Have I Told You Lately

"I'll sleep in a minute." Mr Lewis replied softly, then fell silent. It seemed he was preoccupied with something in his mind. Rachel said nothing about it, but she also didn't get up to leave. In about half a minute, Mr Lewis opened his mouth and asked, "Rach.......could you do me a favor?"

Rachel looked down. There was still not much expression on her face. She raised her eyebrows slightly, "Is there anything you haven't told the court? You want me to help?"

Mr Lewis felt rather embarrassed. He pursed lips and continued, "It's not about that......"

Rachel blinked, "Then why don't you ask mother for help? Why do you have to wait for me to help you?"

"I don't want your mother to worry too much. She can't help with it, after all she has difficulty in walking. I don't want her to be worn out."

Rachel pursed, "But I'm pregnant."

Mr Lewis was struck dumb.

That was right. She should be the one who needed most care and rest in the family. How can they rest assured to see her run errands here and there with a big belly?

A hint of guilt was revealed in his aged face. And he said no more.

Seeing this, Rachel felt she might be rather harsh, so she compromised, "Oh, I'm just kidding. I don't mean to make you worry about me. My point is don't keep everything to yourself and think you disguise it very well. My mother knows it. She can feel it even though you refuse to tell her." "Well then, what do you want me to do?"

"Rach......" Mr Lewis was moved. He raised his skinny arm in an attempt to touch her head, but he gave up in the middle. He continued with a hoarse voice, "I have an old friend. Tomorrow is my friend's birthday. I want you to pay a visit for me."

Rachel was surprised, "Your friend? What friend? None of your friends came to see you when you got into trouble. Now you remember your friend's birthday."

Everybody hits a man who is down, let alone an official accused of corruption. He used to have numerous friends, but nobody visited him after he was arrested. Now he was seriously ill at home, but still nobody came to see him. Although the news that he was allowed to be at home for his illness was kept secret, the local news had reported it on the first time.

Rachel had seen through everything when she attempted to borrow money from them. So she was surprised to hear her father mention a friend of his.

Mr Lewis looked into the distance with his cloudy eyes. He was in a trance as if thinking something. Then he murmured, "My friend passed away......"

The expression on Rachel's face froze at that moment. Her lips moved several times and her heart felt heavy.

He wanted her to visit his friend's grave for him.

No wonder he didn't look well today.

After the short silence, Rachel didn't delve into it and said slowly in a soft voice, "I'll do it for you tomorrow. Tell me the name and address."

With smiling eyes, Mr Lewis can't help holding her hands. An obvious relief can be revealed in his look. He paused a few seconds and then replied slowly, "Her name was Martha. You should call her aunt......"

"Wait!" the look on Rachel's face changed. She interrupted him and narrowed her eyes, "Martha......aunt? A woman?"

She had thought the friend her father was talking was a male friend.

"No wonder you're afraid to tell my mother about it. You do have love affairs behind my mother's back. So you're still hung up on your lover though she died already." The look on her face got colder.

It was not fresh news that official had lovers outside their marriage. He could be corrupted without her mother's knowledge, and of course he could cheat on her mother.

Mr Lewis got flustered. He tried to

prop his upper body up on the bed. He coughed anxiously, "Rach, it's not...it's not the way you think of it. I swear didn't cheat on your mother........she was an old friend that I've known for a long time. She died

belie

just around the day when was put

in jail......"

Mr Lewis' eyes were dull, within which there was contradiction as well as guilt. He was about to speak, but saying nothing, as if there was some secret kept in his mind. He finally sighed and said nothing, lying down on the bed.

Rachel looked at him calmly. She

knew it was disrespectful but she

laughed mockingly, "Your old acquaintance.......and my mother doesn't know her. So she was your..@soul lover? You even

vel.net

remember her birthday. If she were stiffalive, and you were still the powerful judge, would you plan to celebrate her birthday with her and give luxury presents to her?"

Was marriage full of lies? People lived a marriage life partly built by lies and both pretended to be blind to their lies. Both faked smile to each other no matter what to maintain their perfect marriage.

She had ended her unhappy marriage with Kenneth because she didn't want to deceive herself and others anymore. If she hadn't ended her marriage life, would she end up like her mother?

"Rach......" Mr Lewis put on a gloomy

expression, full of anxiety on his skinny and aged face. He wanted to explain it but didn't know where to start. Being wordless for quite a while, he explained haltingly, in sort not

of an imploring tone, "Sheet

something like my soul lover. We didn't have that kind of relationship you think.......anyway, I hope you not to tell it to your mother. I don't want her to worry."

Rachel's pretty face was quite cold, "Even if you did have one or even two women between you and mother, I won't tell mother about it. I don't care about your things, but I also won't let mother be hurt anymore. You have been sorry to the people, and you can't be sorry to mother anymore."

"You're right......" Mr Lewis replied, with a sad face.

"Well, tell me the address. I'll go tomorrow." Rachel said and got up.

"It is in HX district, L city. It's called Cedar Cemetery."

Rachel frowned and got surprised, "L city?"

She had heard L city several times recently, so it sounded so familiar.

An idea suddenly hit her mind. She remembered that Miles was from L city.

Mr Lewis was confused, "What's wrong?"

Rachel shook her head thoughtfully, "Nothing.....I got it. I'll go tomorrow morning."

"Good......" Mr Lewis extended his eyebrows, as if a wish finally came true. He gave her smile and then closed the tired eyes slowly.

Rachel gazed at him with meaningful eyes for quite a while, and then she turned off the light and left.

The next day, she planned to go to the company to handle some work first, and then asked for leave, because the trip to L city was too sudden and she didn't prepare for it.

When she left home, Mr Lewis and Monica were still sleeping. Rachel said to her mother who was cleaning the table, "Mother, father is probably tired of staying in the room. He can use the wheelchair, right? Maybe you can take him out and have a walk in the neighborhood, but be careful when going downstairs."

"Why?" Mrs Lewis sniffed angrily. With hands rubbing the table heavily, she added, "I never complain that I have to stay at home every day to take care of him. He would be still in jail if he were not ill. Impenitent man!"

Rachel was not able to tell the truth, and she touched her nose awkwardly. After changing shoes, she simply fixed her long hair and then smiled to her mother, "Mother, take care of Monica for me. She's a good girl, never runs around. And don't forget to feed her. Thank you, mother."

If she were not going to L city, she would take Monica with her.00000