BXBX NOVEL Chapter 86 On My Way
Cadence knew that if he was to be taken seriously, he had to present his request in the best possible light, so he decided to take on a more mature approach. Just like he had seen other grownups do with his father, Cadence decided to employ the tactic of stalling and baiting.
"Yes…" he thought.
"That will surely do the trick!"
He willed himself to walk faster. So, in a matter of minutes, Cadence found himself standing before the giant doors of his father's study. By the time he had arrived there, the first streaks of dawn hadn't graced the skies yet. Cadence paused for a minute before knocking.
"Isn't it a little too early for this?" the young lad wondered hesitantly.
From the crack in the spaces between the metal hinges and where the doors hung, he could see the faint glimmer of candlelight, signifying that the governor was awake and already at his desk, probably attending to some administrative work.
After lingering for a brief moment, Cadence decided to man up and go for it. He took a deep breath and lifted up his knuckles to knock on the door. Surprisingly, before his knuckles could make contact with the intimidating ancient-looking doors, Governor Quaid beat his son to it.
From behind the seemingly impassable doors, the booming voice of the Governor came, shattering the silence of the otherwise quiet mansion, rocking the serenity that had prevailed undisturbed for hours on end.
"Whoever you are, I know you are out there. You have five seconds to state your business…"
Cadence had been taken unawares completely. This wasn't how he had thought it would go down. But then again, his father had always been the perceptive type. So, having being caught, Cadence pushed the doors open and walked in gingerly.
Huddled over his large office desk, The governor's eyes met those of his son's. Though his facial expression remained blank, the governor was surprised to see his son at such an hour. The sun wasn't even up yet. Quaid lifted up his head to get a proper look at the boy.
"Cadence? Is that you boy?"
"Yes father. I hope I am not interrupting?"
Quaid shifted the pile of paperwork on his desk to the side and took off his pair of spectacles.
"Of course not son, come in!"
Cadence, who had still been hanging at the entrance all this while, closed them behind him and walked towards his father.
"Good morning father."
"Morning Cadence. How was your night?"
"It was alright father."
Using the light from the numerous candlesticks on the office, Quaid took a closer look at the boy to try and see if there was any visible sign of an ailment. He quickly dismissed the thought when he realized that the boy had actually walked a pretty good distance just to get here. No, whatever it was, it wasn't an ailment of the body. Quaid stole a quick glance at the window to see if time had crept by unnoticed.
The dark sky outside reassured him that he had been right all along. Breakfast time was still a long way ahead. This was pretty strange, even though for Cadence. Quaid took a long hard look at his son and knew instantly that he hadn't slept much. In fact, it seemed to him that he hadn't slept at all. His puffy red eyes, as well as the wild expression on his face told Quaid everything about how the young man's night had gone.
Quaid was his father, and consequently, he couldn't help but feel worried.. But his instincts told him not smolder the boy with questions. So, Quaid didn't pressure his son to speak immediately. Cadence was a different breed, Quaid knew this more than anyone. Though he was young, he possessed a very high level of intelligence. Quaid had recognized this early and was proud of his son. So, he knew that if Cadence was here at this moment, truly there was something bothering him. So, Quaid waited for his son to open up to him.
Cadence on the other hand took a seat and paused to gather his thoughts. His father always thought him that powerful men never spoke without purpose. And when they did speak, their words must be seasoned and tailored to suit the point. He reflected on his already rehearsed speech and how he had planned to go about this.
However, as he sat before his father, Cadence decided to forsake all gimmicks, and instead, go straight to the point. So, after a brief and uncomfortable pause, Cadence opened his mouth to present his case to his father.
"Father, I have come to you at this hour with a humble request. It is my hope that you will at least consider it…"
As usual, Quaid's face remained as hard and as inscrutable as a rock. This was the norm for him actually, considering the fact that as governor, he had to listen to his constituents come to him all the time with different pleas and requests. Most times, it required a serious amount of attention and consideration. So, Quaid had mastered the art of maintaining a blank expression while he listened to others. Cadence was no different. Especially since he had chosen to approach him in the place of business.
The young lad was already used to seeing his father as an unreadable ice sculpture. But that didn't deter him from his already set down path. He continued.
"I would be very glad if you could instate Mister Xzavier as my private tutor!"
Even as he said it, he was shaking with nervousness. He knew that what he had just asked for was a pretty big deal. As it was, Xzavier himself was something of a local legend, and a big deal in his own regard. So, having such a power house in his corner as a personal tutor would require a whole lot of maneuvering.
The silence that followed was ridiculously loud. Quaid pondered on his son's request and couldn't help but feel proud. First off, Cadence had worked it out all on his own that Xzavier was a real treasure. He also had the determination to pursue this dream of his by approaching his father at a time like this when he was supposed to be enjoying his pleasurable early morning sleep. Quaid was brimming with joyful pride on the inside. Though his facial expression didn't reflect his inner feelings because he was a hard politician who had no difficulty whatsoever keeping his emotions hidden.
But deep down, Quaid was proud of his son. So, he took a minute to savor this pride before answering the young man in a tone that conveyed his profound respect for the boy's vision.
"Cadence, what you have asked for is good. It is a clear pointer to the fact that you have your sights set on big things, things that matter."
Said Quaid diplomatically.
"…but right now, Xzavier is a guest in my home who also happens to be a hero that is about to be honored."
Quaid paused to see if any tinge of disappointment had crept into his son's eyes. He was pleased to see that there was t even the slightest trace of disappointment. The young man's eyes retained their fire and hope. Pleased with what he saw, Quaid continued;
"So, right now, I can't read much in the way of interfering with his choices."
Quaid slurred the last two words in such a way that it would be practically impossible for Cadence not to notice the implied message by reason of his heavy emphasis on that last part.
Quaid's hopes weren't dashed. Even though Cadence was merely an adolescent, as a son of the governor who had been educated in the fundamentals of statesmanship and politics, he had been gifted with the ability to pick up on the subtleties of implied and hidden meanings in conversations. This was one of those times.
Cadence's sharp mind immediately picked up on the discrepancy between the governor's initial and final tone. In his head, he juxtaposed them and almost immediately, the hidden meaning came to light. Quaid didn't think it was possible for his son's face to glow any brighter Cadence proved him wrong. A fresh surge of hope flooded his being as he deciphered his father's hidden message. The key word there was 'choices.'
Basically, what Quaid was actively trying to tell his son was that, he as a governor couldn't force Xzavier to do his own will. But if at any point in time, for some reason, Xzavier decided of his own volition to stay on as Cadence's teacher, then it was mission accomplished. Cadence's task now was to some how make sure that Xzavier stays on as his own tutor. However he chose to do it wasn't his concern.
In that very moment, Cadence appreciated his father's wisdom and foresight more than ever. He stood up briskly from the chair he was seated in opposite his father, and bowed down respectful.
"Thank you father! I will be on my way now!"