Trying to Survive (The Kiser #1) (4 page)

    
Spending the rest of Sunday at home working on accounts, I was ready for
my meeting on Monday morning.
 
Entering
the office at 7:30 am, I found Janice sitting at her desk.
 
Looking up she said “Good morning Mr.
Withers,” handing me my morning coffee along with my schedule for today.
 
“The conference room is ready for your 9 am
meeting with Mr. Jameson, and the reports are on your desk.”

    
Taking the coffee while looking over my schedule, I mumbled “Thank you”
and headed to my office.
 
  
After studying the reports for the next hour,
I grabbed my briefcase and headed to the conference room.
 
Mr. Jameson, the head of a major law firm, was
looking for a new investment broker for his employees’ retirement fund.
 
 
John
would be there as well and would handle the account.
 
Most major investors liked me to be there
initially because it made them feel better to think they dealt with only
me.
 

    
Passing by Janice as I left, “I’m headed to the conference room
now.”
 
She nodded and knew that she was
to hold all my calls.
 
Walking in to the
conference room, I saw a woman around twenty-five years old with dark brown
hair putting out refreshments. When she saw me coming, she swayed her hips a
little more and smiled seductively. Like most women here, she had a stick thin
figure.
 
Only sparing her a glance, I
didn’t fuck women I worked with…ever.
 
My
head stayed in the game.

    
Three hours later with the account secured, I headed back to my office
where I stayed for the next eight hours.

****

    
Driving my black Aston Martin to my parents’ house, I felt a ball of
dread in the pit of my stomach.
 
Even
though it was Thanksgiving, it felt like another ordinary day to me.
 
All I wanted to do is get today over
with.
 
Driving down the long private
driveway, I spotted the beautiful white mansion with it massive columns behind
the iron gates that had a big
W
on
the front.
 
As I
drew closer, the guard opened the automatic gate and I drove through.
 

    
After knocking on the door, the butler greeted me and showed me to the
formal dining room.
 
Shaking my head, I
grew up here but every time I visit, I’m treated as a guest.
 
Mother and father, or as I like to refer to
them Margaret and William were already seated with Rob and his wife.
 
Rob was sixty years old but the bleach blonde
woman beside him couldn’t be over twenty-three.
 
How could he possibly think she wasn’t after his money?
 
No beautiful twenty-three year old would
marry a sixty year old for any other reason.

    
After taking a seat, the servants started bringing out the food.
 
No matter how good it tasted, it was hard to
swallow.
 
Rob cleared his throat and as I
looked up he said, “Colin this is my wife Bambi.
 
Bambi this is my nephew Colin.”
 
She gave me a seductive smile and I looked
away.

    
“Nice to meet you.”
 
I finally choked
out.
 
Bambi?
 
Seriously, what kind of fucking name is
Bambi?
 
Margaret looked
uncomfortable, probably because of Bambi and her age.
 
She was beautiful even if she looked fake
with her bleach blonde hair, nose job and of course, a boob job. I could tell
and this was just with a glance.
 

    
“It’s really nice to meet you Colin.”
 
She purred and I winced at the high-pitched whinny voice.
 
We ate in relative silence and as soon as I
finished my dinner, I wanted to leave.
 
Margaret
had a scowl on her face knowing I would leave as soon as possible, not that I
cared.
 
I hope that come Christmas I
could get by with just sending a fruit basket.

    
Clearing his throat, “Colin your mother and I would like to speak with
you before you leave.”
 
William said in a
voice that brooked no argument. Swallowing hard, I nodded.
 
Rob and Bambi finished their meal then stood
to say their goodbyes.

    
“It was very nice to meet you Colin.
 
Maybe now that I’m part of the family, I will see you around more
often.”
 
Bambi said as she threw her arms
around my neck giving me a very inappropriate good-bye hug.
 
Extracting myself from her arms, I took two
steps back and said nothing.
 
Uncle Rob
looked furious, mother victorious, and father showed no emotion at all.

    
“Let’s go Bambi.”
 
Uncle Rob said
in a stern voice.
 
He grabbed her hand,
said good bye and led her out the door.

    
“Son, let’s go to the study.”
 
Father turned and walked away just expecting me to follow.
 
Mother walked behind me and as we entered,
she shut the door behind us.
 

