I dropped my phone on my bed and looked out of the window. Placing my hands on my head, I kept pacing all over the place. Neither Linda nor Colin were picking up how much ever I tried calling them. "Beep..." I rushed towards my phone and was so relieved to receive a text message from Colin. It read, "Sorry, we couldn't answer your call. I'm sure you want to meet us right now. Here's the address: Fine Dine restaurant, Opp Sunny's Florals, Times Square. We'll be waiting." I smiled at the message in relief and grabbed a pullover. It was quite windy and chilly outside. While I was tying my hair, the door slowly opened and Skyler stood there with a plate of my favourite; fish fingers and French fries with Mexican spicy sauce. He smiled at me and entered.
"Gracy has gone. I got you something to eat by the way. Can I eat along with you here?" He asked. He had cooked for me! And the best part was, he knew my favourite meal for snacks! I really loved him so much! But, I couldn't definitely eat now. Now was not the time. Noticing my expression and moves, he asked, "Are you going out or something?" "Yeah...right. I'm sorry Sky, I can't eat anything right now because I'm in a hurry and I need to get to Times Square. So yeah...thanks anyway for taking the trouble for making all of this. I'll surely have it after I return." I gave him a tight smile. "W-w-wait! How in the world do you think you're going to make it? Your cycle isn't going to help you!" He stated, smirking in that teasing manner. It just hit me! How was I supposed to travel? Wait a minute. I could go by cab. 'Yeah...that's what I'll do.' I thought. My thoughts were interrupted when Skyler grabbed hold of me and dragged me speedily outside my room.
"I'm coming along with you. Grandma! Kelly and I are going to Times Square! We'll be back in some time!" He yelled. "How are you going to drive, huh? Your car's not even here!" I stated when we were outside. "Missy, I'm going to drop you by Grace's car. Her car's back from the garage." He replied and gave me a slight tap on the head. "Get in!" He said. "Okay...and yeah, I'll murder you if you drive rashly, got it Mr.?" I threatened, giving him that warning look. "Hmm...let's see whether you'll be able to live without me then!" He said in a whisper, his concentration on the road. I blushed at that. Well yes, I wouldn't for anything murder him! "So...where to in Times Square?" He asked, suddenly.
"Umm...yeah...we've to head to Fine Dine restaurant, Opp Sunny's Florals." "Okay, so what's with the hurry? Are you late for a birthday party or something?" He asked. I couldn't give him the details regarding anything. "Drive!" I commanded. "Hey! I'm not your chauffeur or someone. Even I've got to know what this is all about. Kelly...tell me." He replied, looking directly at me.
I heaved a sigh. "You'll know each and every detail once we reach the Fine Dine. Col and Lin are waiting for us." He nodded and let this go. We soon reached. He took a turn and stopped right in front of the Florals store. "Here we're." He said and opened the door for me while he remained seated looking towards his right. I stepped out, but he didn't move a muscle. "Umm...aren't you coming as well?" I asked him as I gripped my pullover tighter. "Huh? Me? No. I'll stay here, hang around while you aren't there and drop you back home." He gave me a smile which I knew was fake. I couldn't comprehend his inner meaning. "What am I missing here? What's your point?" I questioned with a puzzled look, my hands on my hips.
"Kelly Jane Anderson, there's no need to be so polite and act all okay with the idea that I'll be part of your so-called 'top secret conversation'. You know what? I feel like a total intruder now. First it's at school, then here. Wherever I'm, you try ignoring me and I bloody hate it!" He explained, his irritation rising. Okay, what he was saying was true, but I had never seen Skyler Jones get agitated like that! "Right now, I can say that you must be internally cursing yourself saying 'why in the world did Skyler drop me? If he weren't here, I wouldn't have been forced to make him part of this conversation!', right?" He snapped. I was bewildered. How could he read my mind like that? Gulping down my saliva, I looked directly at him. "Yeah, great job psycho! I did think that. So? What else am I supposed to think? This conversation was between my besties and me and we wanted it to remain like that! So here, I'm sorry to say, we're forced to add you in because it's bad manners to shove you away! It just means you're an intruder for now!" I retorted.
The staring game was on. His eyes slithered shock waves and mine, the guilty ones. Just then, Colin rushed downstairs. "Umm...guys?" He whispered softly. The two of us saw him and looked away, trying our best to act as though a few minutes back nothing happened at all. Slowly, I turned around and hugged him. He engulfed me in a hug back. Skyler just stared at the car. I wrapped my arm around Colin's shoulder and stared at the two 'borne enemies', that's what I used to call them. Linda suddenly rushed through the backdoor and stood by my side, her hand grabbing my free arm tight. Colin pulled away from me and walked towards Skyler. These guys hadn't talked like since Colin was 7 and Skyler, 8. The first time they met sent negative vibes to both the parties so I guess they thought it best to stay apart.
