Sequel: For Diamonds And Gold ›
Million Dollar Houses
chapter 1
I had just finished wiping down the last table before I could finally leave and go home. I hung up my apron and collected my pay from the till, sneaking in a extra fiver to buy something on the way home.
"See you tomorrow Mrs.Perry!" I shouted pulling on my coat and then heading out into the dark.
It was a little warm but still I buried my hands into my pockets and walked with my head down. I mentally prepared myself for what was to come at home, it's not like I hated going home, more like I hated what I saw and how felt there. A sick mother who had no strength to get a job and a sister who sometimes had to go to desperate measures to help her family was not a sight you would want to see.
I stopped outside the small corner shop near my house and bought three pot noodles, a small loaf of bread, milk and a couple of ready meal stuff. This should last us a few days at least, hopefully anyway.
When I finally got home, there was more noises than usual. I could hear voices and laughter coming from inside which was strange because there was hardly ever laughter at my house. I opened the door and placed down the grocery bags by the door and took off my coat.
"Kellin?" I heard my mom shout from the living room. I walked towards her voice and stopped in the doorway, she was sitting next to a woman who was dressed far more richer than any of her surroundings and next to her was a man in a suite who kind of looked like a painter.
"Hello darling, how was work?" She asked, I nodded my head and smiled "it was fine" I answered, sitting down in the opposite sofa from them. They all looked at me, smiling which I found a bit creepy.
"This is Mr and Mrs Fuentes" mom explained, I smiled at them still wondering why they keep staring at me.
"This is my son Kellin" she turned to look at the couple who were still looking at me in a strange way.
"Wow, you have grown since the last time I saw you" said the woman, she had a slight Mexican accent to her voice."your much more handsome now" I smiled at her words, instantly liking her. I mean wouldn't say I was handsome but I don't think bad about myself either.
"Mr and Mrs Fuentes are here to ask you a very important question" said mom, she did that thing with her eyebrows that she always did when she wanted me behave. I rolled my eyes at her, of course I'm going to behave, I'm not just going to start rolling on the floor crying am I?
The painter- I mean Mr.Fuentes cleared his throat before he started speaking, "Well, we have a son who is 22 and not married yet-"
"We were wondering if you would like to marry our son" Mrs. Fuentes cut in, marry their son?! Are they fucking mental? They looked at me expectantly, they're not serious are they? They don't really want me to marry a stranger right? I looked at my mom who had a nervous smile on her face, oh my god they are serious!
"You have met each other before but you were bother very young" said Mrs. Fuentes, she smiled and suddenly she looked very familiar. Where have I seen her before? Well more like where have I seen her smile?
"Wait" I said, finally realising where I've seen her "You don't own those record company's do you?" I asked, I remember seeing an advert of a young man about some new record company's opening up around the country. I wasn't really the musical type but I did love to sing once in a while. Mrs. Fuentes' smile grew bigger and she nodded her head.
"My son is the one who owns them actually, Victor, he and his younger brother started a band with a couple of other friends but nobody would sign them" she said looking a little sad and lost in thought.
"So they started their own company, signing anyone who they thought were good but couldn't get sighed by any of the bigger company's" finished Mr. Fuentes. This Victor person sounded great but did I really want to get married to someone I hard never laid eyes on?
"Well, what's in it for me if I marry this- your son?" I asked, Mrs. Fuentes smiled and leaned back on the sofa. "Anything and everything. Anything you need, you can have. Your family will be well looked after, we'll move them into a better house and you will obviously go and live with Victor. I know you will both be very happy together, you used to get in so well when you were little"
"That is if you agree of course" said Mr.Fuentes, they all looked at me waiting for an answer. Should I marry him? I mean I want my family to live well and not have to suffer for food every night but I've also got to have a little bit of dignity right? I can't marry someone for money, that's not right.
"Why don't we give Kellin some time to think about your offer? I'm sure it's a lot to take in all in one night" said my mom who was quiet up until now. The couple nodded and stood up together.
"Of course, yes. You take as long as you need darling, just call us when you make up your mind okay?"
I nodded my head and me and my mother both stood up to walk Mr and Mrs. Fuentes out, we said our goodbyes and then closed the door and went back into the living room.
"Wow!" I said and collapsed down onto the sofa "Is this a dream? Or were they really here?" My mum sat down next to me and smiled, she looked tired and had bags under her eyes. "Well? What do you think?" She asked
"I think they're crazy! ... but,"
"But?"
"But I really want you to get better and we really need the money" I muttered, I was thinking about the offer, it was very appealing but could I really just make a decision like this? Could I really trust these strangers who apparently knew me when I was younger?
"You know I will support you whatever you choose, but I want you to think about it first okay?" I looked at my mom and smiled she was always the supportive type, every decision me or my sister made she was always right there behind us. My smile disappears though when she started coughing violently, I stood up and went into our tiny kitchen and poured her glass of water.
"Thank you" she gasped when I handed it to her, I hate seeing her like this. She used to be so energetic and happy, smiling all the time, dancing around the kitchen. I missed her, I missed the old her, I would do anything to have her back.
"Hey mom?"
