Rhythm of Life

Today everything was quiet with Jazz spending the night and Maritka in her quarters, Chantal left us with the threat that she would return soon as she could. Jazz and I sat up watching the TV flicking until late and then went to bed without saying much to each other and although I didn’t say much I was comforted by her presence as I did not want to be alone for I did not want to face the reality of my life just yet.

The door knocking started early with flowers were arriving and the local priest turning up in time for lunch. Since I did not recall Mother ever going to church I was a trifle perplexed as to why he was here so I just smiled and nodded while he droned on about her being in a better place. I sat there alone in a grey universe wondering why people said lies to comfort you but in reality it did not comfort it just made them look stupid.

Peter called up to offer his condolences and although it was nice to hear from him I knew I couldn’t lean on him or he would have Simon back over here in a flash. If I let Simon through the door he would not leave easily and I could not deal with his past, not at this moment in my life. I thanked Peter and while he left me several openings to take up I said goodbye and let that part of my life go forever. Even if Simon did not have a past I already had doubts about our relationship because of Jojo and his stupid questions.

Just as I thought of Jojo I heard a car come speeding up the drive and thought Chantal was more hurried than usual so I waited for her to crash into the side of the house but she managed to get herself inside without any disaster. I heard a voice in the foyer and thought she was asking Maritka where we were for Jazz and I were on the terrace sitting in the sun trying to pretend that something terrible had not happened. I did not want to be bothered with people and their ideas so I kept looking at the flowers in the garden. Mother used to like sitting out here in the morning to have coffee and she would read bits of news out of the paper to Maritka who would feign dusting things and snort at the antics of the local celebrities or politicians. Sometimes she and Chantal would sit here gossiping about Taryn and whatever scandals the Vanderhaven family was up to. I looked up at the shadow standing over the table but it was not Chantal who had returned but Braith Vanderhaven who had arrived.

This unexpected visit woke me out of my dream world and I looked over at Jazz afraid she might dong him with a pot of daffodils. Braith thrust a bouquet of flowers at me and mumbled some sort of condolence managing to totally mystify me as I was not terribly certain why he came and looked behind him for Tiah but she was nowhere in sight. Confused I thanked Braith then asked why he had come as his face went pink while he shuffled and it was so odd to see him like this as he was always the older guy in total control of the family business. He told me that when he had first got his license he had taken his father’s Porsche without his permission and was driving like a crazy fool while showing off to his friends. He misjudged a turn and had scraped the entire side of Mother’s car in the process, he pulled over scared he had hurt her with his antics. Mother seeing a terrified boy had for some odd reason taken all the blame and apologized to Jago for the damage she had done. She paid for the repairs and although Jago was angry at Braith it was not half as bad as it could have been. Braith made a point of paying back Mother every cent and they had kept their secret all these years. I stared at Braith trying to absorb the fact that Mother had a life outside my existence and it was one where other people had thought of her with respect and friendship.

I put my grief aside for a minute and looked at Braith and Jazz trying hard not to look at each other and then I thought of Mother and how she had helped people without saying a word. I gave Braith a bold stare and told him that he owed my mother a debt and since she was dead he could pay it to me now. He raised his eyebrows in surprise and asked me what I wanted from him. I told him he had to answer one question in total honesty and he thought for a minute and then said yes. So I asked him the big question that had been on everyone’s lips for days, I asked him why he had pretended Nadia’s baby was his.

Braith stepped backwards as if to brush the question aside but I stood up and told him that he needed to answer this and answer it right now. I saw him grip the back of the chair while Jazz went white and stared at the ground. He rubbed his forehead as if in pain then told us that Nadia had come to him saying she was pregnant with Jago’s child and that Jago would not help her. Braith said he could do nothing as it was between her and Jago but Nadia was having none of it, she wanted help with her career and she wanted it now. She told Braith that either Jago got her a recording contract with Osric Jones or she was going straight to Taryn and Braith knew that if Taryn found out about another baby she would leave Jago and take down the winery with her.

Despite her many affairs she would not tolerate offspring in any of Jago’s as this threatened the inheritance she felt belonged solely to her own children and she revealed this in a whirlwind of fury over the news of Zizi and that affair had ended twenty years ago. Braith approached Jago who said Osric had just signed Zizi and he was not jeopardizing her chance over Nadia so she could do whatever she liked. Braith knew that Jago was over compensating for his guilt over Zizi and would be no help so he thought if he told Taryn the baby was his that Nadia would back down and leave Jago alone.

Instead Nadia grabbed the idea and made it public so Braith was stuck with the story and I asked him why he didn’t just come clean with Jazz he replied he wanted to but Jazz refused to speak to him. Jazz stood up her dark eyes alive with fury, she called Braith an idiot and cursed him for ruining their relationship and then making her the laughing stock of the town. She abused him with such finesse anyone could see she was in fact her mother’s daughter and poor Braith just shrank into himself. I pitied him because he made the exact same stupid mistake I had made with Jojo for instead of telling the person in our lives our problems we just wander off and make stupid decisions.

I asked Braith if he wouldn’t mind waiting on the terrace for a minute and I grabbed Jazz and pulled her in to the drawing room. She glared at me but did not dare start abusing me and I asked her if she forgave the stupid deal I had made with Gervais so Jojo would start his business. She stared for a minute then said yes and continued that Jojo and I should be together, it was obvious to everyone. I said “And so should you and Braith it is time to forgive him his stupid mistake and get on with it because being apart had done neither of you any good.” I dragged her back out onto the terrace then went and hid in the kitchen with Maritka who wanted to go out every five minutes in case Miss Jazz killed Mr. Braith.

While we were in the kitchen a car drove up and Chantal came strolling in only to exclaim “Oh God!” in a loud voice. I went back into foyer to stand beside Chantal for there we had a perfect view of the terrace where Jazz and Braith were kissing madly. Chantal stomped into the kitchen and I followed slowly. A person dies, a relationship is reborn, and the rhythm of live never ends.

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