The reason they ignored each other so much, a shrug could answer that for you. It had been a really long time and I was quite nervous to see Col approaching Sky. He touched Sky's shoulder and Sky turned to look at him. "Hey dude!" Colin said with a bright smile on his face. "Hi man!" Sky grinned back and shook hands with him. Woah! Were my eyes deceiving me or did it really seem that everything was cool between them?
"Can you please stop staring like that?" Colin pleaded with a clear grin on his face. I rolled my eyes and grabbed Lin's hand. "Come on, let's get in. These weirdos will follow us soon enough." She gave me a dumbfounded nod and headed in. Linda walked towards a table at the corner of the restaurant probably to make our conversation discreet. I decided that Skyler shouldn't know anything about all the past happenings until I understood what exactly happened to Mr. Russo. A minor stroke! Are you kidding me? There was a reason behind that I knew and my doubts were hazy right now. I didn't really understand why my mind felt there was a connection between all the creepy stuff that happened at school and Mr. Russo's incident. Hope you get what I mean!
Just as we took our seats, the boys entered laughing. Truthfully, if you were in my place, you wouldn't ever believe that these guys ignored each other until now! I swear! Sky sat by my right and Col to Lin's. "Okay." Colin stated, thus starting the conversation. "Skyler isn't an intruder. He's part of this and we need a fourth member. I just want to say that I don't feel Mr. Russo's heart attack was normal, you know, like a health issue. It was out of true shock, I say." He continued. "Exactly!" I stated, springing up from my chair and pointing towards him. He face palmed and stared at me with a tired expression. "Kelly, I know. Calm down." He said in a whisper. That's when I realised I had become a fool in front of three people. But, that was okay! They were my three special people after all. I gave them a sheepish smile and sat down. Colin looked at me. "Can I continue?" He asked. I nodded.
"Okay, so here's the thing. Skyler now knows about the fact that Mr. Russo just survived a minor stroke." Skyler nodded. "Sacred Heart's Hospital is just 20 minutes away from here and I went to check on him while Lin remained here." Colin continued. "How is he doing?" Skyler asked. "He's doing much better, my mum said." Apparently, Colin's mother was a cardiologist in the hospital. 'She was the one who treated Mr. Russo then!' It just clicked me. "His family was there, of course! My mum asked them regarding Mr. Russo and they said that he was a very healthy person and they least expected him to be a candidate for a minor stroke! She let me know about this while I was in the hospital. I wasn't allowed to see him though." He added. "Why are you guys doubting that he was, you know, just by chance a candidate for the stroke? I mean, there are many healthy and fit people out there who've this fate carved on their heads!" Skyler said with an obvious expression.
"Skyler, during detention, Mr. Russo wasn't his actual self, I noticed. I'm the one who brought up these doubts because I now find them a bit relevant. I very well remember that he seemed tensed, worried, confused, panicky, scared, frustrated and just like I had mentioned before, all the possible negative emotions were playing on his mind and if you noticed, his actions that day proved it very obvious!" I said all at once. "Yeah...I noticed how quickly he got agitated with you in class." Linda stated and Colin hummed in response.
"I guess I wasn't looking. Or wait, when was your lecture?" Skyler questioned. "It was the first lecture. Why?" Colin asked. "Because...ours was the fifth period and he didn't take class. Anyway, we knew he was still at school." Skyler said, looking at me. "Oh! Where must have he been then?" Linda asked, worriedly. "God alone knows!" Colin exclaimed. I remained silent till then. "What're you thinking, Kelly?" Sky asked. "Huh?" I broke out of my trance. "Oh! Umm...wait. Okay, look. I've a plan." I stated, grinning.
"And...the plan is?" Linda interrogated cocking an eyebrow. "Skyler and Linda, you guys will go to the hospital and talk to auntie and take in all the best possible hints and facts you can grab. Colin, you and I'll be heading to meet Mr. Russo's family. I need to know more about him and his character spin offs during the past week. I'm sure his family will add in on some worthy inputs." I said with glee, my fingers tapping my chin as I lay thinking. "Okay, I'll call my mum and ask for the address. Excuse me." Colin whispered. He rushed out of the restaurant while we awaited the news.
"Roger! I've noted it!" He exclaimed cum yelled while waving a piece of paper. "You should also know that Mr. Russo isn't married and that he lives alone. So, we would have to go to his ancestral house, that's where his family currently lives which is near the Empire State Plaza. We've got to leave now. Sky, you guys can catch a cab and go to the hospital whereas I'll drive Grace's car, okay?" He said. "You drive?" Linda, Skyler and I asked in unison, utterly puzzled.
