Rose of Sharon |Courting Trouble BK 2|

CHAPTER 12 (Part 1)

"
If you are among the roses, your friends will look for you among the thorns. - Swedish Proverb

"Hey come look at this..." Ryan said as he followed Katrina and the old man into the living room. They were in the hallway and all around them lay portraits and pictures of people who he assumed were Katrina's maternal relatives.

"What?" Katrina asked as she doubled back to him.

"This... She looks familiar doesn't she? I could swear I have seen her face somewhere..."

"The portrait in my dad's office. She is supposed to be my mother, he never talked about it but grandma let it slip one day..."

"Who are those people with her?"

That is my sister Charlotte and her husband Henry. Would you believe it that that picture was taken some months before you were born...they had been so happy until the accident occurred."

"What accident?" Katrina turned around to address the man who had now introduced himself to them as Kenneth the younger brother of Katrina's maternal grandmother.

"The one that claimed your grandfather and put your mother in that hospital bed. Dominic was driving, I do not know what exactly happened but they had an argument. He was not paying attention and it costed him everything...Now come there is more to show you here. " The oldman said as he moved on to show them the living room. Behind him Ryan gave Katrina an understanding look. It now all made sense to them, her father's attitude and even why they had never had from them. Her maternal relatives that is. If Charlotte had blamed Dominic for the accident, then that explained the bad blood that was between them. Either that or the guilt that Mr Maracheli had felt led him to isolate himself and thus keep his own daughter from her own relatives.

"A lot makes sense now but I still have questions and they keep compounding by the minute."

"Worry not. I am sure he will smoothen everything out for you." Ryan said to her as he ran a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"I guess so. It is a lot to take in..."

"I know and I am right here if you need anything. You do not have to carry all the burdens by yourself you know. I am willing to help. If not as your husband then as your friend."

She hugged him. Tears were threatening to come out but she held them in, unwilling to soil her make up and the white shirt that was on his shoulders.

" Thank you." she whispered back.

" Now, are you ready to go and find out the rest?"

" As ready as I could ever be. It is not a comfortable position but to find out the truth I guess I will have to work through the discomfort."

"Let's go then."she reached out for his hand and they followed after the man who had walked out through a door at the end of the hallway. As they went past its threshold they came to an open room with a couple of sofas, a coffee table and several book cases. The room was bright, the sofas covered with a floral loose cover and the cabinets were made of a light mahogany that made the room bright despite the stilts that casted a shadow from the outside. On the windows hang some white translucent curtains with the blinds being the same floral material that made up the seats loose covers. In fact the only thing dull or dark on that room was carpet. A chocolate brown fluffy rug which covered the entirity of the sitting area but not the rest of the room.

"Come in. Please do forgive the clatter. I got excited and retrieved the albums. They are many but you Charlotte, she liked to document everything in pictures. I frowned upon it before but I guess seeing this being here with you makes all the memories so meaningful. I mean there is everyone, starting from your grandparents, your mum even you are here."

"How is that?" a surprised sat down to take a volume. He patted the space next to him and Katrina took it as he handed her a volume of her own.

"Your grandmother, Mrs Maracheli... She kept her updated. Sent her pictures. Things had soured between her son and Charlotte but bless her soul she tried to bridge that gap."

"But it didn't work." Katrina volunteered. Knowing her father, he was as stubborn as a mule and there was no way of trying to make him see things differently if he did not want to in the first place.

"No. I believe he actually forbid contact or so Charlotte told me, but a grandma is a stubborn one too." the old man smiled. "She continued to send us photos."

After the next few hours were spent turning pages and perusing photos with the occasional story or anecdote from the oldman Kenneth. Like he had promised the albums were rich in history of both her grandparents and her mum. Stella, she had always known her as such. The mysterious woman who had always hanged from her father's office wall. He had called her his inspiration. His muse and even though the Marachelis were practically old money, this tragedy had led the forlorn business man to work harder, to grow his empire and become the most influential business man in Urberium.

"He moved on... I hear?" Kenneth asked her.

"Yes. Alice is the best step mom that anyone could ask for."

"I am glad that you were never alone. We missed you growing up but look at that you came back to us. God brought you back to us."

"Us? You mean there are more?" Ryan chipped in once again by asking the proper questions, ones that Katrina did not have the nerve to ask.

"Of course. You have cousins. My own grandchildren and of course your aunties and uncles, that is,my children. You could always meet them. I am sure that would have been excited to meet you but we did not want to overwhelm you. I wasn't even sure myself when you would come."

"It's okay. All in due time I guess. I have to process all this first."