Chapter 25

At middle age the soul should be opening up like a rose, not closing up like a cabbage. - John Andrew Holmes In the days that followed Mrs. Beufont's move from Crayon city to the capital city, she found that she missed her children dearly. Sure she had a new church to pastor and a new group of youth that made her feel very welcome. Still, she could not help but yearn for the familiar faces and the many friends she had made back in Crayon city. Therefore, when she received the call from Ryan, wanting her to help him in preparing for a baby shower for a very pregnant Katrina, he found her more than willing to help. He had a plan, he had told her. In the coming days, his new show would open in the capital, and to keep it a surprise, he was organizing to have Katrina's baby shower on the very last day of the art show. He was already prepared he told her, but he needed someone to arrange the nitty-gritty of everything. Someone who knew him and Katrina, and the journey they had taken to arrive where they were. Of course, she had mentioned Katrina's grandmother, the older Mrs. Maracheli, and Ryan had assured her that she was well aware of his plans and supported him fully. However, matters at work would keep her away from the capital for quite a while and that was where she, Mrs. B came in. How would she organize a lively baby shower that would capture in a moment who Katrina and Ryan were? Ryan was into art. Katrina on the other hand was a very refined lady. She was classy and her favorite color was white. She also loved roses. As she thought hard on this, an idea came to her mind and she quickly picked up her phone to place a call through the private line of one Mrs. Maracheli, Katrina's grandmother. "Nancy? " the phone was picked up on the third ring. "Ryan tells me that you are planning Katrina's baby shower? " "Yes. Quite so. His hands seem full with caring for his wife, so agreed to help him with the planning. " "That's good." the woman at the other end of the line replied. "That is why I was calling. " she went on to explain her plans to Katrina's grandmother and the woman was quite pleased with her arrangements. "Fine. I will have them shipped out first thing tomorrow morning." with that, the call ended and Mrs. Beufont went on to choose the decor, settling for gold white and a hint of light pink. Next, she looked up a caterer and started on the process of ordering a cake. *** "Where are you dragging me off to? " Dominic Maracheli grumbled as his wife and mother pushed him into the waiting chopper in a hurry. "You will see, you will see. " his wife who was growing more and more obnoxious by the day replied to him even as she physically manhandled him and hurriedly settled him in one of the seats. "This has nothing to do with that man's show now, does it? " "That man is your son in law and what happened to family supporting family?" "Alice?" he called out in warning and the woman had the gall to cover her ears and stick out her tongue at him. Good Lord! What have I gotten myself into? He wondered even as he stared at her huge belly pressing hard into his side as she reached out for his seat belt. "I can do it. Rest yourself before your burst your belly and my son with it as you attempt to kidnap me. " "Aaaw... How very gentlemanly of you. " "It's the least I can do seeing that you leave me with no other choice. " "Yeah, yeah, I am a demoness who is taking advantage of my situation and your very kind nature." she grinned back at him and he released a very tired sigh. However, they both knew that he enjoyed it. That is their constant bickering. He was not faking the tired sigh though. After a long and arduous day at work, spent between meetings and wondering what his mother had been up to for the whole week, his plans for resting up during the weekend seemed to be currently in jeopardy and what for, a blasted art show? "Don't do it. " his wife nudged his side. "Do what? " "You are thinking foul thoughts, I can see it on your face." "I did no such thing." "Really? " she lifted a carefully crafted eyebrow and he looked away from her. What was she now? A mind reader? "When you two are done bickering, can we finally take off? " "We can take off right away." Alice beamed and the older Mrs. Maracheli shook her head at the two who seemed more like kids the more this pregnancy continued to progress. However, she had no qualms about it. It was fun to see Alice up and about making her son's life miserable. Miserable had she not known that he was secretly enjoying every bit of their banter and was only acting disgruntled for appearance's sake. She only hoped though, that it would continue to remain this way even after the end of the pregnancy period and if not, the plan that she had set in motion would see to it that he had no choice but to spend more time back at home with his growing family. He needed to be a better father. She did not know how much longer she had to live. Not that she was dying right away, but twenty years down the line, she knew that she would not have the strength to counter him in this way. Hence, the reason why she was handing over the reins as the Matriarch of the Maracheli family over to another. She had spent the whole week finalizing the whole process and she knew that Dominic was suspicious, but even he could not imagine the shock that she had in store for all of them. Alice was aware though, being that she was her lawyer, but the games she was playing with her husband would never allow her to reveal the secret to him. Truly, this baby shower was going to be one of a kind. Katrina finished up the last bit of her work and left her