UTOPIA Chapter 1 I was born, in the year of our Lord 1965, to a middle class home in Kent; I had no known father and grew up in a cottage with my mother. As a toddler I remember very little other than my mother always been around for some reason she never had reason or a need to leave the cottage other than to go into the village once a week for groceries and supplies I accompanied her on this trips. “Angelique, come and get ready” called my mother I was in the garden dreaming I was wandering the sand hills of a desert lost in the dunes and stillness. “Coming” I called and left my word and joined my mom at the front door. The cottage was set on the edge of a forest and there were no other cottages around for a good 2 miles, the road ran about ½ mile below us and you could see the winding dust road that the few vehicles approaching from the top of the hill. “Let us Hurry we are going to miss the bus” said my mom, I changed into other slacks and helped my mom to the bus stop at the bottom of the hill. It was a warm morning and the plan was to do the shopping and then go for tea at the tea room. My mom and I watched as the big red double decker bus approached and stopped before us and we climbed aboard, “good morning dearies” said the driver, “good morning my mother replied and we took a seat near the front of the bus and the door slammed shut. I gazed out the window and the passing fields and heard the sound of my mother’s voice as she chattered to one of the other lady passengers beside her. The fields became less as we approached the village and the bus began to slow down and came to a halt my mother and I got up and waited for the doors to open, “goodbye dearies” said the driver and we stepped down onto the curb and made our way towards the grocery shop, we did the bit of shopping and crossed the road towards the tea room, we entered the tea room and the little bell above the door chimed as we entered, behind the counter was an elderly women with a beaming red smiling face and she greeted us warmly, “good morning Rose how are you this morning” she said and approached us and took our order” I am well thank you Maggie, just two teas thank you”, Maggie came back shortly and placed two cups of tea in front of us and left my mom and I to our personal thoughts. -1- CHAPTER 2 We finished our tea, my mom opened her bag to take out her purse “my I must have left my purse on the counter at the Grocery Store”, “Don’t worry mom I will go and fetch it” I got up and left her sitting at the table, I crossed the road and before I could ask the teller, she removed the lost purse from her bag and handed it to me, “thank you so much” I said and made my way back to the Tea Room. As I entered and Maggie came towards me she had tears running down her face – “I am sorry Angelique, there has been a terrible accident, it is your mother, she had a heart attack and collapsed, the ambulance is out the back”, I ran outside and my mother’s body had been placed inside the ambulance, I climbed inside the ambulance and it took off in the direction of the tiny hospital. We arrived and I was helped out of the ambulance, my mother’s body was removed and taken into the hospital, I took a seat in the waiting area for what seemed to be hours, I had no idea what I was going to do other than continue living in the cottage and carry on working half day at the bank, money was not a problem the funds that were available to me in the account was plenty to keep me comfortable. “Excuse me Miss” I glanced up and saw a doctor standing in front of me, “Hello” I said, “I am Doctor Mike I am sorry about your mother, there was nothing you could have done even if you had been with her” said Doctor Mike, Doctor Mike also confirmed that my mother had had a heart attack. I got up I now had the task of arranging the cremation and realized I did not have a way of getting home, as I glanced up I saw Maggie approaching me “Hello my dear I arrived in a taxi and I will take you back to my place I think it best that you spend the night or at least a couple of days with me” I did not have the strength to disagree and climbed into the taxi. The taxi approached the entrance of the tea room and came to a stop, Maggie lived above the shop which was convenient for her, I climbed out of the taxi followed by Maggie, Maggie unlocked the door and we entered the tea room again, which was now quiet and dark, I noticed then that night had fallen, Maggie put the light on, and locked the door behind me, I followed her upstairs. -2- CHAPTER 3. Maggie’s apartment was small but big enough for her, the furniture was old, but looked comfortable and the apartment was cosy and looked lived in, Maggie escorted me to a tiny bedroom, “I am sorry I have nothing other than a shirt for you to sleep in” said Maggie, “That is fine thank you” I said - this was the least of my thoughts at that moment. Maggie left me to my thoughts and came back again with a shirt, I undressed and pulled the shirt over my head I found the bathroom and went in and was my face, I went back into the tiny bedroom and found Maggie