How to Redeem a Trashy Side Villain

Chapter 150: Grandpa

[Rubi Agnus]

Everything felt slow and fuzzy as I mumbled, "...Are we there yet?"

I'm awake. Yes. But my eyes want to remain shut. Open eyes. Open!

"Yes, sweetheart. We're here," Mama said softly as she grabbed the side of my head and pulled me into her body.

Rubbing my eyes, I looked ahead and saw Father cracking his knuckles.

Looking outside, I muttered, "Whoa…"

There was a really big hill. Like… really big. What's a better word for it? Enormous? Gigantic?

It wasn't the kind of hill I could run up in one go. I'd probably get tired and fall down, rolling all the way back to the bottom if I tried.

This hill went up and up and up and up and up. It was trying to touch the sky.

And on top of the hill was a house. No. Not a house. Well, yes, a house. But more of a cabin. Just like the cabin from the story that Mama reads to me.

From far away, it looked small but I could tell that it wasn't actually small. However, it was lonely.

It sat there all by itself.

No other houses.

No neighbors.

No people.

Just grass, wind, the sky, and a large tree that provides shade for half of the cabin.

The wood used to make the cabin looked old. Not broken. I didn't say broken. Just old, like it had been there for a really long time. How long? A kabigillion.

In the front was a little porch and a rocking chair that was moving.

Creeeak.

Creeeeeak.

I couldn't hear it from inside the car but I felt like I could. That must've been what sounds it was making.

"...Mama," I whispered, tugging her sleeves. "Is that… where grandpa is?"

Mama didn't answer me right away. Only after ten seconds did she say, "Yes. That's where he is."

The car stopped in front of the hill and we got out of the car.

The wind was stronger here. It pushed my dress a little and made my hair tickle my face.

Stop it wind! Mama put a lot of effort into combing it.

"Do you want me to carry you?" Mama asked as we stood in front of a set of stairs that led to the top.

"No. I got it," I said. Papa asked Ellie the same and she didn't hesitate to agree to being carried.

The four of us began walking up the hill.

It was hard.

"Are we there yet?"

"No Ellie. We're only a few steps up."

"How about now?"

"Nope."

"...Now?"

My legs were starting to feel like jelly.

Mm, jelly. I want to eat some jelly.

By the time we got to the top, I was tired. Like, super duper duper tired.

"Yay! We're here," I said, hunched over with my hands on my knees.

"Nope," Mama responded. We just made it to the first platform. There are nine more before we reach the top."

"...Eh?" I looked up and the staircase continued. "Mama… can you pick me up?" I asked, my face flushed red from embarrassment and tiredness.

She picked me up and didn't laugh at me.

Papa and Mama continued walking up on their own while carrying us.

When we reached the top, the real top, I was tired for Mama and Papa. Soooo many stairs.

Just as I thought, the cabin was bigger up close. Much bigger. The wood had lines and cracks in it but it didn't look weak. It looked strong like it had survived a lot.

Mama placed me down on the ground. Papa did the same for Ellie.

Papa was the first one to walk forward and he stepped onto the porch that creaked with every step.

And there he was. Grandpa. Sitting on the rocking chair, slowly moving back and forth with a large hat covering his face.

Creeeak.

Creeeeeak.

It sounded exactly as I had imagined.

Grandpa's hair was white. Was it messy or neat? I couldn't tell because of the hat.

It looked like snow. I miss the snow. I like the snow.

"Mama… is he sleeping?" I whispered.

When Papa got closer, Grandpa lifted his head, revealing his face that had been hidden by the hat earlier. His eyes were closed and when they opened, they didn't look at Papa. They looked right at us. Or rather, at me.

It stayed on me for a while.

I grabbed Mama's hand and squeezed it tightly.

Only after what felt like a billion hours did he look elsewhere. He looked at Mama. Then Ellie. Then finally, they landed on Papa.

That's him? That's Grandpa?

He didn't really look like Papa or Cyro. But I could see Big Brother Bell in a few places on his face.

I don't know why but seeing that face made my tummy feel funny. Not in a bad way. Just, twisty and whirling and twirling and swirly.

Mama stepped a little forward and blocked my view of him.

But I could still see a little bit of Grandpa.

"Father," she called out to him.

Mama's voice sounded like she was speaking to a stranger rather than to my Grandpa.

The chair made one last creak as Grandpa stopped rocking.

Then it was quiet and he asked Papa, "...That is her? The brat?"

"Yes."

Her?

