Mr. Galavan's POV
The car turned into their street and Mr. Galavan heaved a sigh of relief. This day was finally over. He couldn't wait to run a nice shower and drop to bed.
"What'shappening here?" His daughter said.
Galavan stared up ahead.
They were halfway down the street and up ahead, their gates were wide open. A few neighbors stood across the road peering into their compound.
'What fresh hell is this?' His eyes squinted as he tried to make sense of what was happening.
The black limousine pulled up to the front of the open gates, revealing their whole compound.
"Dad, who are these people?"
A tow truck stood in their lot, it's lights flashing. Men in navy overalls clustered around it. The name Rocko Bank gleamed on their reflective vests. One man was crouched beside Mr. Galavan's blue truck, fastening a heavy chain to the axle.
As the limousine parked into his compound, Mr. Galavan got a clearer view.
His eyes nearly popped out.
"What...what the hell is that?" He rasped.
The metallic click of the tow chain spoke for itself.
A man in a white shirt and black necktie was standing over the working men, clipboard in hand. He seemed the one in in charge and as the Limousine doors slammed close, the man turned and faced Mr. Galavan and Emma. He straightened with the authority of someone expecting confrontation.
"Mr. Galavan," he said, "We have left several notices. Your repayment schedule-"
"You're out of your mind," Mr. Galavan snapped. "You have no right to-"
"Sir, we are acting on instructions of Rocko Bank following default on loan account 238..."
"Default?" Mr. Galavan barked. "I have been in talks with your branch manager. Talks!"
"You will have to take that up with him. I'm only following instructions here, sir."
"Well, you can't tow my truck without my help anyway," Mr. Galavan said dismissively.
"Are you sure about that?" The man peeked through the half-open driver's window. "Good! Handbrake's off. Guess you were in a hurry."
He nodded to the tow operator and the hydraulic arm groaned to life. The SUV's front lifted off the ground with the squeal of metal.
"Dad, they're going to take it?" Emma pleaded.
Before Galavan answered her, she rushed toward the gate.
"Emma, what's that?" A large white sheet of paper caught his attention as well and he followed her. It was posted on the open gate. And a small crowd of nosey neighbors had gathered by the gate, some reading the poster, others staring into the compound and whispering in each other's ears.
Up on the gate was an official paper stamped in red. The heading read:
NOTICE OF DEFAULT AND INTENTION TO TAKE POSSESSION
Mr. Galavan ran his eyes through the message. He didn't bother understanding some of the legal terms, but it was clear the message was a warning:
'This serves as a formal notification that secured assets registered to Mr. Galavan Gray and Galavan Holdings LTD are in default. Unless full payment or satisfactory arrangement is made within fourteen (14) days, the bank shall proceed to take possession of and sell the following:'
And a list of assets followed.
"What the hell are you staring at?" Mr. Galavan turned to the neighbors in anger.
Some retreated cautiously away from the gate, others didn't budge.
"Can't a man have any privacy in this neighborhood?" Mr. Galavan cursed.
"Dad, are they taking all these things?" Emma turned.
Mr. Galavan's eyes shot back to the notice.
His heavy chest rose and fell with rage as he read the last line of the list of property on the notice.
'Property at 17 Eden Road.'
Their house. The house he had grown up in. His father's legacy. Emma's grandfather's legacy.
Mr. Galavan stormed across the compound, breathing heavy like he had ran a marathon, heart aching with the anticipation of loss. His daughter followed right behind him.
"You can't threaten my home, you hear me," he growled at the foreman.
The man didn't flinch. "Sir, no one is taking your house today. But the mortgage is long overdue and legal proceedings have begun. You have fourteen days."
The front door burst open and little Jovana came running out barefoot, clutching a rag doll.
"Grandpa, grandpa, who are these men in our house." She looked on the brink of tears.
"Inside the house?" Mr. Galavan's face turned white and he made a bee-line for the main door, his bulky stomach shaking slightly under his shirt as he hurried.
Emma and Jovana followed behind him.
Emma's mother met them at the door, face pale and frightened.
Mr. Galavan shoved past her. Two men in blue shirts were in the living room. One was snapping photos of the plasma TV and sound system. And the other was pasting bright orange stickers on items like the refrigerator, and other electric appliances.
"Are you out of your minds? Who..." Mr. Galavan's voice cracked mid-yell. He didn't finish his sentence. His face red with rage, he swung left and attacked one of the men.
Bridget, who was sitting quietly on the couch, jumped to her feet and intercepted her father.
"Dad, you'll only make things worse."
"You rascals, you invade my house and scare my grand daughter?"
"Inventory for collateral, sir," one of the men muttered.
They both stood still and remained professional.
"Sir, it's only documentation. The court order hasn't been executed yet. You still have fourteen days."
"Get out!" Mr. Galavan shouted.
"We were about done, sir," the man pasted one more sticker onto a desk printer and the two headed out the door, Mr. Galavan hot on their tail.
The moment they stepped outside, the tow truck's engine revved. The chain went taut, and Galavan's truck lurnched forward.
Mr. Galavan rushed towards the driver's door, but two uniformed men stepped between.
"Sir, please don't interfere," one warned.
"Dad," Emma said softly, clutching his arm, "Please stop, you can't fight them."
He jerked free, trembling with rage and helpless pride.
"I will not forget how you humiliated me infront of my family and neighbors." He wagged a finger at them. "Things will turn back in my favor soon and you fellows will see."
The tow truck pulled away, the blue truck gliding behind it like a dead animal.
Mr. Galavan stared at it silently as it exited their gate and onto the street, a defeated look in his eyes.
As the other men finalized gathering their equipment, the engines of the white van they came in lit up.
As doors slammed shut, the foreman stepped to Mr. Galavan and handed him an envelope and left with the others.
That evening, everyone but Jordan and Misty sat in the living room. The silence was unbearable.
Jovana sat on the floor. "Why did they take grandpa's car?" she asked.
Emma's mother looked away.
Laura stood quietly and disappeared upstairs.
"Come," Emma called onto Jovana who climbed and perched beside her on the couch. She held Jovana and slowly smoothed her hair.
The great Galavan, once the man who made rooms hush when he walked in, had become a sorry sight to behold. He sat at the edge of the couch, deep in thought, eyes staring to the floor.
The electric power went off, instantly throwing the room into darkness.
"What's that?" Emma asked.
As the others reached for torches, Old Galavan remained calm like he already knew that what was happening.
Emma turned on a small desk lamp powered by batteries.
Amidst the dimly lit room, Jordan appeared from an adjoining room.
"Dad!" he held out his hands like WTF. "I'm watching 'The Last Godfather'."
"Dad, I'm doing homework." Misty walked in the living room.
Mr. Galavan's head dropped. He looked like a cornered animal, hunted and already captured.
"We won't be able to pay any bills around here if this marriage doesn't go through." He said in a low tone and a sad look on his face. "They have frozen all our accounts."