CHAPTER TEN: AN EXPOSITORY OF THE PAST (part 5.)

Rylee Athena walked back to Utopia Hotel and was shocked to find Director Benjamin Franklin and Jadie Felicity sitted down with all the workers aligned behind them.

Jadie Felicity looked terribly wronged as she explained to her boyfriend, Director Benjamin Franklin of the case about her stolen lipstick.

Rylee Athena stood at the door as she looked around and saw Stacy Williams call her over.

She went and stood near Stacy Williams in the line waiting for the next matter of discussion.

"My lipstick was stolen while in the work place and I cannot find it anywhere." Jadie Felicity complained as she said in a pitiful voice.

"I can buy you a new one." Director Benjamin Franklin said trying to get her to forget the matter.

"But if we do that then stealing will become a norm in this hotel. We cannot just sit back and relax." She added trying to convince Director Benjamin Franklin to look for the lipstick so that her plan could work.

"Who do you suggest we check, or who is the suspected criminal?" Director Benjamin Franklin asked Jadie Felicity .

"I suspect, Rylee Athena. We had a big fight with her this morning." She said trying to support her answer.

"Beatrice Clover, go and fetch Rylee Athena's bag." Instructed Director Benjamin Franklin and soon Beatrice Clover came back with Rylee Athena's bag.

"Out of all the people, me?" Rylee Athena asked Jadie Felicity.

"Have you ever heard of the saying that goes like a guilty conscience

needs no accuser? Do not doubt yourself." Jadie Felicity said.

"No problem, we can never stop dogs from barking if they want now can we?" Rylee Athena questioned.

Beatrice Clover handed Rylee Athena's bag to Jadie Felicity but to her surprise, Rylee Athena got her bag and insisted on being given a clear explanation because that was simply invading her privacy.

Jadie Felicity woke up and grabbed the bag, it was like a tug of war,both of them were fighting over the bag.

Jadie Felicity's heart was filled with hatred towards Rylee Athena.

Jadie Felicity got the upper hand and snatched the bag from Rylee Athena's hands.

She unzipped the zipper and turned the bag upside down and shook it fiercely.

Some things fell out of the bag including Jadie Felicity's lipstick.

The action left everyone shocked beyond words but Jadie Felicity had a grin on her face.

Out of anger, Rylee Athena took her empty bag from Jadie Felicity and knelt down on the floor to pick up her things.

Her only friend,Stacy Williams knelt down too and helped her while persuading her that it was Jadie Felicity's plots to get her fired.

"Call the police right now." Director Benjamin Franklin roared in his husky voice.

"No need to call the police over such a small matter, just fire her." Jadie Felicity tried to calm her boyfriend down.

"Okay, in order to set a good example to others, Rylee Athena pack up your things, you are fired!"

"Who dares fire her?!" A deep voice asked as a young man in a tar black suit with another man behind him entered the room.

"Vice president Ali Maddox." Director Benjamin Franklin exclaimed in astonishment.

"What happened here?" Ali Maddox asked as he glanced at the two girls kneeling down on the floor.

"An employee stole another employee's property so I was simply handling the matter." Director Benjamin Franklin said.

"No! It's a lie!" Said Stacy Williams as she stood up.

"I know everything, how it exactly happened. Jadie Felicity tried to frame Rylee Athena of stealing her lipstick." She added.

"Why are you lying?" Hissed Jadie Felicity.

"The CCTV footage can prove it." She said bravely.

"How can such a thing happen when I thought I had appointed a good enough director." Ali Maddox said in a pitiful voice as he sighed.

"How can you lie to all of us?" Director Benjamin Franklin asked Jadie Felicity as he slapped her left cheek.

"You..you."Jadie Felicity was shocked, how could her boyfriend betray her when he was threatened about his career?

Did he not treasure her? She was living in a daydream.

The slap had jolted her back to reality!

Her hand was on her cheek as her eyes turned misty.

To the workers, it was an opera.

Director Benjamin Franklin took the lipstick and forcefully applied it on Jadie Felicity's lips and then he used it to write the words ' Jadie Felicity you are fired, pack up and go home.' On the floor.

Vice president Ali Maddox walked over to where Rylee Athena was and helped her up.

