From Silver to Diamonds

Chapter 13

My fingers ran slowly up and down the smooth surface of the glass and then reached up to the uneven part of my hair. The hairdresser had done her best to even things out and even though she had done a beautiful job, that part of my hair never seemed right. The memory of a knife darted right beside me marked my heart.

“I’m glad they’re safe. I don’t want to be the blame of their injuries.”

I grabbed the flip phone and about a hundred perles, then shoved in the back pocket of my jeans and tugged a beret over my head. I quickly rushed back into the walk in wardrobe to give myself a one last look at the full length mirrored slide doors. With jeans, hoodies and flats, I looked like a peasant, my true self and hurried out of the room.

“Lucie, I’m just going out for a walk,” I told her as I wretched the door open. “Don’t worry about me, I’ll call if I’m in trouble,”

Then I was gone with the winds. I jogged down the hall ways and slowed whenever I saw people but when I met Amelie, I didn’t stop and instead I ran passed her, so quick she couldn’t drag me to classes, seeing me so lively.

“Halt there my lady!” She’d half turn to call after me. “What about tea serving lessons?”

“Forget it!” I swiveled my body half way while turning a corner. “You should be glad that your mistress is still breathing!”

It was an easy escape. The only part that troubled me the most was running a long distance from the chateaux to the main gates. Flats weren’t the most ideal foot wear to wear while running and it definitely had no chance against slippery brick road. My trip down the main gates was just like going on rollerblades, with slips and slides, and then ended up having wet patches on every part of my clothing.

The most amusing thing was that the gate keepers was shocked with my hideous appearance and refused to acknowledge me as their little princess and threw me out. The only problem is how to get back in once I finished my little stroll but that’s least of my worries for now because today I just wanted to be me.

After seeing more trees and rocks, not far ahead was the suburban life. It was noon, the hottest part of the day but the sun seemed to shy away behind the clouds making the town looked a little gloomy. Some of the residential lights were turned on and the empty streets threw off a cold, sad feeling.

As I moved on, the park was empty, the playgrounds stood wet and lonely in the fog, animals fled back to their homes to keep themselves warm. Children were safely locked inside with Milos each in their hands as they cuddled up in front of the heater or fireplace with their families. Grandparents sat beside the fire, wearing smiles as they shared their past to the young ones. Oh I wish I could be with my family but each winter whether it was in Genova or in Hamilton, they are always busy with work or at their world tour.

Finally, I continued on to the commercial district. It made me realize just how small the country of Genova was. It takes less than two hours to go from district to district by foot and each suburb was only a few hectares wide, but where the chateaux is standing, it’s quite close to the commercial and seaside districts.

The commercial district was a lot livelier, skyscrapers and towers closed into you, neon signs flashed brightly from every direction and teenagers to adults prowled around the city. The air was sullen with vehicles crammed up on the roads waiting in a beeline desperate to go somewhere where there would be warmth and a cup of freshly brewed coffee.

I walked around for a couple more minutes browsing at all types of shops along the lane when something strange caught my eyes. On the other side of a junction, there was a 90s bistro on the corner of the curb and standing amongst the group of coffee addicts, a tall dark blonde with a set of Beats resting around his neck holding a piece of cardboard, shouting out something that I couldn’t hear from where I stood.