Ties
Page 4
She sighed-
“Your life doesn’t depend on anyone”
“Don’t give me the what life’s about speech, don’t”
“You need it”
She brushed her hair aside and sat up
“You can do a lot better than when you had him”
“Do what better? Like taking care of my sick mother
He fell silent, watching her
“I’ve come to realize that people go when you need them the most” She snuffled
“You have a lot to change about your mindset”
“Hm”
“I felt that way too, trapped”
“It’s nothing compared to how I feel now, it is like…I’m…I’m kinda, I don’t know…”
“Have you ever thought of letting go? Like everything everyone’s done to you”
“What are you saying right now?”
“Crying and acting like a sprog won’t change a thing”
“Sprog, Sprog you call it…you think you’ve been in my shoes?”
“Yeah, I’ve been in your shoes and mine is way larger than yours” He spoke softly
“Fine, tread well in yours” She made for the door
“Not until I help you amend yours”
She stopped “Such lofty thought”
“Shutting everyone out won’t make you feel any better” He stood “You’re being too hard on yourself”
“That’s what everyone does, act like they know me”
-------------------
Her mother was sitting up straight when she came in
“I told you I won’t get admitted” She smiled at Karen-the type that gave her relief
“Mom”
“I want to ask something from you”
“Okay, what is it?”
“I don’t want you to have anything against your dad; he’s still your father”
“Oh mom…”
“I want you to be happy, Karen”
Tears rolled from her eyes-but a relieved one.
8
Her mother was better; the big boned doctor said there wasn’t any need to get her admitted. She had started coming down by herself to eat dinner.
“Morning, Karen” Annabel smiled warmly
“Yeah”
Britney passed by them and made a horrid comment about Karen
“Britney’s a jerk, don’t let it get to you” Annabel said, despite herself
“She seems more like a bimbo” Karen said in a gruff tone
Annabel gave a belly laugh “Oh my goodness, you’re mean”- Maybe Jason was right, shewasn’t asgrumpy as she thought.
They were sitting on the grass in the lawn, Karen said everyone in the school stared at her like she had an open fly and Annabel laughed
“I really think you should make friends, Karen”
“I’m not too good at that”
“My friends are pretty cool, if you um…”
Karen bit her lower lip, not saying anything. Jason and the other two walked to them, he held out a drink to Karen. She looked clumsily at him, not taking it.
“Its fine, I know you aren’t a sponger”
Karen smiled brightly-genuinely
“Such wit, Jason” Karen said and laughed softly, taking the drink from him
William and Justin looked rather shocked-Jason didn’t. Annabel thought she hadn’t seen anyone smile so beautifully, she almost shed tears when her mouth curved in that smile
“So, can we…um, the five of us be friends?” Annabel asked, taking advantage of the moment
“Sounds like a coup, I’ll give it a try” She smiled again, more brightly this time
“Weird, don’t you think?” Justin said low to Jason
He laughed “It was a matter of time”
Raymond had not gone to work that day, he felt paralyzed, hands and feet. The only thing he wanted was some time alone, Jasmine was running water in a bowl in his bathroom; she came and sat on his bed placing a damp towel on his head
“Jasmine”
“You shouldn’t speak”
“I’m fine”
“Clearly, you’re not; let me help you with this”
“I’m fine, Jasmine, you can leave now” He stressed
“If you say so” She handed him a cup of coffee on the table and turned to leave, his eyes trailed behind her. Sooner had she left when he reached for his phone to call-Jason
“Dad”
‘”How are you doing, jay?”
“Good, you sound…sick”
“I’ll be fine, I sent some money earlier…”
“Yea, I saw but I really do not need them”
Jasmine called from the living room and started climbing the stairs
“I have to go now”
“Alright then, stay cool dad”
“Where you…talking to someone?”
“Yeah, my P.A, he didn’t see me at work today, so…”
She took his phone and dropped them on the bedside table “You should rest, Raymond”
He didn’t like the way she sounded “Yea, I will”
“Should I get you anything?”
“I’m fine”
--------------------------
“What’s up with Jason? He looks dead this morning”
They glanced at the Jason with Britney hovering around him.
Justin smirked. “He has a phobia for being the man already”
“How do you mean”
“Heard his old man is sick”
“That’s some bad news” He had his eyes on Jason as he walked to sit
“And that’s how fast it travels” Jason said to their hearing and pulled his seat back so he could sit
“Chin up bro, why are you being like that?”
He mumbled something to himself, adjusting the lapel of his coat
Annabel and Karen walked in the class, chatting and laughing.
“It still baffles me that she can be nice, really” William said
“Yeah right, I mean when I saw her smile, it was like the moon have grown some hairs” He turned to Jason “Right, jay?”
