Fur Cara

Chapter five

Anger.
That was one of the many emotions she felt as she shattered another glass vase.
Hurt.
Another glass collided with the wall.
Rejection!
She broke down and fell to her knees buring her hands in her face as hot tears fell from her eyes. She had always dealt with rejection but this one hurt more than any she'd ever borne. It was too much to take. She had been certain from the way he looked at her that he felt the same attraction to her just like she did. Then why had he rejected her?
She stood and wiped her tears angrily feeling stupid for getting emotional over rejection. She took in the mess that she  had made in the kitchen certain that Agnes would be shocked at it. Flower vases and expensive chinas lay in shatters all over her. She picked her way through the mess and went straight to her room.  By the time she sat on the bed and lighted a cigarette, anger was all that she felt. She had shown him that side of her that cared but he had pushed it away and for that, she swore to make him pay.

Kelvin had just stepped out ofghe quarters and was on his way to college when he saw Caroline walking up to him. The sight of her brought back the memories of the kiss that he couldn't seem to forget. It had been tempting to just let go and give himself but he knew that nothing good would come out of going after the Benson's daughter so he had resisted. However, seeing her now, he was tempted once again to grab hold and...
    "Get the car. I'm going shopping." She said casually and turned to head back.
    "I've got to be in college in twenty minutes."
She gave him an incredulous look "Last time I checked, you are supposed to be taking me wherever I want to go."
    "Yes, but I thought..."
    "GET THE CAR. And be quick about it." She sashayed away.
Five minutes later, kelvin pulled out of the driveway with Caroline at the back seat. She lighted a cigarette, took a drag and puffed smoke into the air. Kelvin wiped the air with his hand and a look of irritation crossed his face. She didn't seem to notice his discomfort but only blew more smoke into the air.
    "Can you please stop doing that?" He asked as politely as he could. She ignored him.
He wind down the glass to let the smoke out.
    "Wind up." She commanded. "And turn on the air conditioner."
He glanced back at her briefly but did just as she'd said.
At the boutique, Caroline spent two hours shuffling through the cloth racks. After the continuous searching, she decided to buy nothing.
    "Let's go get shoes." She did walking to the exit.
    "But you didn't buy any clothes." Kelvin protested.
    "None of them caught my fancy."
At the shoe store, nothing still caught her fancy and they emerged empty handed. By then, Kelvin had forfeited his chances of attending lectures. His guts told him that all her stalling had been done on purpose. During the hours they spent checking out clothes and shoes that she hadn't bought, she had ignored him. Even when they got back into the car and headed home, she still ignored him. It was ironic that the day before, they had seemed so close, almost like friends- that was, until the kiss. He realized that it didn't take her much to put him in his place. It was one of the reasons why he had withdrawn. Girls like Caroline who belonged to the high class society didn't get involved with people like him. They were off limits.
A day of disrupting his lectures didn't seem to be enough for her as she she'd peated it the following day and the day after. For an entire week, Kelvin spent his days driving Caroline to destinations where she spent her time doing nothing. Out of spite, Caroline had invited Matilda and Priscilla to go with her for shopping.
Kelvin noted the friction between Priscilla and Caroline but did not comment. They seemed to be taking silent jabs at each other. However, Caroline's dislike extended to him. She did everything she could to embarrass him. From making him carry the clothes to sending him errands.
His job description had not mentioned anything about being an errand boy. Her sassiness annoyed him. More than once he had stopped himself from replying to her rude comments. More than once, he caught Priscilla staring at him and he overhead her asking Caroline about him. It irked him that he was the topic of discussion among pompous, overspoilt girls.
Late that night, long after the shopping trip, Kelvin hurried to the huge mansion after receiving a call from Caroline telling him that it was urgent he came over. Still believing that he was actually called for something of importance, he walked into the mansion and found himself face to face with Caroline. She was dressed in a spaghetti strap top and jean shorts that exposed long shapely legs, her feet strapped in brown leather boots.  Her chestnut hair fell freely down her back and her make up was heavy. The car keys dangled freely from her left hand. He didn't need to be told what she was planning to do. He already knew.
    "What took you so long to get here?"
    "I had to walk from the quaters." He replied sarcastically.
She was about to say another word in reply when her mother's voice cut her short.
    "Where do you think you are going to?"
Caroline turned to find her mother standing on the top stair. Kelvin had always found the woman's presence overwhelming. She had the airs and grace of cruel royalty and stared at everyone like they were her subjects.
    "I'm going out." Caroline replied with a casual shrug.
    "I believe I made it clear that you are not to leave this house past seven pm especially being dressed like a tramp."
    "I'm too big for you to tell me how to live my life."
    "On the contrary, you are still too young to think you've grown wings. You are going to behave like the lady that you are and head back to your room where you should be at this time of the night."
    "And if I don't?" Caroline challenged.
Kelvin saw Mrs Benson's gaze darken as she stared at Caroline. A corner of her lips lifted. "You'll face the consequences."
Kelvin had no idea what the consequences would be but it was enough to have Caroline marching up the stairs, her shoulders stiff from annoyance. She stopped briefly and exchanged a look with her mother to n disappeared up the stairs. Mrs Benson's dark eyes shifted to his face.
    "And you.... make sure she doesn't leave this house." She told him and disappeared up the stairs as well.
Knowing how stubborn Caroline was, he guessed that she would make another attempt to leave the house. He turned and went out. He walked around the mansion till he was beneath the small verandah that connected to Caroline's room.
It didn't take long to confirm his guess. The doors of the verandah flew open and he saw Caroline step out. She took in her surrounding then deciding that the coast was clear, she planned her dangerous descent. She didn't seem to mind that her room was on the first storey. She threw her purse down and it landed with a soft thud. Her boots followed next. Barefoot, she followed. She threw her legs to the other side holding the railing as support. She lowered herself slowly, still clutching lower and lower till the point that she dangled mid air.
Kelvin watched her feet kicking in the air. Just as she was about to let go and jump, he reached out and grabbed her waist. She let go of the railing as he carried her like she weighed nothing then set her on the ground.
Shocked, she whirled around and stared at him. It was obvious she hadn't expected him.
    "What are you doing?" She asked in an angered tone.
    "I should be asking you that. Jumping from up there is dangerous."
    "Even if I decide to jump off the roof, it's not your business!" She put on her shoes hurriedly and grabbed her purse.
    "Unfortunately it is. You're not supposed to go anywhere and I can't let you."
    "I don't remember you being my bodyguard."
He also couldn't remember when he had upgraded from chauffeur to body guard.
    "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a place to be."
He grabbed her arm just as she was about to turn.
    "Not so fast Caroline. The only place you'll be going to is your room."
    "But I don't want to." She said softly, her eyes filling.
The sight of her tear filled eyes was the least he'd expected and he blinked in surprise.
    "You have to Cara." His voice softened as he let go of her arm. "Your parents won't like this."
She shook her head tears still brimming in her eyes.
    "You don't understand. I feel so...so trapped in this house. I can't stand it."
Touched by this soft  side of her, he reached out and brushed a tear that ran down her cheek.
    "Please Cara. Not tonight." He said softly. "It won't do any good to go against yours ur parents. Why don't you go back in, have a goodnight rest and we'd talk about this tomorrow.
Caroline sighed and nodded wearily.
    "I guess your right. I'd just go back in."
    "Do you need me to walk you to the front door?"
She shook her head.  "I can manage." She sniffed and turned around the corner heading to the front door. He let her go alone and that was a big mistake. By the time he realized that she had deceived him, she was already in the sports car and driving wildly out of the house.

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