Addicted To Greed

by Catherine Putsche

  Returning to suburbia where her children were waiting her return, she opened the gate to her small but modest house, trying to regain some inner strength for her children who would be full of curiosity and many questions.

  Ella’s elderly neighbor Mrs Walsh was left to look after her boisterous clan and was quite relieved at the sight of Ella, judging by the expression on her face and the noise in which Ella heard coming out of the living room.

  “Ella my dear, I have tried to separate the boys, however I’ve had very little success, there just playing up like all boys do at their age, and it amazes me that the little one hasn’t stirred in the least, as she’s still sleeping through all this din.”

  Once back into familiarity of family life and home she felt relieved to hear her boys Broody and Carter.

  “Boys that’s enough, I want you to apologise to Mrs Walsh right now.” As soon as they heard their mother’s voice they entered the kitchen, rather quietly, their tiny expressions showing remorse at the fact that they had been playing Mrs Walsh up.

  “We are sorry Mrs Walsh .”

  They both said in tandem putting their heads down in shame avoiding Ella’s stern face.

  “Oh my boy’s , apology accepted so long as you don’t make a habit of it okay? You can both be such little angels at times; I don’t know what’s gotten in to you both today!”

  After thanking Mrs Walsh profusely, Mrs Walsh gathered her handbag and quietly left winking playfully at Ella. Ella motioned the boys to sit down at the table, Broody her eldest raced to the table first grabbing the best seat, and she found herself admiring his clumsiness as he knocked over two chairs to get there in record time. Carter took his time, reluctant to wind up his brother some more. Once seated she joined them. Broody took it upon himself to be all grown up for his thirteen years asked, “Are you ok mum?”

  Ella summed up all her courage to reply, “Yes sweetheart, I am thank you.”

  The boys were very upset about their grandfather, so she knew she had to tread carefully. “Listen boys, your grandfather has left us all a lot of money in his will and it is going to change our life’s a little bit for the better, it means we can afford a lot more things and have more holidays, but it also means that we need to move to a new house, a much bigger one, maybe a long way from here, how do you both feel about this?”

  Broody couldn’t conceal his excitement and shouted out, “How much, has he left us mum?”

  Ella hesitated for a moment and decided to tell them a watered down version of the truth, they both looked at her in pure shock and wonderment. Carter broke the silence first, “Does that mean we can change schools forever?”

  “Yes it does, but only if you both want to, it’s a big decision and I want you both to give it some thought and let me know how you feel about it over the next couple of weeks or so.”

  Broody and Carter began to bombard Ella with hundreds of questions, she gradually felt herself slipping back to normality, the tensions of the day disappearing in the presence of her beloved little monsters who were more interested in asking for what they could buy now they knew money was in great supply and not the opposite as they had all become accustomed to.

  It wasn’t long before the boys got into another argument about which one of them would have the biggest bedroom. Ella sensed their excitement and somehow managed to find some of her own. Knowing her boys would be happy with a move and discussing, new schools and areas in which they would like to live, her mind was made up, she would contact Mr Wallace tomorrow and ask if he could recommend an estate agent. There was so much to think about, she rang her mother and told her the news.

  “Congratulations my dear, you and the boys deserve it, it’s fantastic news. I had no idea your father was so rich, I just feel for Destiny, I thought your father would have made things fairer, but knowing your father like I did all those years ago, it doesn’t surprise me.”

  Ella assured her mother that she would make things right for Destiny and offer her some of hers. Then Ella tried offering her mother some of her fortune.

  “Ella dear, you know, I don’t want for anything, I have everything I need, money is something I don’t need in my life. I’ve had my fair share of it and I live very comfortable as you know, so thank you for your generous offer, but I can’t accept. What I’d like is for you, the boys and little Anna to enjoy it.”

  After much deliberation Ella’s mother wouldn’t hear of it again. However it didn’t stop Ella purchasing two exclusive Caribbean cruise tickets for her mother and step father online that very night, she also arranged to send them recorded delivery for the next day as a little surprise.

  Oh the joys of having money and plenty of it. Ella wrote Destiny a cheque for two million pounds waiting for her weekly visit to give it to her. The next thing on her agenda was finding a suitable house and with the help of a well established estate agent, referred to her by the lovely Mr Wallace, her life began transforming at a pace she could hardly keep up with. After plenty of clothes shopping for the boys the next day in the town centre, Ella was completely thrilled to buy Broody the newest Nike Air trainers, as soon as the shop assistant put them in the bag she explained, “These are the newest line from America, just in today; we expect to sell out in less than a week!”

  Ella was over the moon to have been the first to purchase them. “Can I have another pair in size fives please?”

