Disappearing Billionaire (second Chance)

Chapter 2. The Picnic

“He said from the metropolitan bridge, take the east-west road to the end.”I gave the cab driver the same directions he gave me.

It's supposed to be greener, a park where we can relax and have a good time with our dogs, but this right here is a villa “The Mason’s Villa”

Not sure am at the right place.

“Hello Jeff, am here at the end of East-West road, it’s not greenery, and am not seeing any dogs or people here,” I told him on the phone.

“You are at the right place Jenny, I will tell them to let you in,” he said as he dropped the phone.

“Looks like you are new in town ma’am,” the cab driver told me.

“The Masons have everything you want in there,” he said.

The gates opened to usher us into an astral environment, I didn’t know such a place existed in New York, it was another world altogether, the greenery, the road network inside this villa, the castle ahead of us, I was amazed.

“Do you mean a family owns all these?”I asked the cab driver.

“The Masons, they own all of it and more,” he said.

How did Jeff get us a pass to this place I asked myself, I will ask him when I see him.

We drove through the road networks and mansions to a parking lot where the chauffeur directed us to park.it looked more like a sports club, just that the humans I saw sitting under the big tree, chatting and smiling all looked like angels, they all looked good, well-toned skin, classy and dressed well.

Suddenly they all turned to look at me Coco, as we came out of the cab.

“Yeah, I almost forgot, how much is your money?”I asked the cab driver.

“just 8 dollars ma’am,” he said bowing, his body language showing a little more respect than he had accorded me at the beginning of the trip.

“Here you go, keep the change.” as I handed him a $10 bill, I had to brace myself for my new status of the high and mighty even though I had just a $20 bill left in my purse.

There he was with his bright smile, Jeff looked perfect in his turquoise tuxedo suit, thank goodness I dressed well in my flowery flowing gown, this didn’t look like a picnic to me, it looked more like a get-together of a crop of civilized humans.

“Hey dear, welcome my lovely Jenny, am glad you could make it, come have your sit over here,” he said pointing at an empty leathery white couch. Let Coco go join other dogs that way,” he pointed to the green lawn by the right, there were dog handlers to take care of the dogs while we had our time.

“Hey lovely, beautiful damsel, didn’t know earth still had beautiful lil Angels like this.” the elderly blond-haired man with his walking stick said to me.

“O shut up, you old rod, you never change Rowland, you still flirt around little girls, the age of your daughters,” the old woman by his side said.

The old man laughed, not taking the words to heart.

“Am just appreciating a masterpiece created by the Almighty, praising the works of his hands you know is another way of worshipping him” he said.

“Yea, praise him in me, appreciate him in admiring me.”She said as everyone laughed.

Welcome to my family cycle Jenny, that’s Uncle Rowland, that’s his wife Aunty Kate by his side, that’s Mama over there.” he said pointing at a classy blond older woman in her 70s_80s, she is pretty and tall, with that highly educated looks of a professor, her pink framed glasses looked like it was custom made for her slender pointed nose, tiny slightly sunk eyes, she must be a very pretty woman when she was younger.

“Everyone you see here is related to me one way or the other, my cousins, uncles, nephews, is a large family,” he concluded.

“you see that one by Mama’s left hand, that’s Aunty Penny, she is the family's big mouth, just don’t take what she says to heart. “He whispered in my ears.

A petit man with a mustache came from the building opposite the open field where we were sitting and announced that the dining was ready.

“Okay everyone, let’s go eat, I told them to make my favorites just the way we love it, please feel free to take whatever you want, our visitor, you didn’t tell us her name, Jeff,” Mama said.

“Sorry ma, She is Jenny, Jenny for Jennifer,” he said as I smiled.

Everyone strolled into the hall, it was a dining hall, and only God knows what they had in mind when they were building the hall.

Royal Arctic furniture, marble, chandelier, kitchen wares, the shelves were all designed to show style and class, the waiters and servants were all dressed in white, organized and ready to usher us into the dining.