was back there with a tray in her hands, “Angelique try and eat some soup” said Maggie, I was hungry and ate most of it, it seemed to warm me and make me sleepy I lay down, and Maggie gave me a hug and left me alone in this strange bedroom. I dozed and fell into a deep sleep my dreams were consumed by my mother and that I was lost in the woods near the cottage and kept calling to her and she did not reply to my calls, I awoke in a bath of perspiration and Maggie sitting beside me, “that was quiet a fever you had” said Maggie, “you have been asleep on and off for 3 days. I felt weak and dizzy as Maggie helped me out of bed and I went to the bathroom down the hall, Maggie had begun to run a bath for me and I stripped off the shirt she had given me and stepped into the warm water, it felt good and I lay there dreaming, I emerged out of my dream and washed myself and lay back in the water pretending I was a mermaid floating in the middle of the huge ocean, Maggie walked in a few moments later, “time to get out Angelique you must try and come down stairs I have somebody who would very much like to meet you”, I was curious and so got out of the bath and dried myself off and wrapping the towel around my hair went back to the bedroom where I found my clothes had been washed and ironed and I dressed, found my hair brush and brushed my long dark hair put a bit of lip stick on squeezed my cheeks and made my was towards the stair case. I looked presentable enough and I made my way down the stairs to meet this stranger, who was waiting to see me. I approached the kitchen door, and noticed a well dressed man with dark hair sitting at the table, listening intensely to my aunt Maggie, I entered the kitchen and the man looked up starring into my eyes, he rose quietly and look deep into my eyes into my eyes, “well hello Angelique I have waited all your life to meet, you my name is Fran’s I am your father”, I was shocked I was never told this by my mother why had she kept it from me, I was told by her many years ago that my father had died. Fran’s encouraged me to sit down and Maggie placed a cup of tea in front of me, I sipped it slowly starring at this man – this man who claimed to be or was my father, who was he where did he live was I supposed to go with him now, I sighed my small world had become even smaller and so complicated. -3- “Angelique I have been talking to your Aunt Maggie, and it was decided by your mother that if anything did happen to her that you would come and live with me, and now the time has come and I have come to fetch you”, said Fran’s. I continued to gazed at him was I going to be safe with him, Maggie seemed to read my thoughts, and sat down beside me, “now don’t you worry Angelique I have known your father for a very long time and I trust that he will take good care of you, I know you will have to move far away but I will see you again”, said Maggie. I looked again at Fran’s my father and despite my reservations took his hand which he offered me and we made our way towards the front door, Maggie gave me a huge hug and wiped back tears and assured me that she would, write and have me over for the holidays, at that stage I had no idea where I was going and did I really need anybody to look after me but again if I did go with him it would be an adventure and a change of scenery. My father and I stepped out onto the pavement and a big black car was waiting for us a man opened the door of the car and I was helped in by my father and he climbed in and sat in front of me. The car pulled away slowly and I watched out the back window as Maggie became smaller and smaller and then I could no longer see her, I sat back down facing my father, and closed my eyes, “you have nothing to worry about Angelique I will take very good care of you I will discuss this in greater detail once we arrive in London” said my father. CHAPTER 4 We drove towards the airport where we were bound for I would discover later on the black car we were in drove onto the airstrip and we climbed out of the car and walked towards a small plane were an air hostess escorted me up the small flight of stairs and onto the plane I took a seat and fastened my seat belt and my father went to the back of the plane, “Angelique I will leave you for a while I have some work to catch up I am sure you will enjoy the flight through to London”, the door was closed and the small plane moved slowly turned and the little engines roared and we left the little town of Kent behind us I gazed out of the window at the only place I had know as home, would this be the last time I saw Kent! The flight was not long and the hostess brought me a light lunch of a sandwich and some coffee, I ate everything and sat back in the seat and watched the clouds. My father appeared and I came out of my dream world. “We will be coming into land soon” said my father as he sat down opposite me and fastened his seat belt and smiled across at me, I gave him a slight smile in return. -4- The plane descended and soon I could see the concrete runway out of the window, the airport was huge and