The Fearsome Dragon Warrior

Jacob chuckled from the garden as he watched his father try to justify his reasoning.
"It's just a bottle of wine. It'll probably cost maybe three hundred max!" Suzie retorted as she stared at the lone figure standing in
the garden.
"Hah! Three hundred?!" Franklin barked. "Suzie, you're way off! You can't even buy the bottle for a hundred!"
"How much is it then?" Suzie glared at him.
Franklin immediately reigned himself in. He shook his head and replied honestly, "I don't know."
Before his wife got angry, he quickly added, "But if I remember correctly. They auctioned off a bottle from 1905 a couple of years
ago for at least ten thousand."
"Ten thousand?!" Suzie's eyes were about to pop out of her head. "It's just a bottle of wine! It'll be gone once you drink it. Is it
really that expensive?"
"And that is just five years after this one!" Franklin happily stared at the wine in his hand. "This Lafite was cellared for five more
years than that one. I'm sure the price will double if we ever decide to auction it!"
He sighed and glanced at Jacob with relief. My son is so loving. He still remembers what I like! But such an expensive wine...
Franklin silently considered. How had he spent these six years away from home?
"1905 for ten thousand? Then you're telling me that 1900 will double that? So, twenty thousand?" Suzie was in disbelief.
"Also, what right do they have to sell a bottle of wine for ten thousand?!" She said indignantly.
The two men rolled their eyes simultaneously at what she said.
In the end, it was Franklin who had a deeper understanding with women. With one sentence, he ended the discussion. "You

women buy bags without sparing a thought. A purse could easily cost ten thousand!"
But after this bantering, the estrangement caused by the six years he had spent away seemed to lessen just a little.
They reached the dining room to see the table full of delicious looking dishes. Jacob raised an eyebrow, "Dad, are we expecting
any other guests?"
"Yup. Your uncle." Franklin looked uneasy.
Uncle? Jacob frowned. Since when did he have an uncle?
Just as he was about to question further, there was a loud noise from the garden. Janelle came bounding in, still in her school
uniform.
She threw her bag onto the couch and skipped her way before Jacob. She grinned at him and said, "Jacob, you're finally home!
But why do you have a different car?"
Jacob chuckled at his sister's cheerful face. "The other one broke down. I had to get another one. If I'm not wrong, today is a
Friday. Would you like your big brother to bring you out tomorrow?"
"You should have said so earlier!" Janelle frowned. "I promised my friend we'd go out tomorrow. We're going shopping during the
day and then a birthday party at night."
"At night?" Jacob's eyes narrowed. "Where are you going?"
"Urgh! Why are you exactly like dad!" She pouted. "I'm an adult! I need to have my own space!"
Franklin shrugged helplessly. "I've promised to let you go, didn't I?"
Since the head of the house had consented to it, Jacob could only agree. "Go ahead then. I'll take you out next time." He waved
his hand at her.

But he secretly clenched his fists. Tomorrow night, huh? Hmph! What is this group of girls doing? They should be studying, not
going out for parties...
Suzie appeared at the foot of the stairs. "Darling, come downstairs. Your cousin is arriving soon!"