by Foster, L.
CHAPTER 2
After talking for a while, they arrived at Chelsea’s home. Michael didn’t want anybody to notice him at her house. He was afraid of her family will say to him. He helped Chelsea to drop her bags from the boot and he also opened the door for her. She gave a hug and she really thanked him for the ride he gave her. Michael doesn’t feel like he did anything special for her, after all, they used to be lovers. He nodded his head in response to what she said and told her that she is always welcome. “I will do anything just to make you happy,” Michael said to her. Chelsea replied him and said “Thank you very much for being there”. Michael went back into his car and drove off. Chelsea waved to him as he was going before she picked her and moved in. When Chelsea entered the house, she saw Antonia and Cecilia in the living room watching TV. Immediately she shut the door, Antonia and Cecilia knew someone was at the door but they didn’t know it was Chelsea. When they saw her, they were thrilled to see her and they were both happy to see her again. Cecilia helped her with her bags and she carried them into Chelsea’s room. Antonia, on the other hand, was very happy to see her daughter again. Before they started they their conversation, Chelsea asked for her stepfather, Colin. Antonia answered her and said he had travelled for a business trip. Chelsea also asked for Bobby, her younger brother, and she was told that he had gone to school and that he will be back in the weekend. Chelsea was glad to hear that everyone was fine at home. She moved closer to her mother and gave her a hug. She told her mum that she had missed her and everyone at home. Antonia replied her that she had missed her too and that they need to talk about what she just heard. Before she said what she heard, Chelsea told her that she saw Michael at the ferry and that he was the one that dropped her home before he left. Antonia was stunned to hear that, he couldn’t believe Michael and Chelsea had seen each other even before she came home. As they were talking, Cecilia came out of the room where she went to drop Chelsea’s bags. Antonia quickly told Cecilia to go and set the table for dinner so that Chelsea could eat. She knew Chelsea would be hungry and that she needs to taste a better meal since she had left home for his Doctorate degree. Cecilia did as her mum had said; she went straight to the kitchen to get the food served on the dining table. After Cecilia had left, Chelsea told her mum, Antonia, that she needs to take a shower before eating in order to have a better gist; she needs to take a bath and feel relaxed so that they can talk better. Antonia had no choice than to allow her to have a shower before they could continue with their discussion but deep down in her mind she was kind of upset because of what Chelsea had told her about Michael, that he gave her a ride home. She was very sure that they must have talked about something before Chelsea could allow him to give her a ride home. She never wanted Chelsea to continue the relationship with Michael simply because of what had happened after Emily’s death. She looked worried a bit after Chelsea had left for the bathroom. She thought of things she could do to separate them but at the moment she was unable to figure out anything because of it looks sudden to her and she really was expecting such thing. Few minutes after, Cecilia came out of the kitchen to inform Chelsea and Antonia that the table is set for dinner. Surprisingly, she didn’t find Chelsea in the living room. She asked for her from her mother, Antonia and she told her that she had left for the bathroom. Cecilia sat down waiting for Chelsea to come out of her room. As they were waiting for her, Antonia tapped Cecilia and told her about what Michael did for Chelsea that evening. Cecilia was shocked when she had Michael’s name, she thought something bad has happened to him. But when Antonia finished her talking, she felt relaxed. Obviously, Cecilia likes Michael but due to what happened she felt confused. Although Michael’s action showed that he was more or less like a crook by leaving the town. Cecilia couldn’t know exactly what to say, she didn’t know Michael had come back to town, she was just hearing this for the first time. She then replied, “I don’t think there is anything wrong in that. Obviously, Michael and Chelsea used to be a lover before the occurrence, they can continue with their affair if they still feel something great for each other”. Antonia was stunned to hear this from Cecilia; she thought Cecilia will be on her side by rejecting Chelsea and Michael’s affair. She told her to shut up and never to intervene into the matter whenever they are discussing it. As they were talking to each other, Chelsea had already finished her bath. She put on her pyjamas and her slippers like someone preparing to go bed, but in her own case