Was he referring to Ellie or me?

Tilting my head, I was able to get a better view and was able to see more of the man in the chair.

His eyes shot back to me and spooked me a little bit and I tilted my head back in place.

He stood up slowly and I could feel Mama's hand squeezing mine tighter.

I shifted myself a little bit so that when I looked up at her, I could see what her face looked like. Mama's smile was gone.

"...Be careful how you address my daughter. She is not a brat," she said to Grandpa. He stopped just like that. "My daughter has my blood but it also has the blood of your son. I don't care how you treated me in the past. If you do the same to my daughter, I won't hesitate to have Barry bash your skull in.

Grandpa looked up at Papa and he asked, "You'd do that if she asked?"

He looked back at Mama and he nodded.

Grandpa didn't get mad or even frown at his response.

He stood up and bowed his head, "My apologies. I didn't mean it in an insulting manner. You have my word that I'll treat my granddaughter with the utmost respect."

My… granddaughter?

That had a nice ring to it.

He looked at me again. "Hello," he said.

Mama didn't move to cover me more. She didn't step away either. She just stood still as if giving me the option to react however I wanted.

I hesitated for a second before peeking from behind her a little more.

"...Hi," I greeted back. My voice came out smaller than intended. Why did it come out so small? Perhaps I was more nervous about meeting my grandfather that I had never heard of before than I thought I would be.

Clearing my throat, I said it again a second time, except a little louder, "Hi."

That's better.

"...What is your name, little one?" he asked me.

I could tell he already knew my name but I replied anyway. "...Rubi."

"Rubi Agnus. Named after your grandmother's favorite jewel," he replied while nodding. He kept nodding. And nodding. And nodding.

Why does he nod so much? Is he broken?

"...Grandma?" I uttered. I never knew this.

I looked over at Papa and he nodded, confirming that Grandpa had spoken the truth.

"Wow…" I didn't even know that I had a Grandpa. Now I also have a Grandma? I was about to ask if she was in the cabin then it struck me that perhaps… she's not around.

"And you," he said, looking at Ellie. "What's your name?"

"Eloise," Ellie answered.

"I see," he said again. He squinted his eyes and observed Ellie really closely. Then he nodded. More nodding. He walked down from the porch and approached us, stopping halfway. "May I?" he asked Mama.

His arms twitched a little as if he wanted to pick me up.

Mama didn't answer him.

I was wondering what she was waiting for. Why wasn't she responding to him? She didn't have an angry expression on her face.

Looking back at Grandpa, he wasn't moving and was also waiting. He just stood there, anticipating a response.

It looked like he could wait there forever.

"..."

Oh! Mama's waiting to see what I want to do.

I forgot about that.

Tugging Mama's hand, she looked down at me.

"Can I?" I uttered.

Her hand loosened.

"Be gentle with her," she told Grandpa who nodded in response.

Mama took a step to the side and the path to Grandpa was now a clear line ahead. He walked closer to me, carefully. Super duper duper duper carefully.

I didn't move and was sweating from nerves. But I didn't run away.

I just watched him get larger and larger.

As he stopped just in front of me, he crouched down and his hand reached towards me. I flinched and closed my eyes but opened them slowly as I felt it gently rubbing my hair.

"Nice to meet you, Rubi. I'm your grandfather, Dean."

His hands were really big but as he used them to pick me up from the ground, they weren't scary. They felt warm, steady, and comforting.

Carefully, he stood up and held me like I was fragile and important.

Up close, I could see his face better.

Lots of lines.

I blinked at him a few times as I memorized everything about his face. Was this how Big Brother Bell will look like when he's older?

That made me chuckle a bit to which he asked, "Why the laughter?"

"Nothing," I smirked, shaking my head.

I placed a hand on his face and he closed his eyes, leaning into my palm.

When he opened his eyes again, they looked sad. Why were they sad?

"You're so small," he said.

"I'm not small. I'm already a big girl," I responded, puffing my cheeks and putting my hands on my hips.

"Hahaha," he chuckled with a crackling low voice. "Sorry sorry. You're a big girl."

He then went quiet as he gazed into my eyes.

"You look just like your grandmother."

"That must mean she was a very pretty princess then," I responded.

"Yes, she was," he smiled. "She was the prettiest princess in the world."

I could see the tenderness in Grandpa's eyes as he spoke about Grandma.

Two grandparents I never knew existed before today.

Finally, my curiosity got the better of me and I asked him, "Where have you been?" The words came out before I could stop them.