"Hey, what are you doing here alone? Everyone’s sleeping already."
Vernon’s voice and the pat on Calix’s back pulled the latter out of his stupor. Tearing his eyes away from the bottom of his teacup, he looked at his elder brother in surprise.
"Brother?"
"Uhuh, it’s ."
Calix quietly stared at Vernon. Instead of wearing pajamas like him, his elder brother was more comfortable in his loose tank top and long cargo pants.
Calix didn’t expect to see anyone else at this hour. He thought everyone was tired after their barbecue party which concluded a few hours ago.
The entire villa was shrouded in white noise, including the faint sound of the rolling waves hitting the shore. The fireworks show from the festival ground had ended long ago.
"I can’t sleep. Sit down ah," Calix gestured to the high stool beside his, welcoming Vernon’s presence. He reached for another cup on the bar counter, "Fancy a drink?"
Exhaling a sigh, Vernon stared at Calix in disbelief before his eyes drifted to the pot of tea sitting on the counter. Steam spiraled from the spout, showing the tea was still hot.
"You’re sitting here but, you drink tea? Nevermind. I’ll grab my own drink."
The clock showed a quarter past one in the morning. Still feeling full from their family barbecue, Vernon couldn’t bring himself to sleep. He quietly left Lucille alone in the bedroom.
Alia didn’t sleep with Vernon and Lucille. Once again the little one slept with her great-grandmother and her cousin. They just let her be, understanding how happy their daughter was.
Vernon was actually thinking of doing so exercises in the yard. Noticing the light coming from the ho bar on the first floor, he redirected his destination to there.
"I thought it’s Mom and Dad. You know, they always drink late at night together."
The three siblings were aware of their parents’ night routine. More often than not, their father and mother would stay at their ho bar, exchanging stories over a few glasses of drinks.
"Mom and Dad slept early today," Calix chuckled. Holding the cup, he randomly twirled it, "Tired like everyone else."
Rounding the bar table, Vernon headed to the area storing various types of alcoholic drinks. Andrian kept the place well stocked up even though people rarely visited this villa.
Instead of grabbing any from the wooden shelf, Vernon took a few cans of beer out of the fridge.
"Sothing’s bothering you?" asked Vernon without looking at Calix. Pulling out a bar stool chair, he sat opposite his younger brother, "You didn’t eat much earlier."
Vernon and Calix handled grilling the at and whatnot during their barbecue party.
The forr noticed how his younger brother seed a little dispirited, a contrast to how he usually was. Sotis, he even spaced out.
Calix didn’t imdiately reply to Vernon. He quietly tore his eyes away from his elder brother’s face to his empty cup of tea. His mind recalled what Leslie and Evelyn asked him earlier.
"Are you tired, Calix? Why don’t you... take a rest?"
"What’s with you, Second Brother? The heat gets to your head?"
His wife and younger sister were not the only ones who noticed his lack of spirit tonight. His grandmother and parents also shared the sa concern but, they let the ladies inquire from him.
"The heat indeed get to ah. I better cool up in the pool later."
Trying to reassure them, Calix answered playfully. He knew he ssed up by not putting on a more solid facade. None of them looked convinced but, they didn’t press on the issue.
"Brother, should I et a shaman? Maybe, a priest?"
Calix’s words stunned Vernon. He paused from opening the can of beer as his eyes glinted with incredulity.
"...did you hit your head on sothing? Who are you? Why did you possess my brother?"
Aware that he was not making any sense, Calix stifled his laughter. He shrugged before pouring himself another cup of tea. The reddish brown liquid flowed into the cup.
"Nah, I’m still myself ah."
Calix smiled aningfully at Vernon, his voice imbued with mirth. While sipping the tea, a thought crossed his mind.
Perhaps, he was indeed being possessed by sothing without his knowledge. That might be the reason behind the uncanny dreams he kept having.
And... the new dreams he had piled up more questions instead of answering his curiosity.
More often than not, Calix considered telling Leslie about those weird dreams. After all, he would have them whenever he slept with her and their daughter.
The young Calliope certainly knew nothing. Thus, Calix could only talk to Leslie.
But...
What if he accidentally scared her? He never wanted to do that.
’I’m not sure what I should do.’
Despite knowing Leslie wasn’t one to be frightened easily, Calix was still reluctant about sharing his concerns with her. Not when she would have a major face-off with the Li family soon.
’She’s disturbed enough with their visit.’
Calix still rembered how Leslie reacted when Rowan and Bianca suddenly visited them. Even though she tried to suppress her feelings, she was actually miserable.
Calix was unsure whether to bring up this subject at all or continue to bury it even after Leslie’s confrontation with the Li family.
Vernon lightly shook his head as he silently watched Calix being drowned in his thoughts. He could tell a problem or two was weighing his younger brother’s mind but, Calix wasn’t inclined to share them.
"When in doubt, go in the opposite direction."
His lashes trembling, Calix’s gaze returned to Vernon’s face.
"...what do you an?"
Before answering Calix, Vernon downed the entire can of beer. Slamming the empty can on the counter, he let out a loud sigh of satisfaction.
"I’ll take this rare chance to be philosophical."
"Huh?"
Vernon snickered, amused to see the baffled look on Calix’s face.
"Doubtful people tend to drop whatever ideas they have in mind. They’re afraid of the outcos. Don’t blindly be fearful ah. You might end up wrecking your plans completely."
Blinking, Calix said nothing as his eyes remained on Vernon’s face. His elder brother’s words slowly soaked into his hesitant mind.
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