  Only too happy to assist, the assistant came back with the second pair. Ella planned to surprise Carter with these. She found herself walking the high street for sometime looking through shop windows for more treats for the boys and she found plenty, so much so she couldn’t carry anymore shopping bags she decided to retreat to the nearest taxi rank and head home. Tempted with more retail therapy on her way home she decided there’s always tomorrow and the next day and many more after that. However she considered it just wasn’t possible on her own, unless she had her very own chauffeur driven limousine, or horse and carriage. She found herself laughing at the very notion while arriving home. She soon relieved Mrs Walsh of her youngest Anna. Anna was wailing at the top of her lungs, for more food, sitting in her high chair at the end of the table. Ella lifted Anna out of her highchair waving a big bag of Haribos and gave Anna the biggest cuddle. Anna was quiet for all of five seconds, while Ella blatantly ignored what the doctor had warned her about Anna’s sugar intake and diet. Ella spread five more sweets on the high chair and placed Anna back in vowing herself not to give her anymore, not even surrendering to her screams, it was simply a treat. It seemed to have the desired effect while Ella thanked Mrs Walsh. Ella really enjoyed rewarding Mrs Walsh for all her hard work and babysitting duties, the look on Mrs Walsh face when she passed her the tickets for her and Mr Walsh to go on a two month trip to Italy, valid for three years was priceless. Mrs Walsh was simply lost for words, knowing full well that Mr Walsh would be ecstatic, since their retirement, they hardly ventured anywhere, except to the coast occasionally, visiting their only daughter, Edwina, who had just had twins. Money in the Walsh’s household had become became sparse for them when Mr Walsh, once retired, however the company decided to keep him on a part time basis for a further seven years, as a full time worker on the quiet until the recession.

  “Ella my dear you’ll be rewarded for your generosity my dear one day. I hope you know that Mr Walsh and I consider you to be our closest next to Edwina, we love you very much. As much as I thank you for this wonderful opportunity, I’d like you to spend your money on your closest family.”

  Looking in to her eyes, Ella could feel all the concern of her dearest closest neighbor, who had become a special part of her family, her day to day life, her boys life’s, she was touched by her comments so much so that she embraced Mrs Walsh tightly. “You’re a big part of my family, you and Mr Walsh and I want you to enjoy yourselves because you both deserve it, please accept it as a thank you for all your help and support over the years, and I don’t know where the boys and I would be without you.”

/>   “Well since you put it like that my dear how could I refuse, I can’t wait to tell Mr Walsh, he will be overjoyed!” With that there were no uncomfortable exchanges, the little gifts Ella and the boys would buy Mrs Walsh she would accept. That’s when Ella decided when they moved house that if Mr and Mrs Walsh would accept, she would very much like them to go with her.

  Ella decided to book herself in for a beauty treatment. Looking at herself in the mirror and barely recognising herself, her long black hair was tied so tight in a knot at the back of her head that only a few wisps had fallen astray. She thought it was time for a reinvention of herself. No longer did she want to be the drab boring Ella Pearson, thirty eight and counting, two point four kids; frumpy clothes to hide the embarrassing tell tale signs of the middle age spread on her thighs and midriff. She’d been so engrossed in raising her children, keeping her part time job at the wedding boutique, paying her bills, keeping up with the mortgage payments, struggling and juggling her live around all she found very little time for herself her recent appearance was evidence of this, how she had let herself go!

  Her once deep blue eyes looked tired, she always considered these her best asset, so different from Destiny’s and Chases, almost oriental to some extent, and she’d often joke with her mother and ask if she’d been adopted? But she really didn’t feel the need to complain as she had very few wrinkles in which she was thankful for that the ageing process had been kind to her considering her life was full of chaos. Cosmetic surgery was something she thought she would never consider, due to the cost, however she was now tempted with it and she could also afford it. From her late teens to early twenties, before she fell pregnant with Broody, she took great pride in her appearance, always buying clothes from Tall Sally, to compliment her slim six foot height, she was so blessed with height, thanks to her father, not her mother who was a mere five feet four. Poor Destiny followed in suit from her mother and always struggled to get the right trouser lengths, unlike Chase who was also blessed with the height gene from their father. Destiny always complained about her height and over compensated by buying five inch heels, because when they both hit the town centre at night, she was on the same height level as Ella, providing Ella she didn’t put heels on. However when it came to the looks department Destiny had been more than blessed, with her beautiful long blonde locks, high cheekbones, oval shaped face that suited any hairstyle, big green eyes and big luscious full lips. Destiny was the envy of many young women and even herself to some extent, her soft angelic features made her look somewhat childlike, she was always stopped and asked for I.D. wherever they went, even at the age of twenty five, something that used to really irritate her until her early thirties, when they stopped asking, she realised the aging process was catching up with her.

  Ella recalled saying many times, “Wow if someone asked me for I.D Id either grab hold of them and give them a massive hug, or even go as far as to kiss their frigging feet!”

  Destiny would give Ella one of her weird and wonderful looks and say “Get a grip, it’s really annoying!” It was only a few years ago Destiny didn’t understand Ella’s opinion, now she fully understood and when they got together each week, they always howl about it, so much so that one of them would almost urinate on the very spot.