"What relationship do you have with him?" Stacy Williams asked Rylee Athena.

"She is my fiancee." Vice president Ali Maddox said in a loud and clear voice astonishing everyone.

He took Rylee Athena's hand and pulled her out of the hotel.

They both got into a vehicle that was parked alongside the road, Assistant Theo Kenji coughed up the engine and drove off.

While on the road, neither of them dared to look at each other.

Rylee Athena was busy looking at the view outside while Ali Maddox was busy reading his files.

When they got to the building, they got off and walked into the building.

Everyone in the hallway bowed when Ali Maddox walked over.

Even the ones in the lift got off leaving room for Vice president Ali Maddox.

He was even handed a cup of Americano by one of the employees.

He got a file from the receptionist's desk and walked into his office.

He sat on his swivel chair, tossed the flies on his desk and ushered Rylee Athena to sit down.

When she sat, the chair was so comfortable almost like a cotton ball.

She was still admiring the office, it had a shiny and polished marble floor with a glossy black table and four swivel chairs.

It had a ceiling fan and the temperature in the room was a little bit lower than the one outside.

The sofas on the other side of the room looked comfortable with their enormous cushions.

The collection of sofas was crystal white in color and, it blended very well with my white glittering walls.

The shelves the room held a number of books and magazines.

The brackets looked like a small library and, one could get books on different topics.

Apart from the Ultra Marin lightweight curtains which covered the full length of the windows on the other side of the room, from ceiling to floor and a striking feature wall.

Different sized mirrors were arranged in an abstract manner, creating a funky and trendy vibe highlighting just how much character that design possessed.

Small amounts of negative space between each mirror, delivered a unique experience and a number of different reflections.

"What?" Inquired Rylee Athena abruptly as she noticed that Ali Maddox was looking at her and turned to her the other side.

"I am not interested in you even a tiny bit." He said making her feel embarrassed.

"Have a cup of mocha." Vice president Ali Maddox said as he handed Rylee Athena a glossy black cup.

Her cup of Mocha warmed my freezing hands.

She tasted her coffee and savored the warmth of the chocolate.

The smooth steamed milk surfed in her mouth and the drink tasted very dense and creamy.

"You know very well that my grandfather is to undergo surgery but cannot because Isla Amelia is missing. You and my fiancee look like two peas in a pod." Ali Maddox started.

"So I want you to become my fake fiancee." He concluded making Rylee Athena chock on her drink and look at him perplexed.

He took a file from his cabinet and handed it to her.

Rylee Athena placed the cup of mocha on the glossy black table and flipped through the file.

It stated of how she would become Ali Maddox's fake fiancee so that his grandfather would undergo surgery and disappear afterwards and would even get paid.

"You will act as Isla Amelia until my grandfather undergoes surgery and then disappear afterwards, you will get a hefty amount of cash and it will be like a job. Just do as I tell you and I will even take care of any problem of yours." He said.

"Impossible." Rylee Athena said as she rejected the offer.

"How can I pretend to be someone else?" She added.

She then placed the file on his desk and left the room.

Ali Maddox tried to persuade her but she did not change her mind.

Assistant Theo Kenji then came in the office and asked, "Should I chase after her?"

"What do you think?" Vice president Ali Maddox inquired instead.

"If she does not come back then do not bother to come as well." He concluded as he fanned himself with the file to reduce his anger.

Assistant Theo Kenji ran out of the office and chased after Rylee Athena.

They had been given two days off in order to give time for Jadie Felicity's case to be handled.

She dialed Natalia Quinn's number on her flip phone and placed the phone in her ear.

"I am coming over." She informed her best friend.

"Okay, come and keep me company." Her friend said on the other side of the phone.

In that place Rylee Athena could be anyone, or perhaps no-one at all.

The people flowed like rivers, never stopping for obstacles but swirling around them.

On those wide avenues with healthy trees, their leaves stood erect while green in colour.

The buildings towered on each side.

She tilted her head to the Tuscany-blue sky and felt all was hushed.

The noises all went mute as she closed her eyes.

The lake appeared as if by magic as we crested the ridge in her mind'se eye.

It was in teardrop-silver in colour and it was shaped like a perfectly flat disc of metal.

No sound rang out from the shimmering emptiness of space around it.

