Chapter Four: The Radley's
1856 Words
Bill Radley was a short impatient man. At the age of 57, he stood at 5ft 6” with a slightly rounded belly. He grew and maintained a mustache which he treasured so much because his wife Sophie always said it made him look like a celebrity.
His wealth was inherited but he was a proud man and always made sure he flaunted it any chance he could and this was why he was making a scene at the reception of Kai's Office on the top floor of Koch Inc., the largest incorporated company in Miami, Florida.
“You had better not waste my time, do you know who I am?” Bill barked at the poor lady at the front desk
“Mr. Radley, I assure you that I am not trying to…” the lady replied.
“Then why am I not being ushered into the meeting?”
“As I said sir, Mr. Koch is not on seat, he is out for a site survey”
“So you mean my appointment is going to be postponed?”
“No sir, he should have been back and it is very much unlike him to be late for appointments”
“Well, call your boss!” Bill thundered, his veins showing in his thick neck as he screamed in the lobby.
“I have tried to explain to you sir, we have been unable to get through to him”
Bill Radley paced angrily, he needed the appointment with Klaus Koch more than anything in the world. His company was losing a lot of money and if he could pitch his offer to Klaus, it would change things faster.
It had taken him 10 months to get an appointment. He had had to bribe a few people to get his appointment pushed up.
He needed to wait for Klaus even though his daughter Rose wanted him at her fancy club meeting. She said they were doing a parent activity thing and he needed to be there because if he didn't, it would make her look like a loser.
Bill loved his 22-year-old daughter Rose, she was the apple of his eye and he always did anything to keep her happy. She was feminine, and didn't try to play too smart. Bill always imagined her married to a millionaire, she would make a good debutante.
Unlike his older daughter, Katniss who had run off with a boy and disappeared two years ago. Katniss was always a trouble maker, she always disagreed with her sister and mother, always fought and never allowed peace in his home.
When he discovered she had run, he was a little bit relieved, he knew he would now have peace in his home, though he always wondered where she eloped to.
“She would be 25 years old by now”, he thought to himself
Bill's phone rang and he saw it was Sophie, his wife calling. He sighed and picked up.
“Honey…?”
“Bill, where are you?” came Sophie’s voice through the phone “you promised Rose that you'd be here”
“Sorry honey, you'd have to wait…”
“Dad! You promised! All the other dad's are here. Even Ugly fugly Daisy's dad too…” He heard Rose’s voice as she snatched the phone from her mother.
“Honey, you know my meeting is important..”
“You being here is important too, I want to tweet our pictures together” Rose snorted before she continued.
“Daisy is already showing her dad around because he is a millionaire…I want to show you off too” She said whining.
“Rose, hon…I have an appointment with Klaus Kosh and he isn't here yet…so I will be a little late”
“Wait? You are meeting with that handsome, jaw dropping billionaire?”
“Yes, honey that's what I was trying to…”
Before Bill could finish Rose squealed so loud that Bill had to pull the phone from his ear.
Excitedly, Rose began to speak, a little bit too loudly.
“That's no problem Dad, if Klaus Koch, CEO of Koch Inc. has requested a meeting with you then I cannot be in the way”.
Bill knew his daughter was dramatic and immediately calculated that she was speaking so everyone would hear them back at her club.
“Alright hon.. I have to go now”
“Erm…Daddy? Put in a good word for me”
“What?” Bill replied in confusion.
“Duh…he is single right?”
“Oh…alright. I love you honey” Bill replied laughing.
“Bye daddy!”
Rose sent smooching sounds through the phone and didn't wait for his wife to take the phone back before he hung up.
Bill marveled at how Rose thought, one would say he spoiled her but it was better her who gave him peace than Katniss who always brought nothing but headaches.
He found a seat in the lobby of Klaus's office in the grand skyscraper corporate building and toyed with the idea of Rose getting married to the billionaire.
“That would even be a better idea than my business offer” he thought as he chuckled to himself.
*****
Klaus is still standing at the dirty beach shore in the countryside of Miami. staring at a total replica of his dead wife.
“It can't be!” Klaus thought to himself. This is totally impossible, Melanie has been dead for two years so who was this?