assistant to clean up after her. She had to hurry up, otherwise, she would be late for the opening of Ryan's last show. She still had to clean up and that meant that she had to drop by the house and pick up a fresh change of clothes. For some reason, Ryan had insisted on waiting for her, and even now as she walked down the stairs and towards her car she reminisced the oddity of all of it. Why today? she wondered. He had been perfectly okay with going on ahead of her on the first day and the second day and had even been okay with her skipping the next two days to rest her back. However, today, he was quite adamant that she attend the show, and the fact that it was opening earlier than the other days left her feeling suspicious. As she walked towards her car and her new driver, a figure approached her. She was so deeply buried within her thoughts that she did not notice it until it was too late. Until the person had entered her car and was smiling back at her. "Good afternoon Katrina? " "Gina? " she whispered in shock as she stared down at the person that had entered the car ahead of her. "Come on, get in. I am sure you have somewhere you have to be, right? " she smiled and Katrina could only gulp as a whole lot of thoughts crossed through her mind. Malisha, Marcus, the Phaedra, the twenty-year-old. Was this her version of the message being delivered? Why would Gina, who had avoided her for the last four years now want to have a word with her? Didn't she previously say that she was disgusted by her? And the way she had approached her all pointed to it being some sort of a message. "I have a message." the woman smiled and Katrina's heart almost stopped for a moment. "Hey, calm down we don't want you going into labor just yet." the woman had the gall to laugh when Katrina was almost peeing her pants in terror. "Is everything okay madam? Should I remove her from your car? " the driver hesitated when he saw the terrified expression that had now transformed his mistress's face. "No, it's okay Arnold. I know her. I guess we will have to talk as you drive me back home. " Arnold, formerly her grandmother's driver, nodded before helping his mistress into the car to drive her back home where her husband was now waiting. "I will be fast." Gina told her after she had settled in. "From your expression I can tell that I am not welcome, but it is understandable considering how Phoebe and I ostracized you." Yes, phoebe. Back in the day the two of them had been inseparable and to see one without the other was quite weird to her eyes. "Where is she? You two always walked around together." "She betrayed me. " after seeing Katrina's facial expression, Gina laughed out loud before going on to explain. "She met a man whom she felt was worthy of her and even now, I left her busy in Veterum chasing after him. " "A man? " Katrina wondered. The Phoebe she knew had been always very shy, but to hear that she had left Gina's side to chase after a man? "Yeah, yeah. At first, even I couldn't believe it, but I guess those two found something in each other." Katrina wanted to ask who the man was, but seeing how they had previously parted, she chose to remain quiet and wait as Gina poured out all the details. "Anyway, that is not what I am here to talk about. Like I said, I come baring a message from Malisha. You can't imagine how much she scolded us for ostracizing you. She bears no grudge, however, at the moment, she certainly cannot relate. At least, not in the way that you used to. She says that she has her own reasons and maybe in time, those reasons will fade and you can meet again as friends like you used to." Katrina nodded, her mind working fast to digest the details and churn out the implications that it all had to her, as well as her life with Ryan. "She wanted to know if you were happy? If you have found peace?" Gina told her and Katrina nodded. "I am getting there." she added after some thought and Gina smiled at that. "She wants you to be happy and if your happiness is with Ryan, then you have her blessings." At that Katrina's eyes teared. This woman, this woman whom she had wronged in every way and yet, she was still thinking of own her happiness as well? "Thank you." she muttered in between sobs. "Is she happy? " Gina nodded. "Tell her that I am sorry. It was never my intention. I am sorry too for what Ryan did to her." she did not go into detail as she was not sure if Gina knew about all the details. "He is changing. Please tell that. He has been through so much, all because of me, because of my father, his father... " "She is well aware of all that." Gina smiled. "And hence why she was gentler with his father. As long as he treats you well that is. She is okay with everything for she too has found her own happiness." Katrina nodded as she wiped away her tears. She had begun so afraid of Malisha's retribution, but Ryan had been right. Malisha was not that kind of a person. She could breathe easy now, but still, she felt that she had not done her former best friend enough justice. She would have to find her way for atoning for that. Maybe in the future, their children would meet together as friends and who knew, maybe her little boy would also be reunited with his biological father. This time in a proper manner. Katrina looked out of the window and sighed. They had arrived at her destination too fast. She still wanted to hear more, but as they entered the main gate to the gated community, Gina stopped Anorld and she stepped out of the car. "We will talk later." she told her with a smile. "Be safe Katrina." she smiled as waved away, looking forward to their next conversation.