    
I found my way to the bar, and after pouring a glass of scotch, I took a
seat on the brown leather couch.
 
Sipping
my drink, I waited.

    
“Son, your mother and I think it’s time you settled down, produced an
heir to carry on our legacy.”
 
I could
feel my anger rising.
 
“You’ve graced the
covers of several different magazines the last few years with a different tramp
on your arm each time.”
 
Taking another
sip and trying to hold my tongue, I looked at one then the other.

    
“What your father is trying to say is that if you don’t find a wife soon
we will cut you out of our will.
 
I’ve
invited Maria over for Christmas dinner and I expect you to be here.
 
When I spoke with her, she hinted that she
would be willing to marry you and would produce you an heir.
 
She’s only twenty-eight and has the social
standing so she would be a good match.”
 
Mother said in her no nonsense voice.

     
Hanging on to my barely controlled anger, “No.”
 
That was all I could manage without yelling.
 
I drunk the last of my scotch and stood to
leave.

    
“Colin,” father said in his stern voice. “You will be here Christmas.”

    
“I don’t need your money, I have my own.”
 
I seethed, and he laughed.
 
Laughed!

    
“Don’t think for one moment that I couldn’t break you.
 
You may have your own money, but it’s a drop
in the bucket compared to us.”
 
He poured
his own glass of scotch.
 
“All were
asking is for you to get married.
 
Think
about it.
 
You can still have your
whores.”
 
I saw mother glare at him.
 
No doubt, this was a sore spot in their
marriage. Not being able to take it any longer, I left without saying another
word.
 
That was my fucking parents!
 

    
The next morning Matt called and asked if I wanted to get
breakfast.
 
Carly went Black Friday
shopping so he was by himself.
 
Agreeing,
I met him at my favorite restaurant for pancakes.
 
Betty always treated me like one of the
family because I ate here so often.

    
“How’d it go last night man?”
 
Matt asked curiously.
 
With my
head bowed looking at my menu, I only lifted my eyes showing him what he wanted
to know.
 
Whistling he said, “That bad
huh?”

    
“They informed me that I needed to take a wife or they will cut me out
of the will.”

    
“That’s okay, you don’t need their money.”
 
He sipped his coffee.

    
“Right.”
 
I said, laughing
humorlessly.
 
“They also informed me that
they would break me financially if I decided to ignore their wishes.”

    
“What the fuck?”
 
He shouted,
gaining many stares.
 
“What is wrong with
them?”

    
“They want me to have an heir, that’s all they’ve ever cared about, you
know passing on the legacy.”
 

    
Betty chose that moment to set our pancakes in front of us.
 
“You boys eat up now.”
 
She said with a smile.
 
Smiling back at her, we dug in.
 
They were the best I have ever ate, and I had
ate pancakes all over the world.

    
“What are you going to do?”
 
Matt
asked, concerned.

    
“I don’t know.
 
Mother has invited
someone to Christmas dinner that would be
perfect
for me.
 
You know, the right social
standing, young and fertile.”
 
Matt
snorted a laugh and tried to cover it up with a cough.

    
“You’re
shitten
me?”

    
“I wish I was.”

Back
in Virginia

    
Still needing to get so much stuff done, I couldn’t believe Christmas
was just two weeks away.
 
I needed to go
shopping.
 
Austin came walking through
while I was having a cup of morning coffee.
 
“Good morning honey.
 
Sleep well?”
 
I asked as I took another sip while sitting
at the breakfast bar.

 
   
“Morning mom.
 
Yeah I did.”
 
He walked over and poured himself a cup of coffee.

    
“I was thinking I might run to town today.
 
Want to go?”

    
“Where?”
 
Most people didn’t have
this problem.
 
When they went shopping,
they had one place to go.
 
But here, it
depended on which direction you went as to which town you shopped in.

 
   
“I’m going to the mall.
 
I need to get more Christmas shopping
finished.”

    
“Yeah, I want to go.
 
What time
are you leaving?”
 

    
I had to calculate the time in my head.
 
It was now 9 am and it took twenty-five minutes for my medicine, ten
minutes to eat and forty-five more to shower and actually get ready.
 
“Let’s say no later than 10:30.”

    
He smiled, “I can be ready to go to the moon in 5 minutes.”
 
