✯Twelve✯ - Bingo And A Lie

✷Chapter Twelve✷

"B10!" A man called out from the wooden platform he stood on, in his hand was a small white ball the size of an eyeball, it had a number written on it he called out.

Immediately everyone in the room began checking their scorecard to see if they succeeded in getting any pattern. Including Teresa who sat on a round table filled with elderly men and women in their late 70s.

Teresa placed her chip on the scorecard, she found herself still participating even though there wasn't hope for her anymore. The chips on her card are completely in disarray.

She scans the elderly male and female people in the room, who are busy checking their cards for any wins. Some who were probably close to winning had a huge smile on their faces, while some had the same expression as hers. Disappointment.

The last thing Teresa would ever expect when following Grandpa Daniel to the town was sitting in a room with his friends while playing bingo.

She saw Rachel opposite her smiling at whatever Grandpa Daniel said, on her table was a scorecard completely like Teresa's failing ones. But from what Teresa could notice about Rachel she seems not to care about winning or not, she was just going with the fun of it.

Teresa couldn't remember when last she'd laughed so hard and long. The moment she, Grandpa Dan, Jacob, Gideon and Rachel had left the cabin to meet Daniel's friends and former colleague, they were all too welcoming and funny.

She wasn't aware how they'd gone from having warm tea in a tearoom to playing the game of bingo at the upper floor of the building.

Though Teresa was loving every part of it, she couldn't deny her thoughts were slipping elsewhere from time to time since she woke up in bed this morning with the absence of Jacob's presence.

His words last night left her in a total mess. The thought of him having feelings for her made Teresa try to rethink changing whatever grudge she had against him. She remembered the vulnerability in his voice, like the thought of losing her scares him to death. His confession changes a lot of things.

She jumps at the sight of him, with her heart almost racing out from her chest. She hid from him since coming out from their bedroom, making him suspicious of her reaction. She recollected seeing him in the backyard sitting on the sofa in the porch. The instant their eyes slammed together she sprinted in action to put in a demarcation between both of them. If he wasn't suspicious before he was now with the way she was acting extra jumpy and baffled.

Teresa was thankful he had driven the SUV, while she was in the backseat. The last thing she'd want is to be in an open place with him. Though it saddens her Grandpa Dan's truck was still in the mechanic workshop. What she'd not trade to be away from Jacob's presence throughout the whole entire day.

She needed more time to think. More time to digest his words, even if she finds herself hardly believing what he said.

"Bingo!" The elderly woman next to her shouted, making Teresa jump in her seat in surprise. The woman's name she'd learned to be Monica Paige. She was a very humorous woman, Every single word coming from her mouth brought laughter.

Monica Paige is a wife to one of Daniel's former colleagues and close friend, Jonathan Paige. Monica is someone Teresa calls old beauty. The grayness of her hair stood out sparkling in silver treasure, matching her gray eyes. The old wrinkles on her chin didn't hide her beauty, instead it gave her a signature face. She must have been a heartbreaker in her younger days.

Teresa smiled as a huge grin took hold of Monica's face after winning the game. Teresa saw her husband Jonathan grumble with a frown on his face at his wife's win. She could hear him mumble the word '—no peace today.' making Teresa chuckle a little, even if he had that grumpy face, his eyes were smiling. A sign of how much he loves her.

"Oh, Jonathan shush. You've been winning since this entire week. Why can I win even just for today?" Monica scolded him, glaring at his direction, clear annoyance on her face. But quickly it evaporated from her face when he gave her no response.

"Congratulations Monica." Teresa said, giving her a hug which she immediately welcomed.

Monica smoothened Teresa's brunette shoulder length hair. "Aren't you the sweetest thing. If you weren't taken by the sweetest boy Jacob I'd have stolen you for my son." Her words made Teresa blush, as she fidgeting on her seat.

For a moment she had forgotten one of the things about being in the midst of the elderly one. They will want to do matchmaking with their sons, daughters or relatives.

But her last word left Teresa's mouth asking unconsciously. "You knew Jacob?" Her brow quirked quizzically. The thought of Jacob being a sweet person almost felt like maybe Teresa was beginning to lose her sanity. Maybe she heard wrong.

