by Jim Proctor
“For what?” he asked.
“For throwing my tablet at him. For blaming him. For… for not being Milla.”
* * * *
It took Jazeen fifteen minutes to walk to the highway. She waited for a break in traffic, and then ran across to the north side and walked to the bus stop. Looking at the schedule, she found her bus. Glancing at her watch, she sighed. The next bus wouldn’t arrive for another twenty minutes. Slipping her backpack off, she sat on the bench. It was hard and uncomfortable, but her legs needed a rest.
Retrieving a pad of paper and a pen from her pack, she passed the time by making a list of the things she would gather from home. Money was going to be a problem, at least until she got a job. After she packed and left the house, she would need to go to the bank to withdraw all the money from her account—her account that had her mother’s name on it, too. There wasn’t much, but she wouldn’t leave it where her mother could take it away. She’d open a new account. She began to reach for her backpack to get her tablet to look at the bus routes and remembered. She’d have to pack her old tablet and hope it still worked.
The tablet reminded her that she hadn’t finished telling Terrin about her adventure. He would be so excited to hear all about it, she was sure. She couldn’t wait to introduce him to Angus and his pets. Angus would probably give her another flying lesson, too. Hopefully Angus would let her stay with him for a while until she could get a job and find a place to live. Maybe I could find a job and an apartment on the coast. Living at the beach would be wonderful, she thought. But then, I’d be a long way from Terrin.
The bus pulled to a stop and the door opened. Jazeen climbed aboard and dropped some coins into the fare box. As she made herself comfortable, the bus pulled away. She watched the trees go by for a while before losing herself in her thoughts. She had just made the biggest, and possibly the dumbest, decision of her life. She knew she could go back—that would be the safe choice. It wasn’t the right choice, though. That was the only thing she was sure of.
As the bus slowed to a stop, she surfaced from her thoughts just in time to realize that this was her stop. She hadn’t noticed the three stops along the way.
At the bottom of the cliff, she waited for the bus that would climb the winding road to her neighborhood, Forest View Estates. She hoped the grocery delivery would arrive before she left so she could take Fluffy’s cream puffs with her, though she wasn’t sure when she would see Angus again.
Her next bus arrived ten minutes later, and she climbed aboard.
* * * *
Jazeen stepped off the bus and began walking up Overlook Court. She reached number twenty-four, the twelfth house on the left—the place she used to think of as home. Stepping inside, she looked at the clock—she had about two hours before her mother came home. Grabbing a snack from the kitchen, she took it up to her room and ate as she began packing.
Pulling her old tablet out of her bottom desk drawer, she pressed the power button. The screen remained black. Rummaging through the drawer again, she found the charger and threw it and the tablet on her bed. Clothes were next.
Soon, she had a pile on the bed—a pile that was much bigger than she had expected. Reluctantly, she went through her things again, tossing aside anything she could do without. From her closet, she retrieved her suitcase. When it was full, she looked at the remaining things on the bed, and then dumped everything out of her backpack and refilled it. Before long, she had everything packed and was carrying it down the steps to the foyer.
A truck stopped in the driveway, and she pushed aside the curtain to see the grocery store delivery man pulling several boxes from the back and stacking them on a handcart. As he approached the door, she held it open as he entered and wheeled the load into the kitchen. While he put the boxes on the center island, she signed for the delivery and authorized a tip for the man.
“Thank you,” she said. She handed the tablet back to him.
“You’re welcome. Thank you for choosing Fresh Haven Market,” he said as he wheeled his cart to the front door and let himself out.
Jazeen looked at the clock, deciding she had enough time to put the groceries away before she left. Quickly, she went through the boxes and put away the cold and frozen items. The rest, she would leave for her mother to deal with.
She put the box of cream puffs into the top of her backpack and slung it over her shoulder. Grabbing her suitcase, she left the house and began walking down the court. At the main road, she turned left and headed up the hill to the next bus stop. Her mother would be coming up the hill from the right, and she didn’t want to be seen.
