Page 51 of Something New

“Tuomo, where have you been?” he asks.

I shake my head. “What do you mean?”

“What have you been up to? Because you haven’t been doing your fucking job - that’s for sure.”

Mas clears his throat and my father glances towards him. He pulls his mouth tight, straighten his back as he rolls his shoulders. “What I mean is.” He takes a breath. “We need to know what is going on with you because we’ve all noticed your absence.”

I stand up, shocked to my core. “Is this a fucking intervention?” I snarl. “What? I’m not allowed to have a life? I have to report every second of every day to you?”

Mas raises his hand in a gesture of peace. “It’s not like that, Tuo. We are worried about you. You’ve been distant and some things that are your duty - you’ve been neglecting things - we just want to know if you are alright.”

My father shakes his head. “Stop pandering to him. He’s a grown man. He fucked up, and he has to answer for it.”

“How did I fuck up?” I ask.

“The shipment that was supposed to go out on Thursday morning. The one you were supposed to oversee.” Rufino says, lifting one corner of his mouth and raising his brows towards me. “And bro, it’s not the first thing you’ve failed to arrive for.Stock-take on the weekend. The delivery to the new client who came to the city to meet us face-to-face. Do you want me to go on?”

I shake my head. Rufino said enough.

So, that is what this is about.

I glance down, frowning, trying to figure out how I forgot those appointments. I check my calendar daily. I’m never negligent with my work - so how did this happen?

“Well?” my father demands. “What the hell is going on with you?”

Mas sighs. “Are you ok, Tuomo? Is something going on that you need our help with?”

“No, nothing is going on. I’m fine. I don’t know how I missed that - it won’t happen again.” I stand up. “Are we done here?”

My father sneers. “For fuck’s sake.” He spits his words.

“Tuo—” Rufino says.

Celso hasn’t spoken a word. He’s barely looked at me.

“Are we done here? I get it. I fucked up. I said it won’t happen again.”

“Ye. Ye, we’re done.” Mas sighs, waving his hand in the air to dismiss me.

My father turns and walks from the room.

That was my one chance with him and I’m lucky he gave me that. He won’t be lenient about my mistakes again. Next timeI’ll probably get punched in the head or some other form of punishment at his hand.

I turn towards the front door and march out of there as fast as I can.

I can’t believe that just happened.

I get defensive and embarrassed at the same time.

I didn’t realize I was neglecting my duties. But I’m also at a point where I don’t think I should have so much pressure on me. I want to live my life and only worry about my business. Not theirs.

I climb into my car and slam the door, revving the engine to life. A knock on my window makes me jump. Rufino is standing there, looking down at me.

I open the window, staring forward. “What?”

“Dude, what is going on man? We’re here for you. Dad has weird ways of showing it - but underneath it all we are just worried about you.”

“Dad isn’t worried about anything but his empire and his cash-flow.”

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