  Ella was grateful for her somewhat oriental looks, the opposite of Destiny’s and Chases typical traditional English angelic features, beautiful and stunning. Ella’s features were less traditional more dark, sharp, and severe that she almost passed for a person from a very far and exotic land, she prided herself on this as it made her feel unique, special and individualistic as people would enquire as to which part of the world she was from, always guessing and getting it wrong. Ella loved to dangle them along until the last minute when she would reveal she was actually from England, then more questions would follow regarding her parents if she was from a mixed race couple, she would laugh this off introducing them to Destiny informing them that she was indeed her sister and they both shared the same parents. People often looked at them both in disbelief, especially the men they met out on the town, they were like a magnet wherever they went, attracting men wasn’t something they intended to do really, they were just two girls out to have fun and a good time, choosing to dance the night away into the early hours was their favorite pastime, as well as taking advantage on the triple for single drink offers, at every opportunity they could until the end of the night when they were so legless, they couldn’t even remember how they had got home, at what time, just passing out either in bed or on the settee or anything that looked remotely comfortable. Both girls simply had no time for men, just a good time and a great night out would keep them talking all week until they planned their next night out.

  Their notoriously drunken nights on the town is how Ella met the father of her eldest Broody; She literally tripped and lost her balance on her way to the bar and landed sideways into him, knocking him down to the floor, unable to regain her balance, she then accidently fell on top of him, the next thing she knew Destiny was coming to her aid, grabbing her arm to pull her up off the stranger while laughing hysterically at the same time and asking if they were both okay. Ella couldn’t hide her embarrassment, she soon got to her feet and so did the poor stranger, he began rubbing the back of his trousers freeing them from all the dirt of the floor. Ella found herself completely embarrassed, red faced and could feel a stabbing pain in her left ankle.

  “I am so sorry I tripped and lost my balance, it was an accident!”

  He replied with a strong northern accent. “It’s ok, in the past I’ve had my fair share of clumsy accidents, it happens I guess, never had such an attractive lady knocking me down to the floor though, I suppose I’ll have to take it as a compliment!”

  Ella tried her best to put her throbbing pain and embarrassment aside and offered to buy him a drink. To her surprise the stranger accepted and they finally introduced their selves, his name turned out to Ian Dumbridge, they began talking and immediately hit it off, he was rather humorous and she noticed he was very handsome, looking into his big baby blue eyes and taking in his masses of curly blonde hair, she felt an instant attraction.

  Destiny seemed satisfied they we were both ok, heading off back to the dance floor, where she met a few of her college friends, she seemed happy enough for Ella to spend time with this hansom stranger, knowing if Ella was in any danger she could signal her at anytime for assistance and she would be right there. Destiny occasionally glanced over with her nod of approval, she didn’t want to play gooseberry, which would have cramped her style big time as sitting down at a table in a club was considered to be for old timers, not the younger generations like themselves.

  After an hour or so of talking about to one another, Ella politely excused herself. They slowly exchanged telephone numbers, so she could return to Destiny. Last thing she wanted Destiny to think is that she´d abandoned her for the night completely. Ian gave Ella a long deep kiss on her lips and said goodbye, this is when Ella noticed she was a couple of inches taller than him.

  Ella soon returned to Destiny on the dance floor, where she was dancing in sequence with her group of friends. Destiny raised her voice over the music as soon as she saw Ella approach, “I want the complete low down on him, tell me everything and don’t spare any details!”

  “You’ve got it, let’s go and get some takeout and head back to mine, I still have a few bottles of white chilling awaiting our return!”

  Ella had never seen destiny retreat so fast, hurrying her along, curiously asking a few questions on the way.

  “How old is he?” “Twenty three and he’s just moved here from Kendal, apparently he’s just finished his master’s degree in civil engineering.”

  Ella replied with a hint of excitement, keeping anything from Destiny was impossible; they both knew the finest details of each other’s lives, as they considered their selves not only the closest of closest sisters they were also the best of friends. They couldn’t help but giggle all th
e way home on how Ella’s clumsiness had led to the exchange of numbers, they both thought it quite cheesy really.

  When two days had passed and Ian hadn’t called after their cheesy or chance meeting, Ella began to dismiss the whole thing, putting it down to experience, however she couldn’t get him out of her mind, she couldn’t forget his eyes, his wonderful playful blonde locks, even the finely tuned details of his narrow face with sharply etched cheekbones and his broad but well defined shoulders under his navy checked shirt. Maybe he thought better of it; their chance meeting hadn’t been the perfect one. Ella cursed her clumsiness at times, however in the back of her mind grateful for it in this instance; it gave her the rear opportunity of meeting with a handsome stranger. She called Destiny at home and asked her for advice. Destiny knew how she was feeling, as she couldn’t stop talking about him.

  “Oh sis, I am not really the one who you should be asking for advice, as you know I’m far too inexperienced with men, but I think you should leave it several days and if you haven’t heard anything from him, give him a call.”

  Ella felt relieved when she spoke to Destiny as she was right if Ian hadn’t called her in two days, she would call him, after all it was the nineties and many women were taking the initiative towards the opposite sex. She guessed this is where she was a little old fashioned, as her mother has always quoted, “If a man’s interested in you, he will let you know. He will pursuit you first….”

  She couldn’t possibly ask her father for any advice. He would think it very stupid that she had met a guy in a nightclub, in the first instance and he would just simply tell her to forget about him then he would lecture her on why it was important to avoid such establishments as there was only riff raff to be found there.