June 1, 2024
"Daron! Brandon!" Averna spoke through the intercom.
"Ma'am?" The two men said it at the same time.
"Daron, Brandon, I want you two to follow me to a special place. Go make Jared aware of my change of plans and get there as soon as possible."
"Yes ma'am." The both of them nodded, looking at one another, dropping their hands from their surveillance earpieces.
"SAI, I need a dress for this occasion." She talked to her AI.
"What occasion?" the AI voice responded.
"The occasion I am about to visit my grandparents grave, and I need a special outfit for the occasion. Can you help me?"
"You never spoke much about your grandparents, just some occasional mention of your grandfather." SAI said. Her tone was calm and solemn.
"It's a memory that I don't want you to store. I'm going to visit it for the first time in a long while, and I need to be prepared." Averna replied.
"Well, you have to define what you want so that I can choose from your closet. What do you want it to look like?" SAI asked.
"I don't know, that's why I seek your opinion. You know me better than anyone." Averna answered.
"Let me suggest something," SAI said.
"Suggest away." Averna hollered as she pumped her hands.
"The most important part of this moment is your mood. You look like you're in a bad mood. We'll try to change that." SAI observed.
"Whatever you have in mind, SAI. Just pick something amazing as you always do."
"I suggest the color lilac," SAI said.
"Okay. What about the style?" Averna asked.
"Investment cuts. Silk and cotton blend. It'll be like your skin. It'll soften and drape gracefully. It will project a positive attitude." SAI replied.
"Okay, SAI. Thanks."
Averna was standing in front of a mirror on her pedestal, looking at a projected version of what she would look like once she donned the look.
The projection had her hair falling down from its bunched places; the braid on her left shoulder had become undone. Her loose locks bared the skin on her temples, making her appear more emotional than she had intended. She was looking at herself, and she didn't like it. She looked at herself in the mirror again, then looked at the dress SAI had suggested.
'I guess it's just me who has lost my sense of wanting to look good.'
"SAI, prepare my bathtub. I want to take a bath before leaving. Tell the maids who will come by later to tidy up right after. Make sure to supervise them to prevent any damage to my personal belongings."
"It's done," SAI replied. A moment later, Averna heard the tinkle of the water filling the tub.
–––––––––––
"Welcome Ma'am." Jared greeted Averna as she entered the car.
"Thank you," Averna replied.
Brandon adjusted his shades, looking over at his male co-worker. He gave a subtle nod of acknowledgement to Jared. Averna sat in the back of the car, a bouquet of roses resting beside her on the left seat.
Daron sat in the BMW 760Li High Security Edition, he was positioned in the front, keeping a watchful eye on her car behind him, while Brandon drove a similar edition of the car. The two men were wearing the same kind of suit, with the company logo on their chests.
The car's black matte finish and elegant white trim blended in with the intricacy of the interior. Taurus Observatory provided the car's air scent directly.
He then pressed a button on the steering wheel. Pressing the button automatically turned on the car's interior and exterior lights.
Daron then gently nudged the steering wheel to the right. The car sped automatically to the building's exit, with the gates automatically opening upon approach.
"Brandon, I want you to scout out for a while on this road; I think someone might be following us." Daron communicated with his partner via the two-way radio.
"Sure thing." Brandon spoke, dropping the two-way radio on the seat as he turned around, looking in the rear vision mirror.
Jared drove the luxurious car with an air of sheer class.
"Jared, how far is it until we arrive at the place?" Averna asked.
"Not far, ma'am." Jared responded.
"I never get to see that part of the world too often; it feels good to get a break from work." Averna spoke. The car came to a stop, cutting short her ramblings.
"Ma'am, you have arrived." Jared smiled, tipping his hat.
Averna looked over her right shoulder, noticing how the car stopped on a side road. Daron exited his vehicle and opened the door. Jared closed the door as Daron proceeded to follow.
Averna got out of the car and felt a wind rush over her, carrying the scent of the rose. She took a deep breath, enjoying the softness and the nostalgic smell of the flower.
"It's so lovely! Such a beautiful day!" Averna forced a smile as she spoke; she couldn't show how vulnerable she was in front of her workers.
Jared then noticed the look on Averna's face. He knew Averna was in a bad mood, and he also knew Averna loved her grandparents.
Averna locked eyes with Jared and said with a frown, "Wait for me here; I'll be back in a few minutes, the both of you."
She narrowed her eyes at Daron and Jared, then took off her black kitten heels, her foot stepping forward into the soft, dewy grass. She walked in the grass, enjoying the feel of it against her feet.
Then she stopped upon sighting two stone statues with a stone-carved rose on the table in between them. The two statues were sitting, looking at each other as if they were really talking. Averna walked in between them and lightly placed her hand on one of them.
"Hey, why aren't you here with me?" She asked the male statue. A stray tear trickled down her eyes, and her gentle touch graduated to a strong, determined hit in anger.
"Why Grandfather?! Why?!" Averna demanded.
Then she turned to the female statue and cried. "Grandmother, why did you leave me?!" Averna's voice was frail, and her movements were shaky. She looked at the statue, then at the flowers. Her tears were now soaking the roses. Setting them down on the stone table, she looked once more at the two figures. She stood there silently for a while.
"I miss you. I miss you two so much." She spoke softly, her voice breaking.
She had only met the two statues once, when she was little. Only at that moment did she understand why her grandparents had left her; she was unaware of the circumstances at the time. But her tears came to her. She wished she could go back and talk to them; she hoped she could just drop the hurt and ask what she could do to make things better.
"I never came to understand why my parents abandoned me." As she dropped her head in despair, Averna spoke under her breath. One of the reasons she was so hurt by the loss of her grandparents was that she was too young to understand the motivation behind their actions.
"I guess you're going to get to know why in time, but not now." She spoke to herself, standing up straight and fighting her tears. She wasn't going to give in to the hurt.
"Thank you for shielding me; I have grown to be as independent as you wanted me to be." She smiled sadly, placing her forehead on the statue closest to her.
A few minutes passed, and the sadness in Averna's eyes was diminishing. Her mind was now thinking about the present.
Averna then looked around, noticing the lush green forest surrounding the area. She hoped she would get to see more of the forest. She was thinking of a walk in the forest; maybe she would even take a nice view of the sunset.
"Miss Averna!!"
After hearing her name called out, Averna turned around. She saw Daron standing there, looking at her with the most worried expression.
Seeing her standing there, he wondered if she was alright.
"Are you alright, ma'am?" He asked.
"Why did you disobey my orders?" She asked sternly.
The same worried expression crossed Daron's features at her words, "Ma'am, they are on their way; we need to leave now." He bowed slightly, a sense of urgency in his words, while having her kitten heels in hand.
As he placed her heels in her hands, her gaze followed his. She looked at her heeled shoes with a confused look and asked, "Who?" She looked back at Daron.