She only had to wait a few minutes for the bus that would take her down the hill and into East Garrett. Her first task would be to go to her bank and take care of some business. Then she’d buy a new mobile phone and ditch her old one. Her parents could probably find out where she was from their service provider. Finally, she’d get a hotel room for the night and start making serious plans for starting her new life. She didn’t have much money, so it would have to be a good plan.
Chapter 6
Jazeen stepped off the bus. Buildings lined the street, fencing her in. There was no horizon here, just walls, making her feel small and vulnerable. She had been to East Garrett dozens of times, but always in the company of her parents. They had ridden in the family car and had driven directly to their destination. People walking both ways flowed around her. She jumped at the sound as the bus suddenly accelerated away from the curb. Reminding herself why she was here, she tentatively stepped into the crowd and set off down the block.
Jazeen entered the bank. It had been years since she had been here, and her mother had done all the talking. She wasn’t sure what to do.
“Can I help you?” a man asked.
“I have an account here,” Jazeen said. “I’d… um… like to close the account and open a new one. Can I do that?”
“Certainly,” he said. “Please, come this way.”
She followed the man into an office, and he closed the door behind her.
“Please, be seated,” he said.
Setting her suitcase and backpack by the door, she sat and looked at the man, not sure how any of this worked.
“Do you have your account number?” he asked.
“Oh, yes, I do,” she said as she worked her wallet out of her front pocket and removed a card. “Here you go.”
He took the card and began entering data into his computer. “Ah, yes, here it is. I see this account has your mother’s name on it as well.”
“Is that a problem?” she asked.
“Not at all. It’s a custodial account, but since you are now eighteen, the money is fully under your control. So, you said you wanted to close this account and open a new one. Is that right?”
“Yes,” she said. “A new account in my name only.”
He smiled. “That’s a wise choice. It will only take a moment to set up the new account, and we’ll transfer the money and close the old one.” He typed and clicked and after a few moments, he said, “It’s all taken care of. I’ll print you a new account card. Would you like me to generate a debit card as well?”
“What’s a debit card?” she asked.
“Well, it’s a card that you can use to make purchases, and the money will automatically be debited from your account,” he said.
“How much does it cost?”
“It’s entirely free,” he said.
“Then… sure, I’d like to have a debit card.”
He smiled. “I’ll have your new cards for you in just a moment. Now, what would you like to do with your trust fund?”
Jazeen blinked. “My what?”
“In addition to your regular account, you have a trust fund. Didn’t you know?” he asked.
“No, I didn’t. I… are you sure it’s mine?” she asked.
“Positive. Let’s finish getting your cards prepared for your new account. Then I’ll take you to see the branch manager. If you want to do someth
ing with the trust fund, she would have to take care of the transaction for you, anyway,” he said. “Just wait here. I’ll only be a moment.”
A whole range of emotions from excitement to guilt rushed over Jazeen as she sat alone in the office. Had her parents given her a huge pot of money? Maybe it had come from her grandparents. Maybe her parents had nothing to do with it.
“Here you are,” he said as he walked into the office and handed her two cards. “You should keep them safe. All we need to do now is set up your PIN for the debit card.” He tapped a few keys on his computer and then slid a small numeric keypad across the desk toward her. “Enter a six-digit number. Make sure you can remember it. Whenever you use the card, you’ll need to enter the PIN.”
She thought for a moment, and then entered the number.
He hit a key on his keyboard. “Okay, enter the number again, and we’re done.”
She entered the number.
“Now, let’s go see the branch manager,” he said as he stood.
Jazeen sat outside the branch manager’s office waiting to be called in. Questions were racing through her mind. How much money did she have? Where had it come from? Was it really hers? There must be another Jazeen Florence. That was it—the money belonged to her. They would realize their mistake as soon as they looked up the account details, she was sure.”
“Miss Florence, I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. Please, come in.”
As Jazeen entered the office, the woman said, “I’m Mrs. Delvanny, the branch manager. I understand you have some questions about your trust fund.”
