Ryan paused. He hesitated as he stared back at the mammoth of a gate that was now standing between him and where he was going. It was an iron structure that rose up high into an overcast sky and its grills were painted black ending up in spikes that looked so forbidding that no one would dare climb up. At least not him. He loved his features the way they were and his entrails intact. Infact, the more he looked at it the more the gates seemed to taunt him, giving off an illusion that a haunted house laid beyond its fences and the driveway that was hidden between the grove of trees.
He could have called, he knew that. However, he hadn't. He could not risk it. For to risk it by letting them know that he was coming would have only worked to give them a chance to prepare and with that, a reason to turn him away before he even tried.
What would he tell her? He mused. Their last meeting had not turned out so well and even he knew that he had made a mistake by approaching her on the offensive. Maybe he had thought that she would cower. That she would see the wrath that was on his face or feel the guilt and give in, but he had been solely wrong. The woman he had met was not the Katrina he had been forced to marry. No, she was different. Stronger even and had proven that she could not be cowered into doing anything that she had not set her mind into doing. It made him wonder though, what had instituted this change? May be it had something to do with the fact that he had approached her in her own turf or maybe, her growing confidence had something to do with the fact that she knew that he was not capable of doing anything to her while she was still under her father's roof. Either way Ryan knew that she had changed.
He continued to think, weary as he awaited the resident soldiers to approach. One thing was sure though, he was not going to use the same approach, neither did he want to. That encounter at the church had changed him and he was not about to lose those milestones for a guilty pleasure.
"Mr. Thorpe. I am afraid you cannot go in." The guard said as he came to stand beside his car.
"Katrina?"
"No. Mr. Maracheli's orders sir." the guard answered as his grip on the car's steering wheel tightened. It was all he could do to keep from voicing his frustrations out loud. After a few calming breaths, he released his grip on the steering wheel and turned to regard the soldier.
"I just want to talk to her. Shouldn't that be her own decision to make?" his eyes pleaded with the guard. "it's my wife and my child we are talking about here."
"I am sorry. Even if I wanted to, I can't help you as Ms. Katrina is no longer on the premises and no one knows where she is headed."
Ryan stilled.
"She's not?"
"Yes...a moment please. "he added as the comm device on his shoulder began to cackle and he stepped away to speak into it. Meanwhile, Ryan's thoughts reeled. A series of emotions he could not place filled him. Fear, coupled with doubt, anger and disbelief besot him. His frustrations welled over and threatened to overwhelm him and all he could was hold on and try to get more knowledge from the guard who was now walking back towards him.
"Mrs. Maracheli is coming down to speak with you." The guard finally said as he came back to him and all Ryan could afford was a simple nod as his thoughts ran away with him. Thoughts of Katrina filled his mind. Her whereabouts and what she was doing. Was their baby safe? Was she doing this to get back at him?
He did not have to wonder for long.
A few minutes later, a sleek black car pulled up on the other side of the gate and Ryan sat up expectantly as he watched the guards pull the gates open to allow the vehicle to drive out. He was not sure what he had expected, but being told to give up his own vehicle and drive that other car was not it. It was rather strange, but Ryan was beyond caring as he needed answers that only this woman could provide.
"Do not worry, Arnold will take good care of your car." the elderly woman in the backseat of the luxury car told him. All Ryan could do was nod, his eyes transfixed on the road ahead him and occasionally on the matriarch who was decked in blue and a whole lot of pearls. " I know it looks rather strange, but this was the only way you see." When he seemed not ready to reply, the woman continued. "You have a lot of questions that need answers and my time is limited. Beggars can't be choosers Ryan. This was the only to give you what you seek and still meet my deadlines."
"So this is not some sort of covert operation you are pulling? " he hated to think that things with Mr. Maracheli had escalated too much to the point that they needed that kind of secrecy.
"No silly. I have a function in town and the more we delay, the further Katrina will get away from you."
"Like you care." Ryan laughed bitterly. "Look, I know from the surprise on her face that day that Katrina had nothing to do with the divorce papers. But you, I am not so sure about that. You must have known. So, why are you here trying to help me? Whatever reason it is, please do not involve me in your power wranglers with your son."
The woman laughed.
"That is hardly what is happening here. Everything I am doing, I do it because I love my granddaughter and therefore, I would do anything to see her happy. If that happiness happens to have something to do with you, then let it be. " she replied as Ryan responded with a scoff.
"It's true. Now, I am not so keen about you seeing all that you have put her through, but I understand that you were angry. What was done to you was unacceptable. However, you two were once friends. Maybe if you tried you can work things out? If anything, you now have something that brings you two together."
"I already know all that. Now will you please get to the point and tell me what happened with Katrina? Why did she leave?"
"Contrary to what you may think, she did not leave because of you. This was long in coming and Katrina is now pursuing a journey of self discovery."
Self discovery? Ryan scoffed again but this time, it all happened in his head. Of all the times that she could choose to do that, he mused. It had to be now?
" Don't worry. She is not backpacking across the world if that's what you think,or at least I do not think that in her condition she would decide to go that far. No, I believe my granddaughter to be more sensible than that, but just incase you can find her here." the woman said as she offered him a card. Ryan received it and managed a glance in between driving and having a conversation with the woman. " You can pull over here. Arnold will drive me the rest of the way and you also can now go your way. I just hope though that you will keep in touch and keep me updated on how things are going with you and the baby." Ryan did as he had been told and pulled the vehicle over to a curb. They were still some few miles from town, but he did not question her thinking. What the woman was up to was really none of his business. He had gotten what he had come for and that was more progress than he had ever hoped to achieve.
Clutched in his hands. He stepped out of the car just as Arnold did the same in his own car that had all these time been behind them. As Arnold walked over, the window to the back seat of the sleek car rolled down and despite herself the woman smiled back at him, possibly aware of the turmoil that she had created within him.
"Thank you. I do not know how I can ever repay you."
"well...by finding her for one and making it up to her. I believe she once felt something towards you. Maybe you can rekindle that. Just make sure that my great grandchild grows up well and in a happy home. That is all I will ever ask."
He nodded.
"I will do my best." Slowly the windows rolled back up and the vehicle pulled away leaving the man dazed and at loss for words at that unexpected act of kindness.