Memories of a Life That Never Happened

Chapter 24 - Exposure

A public confrontation is, on itself, a despicable thing. To the Chusters and eminent families alike, it was more than that. It was a deplorable sin. An unforgivable behavior that led to scandal and infamy. That night, even though the accusations were barely audible and the threats rendered between smiles, the Chusters' perfect façade started chipping.  

Nonetheless, the composed lecture continued as Mica returned to her seat. She secured the white bag under her bottoms, just in time to witness the arrival of a peculiar man. He had an oversized belly and eyes too intense to be honest. He had jowly cheeks and tried to conceal his receding greyish hairline with an overlong haircut. It failed to do the trick, Mica appraised.  

"Hello old friend." He had the voice and posture of a confident man.  

Nicholas sprung up. "Ubiratan! What a pleasure!" 

The two men interlocked in a tight hug and slapped each other's backs.  

"If I knew I'd receive such a warm welcome, I'd have come earlier." Ubiratan grinned. "Everything alright here, I suppose?" 

Nicholas swallowed hard and Mica thought his old friend made him uncomfortable. 

"But of course! It was just a foolish misunderstanding. Just boys being boys..." 

"I'm glad to hear that. We don't want any trouble going forward, do we?" Ubiratan threw an arm around Nicholas' waist and pulled him closer. "Carolina, you look absolutely stunning."  

"And you, as usual, are very kind. Thank you, Ubiratan."  

He bent down to peck her cheek before examining the other faces around the table. 

"Hard wood," Mica muttered. That was the meaning of his name in her mother's native language. This man had gotten his name from type of wood her tribe used to build huts.  

Ubiratan licked his lips, focused his eyes on her. "Excuse me?"  

"N-nothing," she staggered. 

"I believe I was not yet introduced to this adorable couple." Ubiratan winked at Mica and threw a quick glance at Abel. 

"Right. These are the guests I spoke to you about," Nicholas said, making Mica blush.  

Had she heard it right? Did Nicholas Chuster just say he had talked to people-powerful, rich people-about her family?  

"I invited our event coordinator and his family. He had worked for us before, but never in a prominent role. This year, we gave him a promotion, so to speak and the greater responsibility took its toll on him. Quite a scare he gave us. Had to be hospitalized. But he didn't break. He came back for us. I was hoping he could enjoy the fruit of his hard work." 

A man on a table behind them guffawed at what must have been a delightful joke. For a moment, Nicholas and Ubiratan glanced at him. 

"This is his lovely daughter, Michaela," added Nicholas gesturing to her over the elegant centerpiece, "she came to represent her family." 

"Your father's absence is pitied but sensible, dear child," said Ubiratan compassionately. "I'd be nice if you told him what an enjoyable experience you had tonight." 

Mica could not look away from the white blob of dry saliva at the corner of his mouth.  

"Sure!" Mica exclaimed, a little louder than she intended.  

What was wrong with her? This was her moment to shine. To charm everyone. No doubt, she was capable of more than monosyllabic replies.  

"Well, it was lovely to meet you." Ubiratan's bulging eyes peered long at Mica.  

"Nicholas," he continued, "you ought to register this moment. Take a picture, will you? I'm positive your employee would appreciate it. Wouldn't that make a wonderful souvenir? Something to show his friends?" Ubiratan winked at his old friend. 

"What a splendid idea!"  

As before, all it took was a raised finger before photographers engulfed them and flashes started exploding all around. They were more avid for this rare opportunity than ants over a piece of candy.  

As cameras clicked from unimaginable angles, Mica realized that acting natural was harder than she imagined. She just stood there, frozen and diffident. To her relief, the whole commotion was short-lived. Better yet, Mica and Abel blissfully endured their five minutes of fame.  

When the photographers dispersed, Nicholas and Ubiratan took their cue from them and disappeared together into the chattering crowd. Carolina ended up with the burden of dealing with Nick and his friend.  

"If our guests will excuse us, I need to have a word with you two," she told her firstborn and his friend.  

Three crisp napkins dropped over the table. Mica admired Carolina raise with the grace of a queen. Silently, the trio walked away from the table and into the smaller tent. 

Free at last from castrating parental supervision, Theo apologized to Mica. 

"I wish I'd been born into a normal family and you'd been spared this second, private show. My brother was a decent guy until-." He shrugged. "I don't really remember anymore." 

"No worries." Mica kindly dismissed his worries. "The only thing on my mind is that amazing ballet. And, as far as I can tell, you're pretty normal."  

Too late to take it back, she wondered if that an insult more than a compliment. When Theo's azure eyes lowered to his lap, she figured it was.  

"Oh, don't let Theo's angelic face fool you, Mica. My friend here's a daredevil. A shot of adrenalin straight in the vein. I'm telling you," said Alan.  

Theo stomped his friend's foot under the table. "What are you doing?" he mouthed and rolled his eyes.  

"What? Chicks dig bad guys!" Alan defended himself. "You think you'll win her discussing English novels?" 

Mica studied Theo for a minute. True, he was innocent looking. Yet, that did not make him any less intriguing. Despite the abysmal differences between their families, he seemed just as uneasy as she was. She could feel it. And to her own surprise, she felt something else too. A strong will to hold this beautiful, vulnerable boy, who inexplicably seemed in need of soothing.  

What Mica ignored, however, was that this fancy was not exclusive to her. In a table not too far away, Bianca's desire to comfort Theo was older and greater than hers.