That’s what his dad always said to me when I
told him I wanted to leave at a certain time.
 
I was usually the hold up.
 

    
I grabbed a bowl for my cereal.
  
After eating, I worked on my morning regimen.
 
By 10:20 I stood by the front door with my
coat on when Austin came walking through.
 
“Ready?”
 
I asked.
 
He nodded and took the keys from me.
 
“I can drive you know.”
 
He just smiled.

    
“I know you can, but I like driving you around.”
 
We went outside and climbed in to my 2013
Subaru Outback.
 
I loved my car.
 
It had everything I could possibly want,
heated leather seats, a sunroof, and a great stereo system.
 
That was plenty enough for me.
 
Austin didn’t know it yet, but I was going to
use some of the life insurance money to buy him a jeep.
 
He needed his own vehicle before heading off
to college.
 
His grades were great, so
I’m hoping he gets a scholarship.

    
“Are you still seeing Kaitlyn?”
 
I
asked as he drove us to the mall.

    
“No.”
 

    
Looking at him, “What’s wrong?”
 

    
“Nothing’s wrong.
 
I just don’t
want to get serious with a girl.
 
I want
to go to college but...”
 
I waited but he
didn’t finish.

    
“But…what?”
 

    
Letting out a deep sigh, he explained, “I don’t want to get serious with
a girl because I want to go to college somewhere.
 
But when I think about college, I don’t want
to go and leave you all alone.”
 
He said
it, and felt terrible for telling his mom that.
 

    
“Austin, you listen to me.
 
You
are
going to college.
 
I am thirty-five years old and I can take
care of myself.
 
You have your whole life
ahead of you and you are
not
going to
waste it sitting at home with me.
 
I’ve
lived a lot in my thirty-five years and who knows what else is in store for
me.
 
So quit worrying about going to
college because
you are going
.
 
The only decision you have to make is which
one.
 
Got it?”
 
I said in my stern mother voice.

    
He just stared at me for a moment and then a blinding smile split his
face.
 
“Got it.”
 
He said and I could see the weight that
lifted from his shoulders.
 

    
Arriving at the mall, we split up.
 
I wanted to buy him a few items, and he wanted to look at video
games.
 
After about four hours, I had to
find a seat a rest for a while.
 
I loathe
the fact that I got so tired and short of breath if I tried to do too
much.
 
Sometimes I found myself so angry,
angry that I was born with this stupid disease, angry that Graysen died, and
angry that Austin felt like he had to take care of me because of my fatigue
when I was supposed to take care of him.
 
I sat there for about thirty minutes just resting and people
watching.
 
The rest did me good and soon
I was back shopping again.

    
That evening, with our arms loaded down, we headed for the car so we
could go home.
 
I really enjoyed today
and I think Austin did as well.
 
That
night I went to bed at 9:30 and fell fast asleep.

    
Two days later while Austin was at school, I went down to the
dealership.
 
When we passed by one day, I
saw him eyeing a used Jeep that was sitting on the lot.
 
I planned to check it out along with a few
others today.

    
Six hours and three dealerships later, I found the one I wanted to buy
for him.
 
It was a red 2008 Jeep Wrangler
X with a ragtop.
 
It cost a little more
than I planned on spending, $16000, but it only had 65,000 miles on it.
 
All the others were a little cheaper but they
had over 100,000 miles.
 
After paying for
the Jeep, I arranged to have it delivered Christmas Eve.
 
Of course, that cost a little more as well
but it was Christmas and he needed a vehicle.
 

*****

    
Christmas Eve had finally arrived, and I couldn’t remember being this
excited.
 
Austin’s Jeep would be here
soon and I couldn’t wait to see his face.
 
We were going back to mom and dad’s today for Christmas, just as we do
every year, so I was once again baking in the kitchen.

    
Hearing the doorbell ring, Austin came down the hall but I quickly told
him I would get it.
 
Answering the door,
only to find an older gentleman standing there, I signed the paperwork and took
the keys.
 
I knew Austin was standing
behind me, but I refused to open the door all the way, effectively blocking his
view.

    
“Who was that?”
 
He asked as I
shut the door.

    
“Nobody, wrong house.”
 
I said as
I turned toward him.

    
Grinning, he said, “You’re lying.
 
Who was that?”
 
He tried to see
what I had in my hands.
 