I watched as the little plane we were in passed the huge international planes on the runway and headed towards a hanger on the far side of the airport. The little plane can to a stop and the engines were turned off, the air hostess appeared again I unbuckle my seat belt, “I hope you enjoyed your flight” she said. I thanked her and left with my father, I was getting nervous as well as being curious as to where we were going. “Here is the car Angelique”, said my father. All my belongs were to be packed by Maggie, and sent to me later so I only had my hand bag. The driver got into the car, and it pulled away slowly out of the airport, we headed out of the city area and travelled through areas of vast estates and big homes the estate homes were set off the main road and I could see them in the distance as we drove along, my father said little and was busy with paper work, or something. The car we travelled in slowed down and we turned down an imposing driveway, the image before me was magnificent, perhaps this was the school I was to go to. “Well we are home” said my father”, Home my goodness I was to live in a mansion alone with a father I had known for a couple of days, my heart sank I was missing my mother and our little cottage. The car came to a stop and the door was opened by a man dressed in a black uniform, “afternoon sir, afternoon madam” he directed the greeting towards my father and I. We were escorted inside and I walked into a huge entrance hall, the entrance was adorned with a black marble table and the floor was white marble it was sparse but for a picture that hung in the entrance hall of a woman that looked familiar I did not think about it further. A woman appeared and my father introduced me to her, “Angelique this is Jean she will look after you and be your companion while you are living here”. “Nice to meet you Angelique let me show you to your suite” said Jean. My father then left us and I followed Jean up the vast staircase and along the corridor, again all marble and little furniture a few portraits on the walls of course I had no idea who this people were, well lots of time to find out and explore the house and the gardens. -5- I followed Jean into a vast bedroom, as we entered I realized it was a suit there were two big chairs in pale green on either side of the window, and off to the one side a vast bedroom, lace curtains hung over the windows and the furniture was all Oregon pine the linen and walls were also done in shades of green, and as I entered I felt as if I was walking in a forest it was quiet breathtaking. “Well Angelique I will leave you I hope this meets with your approval”, “of course thank you very much I said”, “dinner will be served at 7pm in the main dining room however your father will not be joining you as he has left for London already Said Jean Jean turned and left me with my thoughts, I walked towards the windows and gazed outside, I turned and walked towards the bed and lay down perhaps a nap would help, I closed my eyes for a moment, but was woken suddenly by the voice of Jean, she had entered the bedroom, “perhaps you would prefer your dinner served on a tray” said Jean, “yes thank you” I said. ½ an hour later a tap on the door and a man dressed in a black suit walked in nodded towards me and placed a tray on the table, and left without a word, I sat down and ate the chicken stew which was palatable, poured some tea, and went towards the bathroom and ran a bath for myself, I placed some oil in the bath, and undressed, I was tired the day had been long, I stepped into the steamy water and began to relax, it did feel good the scented water caressed my skin and I drifted into my own dream world, I awoke to find the water had got cool and climbed out wrapped myself in a huge soft towel, and made my way towards the bed, I good night sleep would help, I removed the towel and climbed into bed I had nothing to wear, not that it mattered I fell asleep and had a dreamless night. CHAPTER 5 I woke up the next morning to the sound of someone moving around in the bedroom, I opened my eyes and noticed Jean moving around the bedroom she had drawn the curtains and was laying clothes on the dresser, “morning Angelique I hope you slept well, I have brought you some tea and fruit breakfast will be laid out in the main dining room” Jean said. I sat in bed drinking the tea and ate the fruit, I went to the bathroom and then went to investigate the clothing that had been placed on the dresser, no doubt a gift from my father ordered at an expensive boutique and delivered I chose a pair of slacks and an open necked shirt, I dressed brushed my hair and went downstairs. The entrance hall was quiet, and I decided not to alert anyone and so scribbled a note which I left on the table in the entrance hall and left the house. -6- My plan was to walk in what direction I had no idea but just to walk and think and wonder who my father was and how my mother had come into contact with a man such as him and what had happened to her what had really happened to her mother. I walked enjoying the sun and the