009 - NEW CAR

"I think I like this one," Kiara finally spoke after a lot of persuasion. Since Jeremy had asked her to choose their new car, she felt seriously guilty, not wanting to have anything to do with it. But Jeremy insisted, until Kiara made her choice. After searching on the facebook market, they had found a man selling two cars, and they were at a boutique, where both cars were parked outside. Since both cars were selling at the same price and almost similar in everything, Jeremy asked Kiara to pick the car of her choice.

Jeremy smiled. He too liked the car that Kiara chose.

After all the paperwork, they were about to drive off when Lee-Anne appeared from nowhere and waved frantically at them.

"Lee-Anne, what are you doing here?" Kiara asked.

"I was just passing by this place."

Kiara and Jeremy updated Lee-Anne on their new purchase, and she also informed them that her parents' health was greatly improving.

Jeremy went back into the boutique to collect something, and when Kiara tried to get into the car, Lee-Anne pulled her aside and whispered into her ear, "You lucky little thing!"

"What?" Kiara was confused.

"Stop pretending! Kevin told me!"

There was a frown on Kiara's face, she seemed lost as to what Lee-Anne was talking about.

"You and Vine! Come on, stop pretending!" Lee-Anne nudged Kiara with her shoulder.

"Nothing happened between us," Kiara snapped.

"Umm, keep lying to yourself. Your face flashed the moment I mentioned his name. Umm, hallo junior lady Pinkerton…what do they call you?"

"Stop it, Lee-Anne!" Kiara suddenly became tearful, and she pushed Lee-Anne away.

Since the latter was not expecting it, she almost lost her footing, but she quickly held on to the car, surprised.

"What's wrong, friend? I was just teasing you."

"You will not tease me using that name!" Kiara spoke angrily.

"Oh I am sorry," Lee-Anne put her hand to her chest apologetically.

"Hey love, are you OK?" Jeremy called out from the entrance of the boutique.

"We're fine. Lee-Anne was just leaving Bye Lee-Anne!!" Kiara waved at Lee-Anne and ran to the car.

"You seemed very angry. What did she say?" Jeremy asked as he started the car.

"Nothing. I wasn't angry, she and I were just fooling around," Kiara fastened her seatbelt.

Jeremy believed her. He started the car and could not help but smile all the way as he drove his new toy.

"Where do you want us to go?" he asked his girlfriend.

"I…I don't know." she stammered.

"Let's enjoy our new car. We can go anyplace you choose," he smiled.

"I'm not sure. I think we may just drive around and see places," Kiara forced herself to smile.

Jeremy, although overexcited about the new car, still managed to pick that his girlfriend was troubled – again. He wondered if the new job was stressing her that much, and he vowed in his heart that he was going to do anything within his power to make her happy.

***.

Two days later, Kiara and her parents were seated at the dining room table when they heard a knock.

Swiftly, Travis went to the door and opened it.

"Oh it's you, Jeremy! Come in!" he stood aside for the young man to walk in, and he closed the door.

After the greetings, Jeremy went straight to the purpose of his visit,

"Mr and Mrs Noels, I have decided that, since Kiara will be starting a new job tomorrow, its best that she drives a car to work. So I have brought the keys. I wish you the best in your new job, Kiara." He neatly placed the car keys in front of Kiara.

Travis and Aletha looked at each other, and the latter hesitated, then,

"Does your mum know about this? Will she be OK with you giving this car to Kiara?"

"The car is ours, Mrs Noels. Kiara has the same right to it as me. She can drive it to work."

"No I won't take it!" Kiara snapped before anyone else could say anything.

"Why won't you?" Jeremy asked.

"Jeremy, you spent years saving up for this car, working odd hours just so you could get yourself this car. And your brother helped you to buy it. No, I could never accept it." she folded her hands on her chest.

There was silence.

"I think she is right. My main worry is, is Sharon OK with this? I'm sure she is elated that her son has bought his first car, and you want to give it away so soon? We're still congratulating you, and you already want to give your car away?" Aletha said.

"To me it's not giving the car away, Mrs Noels. I'm doing this for Kiara. She's starting a new job and she has been very tense about it. So I thought that if she gets her own car, it might help boost her confidence for the first day. If you won't have the car, just take it for the first week then, Kiara," Jeremy seemed to be begging his girlfriend.

"I will not accept the car!" Kiara would not be moved.

Travis picked his fork and tossed his food in the plate before he took a chuck of steak and shoved it in his mouth. Chewing loudly, he acted as if he was not part of the discussion at hand.

"Travis!" Aletha snapped.

"What?" he looked at his wife.

Aletha sealed her mouth angrily, signaling for Travis to close his mouth while he chewed.

"Sorry," he mumbled and continued with his food.

There was silence once again.

"I cannot take the car," Kiara broke the silence.

"The car will remain in my name; I am only saying you can drive it to work."

"No!" she refused adamantly.

Her reaction was not what Jeremy had expected. He thought she was going to be very happy about the move. It was a surprise which the young man spent moths planning, for even before Kiara got a job, Jeremy had always told himself that he wanted her to drive the car around. He had always told himself that the car belonged to the two of them, and he thought his sweetheart believed the same.

Hurt, he bid everyone farewell and walked out, leaving the car keys in front of Kiara.

Aletha slowly picked her fork and began to eat slowly.

"You did well to refuse such an offer," she said to her daughter.

Kiara looked at her mother and sighed, "he left the car keys."

"Why are you refusing the car, anyway?" Travis spoke with his mouth full of food.

"Dad, it's not right for me to take that car. Jeremy worked very hard for it, and his brother helped him as well. I cannot take it."

"Why should you refuse a gift?" Travis spoke without much thought.

"Are you hearing yourself now, Travis? You want our daughter to take that car? Sharon is a widow; in case you have forgotten. Her son has managed to buy his first car, and you want our child to take it away?"

"She's not taking it away! The boy said she can use it and return it later. Sharon has a car of her own, I don't see how she gets involved in this," Travis lifted a glass of water and drank from it.

"I'll take these keys to Sharon," Aletha literally snatched the keys off the table and walked away.

Kiara immediately stood up and headed to her room, but her father stopped her.

Without turning around to look at her dad, Kiara stood rooted to her spot.

"That boy really loves you, doesn't he? Do you love him?" he asked his daughter.

Kiara turned around and faced her father. She slowly walked back to the table and took her seat.

"I do," she said.

"I don't see why you wouldn't take the car if he willingly gave it to you," Travis said before pulling Kiara's plate closer to him.

"Are you full?" he asked and before getting a response, he dug into the food joyfully.

"The car. Will you take it?" he asked while chewing.

"It's not right for me to take it, dad."

"If you say so." Travis said. He took a lot of food and filled up his mouth.

Kiara quietly stood up and went to her bedroom. She had really hoped to have a meaningful talk with her father, but after sitting down with him, she knew that there was no talk, for he was not taking anything seriously at all, as usual.

She threw herself on to the bed and cried bitterly.

Dear Kimmy

Why does Jeremy have to be this loving? I don't like it, because the more he shows me love, the more I feel guilty. Oh Kimmy, how can I ever erase the events of that night?

Life is not fair, and it has dealt harshly with me. Sometimes I ask myself, was I raped? Even if I conclude that I was raped, do I have the strength to report this case to the police? Will the police do anything to Vine?

Is it really true that no-one is above the law? Why do I have a feeling that Vine is above the law? Dear Kimmy, I do not know how to handle this.