Chapter Twelve
Home is Where the Heart is
Kaylen
Well here I am heading back to London a lot sooner than I had planned. I know I have always said that a bit of mystery is good, but this is ridiculous. My whole life has been a series of twists and turns and now it has done a complete 180-degree turn on its head. I have no idea how this next stage in my life will turn out; it is literally a complete mystery. In the past couple of days I have found a new family, new secrets, new love, a new brother and maybe new hope for the future. There cannot be that many more skeletons hiding in the closet ready to jump out at any given chance. I guess I am lucky that my birth family is so lovely; they have helped to make this transition a lot easier on my tired old bones.
We are flying through the air in the best plane I�ve ever travelled. I know about how rich these people are but it is still a bit of a shock. We aren�t sitting in normal airline seats, they are more like armchairs with belts attached. There is actually a compartment with a bed and flash bathroom. There is a fully stocked bar and a mini kitchen where meals can be prepared and cooked with the little oven available. This place is full of the latest audiovisual equipment, movies, DVDs and music. I know I should not feel out of place, but I do. I have never ever been in any place that is this flash. I feel underdressed for anywhere the Chapman�s might go, judging on the current environment. I know they say they�re proud of all the educational opportunities I have undertaken and completed, especially having paid for them myself. I just wonder if I am really good enough for them and their family. I see the way Alex talks to them and is able to communicate, using a different accent than I think I have heard since I first met him. Maybe this is his upper class voice, saved for special occasions. I feel very out of my league now, how will I ever meet this family�s expectations? I have the breeding but I do not have the experience of how to act and exist in the presence of these people. Alex seems right at home, what must he think of me? I am sure he is sitting there among friends of the upper class wondering what the hell he is doing with a girl like me.
We are nearing Heathrow airport and I will have to finish writing this soon. We stopped in Miami for refuelling and servicing. It makes you feel quite important when you pull into the airport in this rather gorgeous plane. We were put up in the first class lounge while the ground crews worked on the plane. The Chapman�s have an agreement with the airport that allows them access. Lord Albert has poured a lot of money into Florida and I think the local government commends him and his family and welcomes them with open arms. I think the Chapman�s see Florida as their holiday home. They told me they have a nice beachfront property on the mainland, and another out in the Bahamas. I guess there must be some perks to being rich and connected. Maybe one day I could come here with Alex and stay for a week or two, I�ve always wanted to travel around the United States and I had planned to before all of this stuff happened.
The first step when I return home is to go and visit with Carolyn. I know that she was responsible for the way I was followed and tracked down but she did tell me the truth, even if it was a few years too late. She also dropped the bomb on me with regard to Ethan and his relationship with my father. I understand he will be there as well; it will give us a chance to talk. I have also organised that I will be having dinner at Lord and Lady Chapman�s London residence, doesn�t that sound flash. I believe Alex will travel home to see his family for a couple of days but he will then head back to London and stay with friends and be with me during the difficult time I am sure to experience when I get my grounding and learn more about my past.
I am not afraid of what will be, but I am a bit worried about how my new family will view me and my lack of sophistication. I am also wondering about how to approach the topic of my father with the Chapman�s. I have a great wish to contact him but would have no idea how to even consider looking. I also have no idea what I would say when I did find him. At one stage he wanted to have contact, but that was over twenty years ago. I wonder what he would think of me? I know I am a well educated, fairly non-ugly and somewhat useful in the kitchen but what does all that mean, nothing if I am unacceptable in some other way. I am heading into my future with the throttle on full power, complete with blinkers and hurdles.
Alex
Well we are nearly back in London, it really doesn�t seem long since I was here but I suppose it has been six months. Through Europe, Canada, and United States then on to Australia and final stop New Zealand. I would have gone to those other places a second time if it meant going there with Kaylen. She has had an affect on me. I have learnt a lot about myself over the last couple of weeks, the biggest thing is that I know I cannot take anything for granted. I used to float around thinking that everything was good and proper with the world but I know now that it can be full of deceit and lies. I was scared to think that Kaylen might be part of this world, full of lies and the like. Now I know it wasn�t her but she is definitely a victim of this same horrible world. I have noticed myself slipping quite comfortably back into the system that I seemed to spend years trying to escape. I have tried to stop myself using the language, the accent, the mannerisms of the upperclassman that I was born but I feel it is all to no avail. I can see Kaylen has become uncomfortable with the way I have been interacting with the Chapman�s but I cannot help it, this is part of who I am and I cannot change. It will be fine once we reach London because I will head out to the country to visit my family before heading back to stay with friends and see Kaylen. She needs time to adjust to this big change and be with the Chapman�s on her own. I will not crowd her and will try to spend as little time with her without being seen as distant. This is a journey she needs to continue without the pressures of a relationship. I will try to be there for her but I sometimes think I will be more of a hindrance than help, especially seeing as I have a previous relationship with this family. I mean Caroline is my Godmother. I do not want to become the centre of everything and people using me as the go through person, as I turned into in New Zealand when I was used as the search dog. That is not who I am. I am Alex Haverty, son, godson, brother and boyfriend. I need to clearly separate myself from the situation or people will take advantage of my connections.
