front of me. “I lost my dear wife when I announced my decision, she couldn’t stand the fact her own son casted away for someone I adopted, even in her grave she doesn’t know the reason, she never gave me the chance to explain, in vain she died before my eyes.” Tears streaming down his eyes he said. “In my own sons’ eyes I am just a murderer to him as I killed the person he loved the most in this whole world. He has a grudge against me and John although he doesn’t show, he turned expressionless after his mothers’ death, and we don’t know what he is thinking or what he intends to do” explained further Mr. Browns. “I love them both very much, but none of them love me anymore, they do what they like, John disappears Bobby just do the chores around the lodge like an obedient employee. He has cast me away in his heart.” I watched as silent tears fell down his cheeks, a heart in such pain and no one to heal. “Mr. Browns don’t give up hope yet, one of these days your sons will come to the term of your reasons, please hang on till then. This place is a wonderful place, I think you should listen to your own sons once in a while as well” I said slowly. Saying that I stood up to go to my room “Good night Mr. Browns please take good rest and take care” I told him. “Thank you for listening to me, Good night to you too” replied the poor old man. Back in my room I looked at the time it was midnight, I collapsed in my bed head first on my pillow I tossed from one side of the bed to the other side of the bed not knowing what to do. Suddenly I heard a strange noise on my window pane, a little frightened I went up to the window to find a fox at the window. I looked amazed at it and it stared back at me with no ounce of fright. I wondered what John also said that there is wild life roaming around and that I should be very careful about it. But this fox was staring in to my eyes like it wants to tell me something. So I slowly unhitched the window latch and opened the window, the fox jumped inside the room and straight into my bed. As it was hot I left the window slightly open if the fox wanted to go out. I sat on the bed opposite to the fox, with a shiny brown coat, long tail with a white tip, ears standing up like a dogs ears and sparkling eyes looking in to mines gave me a warm feeling, he reminded me of my pet when I had when I was very young.

To be continued...