Chapter Seventy-Eight – Smelly grandma.
(Still in use of Third Person’s Narrative)
The team, J-twins, Chloe and Chris, crept past the low grass and into the tarred road.
The grade 10 student couldn’t tell exactly why the front gate was locked, why her seniors wanted her to show them the back way or why school didn’t hold.
But she just followed, hoping to go home and finish her last assignments for the whole month. Toppers loved holidays too.
The team broke off from their junior and headed towards the timber house. Chris picked up a wooden stick, just in case.
“Wait, I hope this isn’t one of those reckless teenagers acts we are doing? We need to call the police or what would we do to the kidnappers if they’re there?” Jasper halted the group to ask.
He bet down immediately to wage his knee that was weak and tired as he had been stooping to walk.
And as a kid who grew up his whole life with a car, these were one of the longest walks he had had. Thanks to the school’s backway that wasn’t motorable.
He looked up at his twin brother to see how he was managing but he seemed to have a fuel motivating him.
Or perhaps due to his past bad boy ‘mafiarism', long walks had no effect on him.
“Good question. A better one is why we left Nancy alone with Cara. She’s a witch you know” Chloe worried.
Last thing she needed was another classmate being kidnapped.
“Okay, Chloe, call Charles to call Kiera’s mom to bring help I’m anyway she can. Jasper, go back and stay with Nancy and monitor Cara?” Jacob shrugged.
His last sentence he wasn’t so sure of Jasper's reaction.
Jasper shook his head, “What? I walked all the way to here. No going back. No way bro”.
Chris chuckled and patted his shoulders. It was more punishment going back than coming ahead.
“How do you know Charles?” Chloe asked Jacob as she dialed.
“Just call him. Let’s go” they continued their way to the timber house.
(Kiera’s POV)
Everywhere was dark. Dim lights. Soft voices. Sharp pains around my body.
I knew blood was seeping out from somewhere as I kept losing strength. I only hoped it wasn’t at a vital place.
I focused my eyes on something at the distant. It was shiny and attractive. And was floating on air?
It came closer to light and I saw it was the silver bracelet of a woman. Had I been kidnapped on orders of a woman? Who was this?
She cat walked to me and pulled my face towards her. She was elderly but had a younger body. But with lots of wrinkles.
“I am Tessa. Your would be grandmother if only your grandfather hadn’t seen a bastard at America” she spat every word on my face.
I felt like discarding my own face. What a smelly introduction.
“Stench, strong” I couldn’t help but say. Earning me, of course, a slap on the face.
Would be grandmother? Must have been the lady that my grandfather was supposed to marry. Was she still alive and single?
“I'm glad fate played faster. You’d have me smell this bad?” I rather receive the slaps than stay quiet while she chatter rubbish.
“Hmmm. Feisty eh?” She pulled my face closer.
I heard a short clearing of throats. A tall male stood behind us.
“What, Carlos? Give me a break with the girl” Tessa yelled.
“Just move grandma. We aren’t supposed to kill her. She shouldn’t even had seen your face” the said Carlos replied.
And he called her grandma, maybe the lady wasn’t single. Why was she so angry if she still had her own family?
I was glad I wasn’t going to be killed. When Tessa left me I chuckled a little out of relief.
“Thank you, Carlos” I said as Tessa walked back away into the dark. What was with me and being talkative?
“Oh, you’re welcome” Carlos came closer. With a shiny pen knife on his hands. Should I have thanked him?
He wore a mask to prevent his face from showing. He looked handsome in the mask.
Did the Martinez family have a thing about being beautiful? Again, I was lost at that.
“I am Carlos” he dropped the pen knife at a desk, I didn’t know was there.
He switched on the lights and my eyes winced in pain from the bright impact. I adjusted and saw I was in an empty room with a bed, a desk and chair. A typical kidnap room.
“I’m Kiera” I answered when Carlos didn’t say further.
He nodded, “Of course I know”. He just stayed there looking at me.
“So? Could you please release me, kind Carlos?” I blinked multiples times. To my surprise, he laughed. Was I playing, flirting or joking around with my kidnapper?
“Okay, I’d get to the point of you being here” he moved his chair closer to me. I could smell his cologne, it was strong but nice.
I was glad he wasn’t hostile.
However reason for being a victim of kidnap was more complicated than I thought. It brought about an almost century old story. Forgive my hyperbole.
So Tessa, the old smelly lady, was promised to my grandfather years ago. Her father was a business tycoon who Martinez wanted to work with.
They then sacrificed their son to a, what we call now, Marriage alliance with Tessa. Against his wish.
Even though my grandfather ran away to marry another woman, the business he had started didn’t die down and continued till of recent it was closed down.
The revenues, by right, belonged to my grandfather and his descendants. But by contract, belonged to he and Tessa or their descendants.
Since my grandfather never married Tessa, it was hard to share the properties that was left.
Tessa also married another man. Carlos was her grandchild.
So now, Carlos, like me, needed the inheritance which his grandmother was entitled to by contract marriage.
It wasn’t my business, but I am involved as I can’t have the full inheritance cos the contract was still valid despite the marriage never holding.
Since it can only be shared by a Martinez and Tessa or their descendants, it was advised I marry Carlos for it to be easily settled.
And that was the funniest part! It literally had me laughing hard despite the blood running from my arm.