Ties
Page 5
“No one can say, there was no trace of a bullet wound”
Karen looked around one last time and walked briskly out of the classroom. Britney didn’t make any hateful comment
The basement door was slightly open; she slipped in and met him sitting dejectedly.
“Oh my, it isn’t true right?”
He stood and moved a distance from her “Are you that concerned or you just want to hear from the horse’s mouth”
His voice held pain-she could feel it
She moved close “Of course, I’m concerned”
“It’s best you’re not, no one is”
“Jason, everyone is concerned”
“Maybe you were right; people go when you need them the most”
She staggered and shook her head in disapproval “I’m sorry”
His silence only made her feel worse, he was hurting and it pained her she couldn’t do anything about it, he had tried to help her with her problems
“I’ll like to be alone, Karen”
“I’m not leaving you here” She held onto his arm
“You barely know me, you said that right? You shouldn’t interfere”
He had a way of bringing everything back to her; she shut her eyes taking it all in
“Karen, I really think…” He stopped when her arms were wrapped around him in a hug, his pulse jumped. He hesitated before holding her too
“You’ll make it through right?” She could hear her heart thump faster
“I always do”His eyes were tender
They stared at each other in silence-For Karen, there was something being with Jason was doing to her- Like her real self was coming back, in a rush-not the personality she wore but the real her-the easy natured Karen
They sat on a rickety chair, Karen was staring at the roof, Jason seemed to be doing same
“Maybe I could really be a doctor” She muttered
He glanced at her and laughed softly “Maybe we should go, we don’t want Mr. Jones ransacking the school in search of us” He stood up
“Yeah, right”
She allowed him to draw her to her feet, side by side they walked into the class. William and Justin were talking in low voices.
Mr. Jones had summoned Jason to his office and kept him until it was time for lunch. He was leaning on the counter in the cafeteria when she entered with Annabel
They walked to them, Annabel bit hard on her tongue to let out a word-that wouldn’t sound so stupid
“Um, Jason” She winced and frowned-not certain
He turned to her and smiled warmly-
“I’m really sorry for what happened, I…”
“Come off it Anna, as if you don’t know that I’ve gone through worse things”
She chuckled low “Of course, you are a survivor”
“So, what’s next?” Annabel asked Jason
He straightened and arranged his somewhat tousled hair “Don’t know yet, I’ll figure it out when the harridan arrives”
“Seriously jay, you’re still calling your mom that?”
He smirked and glanced at Karen, she was saying something to the other two boys-whatever it was should be totally funny to have beencracking themup
Annabel eyes still held sadness “You’re the strongest softie I’ve ever known Jason” She gave a brief side hug and smiled at him-he smiled too
Karen walked to a table with William and Justin-without any lunch, making Annabel and Jason stand clumsily in silence.
“You don’t intend standing, do you?” He asked
They sat at the far end of the cafeteria, with the frail sunlight-Jason’s favorite spot
“Thanks”
She nodded-What was he thanking her for, anyway?
The lines on his forehead weren’t there any more
“I wish we never fought”
He hesitated for a long time before he muttered quietly “Me either”
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She rode in her car that sun drenching day to a hotel in Vegas. Parking beside a black Honda, she alighted from her vehicle
“We meet yet again Jasmine” A familiar voice spoke from behind her- it was Adams
“You seem to be everywhere” She looked around suspiciously “Or do you own this place as well?”
He laughed “No, it isn’t mine, welcome back from San Francisco, I think”
“That’s right” There was a satisfied smile playing about her lips
“That was a really bad thing to happen, I’m so very sorry”
“Oh, it’s nothing”
“You should investigate about the matter, it could relate…”
“They were, I asked them to drop it all”
His eyes narrowed “And, why?”
“None of those will bring him back, it’s pointless and totally a waste of cash”
“Oh, so what will happen to the companies?”
“I would be handling that for a while”
“I see, I hope we still cross paths soon again” He slid his hands into his pockets and made an attempt to leave, she reached for her bag from the passenger’s seat and locked her car door
“Yea, me too”
She was walking off when he beckoned on her “Um, Mrs. Bla… sorry, Jasmine”
She smiled glumly “Yeah?”
“I have a proposal for you”
She crossed her arm and relaxed on her car “You do?”
“It’s about work; you know there’s a vacancy in my company if you’re interested”
She paused then gave a belly laugh “I have two companies to worry about, Adams and not in this town”
“Oh” He raked his fingers into his sleek hair
She chuckled “But I’ll see what I can do”
“Alright, thanks”
She went off with a group of huge looking men, one with a half shut black eye stared strangely at him, he wondered why.
----------------------
He stood beside his car just after making some phone calls, his driver was waiting. The sun was scorching hot, shining brightly over the roof of his brothel.
