I'M SORRY I CAME LATE

CHAPTER 8:

5 YEARS LATER

“Inmate 412 you won’t be getting any food today because you haven’t been meeting up to expectations, the government can’t be wasting its time on liabilities like you” The prison wader spat out arrogantly at a man with an oxygen tank by his side and a nasal cannula on his nose, aiding his breathing. The man was no other person than Lyon

After the incident five years back, he was diagnosed with chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD), as the fire damaged his lungs. He didn’t have any money to do a lung transplant so he resolved to live on the oxygen tank as the doctor said he had just seven years to live. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for a crime he saw someone else commit yet he was framed for it. Was the government blind and slow-witted? How can a man kill his parents for no reason? Is that even possible?

He finally came out of his thoughts and looked at the prison warder “But sir that was the same thing you said yesterday” He said sadly. He hasn’t taken any food since yesterday because they keep calling him a liability even when he works more than some inmates in the prison.

“Are you questioning my order, Mr. Lyon?” The warder said with an angry expression on his face.

Just then, a security personnel walked towards the warder and whispered something in his ears and the feisty expression he had on his face was replaced with surprise and shock. Sweat began to form on his forehead even when the whole area was highly ventilated. Lyon wondered what the security personnel must have told the warder to warrant such a reaction from him.

He ignored them and attempted to walk away when the voice of the prison warder stopped him “Mr. Lyon I’m very sorry for how arrogant I sounded earlier please overlook my immaturity” The warder said and scratched his head as if trying to think about something “Your attention is needed at the VIP office” The warder added still unsure about what he heard a few minutes ago. If what the security said was true then he knew he was in big trouble

Lyon looked at him with a puzzled expression on his face, the VIP office was meant for high-profile profile person’s coming to visit an inmate in the prison and only a few people in the country were granted this leisure. Even when Ethan’s father came over to see him and humiliate him, he didn’t get the luxury of discussing with him in the office.

Rumors have it that the room is sound proof and it is meant for highly classified discussion with an inmate of high profile. Lyon wondered who the high-profile person was who was able to get an opportunity to meet with him in the VIP office.

The warder smiled at Lyon as if they had been friends for a long time “Run along Mr. Lyon so you don’t get late”

Lyon ignored him and rode his oxygen tank heading towards the VIP office. A few minutes later he got there and the guards bowed to him respectfully. Lyon wondered if he was in a dream, these guards would never bow to an inmate like him; he was poor, sick, and a vulnerable person before them.

Lyon increased his pace as he held the door knob leading to the office and bent it giving a cracking sound. He entered the office, it was highly extravagant but he didn’t have time to admire the office, he was majorly curious about the big shot who wanted to see him.

“Good day, Lyon” A female voice sounded from behind him. He turned immediately only to be right in front of an old woman in her early 70s. Though her face was a little wrinkled but it didn’t hide her beauty. Everything about her screamed wealth yet Lyon had never seen this woman before not even in the news or in a TV show.

The woman studied him for a while before talking “I’m sorry I took so long to show up, but I promise to make them all pay for putting you in this situation. Right from the persons who treated you poorly here in prison to those who looked down on you and to the persons who murdered your parents and sister. They would all pay”

Lyon looked at her completely confused. Who was she? And how did she know that he wasn’t the one who killed his parent? She was the first person who seemed to support him yet he sensed something fishy “Look woman, I don’t need your help! And who says I didn’t kill my parent? I did, and you don’t want to know what I would do to you if you don’t leave here this instant” Lyon fired at her even if his heart was beaten loudly

The woman looked at him sadly as tears threatened to fall from her eyes but she was quick enough to keep it all in though she wasn’t quick enough to keep it from Lyon “You look just like her” She finally said

“Who?” He asked curiously

“Your mother. She was feisty on the outside but soft on the inside” She said and smiled sadly

Lyon narrowed his eyes to the woman seating right in front of him as if he was trying to search for something in her soul. He just wanted to be sure if she was genuine or she was out to exploit him. But something about her felt real and sincere “Who are you and how do you know my mum?”

“I’m Mrs. Amber Hays, your mum’s mother, and your grandmother,” She said with a smile

Lyon looked at her in shock “Grandmother? My mum never told me I had a grandmother”

“That’s because her dad took her away from me. I tried to look for her all these years but I didn’t get any lead on where she might be and when I found her she was already dead but I got to discover that she had a son so I began my search for you. Searching for you led me right to the prison”

She stood up and walked towards Lyon, taking his hand and looking deep into his eyes “I know what you have gone through has prevented you from trusting people easily but you can’t deny the familiarity we both feel deep down even if it’s the first time we are meeting. I wasn’t able to meet your mum, Lyon, allow me to make it right with you” She said tightening her grip on his hand as she hoped he would not push her away.

For more than forty years she had searched for her daughter but she didn’t get even the slightest clue of where she could be and now that she had found her grandson, she was going to make him the happiest man alive

“But why now? When my father was killed you didn’t show up, when my sister was used and abused you also didn’t show up, when your very daughter was burnt in a fire accident you didn’t come. And now you come claiming to be my grandmother” Lyon said in anger

“I’m sorry I made it late, trust me I have spent billions of dollars to find your mother but I couldn’t. It was like she totally disappeared from this world. Maybe you are right, I should have shown up earlier maybe everything would have appeared differently but please allow me to make it up to you” She said as slight tears fell from her eyes

Lyon turned his back on her folding his hands in indifference “So why did you come to the prison?” Lyon asked. Though he knew it was a foolish question but he felt that there was more to her coming to meet with him.

She smiled broadly “Vincenzo!” She called out. A man came out from the dark part of the room and bowed at Lyon respectfully “Good day young master, we finally found you”

Lyon looked at him confused, all this while he didn’t know someone outside him and the woman was also in the room “And who are you?” He asked confusedly

“Young master you need not be confused. I’m Vincenzo your humble servant and your grandmother’s right-hand man” He said plainly

Lyon looked at him still puzzled; he didn’t understand why the man was calling him a young master “Why are you two here? I want to know”

Vincenzo smiled and handed over a paper to him. Lyon scanned through it and his eyes widened in shock. “Does that mean I can leave the prison?” He asked. The letter was in content with of the permission by the government for him to be granted freedom from his initial sentence.

“Yes young master, the government already agrees that you’re innocent but we didn’t add that to the paperwork because we want to take your enemies by surprise. So as of this moment, you’re a free man young master and you’re completely ready to take what is rightfully yours”

The more he got more clarification the more he became more confused. Was his grandmother a rich person? How could she influence the government's decision? And what was taken away from him that he was coming to reclaim? Different questions ran through his mind yet he got no answer to them.

His grandmother smiled at him “I know you have questions but I promise to answer all of them when we get home” She said with a smile

“Home?” Lyon asked in surprise