she was about to have dinner. She stepped out of her room and moved to the living room where her Mum and her sister were sitting. Immediately her Mum, Antonia saw her, she led her to the dining table where the food had already been served. They all had their seat and ready to have dinner. Antonia told Chelsea to say the Lord’s Prayer before they start eating. Chelsea told everyone to close their eyes and she said the Lord’s Prayer. They all started eating. “Good meal” Chelsea commented on the taste of the food. As they were having their meal, Chelsea continued her discussion with her Mum. She told her all that had happened during her Doctorate degree, the stress she had and how she was able to go about it. She also talked about how tasking her course was. As she was talking about what she heard in school, Antonia was just listening, she was responding but not as she did when they were talking about Michael. Cecilia was enjoying the conversation because she loves Biochemistry too, but she was still in high school then. Chelsea noticed that her Mum was not really following what she was saying, she then decided to change the topic and talked about what Michael told her. Suddenly, Antonia asked what Michael told her. Chelsea replied her and said, “Michael asked to come and join him in a restaurant tonight, but I declined that. I decided not to follow him because of how he just disappeared on me”. “Yes! You have done well by not going out with him. I heard he came to town because of his brother’s campaign. Lawrence, his brother is running for the Governor of the state and he needs his brother for the campaign and all that. I never knew you two will see each other so soon but let me warn you, you shouldn’t get involved in his campaign thing” Chelsea looked furious with the advice her Mum gave her, she tried to defend Michael by saying, “He had already told me that and we have talked about it. He also told me he is now back fully, I told him he can’t continue running and perhaps, will he keep running for his entire life. I know he is not guilty for Emily’s death but he scared and that is why he decided to leave the town”. Antonia started laughing when she heard Chelsea’s reply, even though Chelsea sounds weak due to the fact that she had no strong evidence to defend her point. Moreover, Michael looks guilty by running away. Cecilia looked confused as they were talking about the issue; she tried to ask for more details from Chelsea because she knew her Mum won’t give her the detail. Cecilia decided to ask Chelsea about what happened and why everyone thinks Michael was responsible for Emily’s death. She was young then, but she doesn’t really know all that happened. She knew Michael used to come to their house then, but suddenly, she didn’t see him any more until they started talking about him that evening. Chelsea didn’t hesitate to tell her the true story, she started narrating the whole story to Cecilia by saying, it all happened like this: Five years ago, there was a clambake that all the residents of Cider Creek, which is the upscale section for Cape Haltom, had to attend. Everyone in the neighbourhood was there and I have to be present at the party. Seafood’ were used to be served, since I was dating Michael and Emily, who happens to be a friend (but not very close) of mine was dating Jay, Michael’s friend. Michael took me to the party as his date and Emily went to the party as Jay’s date. Emily and I were friends from childhood, but we were not really close when we grow up, maybe due to distance or something else, but we were able to spend much time together during that summer because our boyfriends were best friends. We went to the party that night and everyone were having fun at the party, but I was not really feeling too well, but I just have to go to the party because of Michael. That very night, I noticed a tension between Emily and Jay, I decided to ask Emily about it, but she locked up th
at night, she didn’t tell me what was going on. I called Michael’s attention to that and I told him to talk to Jay in order to know what was going on. I was unable to stay longer at the party; I decided to come that night in order to treat the cold I was dealing with. I tried Michael’s cell phone to let him know that I was going but to my utmost surprise, his number was not going through. I left the party for home without seeing anyone of them. After I had come home, Michael tried to reach me but amazingly to him, I had already got home. He later found out I had gone home when we spoke on the phone and I told him to please help me talk to Jay in order to know what happened between him and his girlfriend, Emily. Surprisingly, we got a call the next morning from Wendy, who happens to be Mum’s friend and Emily’s Mum. She called in a panic to inform us that Emily had never come home the night before. I was stunned to hear that Emily had never come