“Mr. Jones, right? I thought the same, bro”
“Not Mr. Jo.., what the hell is wrong with you?” Justin seemed more irritated than annoyed
“I um…just need to clear some shit off my mind”
“You better, clear off the shit and all cause about to fall with your attitude”
Jason sighed and left the classroom-
“Do you mind?” Karen asked, holding out a cup of coffee to him, she had come inside few minutes after him.
He declined.
“Come on, I’m not always this nice, so…”
He chuckled and took it from her. She perched on the arm of the chair next to him- there was an uncomfortable silence between them.
“I had once thought of being a doctor but it was some stupid idea…”
“Why”
“Someone like me” She chuckled nervously “When my mom fell ill I thought I could, it’s funny but I believed I was also sick, I thought wasn’t normal”
“You really got a lot of crazy mentalities”
“Crack pot is the word”
They laughed.
She studied his face “Is there something wrong?”
“Not really”
“It’s fine if you say”
“It’s my father, he’s ill and I’ve been having the feeling that he’s going to…I don’t know”
“You still care about him?”
He hesitated “Yeah, I do”
“After what he’s done to you”
“I’ve nothing against him anymore”
“Really”
“You should do the same for your father”
“Are we seriously doing this right now?”
“Karen”
She looked away “He doesn’t deserve it”
“No one deserves anything, Karen”
“Bullshit”
“Everything
still points down to you, the bullshit and all”
“I don’t get you, what do you stand to gain from all of this”
“Nothing”
“It’s not happening Jason, you can go ahead and forgive your dad for his wrong but stay out of mind”
“I really do want to help you out, Karen”
“Help me?” Her eyes twitched “What is this even about? We barely know each other” She made for the door but he held her arm
“You know a part of me no one does” He moved closer, looking into her eyes making her not to see anything else but-him
“What…”
She was startled and felt strange the way she couldn’t move her feet, she tried but stuck still doing nothing but receiving the warmth from his body.
He leaned in and moved even closer, her breath steamed as his lips met with hers.
Was the room spinning, or was it her head? - Her feet turned suddenly cold while he was kissing her, disentangling herself, she pushed him away and ran off quickly
He wanted to say he was sorry but it was too late- she was already halfway in the hall. When he walked into the class, Annabel was staring strangely at him
-------------------------------
Karen paced restlessly in her bedroom; she couldn’t get her mind off what happened. She looked into a mirror, hating herself even more.
“Karen” Her mom peeped into her room before letting in herself
“Yeah”
“I’ve been calling, is there something wrong?”
“No, why”
“Your dad wants to speak to you over the phone; he said you don’t pick his calls”
“Please, I’m busy right now; I don’t have time for any of this”
“Karen, he…”
“Mom, can we please… not do this?” She walked to sit on the bed
“Fine”
She sighed and scooted into the bathroom
9
She had stayed away from the basement but couldn’t stay away from his gaze. He had come to apologize to her and she called him a jerk-she felt guilty afterwards
Her eyes had met with his times during classes and she was having the strangest feeling, she hated the way she caught herself staring at him, she had even scribbled his name on her notepad while studying.
“I saw you and Jason, seems you two are avoiding each other” Annabel started
“No, we’re good” She couldn’t even believe her own lie.
There was silence-
“Jason doesn’t know what he wants, I apologize on his behalf”
“How”
“I saw you two at the basement the other day” She giggled “Most people just use the rest room”
Karen froze, eye wide.
“It’s not a big deal, I’m sorry” The last part came as a whisper
She looked ready to explode in embarrassment-“Anna”
“I wanted to find out what you always went down there to do but um…the timing wasn’t so good”
“I can’t believe”
“It’s fine”
“It’s humiliating”
“Come on, Karen, don’t be like that”
She crossed her arm and leaned back “It’s just…I don’t know”
“Jason” Annabel clung to his arm as they walked to their lockers.
“Have you seen Karen?” She asked
“No”
“What’s that?”
“What?” He looked around with narrowed eyes
“Why do you have such a look on your face?”
“What look?”
“Is there something that you aren’t telling me?”
He pulled out his things and shut the cabinet, looking at her “What is it you want to say, Anna? Just spit it out, I know when you get like this”
“Fine, I know it’s been a really long time you’ve liked someone, when was that? Pre-school I guess…the girl with the red hair that I…”
He interrupted “What’s this about?”
“Karen” She faced him, grim “I think you like her”
“What?”
“I mean Karen, I’ve been watching you for quite some time now and I think you like her” She babbled
He leaned on the locker “I haven’t um… thought of it that way”
William and Justin walked to them.
