SEVENTY-FOUR

OUTSIDE THE HOSPITAL

People stared in awe as a young girl was being dragged towards a police car. "I'm being forced to do this! Please believe me!" she screamed.

"It would be best if you cooperate with us, young lady," an officer advised.

"If you listen to me, you may be able to arrest the men from Zuri's camp. Three of them are here at this hospital right now. Why won't you give me a chance to explain?" the young lady pleaded. "Zuri sent me, why won't you listen to me?" the woman wailed at the top of her lungs.

"Anything you say now may be used against you in a court of law. I advise you to be silent," the officer said firmly.

She looked very desperate, and some of the people who watched swore to themselves that if they were the ones in charge, they surely would have given the girl a chance and listened to her. However, the hospital security guard and the cops who held her seemed to be deaf. They did not say a word; they simply dragged her along.

"I am Evangelista! Israel is my brother, you can check with Yellowleaf University records. I am their student, please call them! You have to believe me!" the young lady cried, yet it was all in vain.

Evangelista tried harder: "Don! Don Arrows! Do you remember him? The story of his death was all over the news! Don was my boyfriend! The men who killed him are the ones who kidnapped me! I am…."

She had not finished her sentence when the cop stopped and looked at her. "I have a feeling she is telling the truth," he said to the security guard.

"You think so?"

"I think so. What did you say, young lady?"

Finding renewed hope, Evangelista narrated her story, speaking at an incredibly fast speed: "Don Arrows. He was my boyfriend, and when he was killed, I was there. Those same men kidnapped me, and I lied that my name was Leah."

"Why did they kill Don?" the security guard's forehead furrowed as he tried to make sense of what the lady was saying.

Evangelista continued with her desperate narration: "Lucas la Martina? You remember Lucas? It was all done by Zuri; she held all of us captive."

She cried, failing to stand still, for she was praying and begging in her heart, for the men to believe her and go ahead with the plan of letting her go. She feared that the more they delayed, the higher the chances of having Zuri's men escape. Were they even still within the hospital grounds, anyway? Who could have known where the men were at that very moment?

"Ok, we will let you go, and get someone to follow you. Remember you cannot escape. Hopefully we will be led to this Zuri person. Hey, please update officer Fraser and detective Harris now. We might need a tracker; and we definitely require serious back up." The officer told his colleague.

Just then, the screeching sound of a car was heard, frightening everyone. When the attention was on the car, whose windows were heavily tinted and had no registration number, it reversed and skid down the road, before coming back in full force and when it was passing near Evangelista and the officers, a window opened slightly. While the officers, the bodyguard, Evangelista and everyone else watching was still trying to make sense out of what was happening; for it happened at the speed of lightning; a bullet was sent flying, hitting the young lady right in the head. She let out a small scream, went down on her knees and with her hands cuffed behind her, she kissed life goodbye.

SHIMMER'S POV

Just before bedtime, Roderick and I were relaxed, chatting away in our room. He was narrating a hilarious encounter with someone at work that day, and I swear I could have broken a rib from laughing. There was a soft knock at our door, and Dylan slightly pushed the door and peeped inside.

"Come on in!" I smiled at him.

He looked like he was hesitating, but all the same he entered the room.

"Oh Dylan, take a sit", Roderick pointed at the couch.

I knew that there was something either important or urgent, for our son hardly ever came to our room unless otherwise. Actually he hardly ever visited us at Clear Opal Manor, preferring to spend most of his time with Pete.

After the small talk, I sat on the bed, with my legs hanging low. Roderick stroked my back. Dylan cleared his throat and began,

"Mum and dad, I want you to hear it from me. I will not beat about the bush. I have added one more guest to the list of people who are coming to the hospital hand over function."

"Oh Dylan!", Roderick sighed. "You scared us! When I saw you coming in here, I thought there was a serious issue!! Just adding one more guest is really not an issue. It's your function, after all"

"Let him talk, darling," I said, casting a cold stare at the son that I gave birth to.

It looked like Dylan was having a difficult time saying whatever he wanted to say, but I already knew what he was going to say. He inhaled, exhaled and then spat it out as it was:

"I am inviting Anisha Meyerton. She will be there at the hospital formal function. She will also attend the dinner."

There was dead silence, which Roderick broke by saying, "I don't see anything bad with that! Why do you make it seem like it's a big deal? It's all ok, as long as that makes you happy. Shimmer?"

"Ummm, I…I think it's ok. I thought we had already specified that the dinner is strictly by invitation. Isn't it too late to invite any more guests now?" I said.

"I really want her there, mum." My son insisted.