Palms sweating, he wiped his also sweating face with a handkerchief when he heard an unfamiliar voice call.
“Adams”
He looked surprised at the person beckoning on him
“Adams, that’s what you are, right?” It was the black eyed man. The huge black eyed man, the one he had seen with Jasmine
“Yea, I am and you are?”
“You can call me Steve”
They shook hands
“You really are successful” Steve said looking around the brothel
“You work for Mrs. Blackwell?”
“We call her Jasmine” He looked at him “Yeah, I work with her”
“How long” His brows arched from the fierce sun
“A year after she ceased from being Mrs. Blackwell”
Adams scratched his stubble and crossed his arm “Oh”
“I saw you two talking earlier” His voice didn’t match the look on his face
“Oh that, she wants to help with something that concerns my company” He spoke, suddenly wondering how fast they began talking
“You seem to know her a lot” Steve grunted
“Not at all, we just met about four months ago”
“I shouldn’t be saying this but…” He glanced around clumsily “You should know that the cupidity of Jasmine is quite outstanding”
“How do you mean?”
“She’s desirous of wealth and fame and goes any length to get it”
Jasmine walked out of the door with two other men, talking.
Adams had a quizzical look on his face “I don’t quite get the point you’re trying to make, Steve”
“There are sides of her you wouldn’t wanna know, so my advice is for you to look twice before you leap”
Adams was more confused than the word, he stared at the man, he seemed to be telling the truth- but he couldn’t tell, Jasmine was be
ing maligned lately.
Jasmine strolled toward them, grinning. “I see you’re getting acquainted with Steve” She gave a look that told Adams she suspected a foul play
“Hmm”
A man was in her company, he was also huge with large chest, arm-large everything.
“This is Richard, he’s worked with for years and is competent, I think he’ll do for now” She held the man’s shoulder in question
He stretched his hands “Adams”
“Call me Rick” He smiled, taking his hands, a pack of cigarette in the other
“Here’s my card, give me a call”
“Right”
Adams looked at Steve, he had his back turned toward them “I guess we’ll see often, Jasmine”
“I’m not so sure, I’d be leaving for New York first thing tomorrow morning and then to Thailand”
He laughed “As usual”
11
The unusual buzz of her alarm clock which stood by her bed side table woke her up. She felt queasy and if there was anything she knew it was that the day wasn’t going to go well. She poured hot chocolate on her duvet and accidentally kicked a figurine on her way to the bathroom.
She wore sneakers over snug fitted jean and knotted her hair without much effort, making it fall loosely across her shoulders
Karen passed by Jason in the hallway, he looked different with his hair in a spiky cut. He didn’t say a word to her
When she didn’t see him after classes, she knew exactly where he’d be.
She sat on a chair beside him in the basement “This place has had enough of our brooding”
“Yeah, it’s quite damp too”
She laughed- he was quite different from the boy who had walked up to her on her first day of school, this new Jason was quite eccentric but impressive
She handed him coffee and his lips spread but not in a smile.
“What’s bothering you?” She looked at him, eyes flashing
“Anytime we begin like this, it doesn’t go so well” He raked his fingers through his hair
“I know, but…”
He interrupted “I’m leaving today”
She fell silent, her eyes narrowed
“I’m leaving New York today”
“Where are you leaving to?” Her voice turned cold
“Thailand”
She shut her eyes for a split second and spoke in a voice that didn’t sound like hers “So you’re just going to leave?”
He didn’t reply but wanted to end the discomfort he felt with her gazing straight at him
“Don’t allow what you’ve been through turned you into something that you are not Karen”
She nodded not trusting her voice to speak
“I had a problem with this for a long time but at the end I realized that the past won’t let go until you let go of it”
She was silent, her throat felt dry
“And the paradox of it all is that you’d feel a lot better when you let go” He said
She shrugged her shoulders, trying to smile “You’ve filled my head with gibberish all the while I’ve known you, so it’s a good thing you’re leaving”
He laughed “You have a habit of saying the opposite of what you mean”
“I’m…” She paused and chuckled nervously
He looked at her “I dare you to say it”
“Say what?”
“You’re going to miss me”
She smiled at him “Hmm”
“I’d be back, I would” He sounded like he was convincing himself. She nodded-what would she have said, anyway
He stood and she did the same, they walked side by side to the class
Not long did they take their seats when a teacher signaled on Jason “There’s someone looking for you”
He sighed and flung his bag across his shoulder, Karen stared worriedly at him.
She could see a young woman stand in the hall; she had a silk yellow coat worn over a black ripped jean pants and kitten heels- it was his mother
There was something not right about her but Karen didn’t know what. Jason had his back turned to her as she spoke to him, she tried to hold him but he freed himself, talking into her face
She walked ahead of him, Karen’s eye met with Jason’s but he looked away- she wondered why.
