The Namesake 2 (of 5)

 

 

Note to readers. Don't read if you don't like poor grammar, this is rough.
This is a work of adult fiction. No resemblance to reality should be inferred or expected.
Copyright… are you kidding?

Edited by Amanda Lynn.

 

I wasn’t arrested. I wasn’t interrogated even. And I wasn’t poisoned. There was no hallucinogen. I was all real and I wasn’t dreaming. Or will I wake up in the future…? I wished to stay as I was. If I had proof that the girl’s soul wasn’t suffering I would be happy to be in this body. Since I was a little boy I saw myself as a girl. Fifty years ago anyone different from others was a pervert. And not only in the one-sixth part of the world where I lived. I was stuck where I was and I didn’t plan to live long. After I graduated the university I was drafted and went to Afghanistan. I saw the war as an opportunity to end my life. I didn’t succeed but was rather promoted and decorated. Then my mom died and since my father lived with another woman I had to take care of my mom’s parents. My grandfather died when he was one hundred four. At this time I had my security company for fifteen years already.

I was taken to the hospital with mom and dad. They both had numerous injuries. Dad had numerous fractures and a left lung punctured. Mom was raped and injured. I was healthy though I had “some memory lapses” because of retrograde amnesia. They, the memory lapses, were insignificant the doctor said. I will recover faster at home than in the hospital. I was released with mom’s younger brother, Harold the same day.

He took me to his home in Auburn. I know it sounds weird as hair color but it’s real. I saw the sign when we drove in.

The time was the end of August and I had to attend school. Americans are very strict about it. It was a month before mom and dad were expected to be released from the hospital. I was assigned to the local school and my records were transferred from my old school. I was eleven and I was entering the fifth grade. My name was Cassandra M. Schwab. Uncle Harold’s surname was Kleist and he was assigned my guardian for now.

For our first evening, Harry (he said to call him so) was ordering the pizza. He was waiting for delivery while I took a shower. I went into the bathroom, disrobed, and stood in front of the mirror starring at myself. I was short, a little bellow four feet. My hair was light brown not long and not short, coming almost to my shoulders. I was skinny and there were still no curves.

After showering I left my hair to dry naturally. While eating I asked Uncle why I was Kiesha when my name was Cassandra.

“Wasn’t it supposed to be Cassie?” I asked.

“It was. When you started school there was already a girl Cassie and another who was called Cassandra. Hele offered Kiesha and it stuck to you.”

“Who’s Hele?”

“Uh… She’s a woman that worked at your home in Boston.”

“Like maid?”

“No, no… Help… Yeah, help. She’s helping your mom at home. You know, your mom’s working.”

Then I remembered a very important thing. I was dressed in the same clothes I was wearing before. That’s because I had none. ‘My’ home was locked and the security system was on. Harold decided to buy essentials instead of coming to our home and taking my things.

“I don’t have anything to put on,” I declared.

“Really?”

“Well, these things I have on are the only clothing I have.”

“Huh? I see.” The silence followed. He was thinking I guessed. “We’ll need to go to Wal-Mart.”

 

 

What sounded like a wise choice earlier now seemed rather stupid. I needed everything starting with a toothbrush, ending with jeans and even something for colder weather. What I was wearing now were 8 and 10. I knew where to start. Harry was of no help. I didn’t plan to buy fashionable things, just some basic things. He could get me toiletries, socks, and underwear, some things by number or title. Those I didn’t have to check in the changing room. Not. He was waiting for me behind the check-out and reading some paper.

An hour later I had a cart full of things at check-out. It didn’t cost a fortune because that was basic things and most of them on ‘Back to school’ sale. That wasn’t everything I needed. The next day I went to school and got a list of things. I told him I had absolutely nothing from my old home. That was another Wal-Mart cart. After we got home Harry ordered pizza again.

At home, Harry had a fully equipped kitchen but he did nothing there. Even in the morning, we were eating sandwiches he bought at the grocery the first day. Then we would go for lunch at the restaurant and then ordering pizza again when at home. I offered to do something real instead of junk food. He said ok. It was the third day in Auburn and this time we went for groceries. Harry was waiting for me at check-out again.

I’d noticed he was like one of those people that were here but they were not here. Like some mad scientists in the movies for kids. The only thing he did was pay. I hoped he had enough money.