Monastery quiet, it was lined with pine trees and the whiff of mint wafted up to her.

She decided to make her way to it's decanter clear shore.

The idyllic scene took her breath away.

Unruffled by wind or rain, it was vault still and restful.

The only sounds were the bumbling of bees and the heavy echo of a raven crawking.

Out on the lake, flopping trout were slapping the surface.

They were hoping to catch one of the squadron of flies that buzzed about.

The heaven-leaking light added a golden tint to the face of the lake and it was paradise.

A startling eureka moment came unbidden, which involved the beauty of the natural world.

Rylee Athena kept it to herself.

The nipping midges did not take away from the pleasure of that day.

The saccharine sweet smell of that grass.

Then suddenly! Her eyes bolted open as she noticed the people around her pushing her aside as they crossed the road.

The crowd was a river of people, everyone moving in the same direction.

There were only joyful faces as she head toward the other side of the road.

They moved not like pebbles in a jar, but like water molecules flowing smoothly past one another, friends staying together with fingers entwined.

While walking through the park on the summer Day, she chanced upon a butterfly.

 Flitting from flower to flower, happily collecting the sweet nectar.

How refreshing she thought, such a contrast to the other days prior to this which were colder.

The flowers were not yet blooming and hence the butterflies had not been out gathering.

Rylee Athena had decided to pass through the park instead of the main road to calm her soul.

Dragonflies glided around the sparkling pond and baby ducklings swam in line behind their proud mother.

Overhead she heard the robins twittering excitedly as if to announce their return from other places.

The air was crisp, but not cold.

The warmth of the sun had not yet given way to the slightly chilly evening breeze.

The other walkers were just as thrilled the other season had gone.

She could tell from the spring in their steps and their cheery greetings as they passed her. 

What a difference a season makes.

In just a few days, people had gone from stiff upper lips and brisk walking to get out of the rainy season to nonchalantly walking and taking time to take in the view.

The trees were getting ready to put on a full display of blossoms.

One could almost feel the energy surging through the branches as the sap travelled from roots to trunk and from trunk to branches and from branches to buds pulsating with new life.

There was also the incessant buzzing of the bees humming that signaled happiness.

Her thoughts suddenly took flight and she remembered a time, a long time ago when she was with her father in the park with the man she would later regret of his departure from the world.

His burial ceremony was filled with wails from all directions as his pictures were hanged around the room with a sombre mood inside.

White and yellow flowers surrounded the room.

That time she was still a little girl, she could not take in the pressure so the only thing she could do was sit in a corner with both of her hands hugging her knees tightly.

They had met in an orphanage and he had decided to adopt her, but it was in the rainy season that their bond grew even more.

She could not deny the feeling of exhilaration and complete abandonment when you realized she had a family of her own like other kids; a mother and a father.

She smiled unabashedly.

Every day was a day filled with sunshine even if it was a rainy day.

Every moment was charged with promise and expectancy.

There were no bridges to cross because she had already crossed them.

There were no mountains to climb because she was already at the top.

There were no rivers to maneuver because the rivers were only streams in which to wade.

She loved everyone, and everyone was her family and friend.

In fact, back then she felt like kissing everyone.

She was bursting with good will and her heart was singing.

Every happiest and joyful song was written for her, and she sang every chance you got.

She was on an emotional high or as some say, 'on cloud nine'

Like unwrapping a gift, she knew she was going to love and be loved, her thoughts timidly unwrapped the meaning of getting adopted.

Every night she went to sleep thinking, she would think about it the next day.

And every morning she woke up thinking, while looking at the beaded bracelet made by her father on her wrist.

It took a little while for her composure to return.

For her thoughts about that special sunny day which could only come once in a lifetime was threatening to undo her.

Aware that she had awakened emotions she had kept buried deep inside her, she closed her eyes and took deep breaths to regain her composure.

She smiled and wondered what had possessed her? What had triggered her thoughts to return to such a time and place?

An irreplaceable memory of her father.

Was it the birds, the fresh calming air or the flowers blooming and giving the place such beauty?

Or was it Mother Earth awakening after a long sleep teeming with life and renewal and rebirth?

After some time, she resumed her walk in the park on that fine sunny and bright day.