cool breeze that swept across the fields I was making my way towards the fields on the other side more for the exercise and an opportunity to think. The sun was getting hot, and I turned around and started making my way back home as I glanced up I noticed a man in the distance staring at me, I was tempted to walk towards him but he turned around and disappeared into the trees in the distance. I made my way back towards the house, and as I approached the house I noticed the same car that I had travelled in from the airport was parked outside the front door my father must be home, I opened the front door and before I had closed it I heard him “Angelique is that you” “yes father” I replied, “Come in here” he said, I heard his voice from what I assumed was his study, I made my way towards the voice, and entered a room, which was lined with books and contained a large leather couch and a big wooden desk and an imposing chair where my father sat. “Let us talk I would like you to know a bit more about me and what I do, said my father. I have travelled the world, my love of people and the outdoors has always drawn me to different parts of the world, I live in London because it is central and I am able to operate my various businesses from here, I have a Newspaper in New York a 5 Star Hotel in Dubai, and a Casino in South Africa. This house belonged to my parents and so I stay here, I met your mother briefly while visiting a friend, we had a fantastic week of love and companionship, and only after you were born did she write and let me know about you. I sent her money on a monthly basis to take care of her and you of course, her aim was never to marry and never assumed we would, and so the arrangement was always to remain in contact with her and to eventually meet you once you turned 18, and ironically we have met now just after your 18th birthday. The age we decided on was hmm well I was and am still hoping to educate you further in the business sector and for you to run the Casino in Africa this is ultimately where I would like to send you, the reason is that I do not have the knack for dealing with the glamorous and often tough clients that are allowed into the Casino, when I opened the Casino it was and still is run as an exclusive Casino and Club, this I am hoping you will visit and accept what I am offering to you. I was astounded of course this would be a challenge I whole new world for me and all independence from what I had always known, “When would you like my answer, I must go and think about this and I may have a couple of questions later on” I said, “take all the time you need but not too long” my father smiled. -7- I excused myself and went up to my bedroom, I took out some paper and men and began to make notes:- If I was to start what was I to be doing, where did my father see me in say 10 years time, I had no business experience, the thought of the medial job I had at the bank was stupid compared to what was been offered. Who was I to work for and with and where would I be was I expected to pack up again after been here for one week and head off to Africa, a country I knew little of also where in Africa. And of course the living conditions was I supposed to live in a Casino, this I could not handle, the little I knew of gambling was frightening and the thought of associating with executives, why did and does my father think I am capable of doing this. I sat and thought and realized that this was an opportunity of a life time but there would be a lot of hard work ahead of her. I placed the paper and pen on the table in front of me and went to run a bath, I was still sticky from my walk and was planning on joining my father for dinner, I undressed and stepped into the bath and lay down, dissolving into my dream, of quiet perfection and solitude. Presently there was a tap on the bathroom door, and I sat up quickly “yes” I called, “Angelique your father will see you downstairs for a drink, he will not be able to join you for dinner, he asked if you could be down by 19h said Jean, “ “thank you Jean I will be down shortly” I washed and climbed out of the bath, dried myself off and chose a pair of black slacks out of the cupboard, my clothes had arrived a week earlier and were washed and ironed and placed in the cupboard by Jean, I closed the door behind me remembering to take my notes with me and went to find my father. -8- CHAPTER 6 My father was sitting in the lounge surrounded by various documents and files, he stood up immediately and offered me a drink, “what will you drink Angelique” “a pink gin would be good I replied. I took a seat in a comfortable looking chair opposite to where my father was sitting and waited for him to return with my drink. “Well Angelique have you any questions, or any doubts you would like to share with me, now is the time to talk to me, I would like to draw up the paper work when I am in London over the next few days”, “I do I have made a list”, I then proceeded to ask my father, about the Casino and what was required of me, I also asked him where I was to live. “There is nothing