I took a few things I needed for defense like sharp and light peeling knives and poultry shears. There was a car that followed us. Our neighborhood wasn’t downtown. There’re three or four main streets and a bunch of smaller ones. I got used to its planning in two days already. And there’re not many cars that go the same direction as Harry’s SUV. It wasn’t a big deal for me to notice the Explorer following us the third day in the row. My job was to notice things others didn’t pay attention to.

There were other cars too, one at each corner of the block where Harry’s home was. One was marked as plumber’s service. Its doors were closed. There was no work underground or at the neighbors. Another car was natural gas service. Harry’s home was equipped with a propane heater and stove. If there was natural gas, which was cheaper, who would go for propane?

At home, I was about to start dinner but I found all pots and pans were still in packing oil. So the first thing was to wash everything then check for oil odor and wash again if needed. When I’d finished it was late. Harry ordered pizza again. I definitely needed a pizza break. I seasoned a chicken I’d planned to bake in the oven for tomorrow's dinner.

Then Harry called the hospital as he did every day and talked a little with the doc about mom and dad. A splinter from dad’s broken rib was near his heart. It was resolved with another surgery to remove that splinter. Mom at first was healing well but then infection caused vaginal inflammation. That wasn’t good news.

 

 

The next morning I was up very early. I made a batter and started baking Belgian wafers. When Harry got up his coffee was waiting for him and a pile of still hot wafers was served with strawberry jam.

“I’ve seen those only in some movies,” he stated. “They not only look good. They taste heavenly too.”

“Haven’t your mom done this for you?” I wondered.

“My mom, your granny was, heck, she still is Everett High School vice-principal,” Harry said. There was a note of sadness in his voice. “She was already at school when we, your mom and I, were getting up for school.”

“I thought you’re the only kin relative…”

“No, no… There are more of them, in Seattle.”

“How did you and my mom end up here? What, three thousand miles away from your home,” I asked.

“You don’t know, and I hope you’ll never get to know, what it’s to live with mom VP.” Harry sighed and then added. “Every kid when in VP office they stand at attention. Then they are released. We were not released. Never. We still are like middle Schoolers in the school office when at mom’s home.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know about granny,” I wanted to console him but I didn’t know how and if it was ok to do something.

“Will you feed me the same way in the future, I’ll need to change my wardrobe. Bye-bye to skinny Harold…” he chuckled.

“Maybe we’ll find some gym for you here,” I offered.

“Gym? For me? I’m one lazy dog. Maybe in the future. Maybe.” Harry stood up from the table and kissed me on the forehead. “Why thank you Kiesha. It was a wonderful breakfast. What are your plans for today?”

I turned the kitchen radio on and tapped the panel to increase the volume a little.

“May I ask you something?”

He nodded his head yes.

“What do you know what happened to me and my parents?”

“Don’t you think it’s too loud?”

I shook my head no. “Back to my question. What happened?”

He was thinking and hesitating a minute or a little more. “It’s hard to talk to you when you are a minor. But you were there and you have seen more than I,” Harry started. “Special agents that investigate this case said someone had killed the bad guys and then you escaped.”

“Special agents? Not police? Why?”

“If you don’t remember you’re from Boston.”

“Oh… It’s probably still covered by my memory lapse,” I said. “Didn’t they say why we were kidnapped?”

“They mentioned about your dad working in the DEA lab and no details.”

“Have they provided protection for my parents and us?”

“They have police officers in the hospital watching the rooms with your dad and mom,” he replied. “Why protection for us? We don’t need it I guess.”

“Then we have a problem.”

“What do you mean?” Harry asked.

“There was a car Ford Explorer dark green following us all three days here in Auburn.”

“You never could know. Wasn’t it a coincidence?”

“Well, our neighborhood isn’t kind of a big city. We were driving from home straight to Wal-Mart and then back and another day to school and back home. Explorer was following us and waiting for us in the parking. And then there are service cars that don’t belong here.”

“What cars?”

“At the corners of the block. Plumbers and Natural Gas service.”

“Nonsense,” Harry said, “there is no natural gas here.”

He walked down to the entrance door and was about to open in.

“STOP!” I raised my voice at him.

“What?” he turned to me and I saw he was annoyed.

“Do you think those are some lost servicemen?”

“So what will we do?”

“Have those special agents given their phone numbers to you?” I inquired.

“One of them has given me a card,” he said.

“Then call him and tell him what I’ve told you.”

“Her.”

“Huh?”

“Special agent Rose Dossett is she,” Harry explained.

