THE LOATHSOME SON-IN-LAW

THOSE WHO LEAVE IN GLASS HOUSE DON'T THROW STONES

Their conversations hushed, and all their eyes fell on the loathsome son-in-law as he sauntered inside, bowed at them and hurried towards the steps that led to his room.

"Come back here, Andrew."

The most notorious among the rumour mongers of the O'Connor family shrieked after him, and this made him halt his movement, veering around and begging, "What is it? Madam Alice."

"Is that the way to greet your in-law... And tell me where you are coming from, and why you did not participate in cleaning the villa and preparing dinner?"

"Because I am busy," Andrew answered back, turned to proceed with his climbing and then announced, "Please excuse me, I will be back soon."

"I don't blame you," Madam Alice hissed and let out, "I blamed Mary for being too lenient with you."

"Leave him alone. Can't you see he is tired and needs to relax before dinner is ready?"

"What is wrong with Moana?" The plumpy woman with a weird wig over her small head turned towards Moana and asked with a puzzling look.

"What did you mean? Alice."

"When did you start supporting him?-, she paused her speech, veered towards Andrea and announced, "Go and call him to assist you in the kitchen."

"When will you learn to treat him as our in-law and not a servant?"

"Never. As far as I am concerned, Andrew will always remain our errand boy," Madam Alice paused her speech, removed the glass on her face, cleaned it with the helm of her flowing gown and mumbled after, "he was brought as an infant and had been doing my chore since he took his first step. So why should I respect him because he married the daughter of my brother?"

"He is just a contract husband and even my daughter's son is not his own, you can say whatever you like about him."

Madam Alice smiled as she put her glasses back in her face, turned towards Moana, and said, " Mary is a smart woman and had seen through Andrew's fake love for her daughter, now tell me why you started supporting him?"

"Because the poor man had suffered so much in your hand. It is high time you let him be."

"Oh-, I can see this is a joint agreement between husband and wife... Why don't you give him your daughter as a wife if you feel pity for him?"

"Did he marry your daughter, or why don't you paddle your own canoe? Tell us what exactly he did to you that made you hate him with so much passion."

"He reported her promiscuous way to her husband when he was young and innocent. And my sister had remained single and bitter after."

"Damn you, Timothy. Did you call yourself a man when you can't control your woman?"

"Hold it, Madam Alice. Why did you have to involve me whenever you were quarrelling with your elder brother?"

"It is too early for this, please," Timothy stood up and waved his hands to pacify the two angry women.

The door was opened, and various guests began to step inside the well-furnished parlour, and their chuckling sounded louder as they became merrier.

"Bring wines for the ladies and liquor for the gentlemen!"

"I need a wine glass, please."

"Get me something cold."

"Hey, servant. Are you deaf? I said bring me a wine glass." One of the guests yelled at Andrew.

Madam Alice pinched the guest's elbow, bent toward him and whispered, "he is not a servant, but our in-law."

"Please pardon my error, he looked too simple to be an in-law to this distinguished family."

"You are right, mayor. It was a contract marriage to suit my husband's dad. He is my daughter's husband, only on paper."

"I am happy to hear that. I believe your daughter is now married to a reasonable man, and not this fool."

"Not yet. The term of the contract stated that they must be together for ten years and they can only get divorced after," Madam Alice chipped in.

"But my daughter had another man, he is our family lawyer, and will soon be joining us."

"That is better than settling down with a loser."

"I hope the dinner is ready. We can't keep our guests waiting," Timothy asked in a loud voice.

"Am still waiting for my son. We can't serve dinner in his absence," Madam Alice mumbled. 

"Are you sure Ajay is coming? He seemed to be avoiding us, even when he was in town?" 

"Yes, Mary. He is on the way."

"I need a glass of water, please."

"Hey, Andrea. This gentleman here needs a glass of water."

"A moment, Sir."

Andrew soon returned in an expensive suit and matching shoes, and the guest shortly began to appreciate his taste in clothing.

"He looked better than last year."

"You guys must be taking care of your son-in-law!" The man called Mayor exclaimed. 

"I bought all this with my hard-earned money and not from the O'Connor family, so-."

"Who is interested in his tale of doom?" Madam Alice cut into his speech, gathered the saliva in her mouth spit on Andrew's face, and then shrieked, "You are a thief, Andrew. Get your sorry arse off my sight."

"That's too extreme, Alice."

"Don't put your mouth in this, Danny. You are also an in-law to the O'Connor family, yet we never treated you like a piece of shit because you are paying your bills and don't depend on our family... But you see this joke here, he will always remain our slave... And don't be fooled by his exquisite dresses, they were all stolen goods."

Andrea who just arrived from the kitchen gawked at her husband, shook her head in despair, and let out, "How long will you keep embarrassing yourself? Please leave us."

"What happened, honey?" A smartly dressed man stepped inside, bowed at the guests on their seats and then cuddled Andrea.

"I am sure it is no longer a secret that Johnson belongs to our family lawyer, " Madam Alice announced, giggled mischievously and let out, "Welcome, Barrister Stevenson to our family."

"Are you guys having dinner without me?" Another young man walked into the parlour, hugged his mother, and let out, "So sorry for coming late. I was caught up in the traffic."

"Welcome, my son. Please sit down, I was just informing them that you won't ever miss your grandfather's burial as long as you are alive."

"Of course, Mum... Hello, Andrew."

"Hi, Ajay. Welcome, and how was your journey."

"Not bad. You look pale. Are you okay?"

"Your mother had been hurting his feelings for hours, and it's unfair."

"Hold it, Moana. You are not in the position to complain about how I treat Andrew. Aren't you the one who sprinkled poison in his lunch and he nearly died after?"

"Oh my gosh! Are you that wicked?"

"Not what you think, honey... And you, why don't you tell them that you gave me the poison and begged me to add it to his food," she paused her speech, stood up with arm akimbo and yelled, "Tell them you want him dead because he saw where you are having unholy coitus with our dad's driver!"

"Lies!"

"It's okay, please. Why must a family gathering always end in chaos?"

"Warn your mother, Ajay. Warn her and tell her that those who live in a glass house don't throw stones," Moana jerked her husband by the collar of his shirt and dragged him out of the house."

"Are you going without dinner?"

"Let her go... Where is that unfortunate son-in-law that caused this commotion?"

"He had left in humiliation when he could no longer stand the heat of your mockery."

"Let someone bring us the dinner, for Christ's sake!"

"A minute, please."