C3 Unbelievable

Gabriel had guessed right. His mother had indeed instructed Juarez to take him straight home. He had other plans, however. He would make a detour to the hospital and visit his father. The cynic in him wanted to see for himself just how ‘serious’ his father’s illness really was. He suspected that his mother had been deliberately keeping him in the dark and he did not like it. If she had just overreacted, she would be feeling guilty by now for unduly alarming him. Or, she could even be exaggerating his father’s condition just to get him to fly home. He would be turning thirty soon, after all. The formidable Montoya matriarch could already be setting him up on a date with his betrothed, for all he knew. Gabriel stubbornly refused to believe his father was really seriously ill. He was a toro, nothing could bring the man down.

He silently cursed upon entering the hospital. Not wanting to give his mother ample time to prepare, he purposely didn't phone ahead. Upon entering the hospital, he realized that he did not even know his father’s room number. He purposely did not phone ahead because he wanted to take both his parents by surprise. Gabriel didn't give them the chance to draw up scripted answers. He muttered a curse when he realized that his planned ‘surprise’ reunion with his parents would be ruined if his mother decided to call Juarez. In his brooding, he had forgotten to tell Juarez to keep his whereabouts a secret to his mother.

Better get ahead of her, then! He thought, striding over to the front desk.“Excuse me, Miss. May I know Fernando Montoya’s room number?”

“Are you a member of the family?” She asked, smiling brilliantly.

“Yes, I’m his son.”

The nurse nodded and turned to the computer, hastily typing on the keyboard. When she looked up, her expression was somber.

“He’s now in ICU, sir. It’s still within visiting hours, so you can go see him. It’s on the 7th floor by the way,” she said.

Gabriel hardly heard the rest. His brain got stuck on the word ‘ICU’. It was like someone had slammed a sledgehammer in his midsection.

“Sir, are you alright?” The nurse’s soft voice brought him back to his senses.

He did not know how long he had stood there frozen on his dead legs.“Yes, yes, no problem. Where did you say it was? The…well...” he stammered. He couldn’t say the word ICU.

“On the 7th floor, sir. You can take the elevator on the right, it stops on the 7th.”

“Thank you,” he replied, turning quickly around to get his blood running again. The full weight of the situation hit him instantly. Guilt. Pain. Shame. How could he have thought that his father’s illness was just a ruse to get him home? He was so horrified he tasted bile.

How could I be so selfish! Just thinking of myself when my father was on the brink of death!

Unlike Louisa, Gabriel had been apprised of his betrothed state the day he had turned twelve. He had hoped that his parents would discard the tradition of an arranged marriage, but he wasn’t quite as surprised as Louisa was when he was informed of it.

Knowing about it and accepting it were two different things, however. So, when he graduated from High School he asked to be sent abroad to continue his studies. His parents granted his request on the agreement that he would honor their commitment with the Almendrezes and would not do anything to jeopardize it. Which meant that he would not get himself in situations where he would be forced to break the betrothal.

He stayed away far longer than planned because he was dreading the day his father would turn over the reins of his business empire to him. Not because he feared the responsibility, he had been preparing for it all his life. What he hated was the fixed marriage. He hated it so much that he tried to squeeze as much as he could of whatever freedom he had left. Unlike some men who approached marriage with a rather cavalier attitude, Gabriel saw it as a sacred, lifetime commitment.

And he would have liked the privilege of choosing the woman he would pledge that commitment to. But tried as he may to rebel against it, he knew that his deep sense of honor and love for his family would never free him from this arrangement’. He would accept his situation, albeit reluctantly, and do what was expected of him.That was the real reason why he never indulged in any serious relationships. He did not want to cause himself or the person that he would be involved with any unnecessary hurt. All his past involvements were mere dalliances, all mutually beneficial liaisons that were easily terminated and forgotten. Somehow, consciously or unconsciously, he was able to keep his heart from being involved in the rare instances that he had indulged in a little physical frolicking. It seemed that when his father told him that he was already promised to the Almendrez girl, his heart took it seriously and barricaded itself from other enticements. It was only later, when he had started enjoying his ‘freedom’, that he began entertaining rebellious thoughts – but only with regard to the fixed marriage.

