“I was tired of the fog and rain.” Her father, Alexander, smiled, and she glared at his so-called humor. “Oh, come on. It’s not that bad. It’s kind of peaceful out here.”
“Yeah, except for the buzzards flying overhead, it’s great.” Natti breathed.
She hated this. She didn’t want to move from her home in London. It was her father who thought this was best course of action, considering her grandmother had just been murdered. The police stated it was most likely a ‘robbery gone wrong,’ but not everyone was entirely convinced. The Waterford mansion had been tossed; priceless Egyptian artifacts had been smashed and broken. Her grandmother, Zofia, was left on the floor of the sitting room, her throat slit and her heart cut out of her chest. It was more than robbery, it was a brutal act. Even Trish, her grandmother’s attorney, felt something was amiss about the case, and though she openly didn’t approve of this move, she agreed it was best that Alexander and Natti leave Europe.
Life is so unfair, she moaned to herself, still feeling the weight of being outnumbered in the vote. She twisted under her seat belt trying to get some feeling back into her numb bum. “What is this town called again?” Natti asked.
“Setemple.”
“Never heard of it.”
“I think you’ll enjoy it.” Natti snorted in distain. How could she like the desert? There wasn’t even a drop of moister in the air! Her father ignored her and pointed out the windshield. “Well, look at that, we’re already here.”
“‘Welcome to Setemple! Population—’” Natti shot up in her seat. “Two-thousand, eight-hundred and fifty-five? Are you serious? There were way more students at my school in England!”
“They’ll have to correct that.” Her father laughed. “It’s officially two-thousand, eight-hundred and fifty-seven.”
Natti rolled her eyes then turned her gaze back to the window. She started to catch glimpses of civilization in the distance. “What is this, a ‘one horse’ town?”
“No, I’m pretty sure the brochure said they have two horses.”
Her father’s joke grated on her nerves. “Dad! Honestly! How do you expect us to live here? It’s dry, no trees as far as I can see, and well … it’s practically unpopulated.”
Alexander breathed the air. “I know it’s not home, but just give it a try. Okay?”
“You couldn’t have picked Los Angeles or San Diego? At least I’ve heard of those cities,” Natti grumbled, thinking of all the places they could have lived. Why not Paris? Why not New York? No, he had to drag her into the one environment she despised.
“Natti …”
“Fine.” Natti gave up, already knowing what her father was about to say. “I’ll give it a try.”
Bastet, the Egyptian Mau kitten Natti’s grandmother gave her for her seventeenth birthday, wailed in the backseat. Natti leaned over, opened the travel carrier, and picked up the kitten, holding her up to see the view. “I bet you love this weather,” she whispered. “Look, just like your birth place. Nothing but sand.”
Her grandmother had purchased the kitten from a breeder in Zagazig, Egypt. That was Zofia Waterford for you. She and Natti’s mother had been passionate about their Egyptian heritage. Natti even sported the dominant features that her grandmother claimed gave her the look of an Egyptian goddess: her silky black hair, her light bronze skin, and her almond shaped eyes. Yet it was the unusual silver-violet color of her irises, inherited from her mother’s maternal line, that made her stand out in a crowd.
“Natti—” Alexander scowled at the cat.
“What?” Natti pushed back a strand of hair. “She’s been stuck in an airplane for almost twelve hours, and we have been driving for over two more. She needs to stretch her paws.”
Her father shook his head, letting the matter slide. He didn’t appreciate Zofia’s gift as much as Natti did. Despite being more wary about her grandmother’s obsession, she loved the little kitten. She let Bastet sit on her lap and stare out the window with her wide saucer eyes.
Large lots of empty land soon became clusters of small communities with green lawns and gardens. Eventually they had reached the center of town where little novelty shops and businesses lined the main street. There were small crowds along the sidewalks, but to Natti, it still looked barren for a Friday afternoon. A small pyramid standing next to the town hall caught Natti’s eye. The words ‘Welcome to Setemple’ were engraved along the side.
Natti grimaced, a shiver running down her spine. “Ah, I don’t know about horses, Dad, but you didn’t mention anything about this town having a … a pyramid.”
“Now that I didn’t know,” her father groaned, turning while the guidance system instructed him to circle around the hall and massive field behind it. “I guess every town has to have their gimmick.”