Teresa had expected Monica to frown in confusion, but instead she smiled proving Teresa hadn't heard wrong. "Who doesn't know Jacob in the whole neighborhood? Always helping people with their loads, or repairing the roof or sink." Monica stated as she gave Teresa a side glance while focusing on her scorecard. "I've always thought any woman he ends up marrying will be the most luckiest being in the planet."

Her words left Teresa breathless.

Monica continued, "many years ago one morning, old Elliot found it hard to trim the grass in his frontage due to him using a walking stick to support himself. Jacob at that time was a teenager and it happened to be he was running to school due to his lateness, on his way he noticed Elliot's struggling to cut the grass. Instead of ignoring him and still heading to school, he volunteered to help Elliot out which made him end up going to school really late. And from what I heard there was an important event taking place in school." Monica leaned in to whisper in Teresa's left ear. "Old Elliot can't stop talking about him till today."

Teresa remembered when Gideon had told her Jacob chose to live with his grandfather. She vividly remembers being happy at the age of eight at the thought of not seeing Jacob ever again. But became more cautious when he came three years later, appearing more mature in the eyes. And poking his nose into her matter with his controlling lifestyle.

The Jacob Monica just talked about wasn't the Jacob she knew. The Jacob she knew was a nuisance, who made her whole life a nightmare. The Jacob she knew lightened her doll on fire for his own amazement. The Jacob she knew made her highschool life very awkward and hard.

Has she been wrong about him? Was she too prejudiced to see only the bad side of him?

His words last night immediately rang in her ears. 'All the things I did was for you to just see me.'

Wasn't she seeing him?

Her immediate answer was no.

All her life she had always hated Jacob, she despised him to the extent that she blocked off her mind to see his other side. She instantly felt bad for her purposely ignorance.

All these years she hadn't changed one bit? Wasn't she still doing the same thing forgiving Gideon for lying to her, and not Jacob?

Teresa made up her mind to amend things between them. Maybe it's about time they clear the bad air between them.

"I don't see him here." Monica pointed out as she scrutinized the whole room. Teresa did the same, she couldn't see both Jacob or Gideon. They were seated at the other table a while ago.

Teresa sighs, her eyes shifted towards Grandpa Daniel who had a glass of brandy to his mouth. Teresa's eyes widened as she abruptly stood on her feet making the chair she sat on screech on the floor, quickly snatching the drink off his lips, catching him off guard.

"Sorry." She apologized to him for her sudden behavior, and her action also took her by surprise. She could feel the stares of everyone one her. Feeling self-conscious she walked away from her seat walking towards Grandpa Daniel, leaning down close to him. "I'm just worried about your health." The frown on the old man's face immediately left and a smile touched his lips as he stared at her in amazement.

"There's nothing to worry about. All these years I've kept my life healthy. I'm as healthy as a horse, even my doctor praises how healthy I keep myself." He pounded on his chest to show how serious he was, but that only made Teresa more worried as she put a stop to his action.

Her eyes were wide in concern, she was breathing deep as if she had just run a race. "You shouldn't do that. You're heart—"

Grandpa Daniel cut her off a smile on his face. "My heart?"

"Didn't you check your monthly checkup result?" She asked, starting to feel confused with his words.

"I did. I receive my reports myself, and from what my doctor told me, there's nothing wrong with me." He said his frown was returning on his face. "Is there something I should know?"

For a while she said nothing, her mind completely blank. She found herself shaking her head in reply. Straightening herself she excused herself. She walked away from the room, but not before dropping the drink on the vacant table at the corner of the room.

She dashed down the stairs searching for someone who would clear the air of confusion Grandpa Daniel's obliviousness brought.

There was a possibility that he wasn't told about his weak heart. But if so, wouldn't that be dangerous for him? Shouldn't he be informed of his sick health in order to prevent him from harming his health even further.

Another question popped in Teresa's head.

Shouldn't he be close with his family around, or people to watch him and take care of him?

The more these questions came, the more messed up she felt. Maybe she was reading too much in this whole thing. Maybe Gideon might have the answers to her questions.