“Whatever,” I sighed. Work with civilians is never light. “Call her.”

He entered her number into his phone and then waited and disconnected.

“What?”

“I was redirected to the voice mail,” he explained.

“How many machine guns do you have at home? How will you defend yourself? And me?”

“Huh?”

“Call again and say what you have to say into voice mail. Then call again and repeat what you’ve already said. Then again and again and again. A special agent isn’t a waitress you ask for a date. It’s an EMERGENCY call. Do you get it?”

“Yes, mother. Oh sorry. It just slipped. You know, there is a saying that kids inherit…”

“CALL HER! We’ll talk later.”

He punched the number again and was in the middle of what he had to say when the phone was answered. Then he said, “I’ll give you my niece. She’s a boss here,” and he handed me his phone.

“Cassandra Schwab. Good morning, ma’am,” I said into the phone while looking at Harry.

“Mr. Kleist, your uncle, said there are two cars that don’t belong here.”

“Yes. There is a Plumber service car. I don’t know the model of the minivan. It’s already the third day at the corner of the block. I didn’t notice any movement. Another car is Natural gas service and is parked… Shit! Hold on!”

Harry got to the living room window and was about to move a day curtain for a better view. I grabbed his shirt’s sleeve and yanked it down.

“What?” he turned to me with the same annoyed expression on his face.

“You don’t need to show yourself to look at those cars. They are pretty good visible.”

“May I turn that blaring radio off?”

“NO!” I indicated with my finger to sit down at the kitchen table. He reluctantly dragged himself to the table and slumped into the chair.

“Sorry. Civilians,” I said into the phone. “So another car is parked at the Northern corner of the block. Again I can’t say the model of the minivan but it is the same model as the car at the Southern corner. Both cars are background white.”

“You talk like professional,” the agent said.

“Too many books and movies, I guess,” I replied.

“My partner had informed local police already. They said they will check it. Make my number speed dial and call me at any emergency. Deal?”

“Sure. Bye.” I said and handed the phone back to Harry.

I could hear police sirens blaring in the distance. Both minivans set off at the same moment before the police arrived. When police cars came here and then officers entered our home with the guns raised there were no minivans in the neighborhood.

They went but they left the patrol car with two officers in it. I went to the patrol car and we agreed that they will knock like “Took-took-tak-tak-tak”. We will know there are the officers and not somebody else. I couldn’t talk with them at home while radio was turned off and its blaring wasn’t disguising our voices.

For now, the war game was over and I cooked chicken in the oven together with young potatoes and sliced onion bulbs. We ate and Harry had praised me again. Then I divided the rest of the chicken into two parts and served with potatoes. That together with two bottles of coca Harry brought to the patrol car. Some twenty minutes later there was a rap at the door, two long and three short. That’s when one officer brought empty plates back.

I washed plates and cleaned the kitchen. It was still day and I used the time to explore the house and backyard and prepare for unexpected.

I divided the peel knives into bunches of six. I’d got a two dozen pack previous day with a twenty-five percent gratis. I had thirty of them. They were cheap Chinese things with a plastic handle and narrow tipped blade. They were factory sharpened. I practiced throwing them when Harry wasn’t watching. I didn’t want him involved too much. My skills were intact but my all strength was gone. Good, the knives were light and sharp. Bunches of knives I placed around the house and in the backyard in strategic places. I had boys’ jeans and a loose tee on. The tee was covering my back pocket where the poultry shears were. Their handle is a loop like a knuckleduster. It would protect my knuckles when punching. A sharp steel claw was an improvement too.

Behind the backyard some thirty or so feet away there was a stream three to five feet wide. Its banks were muddy so no way someone will try to jump it over. I followed the stream and it was covered with some bush and there I found kind of a path and a footbridge over the stream. On the other side some fifty feet away were someone’s backyards. The path went between two backyards to the street. There Natural Gas Service minivan was parked. Car’s backdoor was facing the path.

I went back home. Harry was watching TV.

“Uncle, I need your phone please,” I asked him.

His smartphone was on the coffee table in front of him.

“Who will you call, if it’s not a secret,” he asked.

“Not a secret at all. Rose,” I said.

“That from FBI? Why?”

“That one. There’re still some unanswered questions.”

“Her number is in recent calls list,” Harry said tapping his finger over the phone. “Here it is,” he handed his phone to me.

“I’m going for a walk down the street.”

He just shrugged.