“But a pyramid?” she emphasized with concerned.
“Well, we are in the desert.” Natti nervously glanced at her father, catching a glimpse of his big chocolate-colored eyes under his wavy mop of brown hair. They reflected a moment of sadness and anger she recognized. “Okay,” he admitted. “Honestly, if I had known … especially considering Sarah …” He froze once he mentioned Natti’s mother, his face becoming sour. He didn’t like to bring her up in any conversation. “It’s only one structure. And I’ve already made the commitment by selling our townhouse in London and moving across the pond. And might I remind you what Trish had to go through to get our visas. All that bloody paperwork. So we’ll BOTH have to make the best of it. Besides, the town came highly recommended.”
“Recommended by whom?” Natti muttered. “King Tut?” It sure wasn’t Trish. She could tell by the look on her face when she bid them goodbye. Plus, she knew how uncomfortable her father felt around things that linked to Natti’s mother and her Egyptian heritage. Natti settled back into her seat. “How much farther?”
“Not too much.” He looked at the guidance screen. “Maybe a couple more miles.”
Natti sighed, her thoughts returning to her old home. She just wished she could sleep in her own bed. “Do you think any of our stuff has arrived yet?”
“I guess we’ll find out when we get there.”
Driving for another minute along the main road, her father finally turned and navigated through a community of large, single family homes. Natti sat up in surprise. Each was unique in style and sat on a quarter of an acre lot. Many were surrounded by thick, green lawns; a few had landscaped gardens that were still in bloom. Some had massive garages while others had extended driveways.
They drove a little farther until they came to a subdivision of smaller homes. To Natti, they seemed just as grand and unique as the larger ones across the way. Her father turned into a community called Myrrh Valley and made a right onto Palm Court. Natti scanned the circle until she spotted the boxes lined up at the front door of a gray, two storey house. She cocked her head, surprised to see a red and white Mini Cooper in the drive way.
“Are we expecting company?” Natti asked.
Her father gave her another one of his mischievous grins. “Nope.”
“Then whose motorcar is—?”
“A little bribery for dragging you out of London.”
Natti’s jaw dropped when they pulled alongside the small car. She tore off her seat belt and jumped out of the car with Bastet in her arms. She ran her hand over the slick metal while she circled around the car, still in delighted disbelief.
“Bloody hell! She’s perfect!” Natti squealed.
Her father smiled. “I’m glad you like her.”
“Like her? I love her!”
“Brilliant!” Alexander opened the Mini Cooper door and tossed her the keys. “You can drive her to school on Monday. Just remember to stay on the other side of the road.”
Natti rolled her eyes. “Why do Americans have to do everything backwards?”
“Come on, let’s check out the house.”
Natti hesitated, not wanting to leave the car so soon, but Bastet began to struggle in her arms.
She rushed forward just when her father opened the lock box and pulled out the key.
For a purchase sight unseen, Natti was impressed with the interior. In the large hall before her, a crystal chandelier hung from the high ceiling. The floor was made of light hardwood, which reflected the sunlight onto the cream walls. A set of carpeted stairs split the floor plan, leaving only enough room to slip into the back kitchen and breakfast nook.
Natti stepped inside and drifted as she took in the new surroundings. To her right was a cozy little living room. Light blue curtains were drawn across the bay window that viewed the front gardens. Just past a knee wall in the back was the dining room and a full view of the kitchen. The walls and cabinets glared bright white, even in the shade, and the counters and tile floor were a dark, slate gray.
Shuffling back into the hall, Natti turned to her left. Two small hardwood steps led into the vast, dark family room. Its walls hinted more of a gray than a white. And in the far back on a diagonal wall, a door opened to an office. From what she could see, it had a large, corner window facing southeast into the backyard and was painted a hunter green.
“We both have master suites upstairs,” her father told her. “Of course, we’ll have to sleep on air mattresses until I purchase some furniture. But … What do you think?”
Natti put Bastet down, wandered a few steps, and leaned against the arched threshold. “Not bad, I guess. It’s not our old townhouse.”
Her father exhaled. “No, it’s not, but it’s home.”
Natti nodded despite the fact she probably will never consider it her home. She had left her heart in London, along with everything else she loved.
Life, Love, & Lemons Page 17