I cleared my throat and very cautiously continued my questioning. I have watched enough cop shows to master the art of questioning. Prepare to learn from the Master…

“You know, on your break. So, What was it?? A trip to Fiji? Movie? Ohhhh… Wait!!!” I turned to him excitedly and squealed loudly, clasping both my hands. “A DATEEEEEEEEE……….”

“OF COURSE NOT!!??!!” John yelled and shot me a glare, one that promised serious repercussions.  

“What!?!! That was a valid question…” I pouted. “You are an adult. Not an old man. Adults date… on frequent basis.”

“I am nearly two centuries old.” John interrupted me dryly.

I paused and shot him a frown. “Yes… But compared to ME, you are!!”

John said nothing and resolutely keyed way on his laptop… As if, he wanted to be done with this conversation…

I stubbornly asked. “So, What did you do?”

John sighed and muttered. “I went for a swim in the waves…”

“Here???”

Now thoroughly fed up with me, he haughtily glared up to me.

I frowned heavily and stared down at him while stating the obvious. “Let me get this straight. You haven’t eaten anything for past two days… you haven’t left here… For past 2 days, you have been slaving away on your laptop… and the only break you have taken is a ‘Swim in the Waves’. Did I get it right?” I stopped and looked at him for confirmation.

John cleared his throat and replied. “That is Correct.”

I stared and stared…

And stared some more, until John lost the haughty look and started fidgeting on his chair. I know what John was trying… NO… ACCOMPLISHING by working for me.

It was his way of atoning for his crimes. Which truthfully I have tried explaining him. All have sins. Yes… All have to redeem themselves to cleanse their souls from the sins committed. But for John… there was no limit to how far he would go to redeem himself.

For anyone, it was a matter of pride and honor to have a valued employee who would go to any extend to prove himself.

But I was not anyone… I am the Creator of the worlds… Supreme Being… Omnipotent (All Powerful) & Omnipresent Deity… I am called by many names by different religions as well.

But humans also FORGET the most important and undeniable fact that… I am also their FATHER. They are all my children.

Parents usually have a very good tolerance bandwidth for their children.

The final step into redeeming your self was to forgive yourself and move on to a new and better life. Learning from the mistakes made in the past. Forgiving but not forgetting or making them again in the future is a natural progress.

But I have always felt John was more harder on himself than on the others. Even when he was a so-called ‘Villain’ (His words, not mine). I let him go at his own pace since I felt he would get around in time to what an awesome and cool guy he was now.

I would have used the word ‘WICKED’ as kids say it nowadays… but I don’t think it will be appropriate here. John will get this blank look in his face and get to work, not getting up from his desk for a year, until I drag and kick his sorry ass from the chair.

I sighed… the things that I do for my children…

“Get up.” I motioned to him.

John looked suspicious. “Why????”

“Because I said so!!” I replied haughtily.

Staring suspiciously, John got up and asked. “You are not going to scold me… or kick my ass…” John looked up with worried eyes and asked with very low voice “…fire me… or…” Then he looked up and asked in horror “Or worse…”

“There is something worse than me firing you???” Fully knowing what is ‘THE WORST’ for him, I asked mischievously, with twinkling eyes.

“…HUG me???” John let out a shudder and rubbed his hands over the Goosebumps formed on his arms.

I let out a booming laugh and spread my hands suggestively. “Come on now…” I moved towards him to take him in my arms and running my hands over his back in comforting circles. But I knew John will think those as… something NON-Comforting.

“Damn… Why me??!???” He sighed. He gave up and hugged me back, surrendering his fate.

“Language…” I smiled and replied. “Cause I got the FEELS… and you know when I get the FEELS… I have to hug…”

I paused to deliver my punch line. “For 5 Minutes!!?!!”

“WHAT??!??!???” John yelled. He tried to break free and run off to safety.

I held him firmly but not strongly as to break his spine.

John continued to struggle for a while.

I still held him and whispered in his nearest ear. “Just let it gooooo... You know the rules.”

John stopped trying and muttered “Damn...”

“Language…” I admonished.

We hugged for exactly 5 minutes. Then I let go. 

Kinda hurt to see when John broke free and run around his desk to put some safe distance between us… probably worried about me hugging again.