He thought about dragging Nora away from her arms but he decided to let her have that moment after all, he had maintained the lie that Melanie had traveled since he couldn't bring himself to tell her then that her mother died.
“Excuse me? Who are you?” Klaus said.
“Nora, baby…come here” he said beckoning to his child.
Nora turned to look at him and gave a mischievous smile. Immediately he knew that there was no separating her from this lady any time soon.
“No, I want to stay with Mommy” Nora replied and retreated into Katniss' arms again.
Kat was very bothered about this little scene happening between this child and her father. Why was the girl calling her mom?
She knew she had gotten all her memories back and these people were strangers to her but something about the way Nora held on to her made her feel precious. She honestly didn't want to let go.
He observed the lady, she had seemed very surprised to be caught in the embrace of a five-year-old, she didn't look like she minded the hug but she sure looked uncomfortable.
“I ask again please, who are you? Klaus repeated himself to the lady
“I am just finding out for myself…” Katniss honestly replied to the strange handsome man’s question.
“ I am sorry, do I know you?” she continued
“What? I am Klaus” he replied.
It was weird for him because he hardly introduced himself, everyone knew him as much as they knew Koch Inc.
“Hi Klaus…”
“Klaus…Koch…” Klaus again, slowly, waiting for his name to ring a bell to her, but she seemed unbothered.
Klaus stared at her, deeply amazed. This lady, who looked like his dead wife, did not only relate to him as a regular person, she didn't even know who he was!
“My name is Kat -niss, I am Katniss.”
To Katniss, it almost felt weird saying her real name again.
He looked into her eyes, she had beautiful green eyes and he immediately got his answer. This wasn't his wife. Melanie had blue eyes, like pure sapphire jewels, they were the most beautiful and vibrant kind he had ever laid his eyes on, but this lady's eyes were green, sorrowful and held much pain.
She couldn't be Melanie, but why the resemblance?
Klaus gasped, he had forgotten his pilot who was still in the chopper unconscious.
“Please, do you have a phone I can use here? My pilot got knocked out mid-flight, I need to get him an ambulance”
“Oh, I am sorry about that…”
“Mommy, can you show me where you have been reading all your big books?”
Katniss cast a look at Klaus and he gave her a signal to just go along with it.
“I will explain…” He whispered.
Klaus had told Nora that Melanie had traveled to go do some research, it was the first lie he could think of and somehow Nora had believed him. Afterwards, she always kept asking about what her mom was studying and he kept replying to her “something big”.
Katniss shrugged and held Nora.
“I don't know if my books are big, but I will show you the ones I have anyways” she said to Nora.
She led the father and child up the small hill of rocks from the beach that led to Helen’s house.
As they walked and Nora chatted excitedly in her young attempt to make the woman who she thought was her mother catch up with her life, Katniss thought about her own past life and who she truly was.
She thought about Helen, a kind woman who had become her mother but was now down with cancer. She knew she couldn't break her heart and leave her.
So Katniss decided that for now, her past will remain hidden.
Klaus, who was walking behind the woman holding his daughter, was still in shock.
The more Klaus stared at Kat, the more he concluded that he hated her.
Who is she? Why did she look like his dead wife?
What was she doing at the side of the beach that the government said was abandoned? He had so many questions, but for now, he needed her phone and a way to get out of the area safely with his daughter.
Finally, after a brief distance they come into the little house. It was very small but cozy.
In a corner, a neat old lady sat, her eyes looking sunken and her fingers trembling as she dutifully held a knitting pin and was knitting away.
Upon sighting her, Katniss moved quickly to her.
“Mother”, she complained “you should be resting”
“Kat, I am tired of resting”
“But the doctor said…”
“Kat, this scarf won't knit itself,” Helen replied.
Katniss smiled at Helen, she loved how she loved her, because Helen made her truly feel like a part of a family.
She decided to quickly introduce Klaus to her, so he can make use of their phone.
“Mom, this is Klaus Koch…”
The knitting pin dropped from Helen's trembling hands immediately she heard the name.
She looked up and saw the man standing in the doorway of her home.
Helen’s face scrunched up in anger and yelled with the little strength she had left.
“Get that bastard out of my house!”
- Writer