He walked down the hall in slow steady steps. Karen looked through the window, she could see Jason’s mom drum her fingers on the roof of her black Cadillac
She glanced impatiently at her wristwatch, Jason came thereafter-she tossed him the keys and slipped into the passenger seat of the car. He hesitated before he entered and raced out of the gate.
Karen shut her eyes. She was smitten; she paid no more attention to anything anymore. Her head felt hazy, she didn’t want to think of not seeing him anymore, not wanting to remember she wasn’t going to her that unsteady voice which fell and rose in an unusual melodious tone.
Thailand-it sounded far away
“Its fine, Karen” Annabel spoke, patting her shoulders
She turned to her “He didn’t have to go”
“His mom had to come down, she heard he was…” Her voice dropped “He had asthma”
“No one knew” She continued
Karen’s heart drummed, she remembered when he told her she knew a part of him that no one did-she didn’t understand then but it seem pretty clear that moment
“Not just that, the trauma of his father’s death”
“He got over that”
“He didn’t…he’s gone through a lot” Her voice saddened
Karen felt everything around her spin and almost going blank.
Why was she feeling this way?
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He had driven for some hours although his mother had made several stops
She was back after a long time, he couldn’t recall how many years it had been but she had not changed a bit. She sat, relaxed as she crossed her legs over the other, she looked up at him and grinned
“It’s been a really long time, just look at you; you’ve become so big and handsome”
He frowned; he was irritated and needed to concentrate. The moist air blew strongly on his face, shivering, increased his pace
“We are almost at the airport”
He sighed “I’ve lived in New York longer than you”
She gave a belly laugh “So would you like to run one of the companies?” Her voice was teasing
“I’d like to own mine someday”
“Great, because it wasn’t happening”
Ignoring her, he turned on the radio, it blared wildly as he raced down a hill
“I can’t sit here and watch you drive like a rogue” She tucked her hair behind an ear “I really think you should slow down”
He did slow down, not for her but because he was cold
“And turn down the volume of that thing”
He turned off the radio instead
“I’d take you to a specialist in Thailand there should be a cure for your ailment, wherever it came from”
He rested his head on a fist, his elbow on the window “I don’t need it, I’ve been surviving”
“I don’t want you surviving, I want you to live” She reached out to touch him but he docked his head
The cloud turned dark, he closed the rooftop and pulled up the windows “We should be expecting a storm” He looked at the clouds through the glass.
“Kinda like this weather” She lit a stick of cigarette
Jason could see her through the rear view mirror, smoking. He was astonished but didn’t show it
His mind flashed to Karen, if anyone had told him they’d be friends someday, he’d have considered it impossible-not particularly impossible though, most girls get smitten at their first sight of him, but she was different-he had not met anyone like her, she was tough but surprisingly insecure. At first he felt she needed help but later on, he couldn’t tell what he felt anymore.
He pulled down
the window a bit to allow air come in the already smoke filled car. A heavy downpour began, it was soaking his clothes but what would he do? The fumes were blurring his vision and he felt his breath shortening, he tried to hide his discomfort but found himself almost gasping for air.
“Hope this stuff isn’t affecting you?” His mother asked from behind him
Affecting? It was killing him.
“Well, you must know that your dad has been buried”
Tires screeched as the car swerved and stood in the way of an upcoming truck, while the truck driver pressed hard on his brakes, Jason fought hard with the steering to pull it off just before the truck sped beside them-cursing out of his window.
Jason parked the car by the road
“Be careful Jason, what was that?” She barked angrily
“Buried? Buried, you said?”
“I’m talking about why you almost got us killed” There was a terrible shock on her face
He hit the steering furiously “Who did that? Why wasn’t I informed?”
“That was to prevent investigation, don’t try that next time, boy”
“What is there to prevent?”
He started the ignition but paused “This isn’t right?”
She sighed and began applying makeup on her frightened face “Just move this thing, we haven’t got all day”
He drove the car slowly as rain poured down heavily-he was grateful she wasn’t smoking again
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It was still noon but the sky was pale and dark. Rain splashed furiously on her room window. Slipping her feet into a flip flop, she strolled into the bathroom at the far end of the room. Bending over the faucet she splashed cold water on her face and packed her wet hair, looking into the mirror
She thought of-she had been thinking of Jason, she wondered where he was and what he was doing. Splashing water on her face again, she leaned on the wall-she wanted to end all her thoughts but knew she couldn’t
Senior year was going to over in a month’s time and she needed to start making plans if she wanted to go to college and become a doctor like she dreamed-like she thought
Staring at the bracelet on her wrist she remembered the day her father had given them to her when she turned nine. She caught herself smiling at the thought-maybe she still loved her dad, maybe she needed a break from all her thoughts