He sighed a relief from frustration when Ishtar changed her mind.
Understanding the burden Ishtar had to carry on her shoulders to protect the family as lady, remorsefully, Bob Lee raising his eyebrows.
"Look honey, it's not what I want you to do but for your safety together with our son Bimbo, I think it is our only option."
Holding a fixed distress gaze at him, Ishtar listened to him. The thought of her son being harmed proved to a major frustration. And on the other hand, she also understood that her husband can't do the needful to protect their lives from danger because, having been born to rich parents, Bob Lee was spoit by a silver spoon in his mouth. He never got a chance to bring out the strong man in himself.
She exhaled heavily to calm her mind down from hundred hurts and anxiety.
"I get it. Besides, I've have always been the shield that safeguards the family from when I was thirteen years old."
Suddenly, Bob Lee's mom together with her grandson showed up in the living room from touring around the stunning looks of Ishtar's contemporary house. They had heard rough and loud voices before they showed up wearing curious gazes.
From upstairs, the grown-up woman looked at both of them.
"Smiles on your faces are lost again uh?"
Five years ago, when another woman came in between their marriage, Bob Lee's mother was used to constant misunderstandings between her son and Ishtar as the two were staying in her mansion. Majorly, she held no trust in her son.
And now, the judgemental eye she held on him could tell that she suspected him to be the cause of the current friction.
"It's not what you think mom", said Bob Lee.
Ishtar's eyes were already bloodspot red, all filled with tension and frustration. Obviously, this convinced the grown up woman standing infront of both of them that his son was once again making the lady sad. Knowing so well the tears he made Ishtar shade in the past in the presence of his mother, Bob Lee had no way to convince the grown-up woman whose gaze at him was wrathful.
If not for his mother, he can't make a manly decision. And this her mother knew so well.
"You need Ishtar in your life you know that right? Am worried... worried that a beautiful butterfly can fortunately fly back in your life the second time, but not the third time if you happen to hold it recklessly again."
Giving unsteady facial expressions, rolling his eyes around the living room glass walls and morden furnishings, Bob Lee's boldness was out of the window. The openness of his mother in the presence of Ishtar and their son Bimbo made him guiltily shy. Ishtar turned her eyes at him and by watching his gesture, she noticed how shrank he seemed to be.
To save the moment, all of a sudden, Ishtar composed herself in an indifferent smile and said:
"Ma'am, there's nothing for you to worry about."
Bob Lee, panicked:
"Of course mom! What my wife is saying is right. Me and her are good. Nothing for you should worry about."
Quickly, Ishtar supplemented:
"We're only trying to talk our way to solving issues that may sabotage us this time."
Not convincing, the grown-up woman, still holding a side eye on her son, she replied:
"Hmm...!"
The grown-up woman walked to her daughter in law.
"My wary is, by the time my son wedded that hell of a woman Nadia Browne, she was legally married to you. He told me you signed the devorce papers, little did I know that he was lying to me."
Bob Lee's mother sighed and with a grieving frown she added:
"It's all my fault. I wouldn't have stood by him that day when he was marrying Nadia. Forgive me for raising your husband wrongly. I betrayed you!"
Ishtar held her mother-in-law's hands and to calm her down.
"It's alright ma'am. Besides, it's all in the past now."
At this point, Bob Lee's mother can stand ten toes down with unwavering confidence in the middle of his son's relationship to make sure Ishtar doesn't leave her son's life again. She knows that Ishtar is the perfect thing that has ever happened to him. The grown-up woman looked at both of them, especially Ishtar now and took a deep breathe.
"For give my son's imperfections. If he ever make you shade a tear again, I will disown his foolish ass."
However, Ishtar had nothing against Bob Lee at the moment. Infact, even though she could not just show it openly to him due to the pain he took her through, it was of great pleasure to be back in life of a man she has ever loved with all her heart mind body and soul besides him being the father of her husband child.
With a slight smile at her mother-in-law, Ishtar nodded, as a sign that she accepts her polite request. What choice was left for Bob Lee apart from giving a humble vulnerable gaze and a handsome smile at his mom and Ishtar to show that he was happily complying.
Gently, he then stepped toward them.
"Am sorry. I think I need to go to church and cleanse my mind off the impurities of this mess called Nadia Browne, so that I set my mind and body free for my beautiful family."
He turned and looked at his son who was on the coach doing some picture sketches in his art book. Coincidently, their eyes met.
With a lit face, little Bimbo asked:
"Daddy, can you take me to the park? Every Sunday my friends have their dads playing in the park with them."
With no hesitation, Bob Lee responded:
"Of course son! Just tell me when and it's done."
He added:
"Come here..."
Happily, Bimbo hurried to his father. With high spirit, Bob Lee lifted his son up on his chest side.
"What's that one thing that you enjoy doing?"
The little boy grinned and answered boldly:
"Drawing and shading them. I want to draw the park with all my friends and their fathers in it!"
He was amazed.
"Wow! Now that dad is here, I am going to help you on that. And we're going to drow everything in this entire world together."
Wearing a very happy smile, Bimbo asked:
"Like the zoo and all the animals...?"
Bob Lee answered joyfully:
"That's correct. The lions, zebras, the long necks of giraffe, birds in the sky and all the fish in water _ just mention it and we shade it."
Bimbo was excited. And as his father put him down, he asked him to avoid strangers when they get to the park tomorrow simce it was a Sunday. The little boy ran excitedly to meet his mother Ishtar.
"Mom, dad is taking me to the amusement park tomorrow."
With a smile of approval, Ishtar shrugged:
"Sure, go and have fun."
And before Bob Lee walked out of the glass door, he turned a calm face to his mother and Ishtar. With beaming faces, they both looked at him.
"If you excuse me, I got to go to church now to avoid the fire."
...
But then, so crazy how he ends up in a busy bar where he sits down on a smooth coach in the VIP with a big bottle of brandy on a table infront of him and a whisky glass in the hand, pouring heavy sips down his throat. Never in his life has he been so perturbed, so horribly anxious like he was frowning his face.
"How the hell am I gonna get out of this mess I put myself into? I lost everything my father left for me and my mother _ all because of that hell of a woman Nadia Browne. I thought I was in love with her but I was just foolish."
All alone on the table as he watched othes enjoying themselves happily, after a deep thought he added:
"She has been paying all my bills including my mother's... Damn. How am I going to tell her that I want a devorce?"
Back to back, his pro max phone started to ring. Only to take a quick glance at it, then get back to pouring rounds of the strong drink in a whisky glass and down his throat. This time Bob Lee needed to commit himself to a fresh and peaceful relationship with his former wife Ishtar and their son Bimbo.
"Hell yes! I must release myself off the chains trapping me in this thing called marriage with Naida Browne. No peace except continuous disrespect and cheating with her ex boyfriend because she meets my bills!"
As he silently encouraged himself, suddenly the door a sex worker showed up on his table to try her chances of hooking tonight. Before the glass reached his mouth to take another sad sip, he turned at her.
"Dammit! I hate to be interrupted!"