Love Forever After (Candle Light Series) (6 page)

“Why are you so anti-American... you know what, forget I asked. I’m going back home tomorrow.” I turned towards the house.

“No you are not. I won’t let the pilots take you and if you plan on going on commercial, I’ll put you on the terrorist watch list at every airport if I have to,” she looked at me under her eye lashes, “You know I will.”

“William what are you doing here?” Ronald’s loud voice came from the door, momentarily pulling our attention. He walked towards us with an amused look on his face.

My elder brother was well built and had more charisma than I did. He was wild and very sociable. He loved travelling especially to the most remote and exotic places in the world where man hadn’t destroyed its natural habitat. Kristy had loved it when he took her along to one of his adventures but she came back complaining about the different women who went in and out of their villa every night. He was handsome and possessed a striking resemblance to our father. I on the other hand took more after our mother. I always thought that was why my mother tolerated Ronald more, he reminded her of her husband- that and the fact she was still trying to convince him to make a full commitment to the company as the eldest of the Stanford sons.

“I’m just finding that out myself.” I kept my eyes fixed on my mother, struggling to keep my temper in check.

“Did mother bring you here? How did she manage that, or did she lock you in the cargo hold with her luggage?”

“That’s very funny Ronald.” Gloria scolded, “I raised you to be a gentleman. You don’t start a conversation without a proper greeting.”

“My apologies,” he kissed her cheek, “it’s all out of love mother.”

“Which immoral country have you just arrived from that taught you jeering at your mother is a sign of love?”

“I was in Bali, beautiful place. You should go there sometime William, relax and unwind.”

I backed up, taking a few steps away from the table.
“How about I leave right now?”

“You are not going anywhere William! Tomorrow you are going to see Dr. Ashford.”

Ronald stared at me amused, “You willingly followed her here so that she can lock you up in a loony bin? Don’t they have those in America?”

I stood next to my laughing brother and dug my hands in my pockets feeling exhausted and annoyed.
“They weren’t proper enough for her liking.”

Gloria rose from her chair in a huff. “You think that’s funny? Well Ronald this should tickle you some. Your brother is talking to his dead wife Christina.” Ronald’s laughter died as he turned to stare back at me. “Not so amusing anymore is it?” She walked into the house and left an astound Ronald still gaping at me.

I sat down feeling resigned, waiting for Ronald to officially add himself onto the list of people who thought I was losing my mind.

Ronald sat down, his eyes still fixed on me, “You are seeing Kristy?”

“Yes” I whispered. I kept my eyes fixed on the table avoiding Ron’s.

“How long has it been since she died and since you started seeing her?”

“Four months since she died. Three since I started seeing her.”

Ronald was quiet for a moment before he spoke, “Do you believe she’s alive?” His voice was softer, more understanding.

“I don’t know. She feels so real. I believed she was for a couple of weeks until it came out while I was talking to John. He told Sandra and Morris and it became this whole insane mess to the point I was placed on compulsory leave by John.

Frustrated, I wracked my hand through my hair tagging at it hard. “Kristy and I talked and laughed like we used to as if she never left. Maybe I am going crazy.”

“How did mother find out about it? I doubt any of your in-laws told her.” There was chuckle in his voice.

Kristy used to take my mother head on, while Morris and Sandra avoided her as much as they could. They said she frightened them, and they were right. Mother does frighten a lot of people she meets. She was demanding, blunt and very opinionated. She would criticise everything she felt didn’t suit her taste.

“She paid me a surprise visit and caught me...watching telly with her.” I felt embarrassed saying it, as much as I did when mother walked in on me.

“With Kristy?”

I nodded.

He let out a loud breath, “For some reason, that doesn’t shock me, as much as it should. She loved you too much to leave you alone.”

My head shot up and I looked at him surprised. I wasn’t sure if I heard right. “Excuse me?”

“I’ve been to a number of African and South American countries. They believe when a spirit visits a loved one it’s because of unfinished business. I assume she’s not haunting you to torment you, so it must be something important. You’ll find out soon.” He placed a comforting hand on my forearm, “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to attend the funeral.”

“That’s fine mother would have had you in a matching suit like the rest of us if you had.” Still in doubt, I asked, “Have you been watching the
Ghost Whisperer
?” Ronald liked playing pranks on me and I wasn’t certain if this was one of them.

“I have better things to do with my time than watch television.” He answered, void of the true question I was asking him.

“You are the first person who believes me.” I felt my body unknot in relief. But having my brother believe me still didn’t mean whatever was happening was normal.

“I’m your brother. I should give you the benefit of the doubt. Come on let’s go drink some of father’s old scotch.” He stood up and I followed him. He stopped and turned to face me, his brow raised and his lips curved in a mischievous grin. “By the way, how is the delectable Sandra fairing?”

I laughed. “She still despises you.”

Ronald has always chased after her since Kristy introduced them. I didn’t know exactly what Ron wanted because he had no intentions of tying himself down.

He turned around and kept walking. “She loves me. She just doesn’t want to admit it to herself yet.”

“You are delusional Ronald.”

“Says the pot to the kettle.”

Chapter Six

After the argument with Gloria, all I wanted to do was stay as far away from her as I possibly could, but I couldn’t do that. Alienate my mother in her own home. It’s much easier to do that when we are in two different continents. But I needed to spend some time with my mother and my brother before his itchy feet took him to the other end of the world.

Gloria had made me shave, cut my hair and threatened to hire someone to groom me on a daily basis if I fell off the wagon again.
Gloria was a pain but she was still my mother.