Besides, what little he knew of Louisa convinced him that the girl would not be jumping with joy at the thought of marrying him. In fact, she probably hated the notion of a fixed marriage herself and he would not want to force himself on a reluctant bride, especially one that had fangs and sharp claws like Louisa.

So, for the past few years, up until this morning before he learned of his father’s real condition, he had been girding himself for war. He was determined to make his father understand that the fixed marriage clause in his inheritance had to go or he would go. But this new knowledge of his father’s failing health changed everything. Gabriel could not bear defy his father’s wishes now, not when he could be gone at any moment.

The pinging sound of the elevator brought him back from his musings. He had reached the 7th floor without knowing how got there. Taking a deep breath, he stepped out and braced himself for whatever would greet him beyond its doors. Thankfully, the first people he saw were his brothers. Both were pleasantly surprised when they saw him. Miguel and Angelo rushed toward him at the same time, almost knocking him down with their enthusiastic hugs.

“About time, bro!” Miguel said, clapping him on the back.

“Why didn’t you tell us you were coming home? We could’ve met you at the airport. I tell you, this place is so gloomy I swear there are dementors hovering around.” Angelo or Angel, as they all fondly call his youngest brother, said.

Gabriel wasn’t sure if he heard him right.“Dementors?” Gabriel asked, confused.

Angelo rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue. “Not familiar with Harry Potter, eh?”

“I am, actually. I’m just a little jetlagged I forgot,” Gabriel countered defensively. How could he not know of Harry Potter when he was in London during the height of Potter fever? He even took a girl to one of its premieres.

“Oh, right! You lived in effing London, for crying out loud. Just didn’t think an old guy like you would take a break from reading your business journals to indulge in a little fun stuff.” Angelo winked at his eldest brother.

He liked teasing him about his age even though Gabriel was barely five years older than him. Gabriel only seemed much older than his real age because he had always been somber and serious.

“Where’s Papa? How is he?” Gabriel asked cautiously. The smiles on his brothers’ faces told him it wasn’t as bad as he’d thought.

“He’s out of danger. He was in a coma for three days, but he regained consciousness this morning. The doctors said he would be transferred to his suite by tomorrow,” Miguel replied. Gabriel sighed in relief.

“Thank God”, he said, feeling much better.

“Okay, why didn’t you call, bro? No more space for our phone numbers on your contacts? Bet all you have there are girls’ numbers. Mind sharing some?” Angelo teased, while Miguel looked on with a much more serious mien.

“Ha, ha! I wish! Bet yours is the one that’s filled with girls’ names,” was Gabriel’s repartee.

From the news he’d been getting through the social grapevine, his youngest brother was fast turning into a ladies’ man. Angelo had often been featured in glamorous magazines, famous models, and socialites hanging on his arm. Miguel, who was a real techno wiz and very successful in handling the family’s telecommunications company, on the other hand, was Angelo’s exact opposite, rarely seen in the social swirl of the elite except in official functions and affairs involving the Montoya Group of Companies.

“By the way, where’s Rafael?” Gabriel asked, noting the absence of his second-born brother. Rafael was two years younger than Gabriel and was the resident and multi-awarded artist of the Montoyas. His paintings and artwork were now highly sought after, fetching absurd prices in the market, both locally and internationally.

“He’s with Mama, readying Papa’s suite. But come, let’s go see Papa. He’d be relieved to see you back home,” Miguel replied. He slung an arm around Gabriel’s wide shoulders, steering him towards the ICU.

“Actually, I was thinking...if maybe we can get some coffee first. I really have a lot of catching up to do with you two. Fact is I’m also famished. You know how I hate airplane food,” Gabriel said.

“That’s great. Angelo and I were actually on our way out, too.” Miguel replied.

“What are we waiting for? Let’s go get some grub!” Angelo said.

“There’s a newly opened café across the street. I heard the blueberry cheesecake is really good. Coffee isn't bad, either.” Miguel said.

Having agreed on Miguel’s suggestion, the three brothers got into the elevator and walked out of the hospital, eager for some food and a much needed tête-à-tête.