The Substitute Bride

Anthony and Craig maintained complete silence while they drove back home. Anthony parked the car and led Craig inside the house. There was still no exchange of words between the grandfather and the grandson. Craig could not understand what made Anthony so angry. And Anthony found it so terribly difficult to explain why he could not get married to Lisa.

Once inside the house, he took a deep breath to calm himself down and then looked at Craig. "Grandpa, please try to understand. I am a grown up now. I know what I am doing and what I should do. If you keep forcing me to get married, I..."

"What do you want to do then?" Craig stopped him in the midway and asked,"Anthony, why are you so stubborn? Why are you so resistant to Lisa? I think she is a beautiful and good natured girl. And what is most important is that she loves you so much!" In just a matter of a brief encounter, Craig developed a fondness towards Lisa. He believed that she would make a good wife for Anthony.

"Grandpa, it is my business. You are able to understand me." Saying this he immediately checked himself and lowered his voice. He pleaded,"Grandpa, it is not possible for me to be with Lisa. Please just don't force me to get married to her." He felt helpless as he could not explain it to his grandpa why he could not marry Lisa.

Craig looked into his eyes and sensed the earnestness in his voice. But Anthony's words stung him too hard. He could not utter a single word. He walked out of the door with a straight face and slammed it right behind him. Anthony kept staring at the closed door as he watched his grandfather walk out of the house. As soon as Craig came out of the house, his phone rang. The moment he glanced over the phone, the name that flashed on a screen brought smile on his face. He loosed up his facial muscles as he answered the phone. It was Arthur on the other side. "Craig, when did you get back? Why didn't you come to meet me? It is so nice to see you back!"

Craig felt light after hearing Arthur's voice. He heaved a deep sigh to lighten up his mood and said,"It is a long story, my friend! Well, are you free now? Let's have a drink together."

Arthur reciprocated with equal excitement and said,"Okay. When shall we meet? I will come over soon." As soon as he hung up the phone, Arthur looked all charged up. He changed his clothes and got ready to go out. Amy was taken aback to find her husband being up and about in such a hasty manner at such a late hour. She expressed her concern as she asked,"Where are you going? It is already so late."

"Craig is back," Arthur replied promptly. After a while he explained,"Craig sounded like he was in a bad mood. He called me to have a drink with me. I will be back soon. You don't worry about me and don't wait for me. Go to bed on time."

"Okay, take care of yourself." Amy knew that when it came to Craig, no one could stop Arthur from being with him. She just nodded her head gently to express her consent to her husband.

The two friends met at a small roadside stall. They used to drink in roadside stalls in their younger days, but as they grew elder they rarely visited this kind of places. Sometimes such places made them feel like coming back home.

By the time Arthur reached, Craig had started drinking all by himself. Seeing Arthur coming in, Craig raised his glass and welcomed him with a laugh. It felt like the good old days when they were in their thirties. Life had come a full circle as their families from children to grandchildren. But even now, when the two friends met, it made them feel young. Good friends were like old wine. It only got better with time.

Craig gestured him to take the seat in front of him. "Arthur, come. Sit over here!" Craig was new to the Y City and just happened to find a place drink peacefully. So he entered this restaurant. But to his surprise, a small restaurant like this had a upgraded food offering.

Craig could not get over Anthony's behavior that night. It wrenched his heart each time he thought about him and how he reacted towards Lisa. Hence, he ordered himself some white wine even before Arthur arrived.

Arthur looked at C

resting on Arthur's shoulder dragging his feet into the house. Anthony gave him support and released Arthur from carrying him. Arthur put his hand at Craig's back as he leaned on Anthony's shoulders.

"He is fine. He is just drunk," replied Arthur calmly. "Take good care of him. I need to go."

"Grandpa Arthur, please come in and sit with us for a while," Anthony spoke in a hospitable manner. Arthur shook his head with a smile and responded,"It is too late tonight. I have to go home."

Anthony stopped Arthur as he turned door-wards. "Please wait for a second, Grandpa Arthur. Why did my grandpa drink so much? What happened to him?" He had never seen his grandfather in this condition. He was really worried. He was afraid that this condition of Craig was the outcome of the argument he had with him in the evening.

Arthur smiled as he looked into the concerned eyes of Anthony. "He is just worried about your marriage, so he drunk down," he replied with a smile. "Your grandpa is so eager to play with his great-grandson. So he is anxious."

Arthur stopped for a while to map the expression on Anthony's face. Then he continued,"Anthony, you are supposed to be married by now or at the most start seeing someone. Your grandpa is worried because you don't even have a girlfriend." Now that Anthony had taken the initiative to ask him the reason, Arthur took advantage of the situation to give him a word of advice.

"I know. I always know that. Thank you, Grandpa Arthur," replied Anthony with a bitter smile. "I am so grateful to you for bringing my grandpa safe back home. I have been really worried about him for a long time."

After Arthur left, Anthony helped Craig to his bedroom. Craig had his eyes half closed all this while. Anthony laid him down gently on the bed. The moment he reached out to the switch board to put the lights off, he heard a groan coming out of Craig's mouth. And before he could even turn around he heard him vomiting. Anthony immediately tended to his grandfather. He stayed up taking care of him throughout the night as Craig went on vomiting intermittently till three o'clock. Then Anthony took a short nap and got up again at six to prepare breakfast for Craig.

He cooked some porridge and pickled vegetables since Craig was drunk last night. Being in the medical industry had its own advantage. Anthony knew exactly what kind of diet should be administered for Craig. And hence he prepared a light breakfast.

By the time, he just finished cooking, Craig woke up.

Even after the night had passed, Craig was still angry on Anthony. But Anthony behaved as if nothing had happened. He greeted Craig with a big smile and said,"Grandpa, I have prepared breakfast for you. Come on. Eat the porridge. It is still warm."