It was a buffet, I didn’t know what to pick for dessert, or the main meal, I am not used to this life am new to these.

“What would you like Jenny? Jeff asked.

Of course, I was already confused and was not the kind of girl who pretended, so I whispered to him that I didn’t know half the food they had there, so maybe I would eat anything he ate.

Thank goodness, Jeff understood the assignment, he dished two plates, his and mine. Chicken and chips with a little fried rice, lots of veggies, a nd ketchup.

I was in my little corner minding my business, enjoying the meal when she “the family big mouth” spotted me.

“Why is she eating like that? Didn’t her mama teach her table manners?” she asked,

“That’s how she chose to eat “Auntie Penny,” Jeff answered her before I could even look to notice that I was the one she was talking to.

I ate my rice with a spoon and took my chicken with my hands, am not exactly cut out for their culinary skills and handling. why can't that woman mind her business, it’s my first time in their midst if not I wouldn’t have taken that insult from her.

“O let the young lady be,”Mama said in my defense as the whole table was silent waiting to hear what Mama would say.

“We are a family of the nobles, you know, his father, his father’s brothers, grandparents were all nobles, descendants of the great English Knights, perfect gentlemen. They migrated to the states hundreds of years ago after the independence war, they were nobles who wanted to live free so they fought for the creation of the states, the true land of the free.”Aunty Penny explained looking at me.

“Penelope, can you spare the lady of the family history?”Mama told her.

“Am just educating her on our family history.”She said.

Jeff noticed I was becoming uncomfortable, so he suggested we take a walk. an offer I jumped at immediately, anything to take me out of this awkward situation, I found myself, how could that woman say I don’t have table manners to my face?

What makes her feel she has the right to judge me, why does these rich punks always find a way to be saucy?

“I think I like her Jeff, come for your lectures, I will teach you how to get this one down for life” Uncle Rowland said as we were leaving.

I could feel their gaze follow me till I left the hall.

“Wow, what a perk! I exclaimed looking at Jeff, I wanted to hear his opinion of his family’s attitude.

“Hmmm so sorry for all of that,which u didn’t have to face,they can be difficult sometimes, but they are all wonderful people trust me.” he said.

“Now try forgetting all of that, and enjoy your self Jenny,”he said as he held my hand.

“The food was good,”I said.

“Yea, Chef Lopez, one of the best, in the kitchen, he is good at every food. he replied.

“So, The masons’, they say are cream dela creme of the society,”I commented.

Jeff was indifferent, and didn’t really wanna talk about that, rather he took me to the family member.

That’s my grandparents when they first came to the States,the picture was dated 1st September 1912, he showed me pictures of his father, and his brothers, their horses, his grand father’s ranch, and then the war pictures, this family has a museum of family pictures and archives.

“You have wonderful family roots and values, unfortunately, some of us are not lucky to have such,”I told him looking into his eyes.

There and then I knew I was in love with Jeff Mason.

“I want you to take pictures of me in here Jeff,”I told him.

Always on top of his game, as if he was waiting for the opportunity to pulled out the classiest of phones I’ve seen, the Huawei Mate X6 fold.

Danm, it’s a hell of a gadget, sprinkly metallic and sleek with a camera that could pick the tiniest of details in a motion picture.

Like he told me the day we met, he made great pictorial memories.

Besides the live size picture of his late father was a Landscape drawing of a younger version of his mum carrying baby Jeff, looking at her husband, while he smiled at her under the same tree we sat today. the drawing is the perfect depiction of a prototype happy American family, you could see the love and bond, the father, mother and child family love.

“Stand here,”he said,as he came close to adjust my neck to look the same way his mother looked in the painting, only to kiss my lips and yes, I reciprocated, feeling his succulent, soft lips melt my body defense mechanism as he whispered the words…

I LOVE YOU JENNY.