"Yeah...I'd. I've learnt how to drive and I am not a rash driver. It's been a long time though since I drove, but don't worry Kelly, I'll make sure you'll be safe and landing back in 'one piece'! We'll take the route which is security free. I know of one. I've it all planned in here." He stated, pointing a finger towards his brain. "You better swear with all the shit that you're saying because if anything happens to her, you know what will happen!" Skyler warned, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "She's in good hands, bro! Don't you worry! Nothing will happen!" Colin exclaimed with a wave of his hand. "Yeah, better." Skyler said and patted his shoulder. "Okie!" Linda beamed and walked away with Skyler. "We'll talk about all our findings later in school tomorrow!" I yelled at their retreating figures.
Skyler gave us a thumbs up before leaving. "You ready?" Colin asked while gripping my hand tight. "Yeah, I'm." I beamed at him and gave him a reassuring smile. "Come on then." He said and unlocked the car. Our journey to their house was a silent one mainly because Colin was having his whole concentration on the road. I smiled at him. To lessen his tension, I started Sterling Knight's StarStruck on the radio.
"You've got a cool collection of songs, I must say!" He chirped in after some time. "Yeah, Grace and I have the same musical tastes. Plus, you'd make a good driver." I stated. He beamed at me. Soon enough, maybe like in 15 minutes, we stopped in front of a huge black painted gate. The light-blue bungalow was quite big with a spacious lawn on either side. A long pavement welcomed the comer with a massive fountain right in the centre. "Woah! His family is effing rich!" I added. "Yeah...I wonder why he wanted to detach himself from this gigantically awesome home! He's crazy!" Colin whispered. I chuckled at his statement. We parked a little in front of the gate. As we made our way towards the door, something about the house made the atmosphere all monotonous and gloomy. I looked at Colin, but his attention was fixed on the door.
"Dring...Dring..." Went the doorbell. "Good evening! May I know who you're?" A tall, well-built man who seemed to be in his thirties addressed us. "Hello sir! I'm Colin Smith and this is my friend Kelly Anderson. It's a pleasure to meet you!" Colin introduced with a smile that couldn't possibly fade away. He was just feigning innocence. "Colin Smith and who? Did I just hear Kelly Anderson? Kelly Anderson! Clifford, did you hear that too?" The sound of a woman echoed from inside. So, this man was called Clifford. But, what was so special about my name or me that this particular woman was so hyper about? Maybe we knew each other or she might be talking about another Kelly Anderson. In fact, New York had many girls with my name! "It isn't necessary she's the one mom!" He yelled, his head turning towards the direction of the voice. "Did you ever mention before that you were a celebrity?" Colin leaned towards me and chuckled. "Oh please!" I drawled, rolling my eyes.
"I'm sorry. Anyway, how can I help you?" Clifford asked. "Well, we just wanted to talk to Mr. Charles Russo's family. Is this it?" I questioned him. "Yes! Yes, of course! I'm his brother, Clifford. Do come in! Come on in!" He squealed happily and held the door ajar for us. We smiled back in return. The house was extremely spacious and I liked the positive feel I could experience in here. It was welcoming and...homely! Black furniture greeted us and we saw an entire lot of people assembled in the living room. "It's tradition for the whole family to wait in the hall when a guest arrives." Clifford whispered in my left-ear. I had a glance at them all. Clifford looked a lot like Charles except for the fact that he seemed a bit younger. A woman who was probably in her seventies was sitting on an armchair beaming at us. "Please have a seat." Clifford offered us gesturing towards the couch.
"So, let me introduce you to the Russo family." Clifford said. "She is Brenda Russo, my mother." The old lady waved at us. "You know me, so yeah...she's my wife there." He said pointing towards a short, plump woman who was very rosy and cute. I smiled at her which she indeed returned. "She's Clara and those are my sons, Daniel, 8 and Luke, 11." The boys greeted us. "That's it. My family. And as for Charles, he hasn't got married and prefers living alone." He added. "Humm...the family feud left us all torn apart. My! My!" Brenda sighed, rubbing her head in utter pain and regret. "Mom...it's all forgotten. Stop bringing up the topic again and again!" Clifford retorted. "Would you all prefer something to eat and drink?" He offered. "Yeah. Thanks!" "That's good. Clara? Get them some chocolate chip cookies along with hot chocolate then. What else do teens prefer these days?" He smiled politely. We grinned at that.
Soon enough, we were served with our snacks and we were the three left. "So..." Clifford started, rubbing his palms. "How do you guys know Charles?" "He's our professor." We replied in unison. "Oh! I see." He replied while scratching his chin. "The devoted students are here to ask about how their favourite professor is doing then, huh?" He asked, winking. "Ha ha ha...as a matter of fact, we aren't his devoted students nor is he our favourite professor. No hard feelings, it's just because he's strict." Colin stated, chuckling. "I totally understand that. In fact, I never liked him either as a child when he used to teach me. Nevertheless, I used to score! Yet, I detested him!" Clifford replied, giggling. We laughed at it too. After some moments of getting to know each other better, I butted in to the main agenda. "Coming back to why we're here," I commenced.
