Bring Glory(Us) Life

Chapter 5- Amusement

        Saturday. Two days and no sign of Kilay. Lachlan was once again posed with his newest question of torment: Did he miss Kilay? He wandered blindly through the house, deep in thought, pausing momentarily in the living room entrance. His mother, Brigitte, was seated on the floor, legs folded to the side, sunflower yellow dress arranged around them, encouraging Pauline while she did a puzzle, putting the right shaped blocks into the slots. Pauline squealed and laughed every time she got something right and their mother gushed over her, telling her daughter how clever she was. Lachlan choked back a sudden wave of bile; he had been able to complete five hundred piece puzzles when he was that age. Bitterness renewed, he went outside to get some air.

        Rich, redolent scents of life and spring filled Lachlan’s nose as he walked the front garden path, weaving along the pattern, spiraling closer and closer to the middle where his mother kept her prized rose bush, now alive with red blooms. He absently tapped one with the pad of his finger and it bounced back, as nature always seemed to do; adapting, recovering, modifying, ever bouncing back from what man threw at it. In an abrupt fit of furor, he seized one crimson bloom by the stem, piercing his palm on the thorns, and ripped it off, throwing it vehemently to the ground. Crimson stained crimson as it lay there, making it appear as if the bloom itself bled for Lachlan’s heart, as he was incapable of doing so himself.

        “Damn, what did that flower do to you to deserve that?” Kilay’s voice came from behind him, and Lachlan leapt in the air, squirming in uncontrolled fury.

        “I’m gonna freaking kill you sometime!” he exclaimed, stomping over to her. “What do I have to do to get rid of you, you crazy stalker bitch!” Kilay leaned back as if struck by his words.

        “Uff, that hurts. No need to go there, kid.” Lachlan rolled his eyes and shoved his way past her, heading toward the house.

        “Wait, I’m not done with you yet!” Kilay called after him. Reaching out, she snagged him by the back of the belt, just as she had done to save his life not so long ago. Lachlan slapped her hand away, face red, eyes stretched wide, like an angry bull.

        “Don’t do that,” he snapped, the words coming out stiff and jerky, choked out one at a time. Kilay lunged after him, single hand latching onto his wrist, and dragged him after her. They continued all the way to the gate, Lachlan protesting furiously, Kilay with a smile on her face.

        “Where are you taking me?” Lachlan screamed, trying to fight her grip, but she was stronger than she looked. She looked back at him and grinned.

        “You’ll see. It’s a surprise!”

        They reached the front gate, the heavy spiked iron a formidable knight guarding the estate. At the side was the small box like structure where the security guy was locked up all day. He was leaned back in his chair, feet propped on the dashboard of buttons and TV monitors, reading a newspaper. The elderly man waved at the two as they approached and opened the gates enough for them to pass through.

        “Have a good day, young master!” he called, smiling. Kilay returned the gesture, and raised her eyebrows at Lachlan’s look of horror and astonishment.

        “Oh my god, you bribed the doorman?” he yelped, his desire to get away renewed.

        “No, I simply explained the situation and he seemed happy enough to let me spend time with you,” she said casually, pulling the exasperated boy behind her. “But don’t worry about that, we’re going to have fun today!”

        A block down the street a cab sat, waiting. Kilay opened one door and pulled Lachlan in with her, motioning the cabby to go. The man nodded at her and they were off. Lachlan glared murderously at the woman.