“You took me away from my friends to this cold strange town and you tell me I’m adopted. Why are you telling me now?” I feel betrayed. The person sitting opposite from me that I always saw as my father has become a stranger in a matter of seconds.
“You were born in this town. Your m- stepmother and I used to live here.We also got married in this town before we moved away and took you with us. I didn’t want you to find it out from someone else.”
He’s wealthy, he could have chosen any place but brought me here just to shock me with this news?
I stand up. “I have to go get ready otherwise I’ll be late for the first day of school. Bye Frank.” It’s the first time ever that I call him on his first name. I go to my room to finish up.
I’m speeding in the 4X4 Jeep Frank bought me for my eighteenth birtday just before we came to this town. I almost crush into another car that’s parked in the parking lot at School.
A few students stare at me when I get out. One of them, a guy, says. “Cool car.”
“Thanks.”
One of his friends says. “Want to go out on a date?”
I ignore that remark and walk towards the school building.
I just came out of the office where I got my roster and some other information pamphlets when a guy approach me. “Want some?” He shows me some pills and I know exactly what kind of pills it is. I’m surprised to see they also sell it in a small town like this.
Taking it looks like a good idea at the moment, because then I can spend Frank’s money on something he wouldn’t want me to have. I nod and then I put a hundred dollar bill in his hand. He gives me about 10 pills. He wants to turn around and walk away but I stop him. “Could you tell me where I can find this class?”
He looks at the piece of paper. “Oh yeah. Go up that stairs, turn right Room No 103.”
I drink one of the pills right before I enter the class. The teacher introduces me then tells me to sit down next to a girl called Victoria Bass. Victoria looks at me in a strange way but then focus on the teacher again. I always wear my watch on my right hand because I want to hide a scar I’ve always had. But this morning I was so upset that I forgot to put my watch on. So by mistake I pull my sleeves up a little and I see Victoria staring at the scar. It makes me feel uncomfortable so I pull my sleeve down.
I then see her busy with her cell phone, but I focus right back to the teacher because I don’t want to be in trouble on the first day.
Later that day I see Victoria talking with a guy as I pass them. He looks at me as if he has just seen a ghost and then I hear him saying: “I can’t believe it” I look back and it’s as if I recognise him but can’t remember where I’ve seen him before.
I’m entering the cafeteria at lunch time and I pass a table where Victoria’s sitting with two guys. One of them is the one that looks familiar. She stares at me again but not for long.
I sit down and take another pill and sip it down with water while I look at my cell phone.
The bell rings so I stand up. I feel dizzy but I walk anyway. I’m only a few steps away from the table when I bump into a guy.
He introduces himself. “I’m Taylor Bass.”
“Katherine Stephens. You look familiar. Have we met before?”
He shakes his head then walks out as if I never even asked him a question.
Frank is in the kitchen when I get home. “How was school?”
“Okay.” I don’t want to talk to him. I guess he sees it so he leaves the kitchen.
I warm up the big pie I bought from the store on my way home. Put a slice in a plate and take it to my bedroom with a glass of milk.
I’m busy eating when I look at the scar again. No wonder Frank and his wife could never tell me where this scar came from. At least they didn’t make up a story.
The following morning a girl that passes my Jeep just as I’m getting out of it starts a conversation with me. “Hi, I’m Sarah Mason. I saw you in the Cafeteria yesterday. Are you new?”
“Yes I’m new. Katherine Stephens.”
She points towards someone. “Tyler Bass is staring at you.”
I look at him. “I have to go.”
“You can sit with me at lunch time!” She says it out loud because I’m already walking away from her.
“Okay, see you!” I reply back.
Tyler is very much on my mind since I met him. Why couldn’t I stop thinking about him?
I stare at Tyler when I see him speaking with Victoria outside the classroom just before first period. I try to avoid Victoria and she makes it easy for me. She never once looks at me.
The other classes doesn’t pass as fast as I would like it to. I hope that I would see Tyler again. A student, Ned Baley, sent me a note in History class asking me if I will go out with him. Of course I reply “No” but he still smiles at me when he passes me after the bell rang.
Sarah winks at me to sit with her when I enter the Cafeteria at lunch time.
I see Tyler sitting with his sister Victoria and another guy that was busy reading a book.
I sit down next to Sarah and see Tyler staring at me. Sarah also sees it. “And I see he’s still staring.”
I look into his direction again. I wish he would stop to stare. It’s not healthy for me when such an attractive guy stares at me. My heart is racing and I suddenly don’t have an appetite anymore.