home the night before. I picked up my cell phone and put a call to Michael to inform him about what I just heard about. Mum and I decided to go Wendy’s house, I tried to explain the whole situation to her but to my utmost surprise, Jay, Emily’s boyfriend said Emily left the party the same time I left the party, which I didn’t know at all. The last time I saw Emily was when she was speaking with Jay and Georgina. I was unable to tell them that I was leaving because I was only looking for Michael to tell him I was leaving. I was fuzzy on the information because I really wasn’t feeling well that night and I didn’t pay more attention to what was going on. After few hours when we didn’t see any sign of Emily, we decided to set up a search party. Michael had come around wondering where Emily could have gone to. Michael and I decided to look for her at the beach maybe she was drunk and fell asleep in the beach. Other people had gone to look for her in other places where they think she could have gone to. Michael and I walked along part of the beach that borders the estate where Michael’s family lives. I wanted to search the estate, but Michael talked me out it, saying it would be a complete waste of time. We continue to search for her but we found nothing, we decided to go back to Wendy’s house. As we were going back, suddenly, we noticed a commotion in front of the Olsen’s compound. We rushed up to see what was happening but to our highest surprise, we found out that Emily’s body was lying on the ground very close to where Lawrence, Michael’s brother lives with his newlywed wife. I was shocked, so do Michael too. I left for home with the hope that I will talk to Michael later. Before I got home, Michael had already called me several times, but when I called him back, I was able to get only voice mail. Michael came to see me later, but he doesn’t stay long. I knew he was troubled, but there wasn’t I could do at that moment. I tried to press him to know what went wrong but he, unfortunately, Mum came to interrupt saying we have to go to Wendy’s place. I left Michael that very day with the hope of seeing him in the evening or the next day, but something else happened. I couldn’t see him again until today on the ferry which was five years after the incidence. I wondered why he left like that. After narrating the whole story to Cecilia, Cecilia felt confused and asked a very tangible question as to why Michael left the town immediately after the incidence. He made it look as if he was the murderer. Chelsea couldn’t know the answer to the question but deep down in her, she trusts Michael to an extent. They all went to their bedroom after finishing the discussion to have a night rest. They greeted themselves good night and they went to their separate bedroom. Chelsea went into her bedroom with a wondering heart. She was wondering about the question Cecilia asked, that why did Michael leave the town so soon. Chelsea still wonders why Michael could have done such a thing, but her trust for him was still very firm. She fell asleep as she was thinking about the whole issue.
CHAPTER 3
After spending some minutes in traffic, Michael finally got home. He had been seriously thinking of Chelsea when he was driving home. He never thought of meeting Chelsea on the ferry, but he saw her, he was really surprised but what made him happy to some extent was the fact that she gave him an audience and she showed him some love even though she turned down his request. Michael felt he had really done something wrong to Chelsea but at the same time he had no option then when he left the town. After brainstorming on the whole issue, he drove into the garage to get the car parked. He moved out of the car and he went to the entrance of the garage to close the gate. It was already late in the night and he was very tired. He moved into the house from the back door with the thought of getting a quick shower and a good sleep. He moved into his room without saying a word to anyone at home. His parents and brothers were at home, but they were in the living room waiting for him to come before they have their dinner. He deliberately switched off his cell phone because he was not in the real mood to talk to no one. When he got to his room, he dropped the car key on the shelf and went straight to the bathroom. He pulled off his cloth and stepped into the Jacuzzi to get a shower. After taking a shower, he felt relaxed and all the thoughts he had on his mind had reduced. He changed into his pyjamas preparing to go to bed but as he was about to lie on the bed, he heard a knock on his door. He refused to open the door and pretended like he didn’t hear anything at all. To his greatest surprise, the person at the door said, “Michael! I hope all is well with you. I saw you when you drove and since then we have been waiting for you on the dining table”. It was his Dad’s voice, Joseph