He looked seriously at us. "We do know that Mr. Russo miraculously survived a minor stroke and Colin's mom is treating him, so he tells us how sir is doing. But, the thing is...a person like Mr. Russo receiving a stroke is a way too hard fact to digest!" I claimed with Colin nodding in agreement. Clifford remained silent. I took the opportunity to pour out more thoughts. "We see Mr. Russo as a very healthy person and I noticed yesterday that he seemed really flabbergasted and way too tensed. I did ask him what was wrong and I remember what he said, 'We all have our own problems'. That was unexplainable. I was naïve at the moment. He was worried about something and he didn't desire to share it with anyone. We were just wondering whether you noticed any change in his character the last time you met him." I professed.
"Tell us more about him, Clifford." Colin requested. "Charles is a very quiet person. He prefers being discreet. As a child, he was very innocent and obedient. A studious boy as well, I must say. The thing is, he didn't like our father at all because of a family feud that started off because of him. He was very close to mom and he got along very well with our family. He adores kids, but he thought marriage and life after that would obstruct him from pursuing his further studies. No one knew him better than uncle Fred, but sadly, uncle passed away some time back." Clifford explained while walking around the room.
"Lately, he had been acting very weird and I hated it! I indeed pestered him to tell me about what was wrong, but all in vain. He used to go blank while we had long conversations and one thing that made me very sure that something was troubling him was when I was shocked to see his house all cluttered. He always was a goody-goody boy, kept things in their place, but this...was really surprising! He had also become clumsy, dropping cutlery all the time, hardly dozed off to sleep, never attended lectures. He takes classes you know. Hardly answered phone calls and preferred to stay alone; enclosed by the four walls. He was just...not the Charles I knew!" Clifford spoke sadly gazing out of the window. "This was the first time I never understood my brother and then the...heart stroke. Our mom was terrifically depressed and I...I thought he wouldn't be there anymore!" Clifford confessed, sobbing softly and cautiously wiping away the tears.
"Our family seems all jolly from outside, but from inside, it's all torn apart! I want to help him, but that will only happen if he shares what's bothering him so much! I do NOT want to lose him!" His sobbing increased and the two of us were deeply touched. I stood by Clifford and rubbed his shoulder trying to console him. Tears filled my eyes as well. Colin lent me a comforting smile, but I looked away to hide my tears. "Yeah...thanks. I'm just glad you all are so concerned. We feel loved and cared." He continued. "It's okay, Clifford. By God's grace, we've him back!" Colin encouraged. "Yes, Christ had mercy!" Clifford professed.
I now had my questions answered. Well, partially. We got to know that his stroke wasn't a health issue. It had something got do with his worry and tension. But, the question was, what made him get to a stage like that? He was a very strong person in my opinion. It was really freaky thinking about it all the while. I hoped Linda and Skyler were contented with the information they were receiving as well. I just wanted to help Mr. Russo. I really had to and with my cronies, I was definite that it was possible!
As I was walking, a frame on the wall caught my attention. It was quite an old click. The scenery was magnificent with an all flora background. A man, who looked very familiar was standing with his arm wrapped around the shoulder of a very pretty woman. She was Brenda, I guessed. Yes, that was her! She looked very elegant during her younger years. They were waving and seemed to be truly happy in each other's company. At first, I thought it was her husband. Wait a minute. This man wasn't her husband, I was damn sure! He looked so familiar. I looked closer and my eyes grew wide nearly popping out of my sockets! This was grandpa Fred! My mom's dad!
Clifford had said that some Fred was his uncle. Oh my God! I just had to confirm my I-can-never-ever-believe-that thoughts. "Umm...Clifford?" I asked, unsurely. "Yeah...Kelly?" "Is this man in the photo your uncle Fred?" I asked, waiting to hear a negative reply that would calm me down.
My heart was beating at an absolutely abnormal rate at this moment. "Yes, that is. He's my mom's brother. Fred Albert Winston." Elizabeth Winston! My mother's name! OH MY GOD! This was freaking SO NOT happening! Clifford and Charles...Charles, my professor were my mom's cousins and they were my second uncles!!
Was that the reason why Brenda found my name so familiar? Colin was gaping at me. He was bewildered as he must have joined the dots too. "Why? Do you know him?" Clifford questioned, unsurely after taking in our so-stunned expressions. I was going to receive a MAJOR heart stroke for crying out loud! I was so freaking out like hell!! "Know him? Clifford, don't you get it? She's your second niece!!" Colin yelled in utter disbelief. "My...WHAT?? Bloody hell!" Was the only response he back-fired.