for you t worry about my dear I have thought of all that I will draw up a contract for you to go over explaining all your concerns. For the moment or when you arrive in South Africa, you will learn from Glen, he will show you how the Casino works as well as give you a list of the clients that frequent the Casino, to start with you will liaise with the clients and meet their requirements, the Casino is also an Exclusive Club where men can come and relax away from their busy lives you will also be involved with controlling the ladies, I can be candid with you, this is not a brothel, but a place where men require the company of a beautiful lady for the evening, under no circumstances are they allowed to take money or arrange personal parties. The money side of the Casino is presently been handled by myself, and this is too much for me, and this will also be one of the areas I would like you to take control of, but this will come later, I know that you have worked for a bank for a few years, but it will not be much use to you, and so I will begin at the beginning with you, and as I said Glen will be the one that will help you”. Thinks now became clearer for me, and it sounded fascinating, completely out of and away from anything I had ever done in my life. “well Angelique what have you to say to my proposal” asked my father, “Yes I replied, yes I would love to do what you are offering I am just afraid of disappointing you, as you have mentioned it is something completely new to me”. ** Just after I had left school I had been sent by my mother probably on my father’s recommendation to a finishing school, it was nothing fancy, but we did learn decorum poise and how a lady is supposed to present herself in society, along with house duties, all a young lady is supposed to be educated in, the only topic the school left out was on love and passion and men, this I suppose they expected a lady to handle in her own correct way, a topic too controversial for a finishing school.** -9- “Well Angelique I am so pleased this has been finalized, I will leave you now you have a lot of planning to do, I would like you to leave next week or even sooner, I will have the contract drawn up and ready for your perusal, and then you can sign it if you are happy and then the sky is the limit for you”. “Thank you father, for placing so much faith and confidence in me, when you have no idea weather I can or will succeed in this business I excused myself and went upstairs I had a lot to think never mind planning, my academics at school and my medial job in the bank did not leave me or give me much hope for what was required of me, I would have to wait and see when I arrived South Africa I had never left Kent so a whole new world again was opening to me, the plan was for me to leave the next day, I was fortunate that despite me never leaving the shores of England my mother had always insisted that I have a valid passport and travelling visa, somehow she knew well she did know that this would happen. I turned around and noticed Jean standing beside me “excuse me Angelique I am sorry if I disturbed you, your father has gone out and I took the liberty of bring you your supper”, “thank you” I said, I expect you will want to get up early tomorrow, your father informed me you are to leave for Johannesburg South Africa tomorrow, I will make the arrangements for you and the flight has been booked you will fly out from Heathrow at 20h00” said Jean. “Thank you Jean” I said, with that Jean turned around and left me alone. I lifted the cover on the supper plate, it was again nothing exciting so I left it and settled for the fruit and coffee, which I took to the bedroom got undressed and slipped under the covers. I woke the next morning realizing I had slept without waking, and on waking also realized I was at peace with how my life was turning out. Jean appeared from around the door, for some reason she had stopped knocking before entering the suite, “morning Angelique, the driver is to take you into town for you to do some shopping, also their is a designer coming in to see you at about 12h00 to do some fittings for you, this has all been arranged by your father”. I sighned good lord did her father think of everything, “ok thank you very much, I think I will go for a walk before leaving for town” I said. “Very good, I will arrange for coffee to be brought up to your room”, said Jean, and she left and closed the door behind her. I got out of bed and went to the bathroom filled the bath with water, undressed and climbed into the warm soapy water, I did not dream or wander my plans had been made and I would soon be leaving the shores of England for an unknown, new home, I finished bathing and climbed out, I noticed as I peered into the bedroom that a tray was waiting for me on the table, I dried myself and wrapped the towel around me, and strode into the sitting area, collapsed into one of the comfy chairs and poured myself some coffee from a silver coffee pot. ......
Posted on: Fri, 07 Mar 2014 11:05:32 +0000
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