I went down the long staircase to meet my brother at the foot of it with a glass in one hand and a silly grin on his face. He looked amused by something and he seemed to be bursting at the seams to tell me, which only meant I wouldn’t like it.

“Okay Ronald what has you so amused?”

“Here,
this is for you. Brandy,” he handed me the glass and chuckled. “I have a feeling you are going to need it.”

I felt the dread wash over me. My mother was up to something, “Ronald, tell me what’s going on?” I asked patiently saving all my rage for whatever mother had in store for me. If it was the psychiatrist, he’d have a serving of that rage too.

“Oh I think I’ll leave that honour to mother. I don’t want to steal her thunder,” he turned and walked ahead of me. “She’s in the drawing room. Wait five seconds before you come in, I want a good view of your reaction.”

I was already beginning to feel irate. Why my mother thought she had to control every second of my life was beginning to annoy me. Yes, I’m talking to my dead wife but I wasn’t doing crack. I was very much in control of my life and I didn’t need her interfering.

I gulped down the brandy and sauntered to the drawing room. I was going to put a stop to whatever she had planned and set her straight.

When I got there Ronald was holding out another glass of brandy for me. Once I took it from him he rushed to stand behind mother with an excited smile on his face. I looked at him with a raised brow, wondering why this was all so amusing to him- not like anything in life wasn’t.

He might be on crack and he was the one mother should be trying to control- wait; she’d been there, tried that and failed miserably leaving all the nagging for me.

I gulped down the liquid,
“Mother.”

“William,” she answered in her high pitched voice. “You look so handsome neat and clean and without all those whiskers covering your face, like a bum sleeping in garbage outside a cheap restaurant.” She sipped on her small cup of tea then placed it on the table, “Wouldn’t you say so Victoria?”

“Victoria?” I echoed searching the room for her.

She stood up, “Hallo William. It’s been a while.” She spoke with a nervous smile on her face.

“Hallo Victoria,” I looked at her, then at mother. I knew what Gloria was doing and I wasn’t going to give her the chance. “So you and Ronald are going out tonight? That’s wonderful!”

Ronald choked on his brandy then gave a low laugh.

“Well don’t let me keep you. Victoria, it was a pleasure seeing you again,” I turned to Gloria, “Mother, I hope the rest of your day goes well.” Her eyes slit, which made me a little happy and then I left before another word could be said.

“William, wait!”

Reluctantly I stopped and turned to face her with a polite smile. “Hallo Victoria.”

She approached me slowly, “I didn’t come here to see Ronald.”

“I know that. Mother brought you here to annoy me further.”

She stopped, bit down on her lower lip and looked down. I felt guilty. She always did that when she was trying to control her emotions. “I apologise. I shouldn’t have said that.”

She cleared her throat and then looked up at me. “Gloria told me about Christina, my condolences.”

I felt my throat sting, “Thank you.”

“So what are your plans now?”

“Get through today, go to sleep and try to survive tomorrow.”

She nodded, “That’s a realistic plan, all the best with that.”

I nodded, “I’m sorry but I have to go. It was really nice seeing you again. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye,” she whispered.

I barely took two steps away from her before she grabbed my arm. “William please wait,” she pleaded.

“What’s wrong?”

“I want you back. I know it may seem too soon to demand this, but now that she’s gone I want you back.”

“Victoria...”

“You were mine first!” She yelled, “You loved me first!”

“Victoria...”

She cupped my face in her palms, tears threatening to spill out of her eyes. “I still love you. I’ve always loved you. As much as I’ve tried, God knows I’ve tried, I could never forget you. I love you William.”

Slowly, I pulled her hands down. I wanted to be gentle but I just couldn’t, “I never did.”

She flinched and turned away.

I went to place my hand on her shoulder but drew it back. Pity would be a harsher insult. “I’m sorry but that’s the truth. Kristy is the only woman I’ve ever loved. I still love her and I always will. Only her.”

She looked at me, her eyes and cheek wet with tears. “She’s not coming back William.”

That stung, “I know that.” I half whispered.

“And just because you are still in love with her doesn’t mean we can’t be together. My love for you will be enough.”

She sounded optimistic. If I’d turned Kristy down like this, she wouldn’t have begged. She would have walked away, right after punching me in my sharp nose.

That’s why I love her and why I couldn’t betray her.

“Victoria, it wouldn’t be enough neither would it be fair to you. Stop waiting for me because I’ll never be yours. I love Kristy.”

“She’s dead! It doesn’t matter how many times you say that, she’ll always be dead!” She screamed.

“And I’ll always love her.” I said calmly.

Her face creased as tears flowed freely down her face. She pushed me away and ran back to the drawing room.

I rubbed my hand over my face. I didn’t mean to be cruel but there was no place for her in my life. She needed to understand that.

“Don’t feel guilty.”

I raised my head to Ronald’s voice. “How long have you been standing there?”

He approached me, “Long enough. Brother, don’t let anyone push you into something you don’t want and clearly not ready for. You lost your greatest love. It’s going to take time for you to get back a fraction of who you were, because Kristy was literally your other half.” He smiled, “Your better half.”

I smiled, “All I want is to be with her.”

“Is she not here?” I shook my head. “So then, why are you here?”

“Mother.”

“Is that the only reason?”

I shook my head. “These past couple of days, I’ve been trying to see if I can survive without her. But with each passing day I realise I just can’t.”