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“No. I couldn’t see anything under that beard. Is it bad?”
“Bad enough. I’m bringing him in for stitches. Prepare the OR. You’ll assist me. We’ll needlidocaine,epinephrine, a topical anesthetic cream, and the instruments. I’ll see you soon.”
When Royce sauntered into the kitchen, Steve could hardly suppress a gasp at the sight of the nasty cut.
“Why didn’t you try to go to a hospital over there?”
“Hey, I was lucky to get out of Thailand in one piece.”
“Thailand? What the hell were you doing there?”
“It’s a very long story. I’ll tell you about it later.”
“All right. Let’s go. You can start your story in the car. Don’t touch your cheek. You’ll just keep infecting it.”
“It itches.”
“We’ll take care of it soon.” They settled into the Mercedes, and Steve drove away. “So, I thought you left for Tokyo with…what’s-her-name. What happened?”
“Sarita wanted to get married. Her father gave me a job in his company after I bragged about my computer skills. Big mistake. He had experts working around the clock. Two months later, he kicked me out. I wasn’t good enough for his office or his daughter. Imagine,sheagreed with him. I learned my lesson.”
“Good. You stayed away from girls.”
“What? No. I shunned commitment. When I met Kohito, I made it clear from day one that I had to work and couldn’t make any promises. I worked as a waiter and played guitar in various restaurants. We dated for a year. There were a few others, but eventually I got fed up with the low paying jobs.”
“Just like the prodigal son,” Steve murmured to himself. Royce had to eat shit to realize he missed home.
“Then I met Mahana, a beauty from Thailand. She said she didn’t care about commitment either. All she wanted was a bit of fun, and she guaranteed me a position at a school as an English teacher. I followed her to Bangkok.”
“And you got into trouble.”
“Not right away. First I got a good job at the private school her kids attended, a school for rich kids. We enjoyed a few months of fun in the backyard where we often met after school. Until a man showed up. He turned out to be her husband. She had the nerve to scream and claim I was trying to rape her. She pushed me and took off with her car. I ran. Unfortunately, he caught up with me and carved my cheek. I kicked him and escaped, but I could hardly see through the blood blinding me. I collapsed behind a bush.”
“Who found you?”
“I called the gym teacher, Susan. I’d helped her out a few times. She came right away and took me to her flat. I washed my cut, a deep one, and hid at her place for two weeks until I grew a beard long enough to cover it. Then I flew home.”
Steve’s pulse raced at the danger encountered by his son. “A story for a thriller. You idiot, you’ve wasted so many years, squandered your income. Why didn’t you come back earlier?”
Royce snorted. “Maybe because Iwasan idiot.”
“We all make mistakes. You learn from your mistakes. You don’t repeat them. I’m glad you’re home, son, and finally heading in the right direction.”
“Great. I’m counting on you, Dad because honestly, I don’t have a cent. I’ll need you to cover tuition. Lodging is no problem. I’ll stay with you. The house is so big. I hope you don’t mind, but I invited Susan to stay with us. She saved me when I was in a mess. She’s coming in a few days to start work on her master’s degree in economics.”
Hands gripping the stirring wheel, Steve ground his teeth to avoid cursing and shouting. Some people never learned, not even after having their face carved with a knife. Despite the urge to shake his son and throw a punch or two, he coached himself to remain calm before surgery.
“We’ll talk business later. We’re at the clinic. I can see Lillian’s car. She’s already here.” He jumped out of his Mercedes and stomped toward the door of the building, breathing the evening’s fresh breeze, allowing it to cool his brain and control his chaotic mind. He spotted Lillian in a surgical gown and mask heading to the OR.
“Lillian, are you ready for us?”
“Yes, Dr. Winston. I’ve prepared the anesthetics, antiseptics, and instruments.” She turned to his son. “Ah, you’ve shaved, Royce. You look so much better.”
“With this horrible scar?”
“Dr. Winston will fix it in no time.”
Sweet Lillian, her incredible faith in his talents restored Steve’s composure.