“Yes, I do. Are you sure it’s mine?”
Mrs. Delvanny smiled. “Yes, I’m sure it’s yours.”
“Honestly, I didn’t even know I had a trust fund until a few minutes ago. How much money is in it, and where did it come from?” she asked.
Mrs. Delvanny’s expression became more somber. “Please, sit down.” When Jazeen was seated, she went on, “Shortly after your sister passed away, your parents came in with the check from Milla’s life insurance policy. They opened a trust fund in your name, with themselves as trustees. They said they wanted to be sure you had some money to get started in college, should anything happen to them.”
A lump grew in Jazeen’s throat. “The money came from Milla’s death?”
“Well, basically, yes. Your parents were the beneficiaries of the insurance policy, so the money was theirs. However, they wanted to set it aside for you. That’s why they set up the fund,” Mrs. Delvanny said.
Jazeen swallowed hard and cleared her throat. “How much money is in the account?”
“A little more than sixty thousand dollars,” Mrs. Delvanny said. Mistaking Jazeen’s shock for disappointment, she added, “It’s not a fortune, but it’s enough to cover your first two years of college.”
Jazeen was silent for a moment, fighting to hold back her tears. Finally, she said, “You said my parents are trustees of the account. Is the money mine, or not?”
“You became the sole trustee of the account on your eighteenth birthday. As of that date, your parents are no longer trustees. They remain listed as survivor beneficiaries, though.”
“And what does that mean?” Jazeen asked.
“It just means that should you pass away, the money would go to them,” Mrs. Delvanny said.
“Are there any restrictions on what I can do with the money?” she asked.
The branch manager shook her head. “As the sole trustee, you can do whatever you want with it.”
“Can my parents take the money back?”
“On your eighteenth birthday, the trust became irrevocable. Prior to that date, they could have. Not now,” Mrs. Delvanny said.
“Can I take the money out of the trust and put it into a savings account?” Jazeen asked.
Mrs. Delvanny smiled. “Of course. Is that what you’d like to do?”
“Yes. Will I be able to access the savings account with my debit card?” she asked.
“We could set it up that way, but I would urge you not to do that. Should your debit card fall into the wrong hands, your money could be vulnerable. You can transfer money from savings to your debit account whenever you want to,” Mrs. Delvanny said.
“Okay. I’d like to take all the money out of the trust. Put two thousand into my debit account and put the rest into a savings account, please,” Jazeen said.
The branch manager smiled, “That’s a wise choice. We just have a little paperwork to take care of to dissolve the trust, then we’ll open your new savings account and move the money over.”
When the paperwork was finished, Jazeen asked, “I wonder, could you recommend a nice hotel here in town? I need a safe place to stay tonight.”
* * * *
Jazeen felt a combination of guilt and relief when she left the bank. She had a lot more money than she realized, and that would allow her to find a place to live and get a job before she starved to death. On the other hand, knowing the money came to her as a direct result of Milla’s death was painful. She pushed that thought away.
Her next stop was the mobile phone store at the mall. The saleswoman helped her choose a new phone and set up her service.
“How can I deactivate my old phone?” Jazeen asked. “I want to be sure nobody can use it to track me.”
“Are you running away from home?” the woman asked with a laugh.
“Let’s just say I’m escaping an ugly domestic situation,” Jazeen said firmly.
The saleswoman’s smile vanished. “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry. I understand. Here, let me have your old phone. I can do a secure wipe of the data, and then I’ll do a factory reset. Once that’s done, it will be as though this phone was never yours. After that, I’ll remove the battery and we’ll recycle everything.”
“That sounds perfect. Thank you,” Jazeen said.
Twelve minutes later, she was walking toward the Hallmark Hotel where she would spend the night. Sooner or later, her parents would think to check her bank account, and would probably talk to the branch manager. Jazeen stopped. Her parents might talk to Mrs. Delvanny as early as tomorrow morning. If she told them which hotel she had recommended, they would come looking for her.