I guess Sarah sees I’m not hungry. “I wish I could be like you. I always blamed grandma for me being overweight but I have to confess that I could never resist food.” She takes a few bites of her food again and I drink my soda.
“Sarah, where do you go to in this town if you want to have fun?”
“There is this club, but I won’t go there.”
“Why? Don’t you like getting out?”
“I’m not eighteen yet. They’re very strict on showing an ID.”
“Don’t you have a fake one?”
“No, I’m far too conservative for that. Do you?”
“I turned 18 just before we came here, so Frank bought me the Jeep.”
“Is Frank your boyfriend?” She looks surprised.
“No, my stepdad, but I didn’t find out until a few days ago. His wife died two years ago. I guess I’ve always been with them, I can’t remember having other parents.”
“Why don’t you ask him about your real parents?”
I pull my shoulders up. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to. We haven’t spoken since he told me on the first morning I started school here.”
“Unfortunately I won’t be able to help, because I’ve only been living here for like five years now. I don’t talk to other people that much. I live with my grandmother; maybe gran will know something…”
“Frank only told me I was adobted because I was born in this town and he didn’t want me to hear from someone else. We were happy where we were. We had a big house and I had friends even a boyfriend. But he decided out of the blue that we should move back here. He has a lot of money, so we could have lived anywhere but he chose this town.” I’m silent for a moment then I add. “It feels like my life was a lie. Their families were never mine. I feel like I’m living in a stranger’s house.”
I take a few bites then I stand up. “See you?”
“Okay.”
The bell rings just when I’m out of the door.
I’m walking to my Jeep in the afternoon when I see Tyler leaning against it.
“What do you want?” He’s been staring and ignoring me at the same time. Why would he wait for me now?
“I wanted to say I’m sorry for being so rude.”
“Okay.” Why should I care what he thinks of me anyway? It’s not as if someone like him would be interested in me.
“So I’m forgiven?”
“Yes.”
He smiles. “Thanks.”
Frank isn’t home when I get there. I leave my bag on one of the couches in the living room and go to the kitchen. I have never cooked in all my life so I try to find something that was quick and easy to make. It’s strange to me that Frank hasn’t appointed a cook or maid yet.
I ‘m standing on the patio of the house after I ate when I see Frank inside his car kissing a blonde woman I’ve never seen before. I can’t even remember all the names of the women he dated since his wife died two years ago.
I guessed he always felt alone because he knew I wasn’t his real daughter.
I see them getting out of his car but I stay on the patio because I don’t feel up to it to meet his new girlfriend. Later I go to the family room to get my shoulder bag when I see her purse.
He knows I’m here but took her upstairs to his bedroom anyway.
I shudder. Gross! Can’t they rent a room or something?
I go to my bedroom and lock the door. After I did some homework I try to phone Agnes. My best friend I had to leave behind.
Her voicemail is on so I hang up without leaving a message.
I lay on my bed listening to music on my iPod. Maybe I should try the house phone.
Her younger sister picks up. “Hello?”
“Hi Trudy, I’m looking for Agnes. Is she there?”
“Yes.” It sounds to me as if she doesn’t know what to say.
“Can I talk to her please?”
“I don’t think she can. She is in her bedroom with Craig.”
“They are in her bedroom?” Craig is still kind of my boyfriend. We weren’t on speaking terms because he wanted me to move in with him and his parents when he heard I was going to move away. I didn’t want to because I didn’t want to leave Frank alone and I wasn’t ready to move in with someone.
She’s silent for a few seconds but then she says. “I wasn’t supposed to tell you.”
“Tell me what?” I’m sure I don’t want to hear what she wanted to say.
“They’ve been seeing each other now and again even before you moved away.”
I know what Trudy means by that. I’ve been gone for five days already and they didn’t even have he decency to tell me.
“I have to go.”
I hang up feeling very much upset.
As if hearing I’m adobted isn’t bad enough!
The next day is a miserable day for me. It’s raining a lot and I’m strolling from the one class to the next without any enthusiasm. I receive a text message from Trudy saying she’s sorry. I don’t reply. Craig also sent a text message saying that he’s sorry and he broke up with Agnes.
After what they did they think they can just say they’re sorry and we can go on being best friends like before? No way! They can both crawl into a pit together for all I care!
I switch my phone off.
Sarah walks with me at the end of the day. “Sarah, could you give me directions to that club?”
“You really want to go?”
“Yeah.”
She writes it down for me on a piece of paper. I take it from her. “Thanks.”
“Bye, see you tomorrow.” Her lift is there so she runs off.
