The Chase by Amber Riel (books to read for self improvement TXT) 📖

guy and looked up at him.  “Are you the real Charlie Chaplin?” she asked with awe.

          The mime looked down and smiled as he locked eyes with her.  He quickly shook his head as he pulled out a balloon.  He blew it up and then drew Chaplin’s face on it which included his hat, mustache, and bow tie.  He showed the balloon to Lainie and stared at it in awe.  He had handed it to her after a couple of failed attempts due to the fact that it wasn’t tied.

          “Wow,” she whispered with amazement in her tone.

          I had to admit that it was pretty cool to watch as well.  I felt as if I was watching an old black and white silent movie like The Kid or The Cirrus a couple of Chaplin’s old films.  Nothing like the classics, I thought as Lainie worked her way back over to me.

          “Uncle Louis, did you see that?” she asked with a slight smile on her face.

          I looked down, smiled and nodded.  “Amazing huh?”

          “Yea.”  Lainie grabbed my hand and turned to face the man again.  “Just like in the movies.”

          I nodded again as we continued to watch the man.  I looked up into the bright blue sky with bright white clouds.  I took a moment to enjoy the lovely scenery when I spotted the same suspicious man from the airport.  I narrowed my eyes as I watched him walk around, searching for someone or something.  “Lainie,” I spoke in a tone that wouldn’t alarm the child, “I think your father might be home by now…. Do you want to go home to see him?”

          Lainie looked up at me with her hazel eyes, thinking.  “Yea.”

          Good, I thought as I sighed with relief.  If that man had been dangerous for any reason, I wouldn’t have wanted Lainie to be in danger.  “Okay then let’s go back to your home.”

 

          I drove for a little while until I arrived at the mansion.  “Heather, it’s Louis and Lainie,” I said over the intercom.

          “Okay,” Heather’s voice replied.

          I waited for the gate to open all the way before driving, like I had earlier during the day when Samantha was with me.  I placed the car in park and climbed out then I let Lainie out of the backseat.  “Okay.”  I looked over in the driveway and noticed Ron’s small family size car was sitting there.  I knew it, I smiled as I thought.  “Go ahead inside Lainie,” I told the child as I looked around.  “I’ll meet you inside.”

          “Okay, Uncle Louis.”

          I waited for Lainie to vanish inside as I looked around the mansion.  I have a bad feeling.  Something had felt off but I didn’t know what and I figured that I need a moment because I didn’t want to worry anyone, especially any of the women.  I need to talk to Ron because something is wrong.

 

          I walked into the hallway and wondered around as I listened to the voices coming from the living room.  I followed them until I was close enough to hear the conversation on the other side of the wall.  I held the balloon which the impersonator had given to Lainie.

          “Really?” Ron asked as I stepped closer toward the entrance.

          “And he acted like him too…. Just like in those movies that you and mummy let me watch….” Lainie’s laughter and excitement filled the room as I stopped at the door.  “He blew up a balloon and drew Charlie Chaplin’s face on it…. With the mustache and the hat and bow tie….”

          I stood smiling at Lainie’s muffed but extremely worded sentences.  “She enjoyed it…. I enjoyed it…. It was almost as if Chaplin himself came back to life just to perform for everyone in the crowd.  I’d go back to see the act again,” I replied as I glanced at Samantha for a quick moment then turned my attention toward Ron and Annie.

          “Louis, Sam would probably love to see…. Why don’t you bring her sometime while she’s here?” Annie asked, suggesting that we make it a date.

          I noticed as Samantha dropped her mouth and stared at her sister with disbelief.

          I had to admit that I was as dumbfounded as Samantha was at the thought.  My eyes had moved from Samantha to Annie.  “I don’t think that would be such a good idea,” I replied with a hint of shock and confusion.  I turned my gaze back toward Samantha with a bit of pain in my thoughts.  “I don’t want to waste time with an American girl.”  I knew the coldness and hurtful tone was uncalled for but I didn’t want Samantha to think that I would give up my time for her.  I mean I did find her to be beautiful and her dark brown eyes revealed the beautiful soul inside of her but I couldn’t bring myself to let my guard down with love.  I didn’t have any time for that.  The best thing for me was to make her hate me and never want to see me in her life again.  It was the best thing for both of us.

          “Louis,” Ron had replied, “that was rude of you.”

          I turned my attention to Ron and sighed.  “I’m sorry.”

          Ron shook his head slightly.  “Don’t apologize to me.”

          I made a face as I looked back at Samantha.  “Sorry,” I spoke, kind of rudely.

          Samantha eyed me up and down.  I knew she was angry.  My plan for making her hate me was working.  “Fine.  I’ll accept but that was very uncalled for you freaking jerk,” she replied.

          I deserved that, I thought.

          “Hey, Sam, Elaina is right here,” Annie replied as she gestured toward the child whose wide eyes just started at Samantha with shock and looked like she had wanted to cry.