I giggled and he
startled.
 
He hadn’t heard me laugh much
in the past two years, at least not like this.
 
“What do you have in your hands?”
 
He playfully tried to pry my hands open.
 
I knew he wasn’t putting much effort in to it because he was a good size
man, and could easily have done it.

    
“I got you a Christmas present.”
 
I thought of many different ways to give him his gift, but instead I
just held out the keys and let them dangle in front of his face.
 
His excitement warmed my heart.

    
“OH MY GOD!
 
Is that what I think
it is?”
 
I moved out of the way, as he
raced out the door to the driveway.
 
“Oh
My God!
 
Is this mine?”
 
He asked while circling the Jeep.
 
Climbing in to the driver’s seat, he started
the engine.
 
It purred like a new
kitten.
 
Turning the engine back off, he
came over to me and picked me up.
 
“Thank
you mom! Thank you!”
 
He held me in a
tight embrace and I savored every moment of it.

    
“You’re welcome.
 
I take it that
you like the jeep?”
 
I asked laughing and
already knowing the answer.

     
“Like it?
 
I
fuc
…
I mean I love it!”
 
I gave him a pointed
look and he laughed.
 
I did not want to
hear language like that come from his mouth.
 
“Thank you!
 
Thank you! Thank you!
Thank you!”

    
“How about I get the food together and you drive us to grandmas?”
 

    
“Seriously?
 
That’d be
great!”
 
Laughing he helped me gather the
food in the kitchen.

    
With the Jeep loaded and Austin behind the wheel, we headed out on our
forty-five minute drive to my parents’ house.

    
“This is the best present ever mom.
 
It drives so well.”
 
He couldn’t
keep the smile off his face.
 
Reaching
over, I turned the radio on.

    
“Just remember to always wear your seatbelt.
 
The top won’t protect you if you wreck.”
 
That was my biggest fear, Austin
wrecking.
 
My Graysen was killed in an
accident, and I always worried the same thing would happen to Austin.
 
It took a lot for me to buy him a jeep,
knowing that unless he wore his seatbelt, he could meet the same fate.

    
“I will mom, I promise.”
 
He
flashed me a bright smile.
 

    
Arriving at my parents’ house, they came out to greet us and help carry
our food and packages in.
 
“Look
Grandma!
 
Mom got me a jeep for
Christmas!”
 
His enthusiasm was
contagious and mom was now smiling while dad opened the passenger door and had
a look inside.

    
Whistling, dad said, “That’s nice.”
 
Austin had to show him everything about it while mom helped me carry my
food inside.

    
“Beth and Scott couldn’t make it this year.”
 
Mom said disappointed.

    
“Why?
 
What’s wrong?”
 
I asked with concern.
 
They were always here for Christmas.

    
“The girls have been passing the stomach virus around.
 
Hailey has it now.
 
She’s been throwing up all day.”
 

    
“Poor thing.
 
I hope she feels
better soon.”

    
“Me too, now let’s get everything inside.
 
It’s cold out here.”
 
It was cold at 30F, but sometimes the
temperatures would drop a lot more than that.

    
Walking in to the house, warmth and comfort surrounded me.
 
It smelled like pine cones and cinnamon with
a fire roaring in the fireplace.
 
The
tree in the living room had lights that twinkled and presents were stacked high
all around it.
 
Mistletoe hung over the
open doorways with Christmas decorations scattered throughout the entire
house.
 
Mom loved Christmas and it showed
everywhere.
 

    
Walking in to the kitchen where the apple cider was brewing on the
stove, I took down a coffee cup and poured me some.
 
Christmas was the only time of year she fixed
it, that and homemade candy.
 
There were
chocolate covered peanut butter balls in a bowl so I popped one in to my
mouth.
 
It tasted like a homemade Reese
cup.
 
She had pinwheels in another bowl,
but I always preferred the peanut butter balls.

    
Standing there sipping my cider, I noticed mom staring at me.
 
“What?”
 
I asked with a smile on my face.
 
Mom looked happy.

    
“You’re beautiful, you know that?”
 
Blushing, I just shook my head.
 
What could I say to that?
 
“You
are.
 
Your auburn hair has gotten so
long.
 
I love the way it just naturally
curls.
 
People pay a lot of money to try to
get their hair to look like that.