Knowing the situation Kaylen is about to be launched into, what with her family connections, I think I will be a secondary thought on her mind anyway. She has so much to deal with I think I will just be in the way. I think it is better if I just go, I will see her and I am sure we will be travelling in the same social scene what with her being the granddaughter of Lord and Lady Chapman. I know their type. I have been that type and in a way I guess I still am inside. Kaylen will be pulled in and she will change. I never found those types of people attractive; most of them were so far up themselves that they could see the light. I know Kaylen is a good person who had a good set of values, I just don�t know if she will be able to resist all the gifts and allurements people like the Chapman�s can offer. She will change and become just another snobby, bitchy rich girl. I know I am a rich boy, but I hate the whole system. I am a part of it because of birth; she will be chewed up and spat out a completely new person. I don�t think she realises the depth of wealth her new family has, my family pales in comparison to anything the Chapman�s can offer. I love Kaylen for the girl she is now, the fun, shy and reserved Kaylen. I can hardly even comprehend what she will be like when they finish with her and her feelings. I will hang around in the background and wait for that moment to reclaim what we have. The time when we can once again just be Kaylen and Alex, without the strings that will become attached over the next little while. I just hope there is some remnant of the current Kaylen in that hurt and confused girl who will emerge. I just wish I could warn her that the pain she has felt from knowing her adoptive family lied will pale in comparison to the realisation that her new family can be just as deceptive.
Kaylen was dropped off by the Chapman�s driver at the door of Carolyn�s house in the East End. They waved as they drove off to the other side of the city. Kaylen walked up to the door and knocked. Ethan opened the door and they just stood there and looked at each other for what seemed like ages, but would only have been a few seconds. He stepped aside and picked up Kaylen�s bag while she walked through into her aunt�s living room. Carolyn stood up and walked towards her and wrapped Kaylen in her arms. Ethan went to pour the tea and they all sat down again. The conversation for the first few minutes centred around the trip Kaylen had experienced � up until Rotorua of course. They enjoyed their tea and biscuits baked earlier that day. The environment was quiet and sombre; it was if someone had died. The only thing that had crawled up and died were the lies and deceit. The walls were falling down and everyone could finally admit the things that had held back relationships in the past.
Ethan had always known whom his father was, and had been financially supported by him for the same length of time. What he hadn�t known were the means by which Darrell Knight had paid for that support. It was only in the past couple of days that he had found out about the money given by Kaylen�s birth family and the devilish behaviour of his father in the re-mortgaging of the house to get at the funds. He wanted to think of someway to make up for this injustice. His mother was a bit of a dragon on this subject of anything to do with what Kaylen deserved. In her mind Kaylen deserved nothing but a goodbye, good riddance farewell from the whole family. She had been given opportunities and their hospitality for twenty-three years from this family. Now her own family had turned up they no longer had any responsibility towards her. Thankfully no one else felt this way. Louise had no idea about the wealth of Kaylen�s new family. Carolyn and Ethan both agreed that she would change her tune if she knew what kind of family Kaylen had found.
The talk slowly moved to the topic none of them really wanted to talk about. The big answer to the big question as to why Darrell and Joanna Knight did not tell Kaylen she was adopted. Carolyn sat back in her seat as Kaylen put the question forward. Ethan excused himself and took the dishes out to the kitchen. He had also known this story for a long time, his mother was not known for keeping secrets, except from Kaylen. Carolyn sat forward and began to tell Kaylen the whole story with no exceptions. There was no reason to hide any of this information from her any longer. It was not fair to Kaylen or themselves having to carry around this horrible secret. The sooner everything was said the sooner they could all put this behind them and start rebuilding. It had been a stressful time for everyone concerned. Carolyn felt put at ease by this situation and had no qualms with the story. Kaylen would have to compute and deal with the information in her own way and they would be there as a support network should she feel the need.
Carolyn spoke clearly and forcefully, resting to let information stick in Kaylen�s mind before continuing. Kaylen never interrupted the flow and sat for a few moments at the end with the rage, anger and pain building up. She stood without a word, picked up her backpack and daypack, and then proceeded to the door. Kaylen did not know where she was going but she knew she could not stay here. These people didn�t care about her. They had good intentions but no good moral standards to go along. How could they honestly sit there and say �honey, we love you and never meant to hurt you but�. Kaylen hardly knew her way around London but walked far enough away from her aunt�s house before she felt safe and stopped, sat down on a park bench and burst into tears. Her heart was a complete mess as well as her head. There was no way she could go back, there was nothing to go back to anyway. What she had been told was much bigger than just a simple reason for adopting her, even bigger than discovering she was adopted in the first place. There was nothing else Kaylen could do but pull the number out of her pocket and make the call. A car was sent to the street corner Kaylen was sitting and within half an hour she was bound for the London residence of her grandmother and grandfather.