Chapter 2 CH. 2

John immediately hailed a taxi, asking the driver to take him to the grand estate where the birthday of his father-in-law, Mr. Benard was being held.

His phone buzzed again, another call from Christine. "I'm on way may," he answered, his voice strained.

As the taxi sped through the city, weaving through the traffic, all that was in his mind were thoughts of Mama Pat. Her frail form kept flashing before his eyes.

After few minutes on the road, the taxi pulled up in front of the grand estate where the birthday was being held. Stepping out of the taxi, John steeled himself, his heart pounding as he paid the driver.

He could hear the sounds of laughter and celebration drifting towards him as he moved closer, a stark reminder to the grim reality he had just left behind.

He could tell from the sounds that came out of the hall where the party was actually taking place, that those who were around were some of the most highly esteemed business men and women in the city.

Of course, Mr. Bernard was a highly respected figure in the society, a man whose influence and prestige attracted the city's most prominent personalities.

Stepping in, he noticed the spacious hall adorned with elegant decorations, twinkling lights and the hum of conversation mingling with soft music.

Everyone seemed to be well dressed, making him feel quite uncomfortable. He saw Christine walking towards him, a smile adorning her beautiful face.

"What took you so long?" She asked, planting a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"Something urgent came up," John replied, not wanting to break the news of Mama Pat's illness at such a wonderful moment.

He noticed the happiness in the air and didn't want to ruin it with his own problems. Although, one of the reasons he had actually come for the party was to ask Mr. Bernard for help in raising the money needed for Mama Pat's treatment.

"Come, it's time to present father's gift to him." Christine said, pulling him by the hand.

He joined her, standing beside her in a line of family and friends, each waiting to present their carefully chosen gifts to Mr. Bernard.

Christine turned and smiled warmly at him, her arms linked through his, unaware of the turmoil within him. The line moved slowly, each gift accompanied by murmurs of appreciation and polite applause.

Finally, it was his and Christine's turn. The room fell silent, all eyes turning towards them in anticipation.

Mr. Bernard looked at John, his eyes demanding and expecting something quite valuable from him. "What gift have you brought?" He asked, his voice authoritative.

Surprisingly, instead of John handing him a present like everyone else was doing, he knelt down, his voice trembling as he spoke. "Sir, please I need your help," he began, his eyes pleading. "My godmother is gravely ill, and we need two million dollars for her medical bills. I have no where else to turn to."

A hush fell over the room and for a brief moment there was stunned silence. Then whispers started, quickly growing louder giving rise to murmurs as the guests exchanged incredulous glances.

Christine's surprise was palpable, "What are you doing?" She asked, trying to pull him up, as her face was flushed with embarrassment.

She wasn't expecting John to embarrass her like that on such an important day. It was bad enough that she was trying everything to make her parents accept John as her husband. Putting up such a show in public would only make things worse now.

"How dare you bring such a request here?" One guest sneered, his tone dripping with disdain.

"Do you think this is the place to beg for money?" Another added, her voice filled with mockery.

"What insolence!" Mrs. Bernard, Christine's mother exclaimed.

One by one, the guests took turns to insult him, their words laced with scorn and indignation. "You have no shame," a woman hissed. "This is a celebration, not a charity."

Bernard's face hardened, his eyes cold and anger filled. "You are such a disgrace," he spat. "If you cannot respect this occasion, then you do not belong here."