Chapter 2 Memorial

B R R R R R R IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!

An alarm clock clanged in the room, the door creaks open and the footsteps of a maid echo in the quiet room. The curtains are pulled aside to reveal a woman on the bed, her hands lifted delicately in the air.

"This damn alarm," said the woman as she knock down the alarm causing the clangs to stop. She sits upright and removes her sleep mask to see a maid holding a tray of water and a box of pills, the maid gives the tray to the woman and hurriedly picks up the alarm.

"Take it away" the woman gives the tray to the maid. She stood up in black pajamas and stretched her arms above her head and yawned. She walked over to the windows and opened it, and immediately felt the sun once more on her body. She could see the pool, the Whitestone bridge, the garden, and how busy people were, going out and coming in of the house.

"Kathy boooo!" Screamed Cassandra, who had recently returned from Paris where she studied fashion designing at Institut Français de la Mode, standing next to the pool as she waved her hands vigorously in the air.

Kate, hearing the nickname, stared at her. Once when she was 13, her mother had called her Kathy boo after being impressed by her horse-riding skills. She shook her head as she draws the windows in and closed them.

She quickly goes into the bathroom upon hearing Cassandra's voice as she climbs up the stairs. The door is flung open, Cassandra comes in holding a garment bag and a magazine.

"Kathy boooo" she called out.

"Yes," Kate answered from the bathroom. Cassandra lays the garment bag on the bed and sits down

"Have you seen who's news is on the front page? and also in bold statements" she giggled. She reads out: Kate Richardson daughter of late business mogul Felicia Richardson celebrates as she raises the Richards group into one of the top 10 companies in the world.

Kate comes out in a towel, with her hair wrapped up in a bun, her skin still with drops of water on it. She opened the walk-in closet and takes out a pair of white heels.

Cassandra still excited read out "Wait wait here is the good part she's considered as one of the most influential CEOs and is also regarded to be the image of her mother independent, elegant, and a successful woman. Kate placed a faint smile.

"Wait! That's it?" she is puzzled "they leave out the fact where I'm the one behind her elegant looks!" Cassandra throws the magazine at the door.

Suddenly, there's a knock on the door. Cassandra pauses for a moment, then got up and walked to the door. She opened the door to find a woman of about 50 years, wearing a skull cap wig and a long strapless gown holding two glasses of champagne in hand.

"Aunt Patricia" she smiled.

"Come on in" Kate beckoned.

Patricia hands over the glasses of champagne to Cassandra who placed them on the table. Kate and Cassandra hug Patricia, for a moment in the room there's silence. Patricia gets emotional after hugging the girls.

"I'm so proud of you girls" she smiled. "I wish your mom was here to see the wonderful women she raised".

Cassandra hands her a handkerchief as she drinks up the glasses of champagne.

Kate pulled her to the kingside bed and wraps her arms around Patricia's shoulders.

"That's why I scheduled my victory party to be held alongside mom's memorial," said Kate.

"you know if you apply your special trade skills to the family business, the other families wouldn't dare to go up against us," said Patricia in a Sotto voce.

For a moment Kate's expression was so surprisingly hostile, two years ago after the death of her mother she had vowed to never participate in the garbage business.

"And that's what got her killed," she said in an enraged tone. Patricia rolled her eyes and leaves the room. Cassandra looked at Kate with a worried frown and suddenly felt cold. She cheers kate up as she gets ready for the party.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Sarah had woken up an hour ago, ready for the unwelcome surprise of the day. After a cold shower, she recalls the message from the previous night, feeling indifferent about the message she laid on the bed and pulled the duvet over her head.

She had lain in bed for a while, full of anxiety as she looked at the clothes on her bed. Nobody in her family knew she was here. she couldn't think of anyone who would send her the message.

Why now after all these years. She thought as she gets up all agile.

She puts on a black shirt ripped at the hem, a leather jacket that has the words DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES, leather jeans, and 5-inch heels.

"Now for the finished look", she winked at her reflection in the mirror. She puts on a black cap and black shades. She tiptoed towards the door, she could hear Peggy doing her Zumba workout routine happily singing along to the Whitney Houston classic hit song "oh I wanna dance with somebody". Just as she was about to open the door, Peggy comes out of her room.

"Where are you headed?" she asked as she gently wipes off the sweat on her body with a hand towel.

Sarah turned to look at her and is instantly fascinated by how hot Peggy looked in her workout outfit.

"I have a date with the dead".

She stepped quickly into the outer hallway and slammed the door and moved headlong down the stairs.

"I need some Zumba" Sarah muttered as she swung through the door in the lobby into the streets.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Sarah arrives at the luxurious home of the Richardson's with other guests, the maids at the Massive 12-foot mahogany doors welcomed Sarah in with smiles and a glass of La Landonne. She looked around and noticed how oddly dressed she was.

No one would notice her because they were all busy chatting and enjoying the classical music.

She looked up and is startled to see Cassandra coming down the L-shaped stairs. She hasn't seen her sister in 4 years. A maid hands Cassandra a glass of champagne and a spoon.

She clinks her glass "Ladies and gentlemen, will you raise your glasses to the woman of the hour". She said modestly. The guests applaud as Kate walks downstairs gracefully, the tempo of the music reduced as she stops at the landing partway.

Sarah loathes the sight of kate. She closed her eyes for a moment, the music triggered a memory of her as a child screaming with fear and panic as two men dragged her away from her mother who stood still. She struggles to lose their grips and runs to the mother, she kneels before her and begs for her mercy.

"Why do you always make things hard," said her mother gripping Sarah's cheeks.

Sarah opened her eyes again and saw to her right kate walking towards her with Cassandra at her side. She quickly escapes into the kitchen causing Cassandra to notice the sudden movement.

"Come this way!" Said, Kate

"Yes, ma!" Said Cassandra in a mimicking manner. She follows Kate down a hall into a room. Kate stopped abruptly; with a bewildered look on her face.

"Why!" Kate asked.

"Why what?" Cassandra answered.

"Why would he come here with his friends?" said Kate pacing around the room.

"You mean his crew," said Cassandra.

"I hope they wouldn't cause trouble," said Kate.

"Um, you didn't happen to see Sarah at the party," said Cassandra.

"What!" Kate's eyes widened.

"Oh," said Cassandra. She had completely forgotten to tell Kate about the message she sent to Sarah.

"I sent a text," she said.

"For your sake, I hope she doesn't come" Kate cast a dark look at Cassandra, who quietly leaves the room. Kate's phone rings.

"Hello," she said

"Kk-kate" the caller stammered.

"Yes"

"Thank God, I have been trying to reach you".

" Who are you?"

"It's me, Felix, I don't have much time--meet me at the office tomorrow" he hangs up.

"ok," said Kate. She could detect fear in his voice and felt uneasy because he had disappeared after her mom died. She rushed out of the room and bumps into Patricia.

Sarah finds two women in the kitchen gossiping about her mother. But it wasn't their fault. Her mother was a woman of happenings. She felt sad while looking at a framed picture of her mother, she lays it flat on the table. She leaves the house.

NOTE

*Crew-the group of soldiers under the capo's command.