Chapter 5
Preface
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Light, food, predators.
Stephanie woke up and Diane followed a minute later. The called for their mother, instead, their grandmother showed up. They loved grandmamma, but they were much less enthusiastic to see her now rather than their own mother. It was almost dawn, and everyone was really tired. The girls asked where their mommy was, and before Barbara’s mother could answer, they were fast asleep again.
Mrs. Mitchell, though, was very far from being able to fall asleep. Her mind and heart were with her daughter and her strange son in law. She had no idea what was going on, and that was not her style. She was used to knowing everything. She was used to knowing things that her husband, for example, would roll in his grave had he known she was aware of. She was a quiet powerhouse kind of lady. She was always involved in the lives of her two daughters, but not in the pervasive way other mothers were. She was listening and observing. She was analyzing and advising. But she never intruded. She was involved to the degree she was asked to be involved. Over the years, as it turned out, she was quite involved in her daughters’ lives. After her husband passed away, she made herself even more available to her daughters, and in a strange way, she was more involved in her son in laws’ lives as well.
She knew that her daughter wasn’t very happy lately. She knew it had something to do with the long hours Michael was working down at the lab. She looked down at the girls, who were sleeping peacefully, and thought about her daughter and her husband.
Beatrice Mitchell was not very fond of her son in law. When Barbara and Michael first met, she was happy that her daughter finally stepped out of her shell and pursued a relationship with a man. Indeed, he wasn’t to her liking. He came from a middle class family. That in itself was enough to dismiss the guy. But there was more. He seemed to have been somewhat uncomfortable in the company of other people. She couldn’t really point it out, but Michael was avoiding eye contact, and always resorted to a weak handshake rather than the two cheek kiss practiced by her family.
Beatrice Mitchell had a strange feeling that Mr. Moore was after her daughter’s inheritance. When her husband died, he left behind a small fortune. A trust fund was set for Barbara and Nancy, and a very nice amount was left for her. Her husband, may he rest in peace, was a life loving person. All his life he gave lots of money to charity, helped friends in trouble, and invested very conservatively. He worked hard and partied hard as well. He owned a yacht, in fact, he bought it just before he died, and he made sure that both he and Beatrice would be certified skippers. He loved taking the boat out on sunny Sundays; throw an anchor just a couple of miles of shore and fish for hours. He insisted that fun would always be part of their lives.
It was easy to accept. Fun loving attitude along with the funds to support it were a very good combination indeed. Beatrice Mitchell was afraid that her daughter would get hurt by fortune chasers. She always encouraged her daughter to be selective, and to choose carefully who she was dating. Unfortunately enough, Barbara was so choosy that she dismissed all attempts to seek her company. Her sister Nancy was the other extreme, she loved men, and she loved their awkward attempt to hide their real intentions, whether it was scoring a one night stand or a fortune.
To her complete surprise, Barbara really opened up to this guy Michael Moore. Out of fashion and awkward, Michael Moore was not chased by many women. In fact he was chased by none. But as it turned out, Barbara opened up to this strange guy, and for the first time, it was obvious, she was head over hills in love with a guy. She had relationships before, but they didn’t mean a whole lot, and they ended shortly after they have started. This guy Michael though, was sticking around.
After some time, Barbara learned to accept him. After all, he was brilliant. Her good friends at Harvard, the recipients of many donations, told her that he had a great future ahead of him. And since she had seen no disrespectful behavior towards her daughter, quite the contrary, she reluctantly approved.
When they had married, Beatrice still thought that it wouldn’t last. She even said that to Barbara. It was a big mistake, as Barbara was giving her the silent treatment for weeks. But after Stephanie, her older granddaughter was born; she knew that this relationship was meant to last. Life with Michael around was calm and relaxed. He didn’t care about playing golf with business associates, nor did he lose his head over a miserable investment. He didn’t have many friends, and drinking was certainly not a problem. Beatrice started to think that Michael was not such a bad choice for a husband after all.
And then he started working late. After months of being absent, the smile was erased from her daughter’s face, and even the girls weren’t as cheerful anymore. When Beatrice brought up the topic with Barbara, she was met with an iron wall. She refused to say anything. All she was volunteering was that this is a tough period, that her husband was involved in some really groundbreaking scientific experiment, that he was busy beyond belief, and that this period like all others will end. Beatrice, with no other option, accepted.
Barbara, unlike her older sister Nancy, was not very outgoing. She was always a good student. She was always keeping out of trouble. She had a couple of close friends, whom she kept many years after graduation. One of them, Rebecca, lived in Boston. Mrs. Mitchell made up her mind, that if she heard nothing from Barbara when the morning comes, she would call Rebecca and see if she knew anything about this strange sequence of things. She took another look at the sleeping girls. They were peaceful. Stephanie was sucking on her thumb. They were so cute, she thought, and her only grandchildren. She knew that she would stop at nothing to protect them. When the morning comes, she knew, she would have to run some errands. The family vault would be the first stop. The family lawyer would be the next. Rebecca Forrester would be last. She knew, though, that if her feelings were correct, many other errands would have to be run. She had a couple of hours before getting the girls dressed and taking them to school. She wasn’t worried about clothes and other necessities. The girls spent many nights over. They had their clothes, dolls and toys at her place. They were no strangers. In the meantime, she thought, it wouldn’t hurt to sleep a little. She closed her eyes, recited her mantra, and thirty seconds later she was sound asleep.