"Yeah?" She set her glass down and turned to look at me, "I have something to tell you" she raised her eyebrows waiting for me to continue, I took a deep breath and thought for a moment before speaking again.
"I'm getting married"
"See you tomorrow Mrs.Perry!" I shouted pulling on my coat and then heading out into the dark.
It was a little warm but still I buried my hands into my pockets and walked with my head down. I mentally prepared myself for what was to come at home, it's not like I hated going home, more like I hated what I saw and how felt there. A sick mother who had no strength to get a job and a sister who sometimes had to go to desperate measures to help her family was not a sight you would want to see.
I stopped outside the small corner shop near my house and bought three pot noodles, a small loaf of bread, milk and a couple of ready meal stuff. This should last us a few days at least, hopefully anyway.
When I finally got home, there was more noises than usual. I could hear voices and laughter coming from inside which was strange because there was hardly ever laughter at my house. I opened the door and placed down the grocery bags by the door and took off my coat.
"Kellin?" I heard my mom shout from the living room. I walked towards her voice and stopped in the doorway, she was sitting next to a woman who was dressed far more richer than any of her surroundings and next to her was a man in a suite who kind of looked like a painter.
"Hello darling, how was work?" She asked, I nodded my head and smiled "it was fine" I answered, sitting down in the opposite sofa from them. They all looked at me, smiling which I found a bit creepy.
"This is Mr and Mrs Fuentes" mom explained, I smiled at them still wondering why they keep staring at me.
"This is my son Kellin" she turned to look at the couple who were still looking at me in a strange way.
"Wow, you have grown since the last time I saw you" said the woman, she had a slight Mexican accent to her voice."your much more handsome now" I smiled at her words, instantly liking her. I mean wouldn't say I was handsome but I don't think bad about myself either.
"Mr and Mrs Fuentes are here to ask you a very important question" said mom, she did that thing with her eyebrows that she always did when she wanted me behave. I rolled my eyes at her, of course I'm going to behave, I'm not just going to start rolling on the floor crying am I?
The painter- I mean Mr.Fuentes cleared his throat before he started speaking, "Well, we have a son who is 22 and not married yet-"
"We were wondering if you would like to marry our son" Mrs. Fuentes cut in, marry their son?! Are they fucking mental? They looked at me expectantly, they're not serious are they? They don't really want me to marry a stranger right? I looked at my mom who had a nervous smile on her face, oh my god they are serious!
"You have met each other before but you were bother very young" said Mrs. Fuentes, she smiled and suddenly she looked very familiar. Where have I seen her before? Well more like where have I seen her smile?
"Wait" I said, finally realising where I've seen her "You don't own those record company's do you?" I asked, I remember seeing an advert of a young man about some new record company's opening up around the country. I wasn't really the musical type but I did love to sing once in a while. Mrs. Fuentes' smile grew bigger and she nodded her head.
"My son is the one who owns them actually, Victor, he and his younger brother started a band with a couple of other friends but nobody would sign them" she said looking a little sad and lost in thought.
"So they started their own company, signing anyone who they thought were good but couldn't get sighed by any of the bigger company's" finished Mr. Fuentes. This Victor person sounded great but did I really want to get married to someone I hard never laid eyes on?
"Well, what's in it for me if I marry this- your son?" I asked, Mrs. Fuentes smiled and leaned back on the sofa. "Anything and everything. Anything you need, you can have. Your family will be well looked after, we'll move them into a better house and you will obviously go and live with Victor. I know you will both be very happy together, you used to get in so well when you were little"
"That is if you agree of course" said Mr.Fuentes, they all looked at me waiting for an answer. Should I marry him? I mean I want my family to live well and not have to suffer for food every night but I've also got to have a little bit of dignity right? I can't marry someone for money, that's not right.
"Why don't we give Kellin some time to think about your offer? I'm sure it's a lot to take in all in one night" said my mom who was quiet up until now. The couple nodded and stood up together.
"Of course, yes. You take as long as you need darling, just call us when you make up your mind okay?"
I nodded my head and me and my mother both stood up to walk Mr and Mrs. Fuentes out, we said our goodbyes and then closed the door and went back into the living room.
"Wow!" I said and collapsed down onto the sofa "Is this a dream? Or were they really here?" My mum sat down next to me and smiled, she looked tired and had bags under her eyes. "Well? What do you think?" She asked
"I think they're crazy! ... but,"
"But?"
"But I really want you to get better and we really need the money" I muttered, I was thinking about the offer, it was very appealing but could I really just make a decision like this? Could I really trust these strangers who apparently knew me when I was younger?
"You know I will support you whatever you choose, but I want you to think about it first okay?" I looked at my mom and smiled she was always the supportive type, every decision me or my sister made she was always right there behind us. My smile disappears though when she started coughing violently, I stood up and went into our tiny kitchen and poured her glass of water.
"Thank you" she gasped when I handed it to her, I hate seeing her like this. She used to be so energetic and happy, smiling all the time, dancing around the kitchen. I missed her, I missed the old her, I would do anything to have her back.
"Hey mom?"
"Yeah?" She set her glass down and turned to look at me, "I have something to tell you" she raised her eyebrows waiting for me to continue, I took a deep breath and thought for a moment before speaking again.
"I'm getting married"