Once again, she reached for her tablet and then stopped herself. She wouldn’t get any help from the web to find another hotel. The sign for the Hallmark Hotel shone on its pole just a few blocks ahead. Turning right, she set off in a new direction. I’ll just have to find a hotel that looks nice and go in, she thought. Tomorrow, I’ll take a bus to a nearby town and get a hotel there until I can arrange something a little more permanent.
Jazeen walked for nearly an hour before selecting a hotel. She wanted to be well away from the bank and the Hallmark Hotel. Here, at least, she knew what to expect. Her parents never took a vacation, but her mother had taken her on one of her business trips last year during a school break, and they had stayed several days in a hotel.
The room was clean, and the bed seemed comfortable enough. It would do for one night. Pulling her old tablet and charger from her backpack, she plugged it in and left it on the bedside table to charge while she took a hot shower. Her muscles ached, and she was tired. She wanted to climb into bed, but she still needed dinner, and she wanted to message Terrin as soon as her tablet was charged enough to turn on.
The restaurant in the hotel was dimly lit, probably to hide the wear on the ancient carpet and upholstery. Soft music played in the background, barely audible amid the hum of dozens of conversations and the clink of glasses and utensils. A bar lined the wall next to the kitchen doors. Most of the stools at the bar were taken, but there were a lot of empty tables. The hostess showed her to a table and gave her a menu. The offerings were what Jazeen thought of as “Dinner at Grandma’s” cuisine. She was too tired to walk to another restaurant, so she settled for something light and placed her order when the waitress came.
When she returned to her room, she checked her tablet—fifty percent charged. That was more than en
ough to message Terrin. She switched it on and then changed into her pajamas while it booted. Stacking the pillows against the headboard, she made herself comfortable and then picked up her tablet. Opening the messenger app, she waited as it synced two years of messages it had missed while sitting in her desk drawer.
When it had finished, there was a new message from Terrin. She squealed with excitement as she opened it.
Jaz,
After all we’ve been through, I can’t believe you are dumping me for this Angus dude. I’m sick, barely able to hold my head up, and I get your breakup message. Talk about kicking a guy when he’s down. Thanks. I hope you and Angus are happy together.
Her jaw, which had been hanging down, snapped shut. “What is he talking about?” she asked the empty room. Scrolling down, she reread the message she had sent that afternoon. It all made sense suddenly. “Oh no! Terrin, no, that’s not… oh Terrin!”
Frantically, she wrote a reply.
Terrin,
It’s not like that at all. Angus and I are not romantically involved. You know I love you. You’re my one and only. We need to talk. So much has happened today, I don’t know where to begin. I’ve dropped out of school, and I am no longer living with my parents. Something inside me just snapped today, and I’m not going to put up with their abuse anymore. When you are feeling better, I’ll meet you. We can climb up to your platform and talk while we watch the stars come out.
Terrin, I love you, and only you.
Pressing send, she waited for a reply. A moment later, a message popped up.
Your message could not be delivered. The recipient, Terrin_J, has blocked you.
In that moment, all of her fears and insecurities, held at bay by pure determination, came crashing down on her. She was alone, truly alone, for the first time in her life. Putting the tablet aside, she slid down under the covers, desperately wanting this day to end. Exhausted and afraid, she cried herself to sleep.
Jazeen walked through the woods. She had a feeling she was looking for something, but she had no clear idea what it was. In every direction, all she could see were trees. Looking up, she caught brief flashes of sunlight as leaf-covered branches swayed in a gentle breeze. Up… that was it. She was looking for Terrin’s platform. Maybe. She knew it was behind his house, but now, deep in the woods, she had no idea where she was or in which direction it might be. She couldn’t remember walking into the woods, but even if she had, she wouldn’t have any better idea which way to go. Fear gripped her. Not an ordinary, daily fear from modern life. This was primal, the sort of fear that came right out of her DNA—a fear that was part of everyday life for her ancestors thousands of years ago, worrying what danger might find her here, lost, alone, and vulnerable. It spread through her like a chill.