“Okay. Bye.”
Tylor is standing at my jeep waiting for me again.
“I just came to see if you’re okay.”
“I’m fine.” I get into the Jeep totally ingoring him.
There’s a letter from Frank on the refrigerator when I get back home. ‘I ordered Pizza. Will be home a bit late. Dad.’
I guess he still wants me to call him dad.
It’s almost dark and Frank hasn’t come home yet. So I decide that I’m going to drive around for a bit.
I’m sitting on a bench at a nearby river when I hear somebody else’s car. I ignore it.
“So this is your hangout place?” It’s Tylor.
“I hope you’re not following me around.” I’m not looking at him.
“This is my hangout place. It’s just strange seeing someone else here.”
“Why?”
“I guess most people find this spot dangerous.”
I don’t say anything.
“It looks like you need to somebody to listen.” He sits down as if he’s expecting me to open up and start talking.
What if he knows something of my biological parents?
“Frank told me that I was born here. Frank is my stepdad. ”
“Your parents died when a fire broke out at their house, all of you were asleep. You were only three months old.”
“How did I survive?”
“Someone rescued you and took you to the Hospital.”
I show him the scar on my right hand. “I guessed this scar is a result of the fire?”
He stares at it then touched it lightly before pulling his hand back.
“You know more, don’t you?”
“I want to tell you something but you have to promise you won’t tell anyone.”
“I’m good at keeping secrets.”
Agnes would know that. But then again, Agnes is a pro in keeping secrets herself.
“I was the person that saved your life that night. I was passing through this town when I saw the house burning and heard your mother screaming. She was already busy dying when I got to her. She told me that I should save her daughter. It was you she was speaking about. You were about three months old and you were barely alive when I held you in my arms. I couldn’t let you die because your mother asked me to save you. I saved you by giving you some of my blood. That’s why you have that scar.”
I stand up. I don’t believe him.
Does this guy think I’m crazy or something! I shouldn’t have asked him anything!
“This is serious to me and you tell me this story? How could you’ve saved me if you’re my age?”
He also stands up and grabs on to my arm. Then the strangest thing happens. I see everything he just told me as if I’m watching a movie. Then he let go of my arm.
“What was that?”
“I showed you what happened that night.”
“How- What are you?” I step further away from him. “Why didn’t you age?”
“Vampires don’t age.”
I don’t believe him. “You’re a vampire?”
He steps closer. “Can I show you?”
“No!”
I walk to my Jeep and get in as fast as I can and start the engine. I’ve never felt this afraid in all my life.
Frank is home busy on his laptop on the dining room table. I walk right pass him without greeting him.
What is it about people in this town! I see a guy I’m totally interested in and he turns out to be a vampire!
Sarah gives me more information the following morning just before first period. “Frank and his wife, Evelyn, bought you so you had foster parents even before you were released from the Hospital the following morning. Evelyn was a nurse at that Hospital and Frank a wealthy man. The jugde was his friend.”
I sigh. “Thanks for this information Sarah.”
I wonder how much she would freak out if she knew that Tyler Bass is a vampire! I’m all freaked out.
I’m walking pass Tyler in the hall on my way to the next class. I don’t look at him.
In class Victoria sees the piece of paper that Sarah put the club directions on. “You’re planning to go to that club?”
I put it away. “Yes, maybe.”
Class goes on as usual.
I didn’t go to the Cafeteria at lunch time so Sarah asks me where I was at the end of school day when I put my shoulder bag on the passenger seet of my Jeep.
“Hi Katherine, where were you lunchtime?”
“I had something else to do.”
I got a crazy phonecall from Craig. I wish he hadn’t called. He should realize it’s over.
“Gran asked if you could come to her house after school. It’s about your real parents.”
“Are you still waiting for your lift?”
“No, I was hoping that you would say yes. I didn’t arrange for a lift this afternoon.”
“Let’s go.”
We are sitting in their family room. Sarah’s grandmother Hazel is the first to speak. “This is Mike Reed. He was your biological parents’ lawyer.”
Mike Reed explains. “Your biological parents were good wealthy people; a few people knew it because they lived in a small two bedroom house. Frank and Evilyn Stephens were also wealthy. They knew each other. They were friends. Mr. and Mrs. Stephens were your legal guardians.” He hands a few pictures to me. “The only pictures I had of your parents, your home and you as a baby. Maybe it will give you some comfort.”
I look at the pictures. “Why haven’t you contacted me before now?”