          “I’m sorry, Lainie,” Samantha told the child as she looked at Lainie.

          “Lainie, why don’t you go ahead and wash up for dinner?” Annie asked, kneeling down beside Lainie.

          Lainie nodded.  “Okay, mummy.”  She left the room, leaving all of us adults alone.

          “That was uncalled for from the both of you,” Ron replied.  “In front of the child?” he asked, obviously he was angry.  “Come on at least go outside or something.”

          Samantha and I each looked away from Ron and Annie, keeping avoiding each other’s gaze as well.  Neither of us spoke; talking wouldn’t have helped our case one bit.

          “Sorry, guys,” Samantha spoke after a little while.

          “Sorry,” I replied as I continued to stare away from the others.

          Willow, the young blonde maid, walked into the room.  She was dressed in her usual attire was a black dress which fell to her knees and it puffed outward at the bottom.  She had actually dated my brother Isaac while they were still in high school then dumped him for a soccer player.  When I found out that she was working for Ron and Annie, I knew karma had smacked her in the face and it was time times worse than what she had done to my brother.  She looked around the room and I could tell that she knew something horrible had just taken place.  “Dinner’s ready,” she spoke awkwardly and slowly worked her way out of the room afraid that something worse would happen.

          Ron sighed.  “Please, you two, let’s get through this meal and if either of you have anything rude or snotty to say to each other then go outside.  I don’t want Elaina to have to hear you two argue.  Got it?”

          Samantha and I both nodded in agreement.  That meant that we were going to have to be on our best behavior.

 

          The dining room was silent with awkwardness floating around.  The long table kept me separated from Samantha, and because of the fact she was across from me, I kept my eyes down.  I just stared at the table, keeping any idea of eye contact out of my mind.

          I figured that Ron and Annie were too busy staring into each other’s eyes out of love to even notice that I was kind of being disrespectful in a way.

          Now Lainie had kind of surprised me because usually she would sit next to me but she had decided to sit next to Samantha instead.  I listened as she asked Samantha questions to get to know her better which wasn’t a problem with me seeing that by blood Samantha was her aunty were as I was considered to be her uncle because I had known her father since we were kids and we grew up like brothers.  “What’s it like in America?” her little voice asked with curiosity.

          “Well, it’s…. It’s nothing like this….” Samantha had begun.

          “I’ll bet,” I muttered under my breath.

          I didn’t have to look up to know that Samantha had shot me a dirty look but then quickly changed her mind.  “It depends on who you ask…. For me it’s busy…. I work and then I get home, take my dog for his afternoon walk…. Then I---”

          “You have a dog?” Lainie’s little voice asked as amazement arrived in her tone.

          “Yea…. He’s a big dog too.”

          “What kind is he?”

          “He’s a German Shepherd….”

          “You got him from Germany?”

          “No….” Samantha kind of laughed as she spoke.  “He’s from America…. His breed of dog is…. It’s kind of hard to explain…. But if you ever would come to America, I’ll let you meet him….”

          “What’s his name?”

          “His name is Bruno.”

          “Wow.”

          Willow and Kathleen had walked into the room, pushing silver carts of food.  Willow had walked past Ron and laid a plate of food in front of Samantha and another plate with smaller portions of the food in front of Lainie and then worked her way over to Annie and placed another plate down in front of her while Kathleen placed food in front of Ron and then another plate of food in front of me.

          The honey glazed ham smell sweet and delicious.  My mouth watered just thinking about it.  Even the peas and mash potatoes looked tasty.  I couldn’t wait to eat.

          “Thank you,” I heard Samantha tell Willow.

          “No problem,” Willow replied as she left the room.

          “Uncle Louis, can you say the prayer please?” Lainie asked with wide eyes as she looked over at me.

          I smiled at Lainie and nodded.  “Everyone, bow your heads and close your eyes.”

          I waited for a few moments to give everyone time to do as I said.

          “Dear Heavenly Father,” I prayed out loud, “thank you for this meal which the cooks had prepared for us and I pray please reach down and bless it so it will fill us up.  Lord, thank you for letting Samantha have a good and safe trip here on the plane and thank you for giving us this moment to share and to be here with one another as well.  Thank you for everything in Jesus name, amen.”

          I felt Samantha kind of glance over at me with surprise.

          I felt that praying for her safe trip would be for Lainie’s benefit although I was kind of glad myself that the woman had landed safely.  I just wasn’t going to let her know that part.

          Lainie stuck her fork into one of the little pieces of cut up ham and placed it into her mouth.  She did try her hardest to chew with her mouth close but it wasn’t working for her.

          Samantha kind of smiled as she held up a napkin.  “Watch and learn,” she told Lainie.  She took a sharp knife and cut a piece of ham off for herself as she kept it on the fork and took a bite.  I couldn’t help but watch as she placed the napkin over her mouth as she began chewing.  It was