"We hardly know her. Isn't she that girl from the orphanage? Do we really want someone who was all over the news about a kidnapping crime? And we don't know how she behaves in public…"

Roderick looked at me with shock in his eyes. "Shimmer, isn't that a little rude? Our son spent a month locked up with that girl. It makes sense for him to want her there. They shared a …."

"They don't share anything, Roderick! She is just an orphan who…."

"Shimmer! Do you know that our own children can become orphans in the blink of an eye. We may fall down dead now, and they too will be orphans!"

"I know but still, that girl comes from a totally different background!"

"Shimmer, I honestly don't expect this from you."

There was silence. Dylan ended up speaking in a low voice, "she is a good girl. You will see her."

"Invite her over for dinner tomorrow. The event is in two days. We have to know about her, before I can accept for her to attend the function!" I demanded, leaving no room for negotiation.

"Shimmer, is that really necessary?" Roderick failed to hide his disappointment in me.

"Don't worry dad, I will invite her for dinner tomorrow. Good night mum and dad." He immediately left the room.

I was itching with irritation. The fact that my own son did not even seem to pay attention to what I as saying, insisting instead to have that girl at the function, aggravated my anger.

Roderick said something to me, which I did not hear, for I was already out of the room, heading towards Iris' room. She must have been fast asleep, so I knocked loudly and from inside I heard her scared voice,

"Who's here!"

"Open the door, Iris!" I gave my command.

I peeped through the glass, for it was a glass door and the curtain was not fully drawn, and I saw Iris throwing over a morning gown and she rushed towards the door.

As soon as she opened it, I went in and sat on the corner of her bed. She looked at me, terrified. She knew me too well. She surely must have know that all hell had broken loose.

"I want you to call Raelynn." I got to the point.

"OK ma'am. You mean Miss Raelynn, Sir Pete's fiancée?"

"Yes. I want her to attend the dinner that we're hosting tomorrow night, here at the mansion. Tell her to dress in the best dinner gown that she has ever seen. Get her account number as well, so that I can wire some money to her for anything that she may need. I want her to look her best!"

"I will do so, ma'am."

"Yes. Do it first thing in the morning! And talk with the head chef for a perfect dinner! I want no ordinary food at that table."

"Noted ma'am. Who else is attending the dinner?" Iris asked timidly.

"It's our family, obviously including Pete. And Raelynn."

"Oh OK." She nodded her head.

Speaking into space, I found myself saying, "Tomorrow, everyone will understand, after they see Raelynn, what we mean when we talk about a classy lady. A lady who looks like royalty; a standard of what is worthy to be called a daughter in law of the de Milos. I'm talking big shot; the type of children that are raised in families like the Octavias, the Rockridges, and of course the de Milos. When Raelynn sits next to that rat tomorrow, someone will have no option but to go out there and look for a decent woman, not some disgusting thing whose own mother could not even love!"

I stood up and started pacing the room. I could feel Iris' gaze on me, but that was the least of my worries at that time.

"Is Anisha also attending the dinner, ma'am?" Iris asked me.

"Indeed she is, and listen to this: she and Raelynn have to sit next to each other!! The contrast must be loud and clear. I want Dylan to look at that girl and see that she does not belong in our class at all! When he compares her with Raelyn, he must be able to pick his error!!"

Iris just stood there like a statue, not uttering a word. I did not mind what she was thinking, I did not even want to know!

"No-one even wanted to adopt her! Her own mother dumped her! And no-one wanted her! And I,….I, Shimmer de Milo, am now being requested to accept her!! What is that?"

I stared long and hard at iris. Why was she silent? Why was she not responding to what I was saying? I felt like there was no one on my side, and I sighed heavily.

I knew why Iris chose to be silent. She was not sure what her words would have done to me. But I badly wanted her to say something…I wanted her to support me. Why could she not see that I was right? Why was no one seeing my point? Huh? Roderick? Did he really think it was good and acceptable for our son to be friends with that girl? What had happened to class? Status? Did those not matter anymore?

Anger reeled within me, causing me to instinctively lift my hands with clenched fists, before bringing them back to the back of my neck, clasping my head in my arms. I bent down and buried my head in between my knees. Why, Dylan, why?

I ended up assuring myself in my head, that all was well and under control, and that there was nothing I could not manage. Abruptly I stood up and nodded at Iris; "it's late. Good night"

With that I marched towards the door, switched of Iris' light and slammed the door shut.

I walked all the way back to my room; and it seemed like forever until I reached there. I was feeling lost, but I had to go on. Tucked neatly in bed was Roderick, snoring away! Not wanting to disturb him, I crawled into my blankets and closed my eyes, forcing sleep to take me.