“I wanted to wait until you were at least 18 years old. As you can see I’m very old and sometimes I forget a lot of things. But when Hazel contacted me I remembered everything and arranged that we can meet as soon as possible.”
“Why did Frank and Evilyn never tell me that I’m adopted?”
“It was their own decision. I guess he brought you back here to tell you.”
Then he gives me an envelope. “This was your parent’s testament. I have to meet you tomorrow so that we can finalize everything. Can we make it lunchtime at school?”
“Okay. Could you give me the adress of the property?”
He writes it down and then gives it to me with his cell number. “Thanks.”
“Here’s a key of the property. It’s for the front gate. I thought you would want to go and have a look.”
He stands up. “Well, I have to go. It was nice to meet you. Your parent’s would have been proud of you.”
It feels strange to get out at the property. The house is almost burnt down to the ground and the yard looks as if it has been maintained. I walk through an opening.
Guess this was the front door.
I peek in and see that it would be difficult for me to walk because of all the damage.
I wake up early the next morning and I see through my bedroom window that it’s raining again outside. I dress then go down stairs for some coffee and biscuits. I get the envelope out of my shoulder bag and open it to start reading through it. My parents were Neil and Emily Johnson. They named me Katherine.
Frank comes into the kitchen.
“We need to talk Katherine. I need to explain why we never told you about your real parents.”
I look at Frank and I feel sorry for him. “Okay. I”ll listen.”
I at least owe him this. They were never bad parents and my parents appointed them to be my legal guardians.
He sits down on one of the bar chairs and I follow.
“Your stepmother and I have been married for over seven years. We tried to have children without any success. I told her we should adopt, but she didn’t want to hear anything about it. Your real parents appointed us as legal guardians. They were our best friends. We took you away from here so that you could at least have a normal life until we would tell you about your real parents. Evilyn never wanted to come back here. She loved your parents too, but she was still afraid that she might lose you. She loved you very much. I made a promise to her on her death bed that I would bring you back here and tell you the truth. She said that she’s sorry she didn’t tell you earlier. I wanted to but she would never let me.”
I hug him. “I don’t understand it completely but I forgive you and Evilyn.”
“So I guess you’re going to call me dad again?”
“Yeah, dad.”
I’m in my bedroom looking at the piece of paper with the club’s details on. Agnes and I used to sneek into clubs using fake ID’s. I guess having money and famous parents also helped us to get in anywhere. We were best of friends. Craig knew we were going and he joined us most of the times, then I would see his eyes wondering off to some girl but he would always leave with me. I’m thinking back now and it feels as if it never really happened. This town feels more like home to me. I guess dad telling me the truth and Taylor Bass being here has got something to do with it.
I’m surprised when Taylor Bass comes for a visit. We talk for many hours before he leaves and I fall asleep on my bed.
My alarm wakes me up the following morning. I have a headache but I force myself to get out of bed and get ready for school.
I don’t talk much during that day. During lunch time I see that Taylor isn’t at school. Veronica was also not in class. I stare at my food while Sarah talks about things I don’t even listen to. I’m wondering what the future is going to bring. What do I want? I know I want Taylor who wasn’t only my mother’s hero but has become mine as well. He had a gift I admired. He could show me the truth by just one touch. And no matter what he was, I was falling for him.
I’m in the kitchen eating dinner and reading a few chapters from a book for school when there’s a knock at the front door. I go to open because Frank is out.
It’s Tyler. “I need to talk to you.”
“Come in. Frank’s out for the evening.”
He follows me to the kitchen.
We are in the kitchen when he touches my arm. “I want to show you something.”
I’m out of breath when he let go of my arm. “You lived through all of those centuries?”
“Yes.”
He touches my arm again and I see what he saw when he held me that night after saving me. I pull my arm away.
“Me and you?” I’m still out of breath.
“Yes.”
Is that why I feel so much attracted to him? Could we really be meant for each other? He did save my life and it’s maybe not a coincidance that he was there to save my life.
“Do you believe what you saw?”
He’s even closer now. “Yes, I believe. Do you?”
“I do.”
We kiss and it’s even more magical than I imagined it would be. And I’m thinking while we kiss. Mom, your hero has really become mine as well…
THE END
In South Africa today security plays a vital part in any business or private home. This book and the volumes to follow, will guide you step by step through the essential precautionary measures to be taken in protecting your family and valuables. From employing security guards, evacuation of your site and security measures to burglar bars and alarms in your private home.
a Book compiled by me from experience gained after 10 years in the security industry as Industrial relations officer with Nosa qualifications, 1st Aid, fire protection and also S.O.B. grade A.
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