Olsen. Michael had no choice than to open the door for his Dad, he really loves his Dad and he respects him so much. He never knew someone was watching him when he came in. When he opened the door, his Dad saw the way his look was. Michael looked worried and that show on his face. His Dad asked him what was wrong, but he refused to tell him what was going wrong. Joseph persuaded him to join them on the dining table in order to have dinner so that he would be able to think and talk about something else. He promised his Dad he will join them soon on the dining table. Joseph left his room with the expectation of seeing him in few minutes. Few minutes later, Michael decided to join his parents and brothers on the dining table. Joseph didn’t tell anyone he was with Michael inside. When he entered the dining room, everyone else except Joseph was amazed to see him; they never knew he was inside. Michael greeted his Mum, Margaret Olsen and he gave her a peck on her cheek. He also greeted his two brothers before having his seat. His food had already been served. Lawrence, his elder brother had been watching him since he entered the dining room. Michael still looked worried and that can be read on his face. Joseph said the Lord’s Prayer before they started eating. Michael was not eating as he used to eat. Margaret, his Mum was the one that first noticed that as he was not eating as he used to. She then asked him what went wrong. Margaret’s thought was that Michael didn’t have an appetite, which was why he wasn’t eating as he used to be. Michael’s response was that nothing was wrong with him. Lawrence then replied him and said, “I have been watching you came in, but I just decided to keep quiet. I know Dad can see that too” “It’s nothing really serious. I saw Chelsea on the ferry today and I gave her a ride home. I think I am in love with her again after all, we didn’t break up before I left the town. I actually asked her to go out with me tonight, but she turned me down, and I know it was all because of what I did” Michael explained what was bothering him. “To be sincere with you all, I really want us to continue from where we started but I really owe her a lot of explanation if I want that to happen” He continued. Lawrence chuckled and replied him, “Michael, this is not the ideal time for this. You just have to focus on the campaign and forget about Chelsea for now. You really have to put your mind together and let bygone be bygone” Joseph also added to what Lawrence had said and told him, “Renewing your relationship with Chelsea will raise too many questions and that will bring about something else. Personally, I feel you should do what your brother had said, focus on the campaign for now and let bygone be bygone” “Focusing on the campaign will do us better than continuing your relationship with Chelsea. I know you really love her but in order not to cause yourself any trouble, you just have to let things be for now and focus on the campaign” Math
ew added. “Baby, I know how it feels to be in love and on the other hand, you shouldn’t use that as an opportunity to bring problems to your life. Chelsea’s parent will really want to know why you left the town when Emily died and I don’t think you have any genuine reason to say to them” Margaret advised. “Hmm! Thank you all for your piece of advice and I will try and make the best out of it. I know the things this will cause because Chelsea herself had already asked why I left the town then” Michael replied them all and thanked them for the piece of advice. Deep down in Michael, he knew they were very right but he just wants to make things right with Chelsea. It was just like love at first site when he saw her on the ferry. Michael really finds it difficult to forget about Chelsea, and with the look of things, he just can’t let that go. The whole family finished their meal and every one of them went straight to their bedroom to sleep. Michael was about to shut his door when he saw his Dad, Joseph approaching his room. He was very surprised to see his Dad again in his room. He let him entered before shutting the door. Joseph sat on the chair while Michael sat next to him. He said to him, “Son, I really understand you and this can happen to anyone in love. Chelsea is a good girl and I like her too, but you have to let her be for now simply because of her family and what they will say to you when they see you two together. The election is fast approaching and you just have to focus on the campaign so that things will go on smoothly. Think about it and let me know your final decision by tomorrow” Joseph stood up and left Michael’s room. Michael looked disturbed with the way things are. He was quite shocked with what his Dad just said. He gently shut the door as his Dad left his room and told him “Good Night” as he was leaving. He then lay on his bed and fell asleep as he was thinking of what to do.