Fortunately she saw him sitting on one of the chairs, having a tea cup on his lips while busy with his phone, with his legs crossed. He looked relaxed and calm. He lifted his gaze up towards her the moment he heard her footsteps.

"Teresa. What's wrong?" He asked the moment he saw the frown on her face. He already stood on his feet, putting his phone in his back pocket, as he took a long stride to her. His hand held her shoulder as concern filled his face. "Is everything alright?" When she said nothing but gazed at his face he asked again. "Is it grandpa?" Immediately worried for his grandfather he dashed behind her, but she immediately brought him to a halt.

Shaking her head she replied. "He's alright." His face immediately relaxed, his body that was once ridged calmed down, but he frowned at her. "Let's talk outside. I need to ask you something." She said her eyes locked with that of the mid age woman behind Gideon standing at the other side of the counter. The last thing she'd want is anyone eavesdropping on their conversation.

Turning her back to him, she walked to the door, the bell at the top of the door jingled as she pulled it open. The warm sun greeted her on the quiet street, with fewer people. She heard Gideon's footsteps outside with hers. She made sure to put a distance from the building they had just walked out from.

Whirling around she kept her gaze on Gideon for a while before speaking. "About Grandpa Daniel's sickness. Does he know?"

Confused at her question he answered. "Yes he does."

His response only made her more confused. More troubling questions lingering around her brain. She wrapped her arms around herself, giving him a skeptical look. "Are you sure? Because from what Grandpa Daniel told, like he quoted. 'I'm as healthy as a horse.' How do you explain that, because there's no way he will be lying about his own health." Teresa said, her voice rising the more speaks. The thought of Gideon lying to her again almost made her sick in the stomach, it almost made a question about the type of man he was. "Are you lying to me again, Gideon?"

Gideon shook his head in denials, he moved towards her, but she retreated backwards in return. The hurt on his face at her action didn't go unnoticed. "I swear I wouldn't lie to you again. The last thing I'd do is take our friendship for granted."

"Then how do you explain this!" Teresa yelled out this time around, grabbing the attention of some passersby. She found herself not caring, the thought of Gideon lying to her hurts her deeply, almost like someone had stabbed a knife to her chest and was twisting it.

He raked his fingers in his hair in frustration, his jaw clenched tight almost like it was seconds away from snapping. "Jacob told me the doctor had called and reported Daniel's sickness. He told me how grandpa wanted us to visit him and how he mistakenly spilled out your name when he heard how grandpa sounded. There is no way Jacob will lie. He can't." Gideon shook his head in denials, he opened his mouth to say more, but kept shut as his words began to sink in. "He wouldn't." He said this time around uncertain. "Wait a minute. Let me speak to his doctor." He turned his back to her, walking down a bit while grabbing his mobile phone from his pocket.

Teresa saw him place it on his ear, she found herself unable to hear his words due to how quickly he spoke.

She was so confused. Could Jacob have lied? If he did, then why? He couldn't be that sick in the head to lie about his own grandfather's health. She wanted to deny that fact, not when she was beginning to give him a chance to rectify the whole thing.

But somehow the whole thing begins to make sense. Or not?

Teresa grunt in frustration, almost pulling her hair out of her scalp with the way she became more confused.

She saw Gideon end the call, his shoulders lifting up and down, as if he was trying to restrain himself. "Gideon?" She called to him, he turned towards her direction, and the look she saw in his eyes made her shatter. He looked lost. She only wondered what he must have been told.

Was Grandpa Daniel really sick?

From behind him she saw Grandpa Daniel, a couple of his old friends and Rachel walked out of the building. His eyes immediately locked on them, a huge grin on his face like he'd just had the best time of his day.

Teresa returned her gaze on Gideon as she stared at him in concern, but his expression had completely changed to that of complete anger. His hands were clenched to a fist by his side. Teresa had never seen him this angry in his life.

Then he did something that made her scream in terror. He sprint towards her, his eyes focused behind her, his eyes completely red in pure rage.

"You bastard!" Gideon shouted as he threw a punch on someone behind her, who Teresa realized was Jacob.

In an instant all hell broke loose.

************

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