“Where’s thingamabob, Karen right?” William threw Jason a friendly punch
He shrugged “Didn’t see her”
-------------------------
Adams had files scattered all over the office in a careless abandon, he searched around the place not knowing what he was looking for then paused and glanced at the weary man staring at him the whole while- hands clasped to his laps
`“Look here Nathan, I’m not putting this much trust in you for you to disappoint me” Adams barked fiercely at the thin cross eyed man with a square head
“How’d you mean, Adams? The company is in chaos and I really do not know what to do about it”
“I know what I put in and certainly know what I should be expecting, I’m not paying you this much for you to say all this gibberish, what about those who have invested in us?”
“You should suggest the best way to handle it, then because I really do not know what to do”
His eyes twitched “You dare talk back at me”
“I haven’t disappointed you until now which is clearly no one’s fault, so why this attitude?”
“No excuses, just get your ass to work and sort things out”
“No, no sir, I don’t think I want to get back to work, I…I quit” He said without flinching
“You said what?”
“I quit, sir”
He chuckled drily, hands on the desk “There are a bunch of people seeking to take your position so eat up that pride, Nate and I’ll act like I didn’t hear any of this”
“I have given this a lot more thought than you think. I can’t continue here with you, Adams”
“You don’t want to do this trust me, you know you need me a lot more than I need you”
“I’m sorry, I can’t do this any longer, good luck finding your new P.A” He said and walked away
He clenched a fist, his eyes dark, sweating. The door was yanked open
“There is a call, sir” The male receptionist told
“Who is it?” He asked between teeth
“Mrs. Adams, sir”
“Just switch off that thing and leave”
“It’s actually Mrs. Adams sir” He wasn’t sure if he heard him at the first instant
“You must be out of your damn mind, now get your dumb ass out of my office before you regret it”
“I’m sorry sir” He apologized, hands clasped and head down
“Just leave” He wriggled out of his tie “Don’t shut the door”
-------------------------
Jasmine was up in Raymond’s room, she had given him yet another drink- the dizzy drink
“Oh dear, look at you, thank gracious I moved in, you’re bed sore”
He turned to face her-
“Well, Raymond, I was wondering, why would you let me run your company in New York?”
“That was the best I could do for you” His voice was crooked and low
“Don’t you think that’s a bit selfish of you?”
“What do you mean, Jasmine?”
“Oh, cut it out, we both know that the profit gotten from San Francisco is a lot bigger than that of New York” She laughed, adjusting the sides of the duvet
“What do you want, Jasmine?” He began to sense danger- he had sensed it earlier but this was more
She gave a belly laugh, sending fear down his spine “What do I want? Let’s just stay I’m ambitious”
“Jasmine”
“You should know me by now, Raymond, I never relent until I get what I want” She leaned over, speaking into his face
“Okay, why don’t you run the company in San Francisco, that’s what thi
s is about right?”
“You got that right but I should be the one making the choice, not you”
He tried to sit up but fell back on his pillow, weakly
“Don’t try too hard, Raymond” She laughed again, a mirthless laugh “You are exactly where I want you to be”
“Why are you doing this?”
“All you have to do is sign on this” She pulled out a pen and paper from her coat
He peered closely at the paper “Jason should be the one taking over the companies if at all, I can’t do what you’re asking, Jasmine”
“Asking? Oh dear…who said I was asking?” She lit a cigarette and smoked
She pulled out a gun and pointed it to him “You see why I wasn’t asking? Now sign on this” Her voice was bitter cold
His weak hand held the pen as he signed on the paper, he felt morefrightened than sick.
“So, Raymond, I think we should end the talk already”
She paced around the room as she took out some money from the drawers; his weary eyes were following her until she turned to face him
“I think I wanna sleep and so should you, you should sleep, a long one will do” She tucked the gun back as an afterthought; she reached out for a pillow and pressed it to his face.
He struggled like a sick man would, she pressed harder, the smoke of cigarette filled the room, and he jerked weakly until she removed the pillow from his face.
He was silent.
Her voice filled the room in exhilarating laughter, echoing. She walked away laughing. A fierce breeze rushed and engulfed the room and then came a storm.
10
Karen met everyone wearing long faces when she walked in that stone cold morning- dark gloom settled around the room.
“Karen” Annabel forced a smile
She searched the room with her eyes, Jason seat was vacant but he had his satchel bag on the floor. Justin and William weren’t cracking jokes-unlike them
“What’s happening?”
“Mr. Blackwell is dead” Her eyes were dewy from crying.
Karen froze, trying to recall who she knew by the name “That sounds like Ja…Jason’s dad”
“Yes”
“Tell me it’s a prank, I won’t get mad, I swear” She said in a strangled voice
“Why would I joke with such a thing? It was in the papers this morning; he was found dead in his room this morning”
“Was he killed or something?” She managed to ask