Enigma

Villa

Collin

"What the hell do you mean?"  I yelled, my jaw now clenching.

"Collin calm down."  Lately Erin has been trying to calm me down but it isn't working.

"What I said I mean?"  Brian my father spoke.

"Tell them to fucking go away!"

"Collin.  That's no way to speak to your father."  Ellen my mother scolded.

"Look at the poor boy, throwing tantrums."  Jamie taunted.

Why is it everyone is conspiring against me?  The only person who was ever on my side was uncle now my sister.

Once I had made sure Kara was safe Erin and I ran all the way home both of us wondering how fisherman are now on our beach, my beach.

Come to find out that dad here rented out the empty vacant lots that was adjoining with us and gave them permission to fish on our land.

"Look Collin, business isn't doing well and we need other methods of investment."

"So you think having strange men ruining our beach is a great investment."  I was fuming mad.  All this because of money.  For years I had kept that beach clean.  I maintained it and kept all kinds of harmful rubbish out of the water for these fishermen to only destroy it within the span of one day.

"Dad."  Erin spoke, "Collin is right.  The beach is a natural habitat for other fishes out there.  And because of these men those fishes will die along with the corals."

"And since when were you so fond of the beach Erin?"  Jamie smirked.

Stupid brother of mine.  "Since I have a heart."  Erin countered.

"These fishermen are helping with today's society...."

"And how is that?"  I interrupted.

"While they catch and sell fish, we will get a profit from that considering it is our beach to begin with."

"Look, I don't care if we go bankrupt, you will tell those men to get off our beach."  I roared slamming my fist on the table causing my mom, Erin and Hazel to flinch.

Hazel hadn't said a word to me yet but she was here.

"You will not talk to me that way boy, I am your father and since when were you so disrespectful.  I get that we were never close but you never yelled like this to me before."

I have and I did a lot of times, he just never paid attention or cared before.

With angry eyes, and big steps I stormed up to my dad, "Get those fucking bastards off my beach."  I glared coldly.  Though I am about the same height as my dad now, I can over power him.  He isn't the once strong man I had admire once upon a time.  

"Collin!"  Father growled my name, "You want that beach, I'll give you that beach."

"What!"  I stepped back.

"In fact I'll tell all those men to get off my property immediately."

That was fast.  I hadn't know this man before me to change his mind so quickly.  "What's the catch?"  I asked skeptically.

"You my dear boy will go to America and there you will wed Hazel once you reach of age of course and stay with her father for the mean time."

My jaw dropped but Hazel's eyes looked hopeful.  Go to America!  But that means I won't get to see Kara.

I felt Erin grip my arm.  She knew what I was feeling.  

"I don't know what's so great about the beach that you would go against...."

"I'll do it."  Erin looked taken back by my answer so did I.  All I wanted was Kara safe and if it meant I had to be away from her then so be it.

"Collin."  Erin teared, not for her, not for my father but for me.  

"Are you serious?"

"I don't joke."

"Very well you have one month to pack and say good bye to your friends and uncle."  He smirked.

This is what it was about.  Separating me from uncle.

"Collin."  Hazel gently grabbed my arm only for me to yank it away.

"I may have agreed to my father's demands but no way in hell I'll give you everything.  You want to marry me, I'll make sure your life is a living hell before you can even say I do."  I whispered coldly to her before facing my father again.  No way in hell will I ever settle down with Hazel.  They'd have to kill me first.

But that means three years away from Kara.

"One more condition."

"And that is?"

"I will do what you ask of me but I want this villa, the beach."  I had to insure Kara's home.  I had to make sure she had a home.

Father hesitated before answering me, "Okay."

*****

"I heard the news bud."  I was now in my uncle's lab looking at his collection.  

Upon seeing me I had told him what had happened.  He wasn't too pleased with his own brother forcing me to do things.  

But he made me a promise to also look after Kara when I cannot as well as Erin.  

And when I come back here, I will come back for her.

"Are you going to say good bye to her?"

"Of course uncle."

"I see, come back on Friday with Erin this evening and I will give you a surprise."  It was a Tuesday so we had just a few more days.

"A surprise?"

"Call it a going away present."

I could never tell what uncle was going to do when he mentions surprise.  He was always unpredictable.  I was either scared and happy when he gives me a surprise.  I mean the last surprise was during my sixteen birthday party when he brought Kara on land.  

"You're not going to bring her on land again are you?"  As much as I would love for her to be on land, she didn't do too well with dry air and to top it off we were almost caught.  Well technically we were caught on camera but it was dark and the image was blurry.

"No, after what had happened I can't risk it especially now that this beach is crawling with fishermen."

I relaxed at that.

"Trust me my boy you are going to love it.  And bring extra clothes.  You me and Erin are going for a whole weekend."

A whole weekend without dad, or my brother.  A whole weekend with the people that don't annoy me.  Already I couldn't wait for this weekend to come.