In the evening, while eating dinner in the dining island together with aunt Vicky, Jessica came downstairs glaring at me. She walked to the table, served herself and then went to the sitting room to eat alone.
"Did you talk to her?" I asked aunt Vicky.
"Yes, but... she said she trust the guy. That she knew everything about him and that he can't trick her" Aunt Vicky replied in what seemed like a whisper.
"And you believe her?" I wrinkled a brow at her.
"Well, even if I don't what can I do? She has already made her mind, I can't just stop her. Although I told her to invite the guy over so I can get to know him more, he's coming tomorrow or a day after" she explained.
"Ohh," I muttered, not knowing what to even say. It was unbelievable, I didn't expect all those words from her. Jessica is her daughter, she has the right to... my thought was cut short as she abruptly uttered,
"Ohh? Is there something I need to know?" she stared at me, looking somehow worried. But what should I tell her, that I suspect the guy and her daughter were into a relationship? I mean, that he was taking advantage of her?
"Actually, nothing" I crooked a smile on my face, trying to hide the fact from her, "I was just kind of, you know, happy to hear that he's coming. At least, you would get to know him more. You can as well get his contact, home address, and everything. You can also ask him about his relatives and..."
"It's okay, Laura. I know you are just trying to help but don't you think this would be too much? What if I pisses him off with all those questions and he ends up changing his mind about helping Jessica? She would definitely not be happy with me, and seriously, I am not ready to lose my daughter" she said, and I could perceive her fears.
She didn't want to lose her daughter by thoroughly asking Reade questions related to his personal life and family, not knowing she could lose her daughter if she didn't make the right choice now.
Allowing her daughter to travel all the way to another country with a stranger in the name of securing a university admission and students grant will only expose the poor girl to danger.
Jessica might be old enough to take care of herself around town, but not in another country where she knows nobody. If only I could make both she and her mother to understand the fact that the game they were trying to play is a dangerous one.
"Okay, aunt. I hope it all works out well" I said, hopping doesn't end up being a scam.
"It sure will" she said in full confidence.
After the dinner, I cleared the table while she headed to the sitting room to discuss with Jessica and to watch one of her favorite television series.
As soon as I was done, I went and joined them too. I tried as much as possible to chime into their discussion but Jessica kept interfering, trying as much as she could to make sure I am on able to contribute to the conversation or to make sure she rendered my contribution irrelevant.
When I was done trying to chime into their talks, I decided to sit down and just watch. However, whenever either of them say something funny I would smile, giggle, or even laugh.
My expression were the only contribution I could make, and that too didn't sit well with Jessica. At some points, she would glare at me when I laugh or giggle. She was actually trying to isolate me totally from them but she couldn't.
And it wasn't as if I could also stop myself from responding to their conversation with my expression, I had no complete power over my reactions. Sometimes, I didn't even used to know when I would burst into laughter.
In less than an hour later, aunt Vicky got a call. Thus, she picked it and went upstairs to talk with the caller, leaving Jessica and I in the sitting room. The only voice that could be heard now was from the tv, Jessica was quiet.
I also didn't say a word because she didn't want to talk to me. I focused my attention on the tv, enjoying the ongoing program when suddenly she changed the channel. I didn't say anything to her even though I was hurt.
In just few minutes, I started liking the ongoing program in the new channel she changed to. When she realized that, she changed the channel again. This time around, to a cartoon station. I wasn't really a fan of KidsShow but as I forced myself to understand what they were airing at the moment, I became pretty much interested in the channel.
Jessica wasn't happy seeing the smiles on my face, she hissed and turned the channel. She became so obsessed with the remote that every few minutes she would press the buttons and change the channel, thinking I would be hurt. However, I kept on showing interest in all the channels she changed to.
When she eventually got tired of pressing the remote, she navigated back to the channel we were watching before her mother left. And, although, the program that was being aired was over, the new show was captivating too.
Suddenly, aunt Vicky came downstairs prepared while holding her bag as if she was going out or something. "Mom, is everything okay?" Jessica quickly asked.
"What do you think? I just got a call from Sheriff Deputy Lorraine, about a Jewelry Store case. I never knew you and your friends went to a Jewelry Store yesterday, Laura are you also among?" Aunt Vicky uttered angry.
"No, I... I wasn't among. I told them not to go there, I warned them" I stuttered, trying all my best to defend myself.
"Why didn't you tell me then? Do you know the gravity of your inaction? Now, jewelries are missing, worth... I don't know how much, I would have to confirm first. If only you were sensible enough to apprise me about their whereabouts" she thundered, glaring at me.
"Sorry, aunt" I muttered, totally speechless. Yesterday, if I had told her, she wouldn't have mind. She was the time that loved pleasing her daughter. Also, I chose not to tell her because I was scared of pissing Jessica.
"Mom, look, we didn't steal anything. I made sure I and all my friends left the store without taking a single ornament" Jessica said looking serious, "I swear, none of us went out with something except what we came with"
"And what exactly are you trying to tell me? That the police are lying?" Aunt Vicky exclaimed.
"No, I am just saying it must be someone or some other groups that went there after us. Trust me, we were only there for fun. How did they even come to the conclusion that we stole something there?" Jessica choked.
"You think it's funny? Well, someone among you posted the pictures of some of you taking pictures there with different ornaments around your bodies, and the owner of the store reported some missing jewelries to the sheriff department in the morning, how can you defend yourself now?" Aunt Vicky bespoke.
"Mom, I swear we didn't... I didn't steal anything from that store, I don't really know about others but I..." Jessica said as aunt Vicky intruded, "I am going to the sheriff department now to talk to Lorraine, your dad's friend," she said, "but if they later find you guilty, you are still going to jail together... your friends!" she added and left.
After leaving, Jessica glanced at me as if to say she regrets what she did. I wanted telling her not to worry, everything would be fine as long as she's clean, but before I knew it she had took her phone and began calling her friends and asking them about the missing jewelries.
Some of them didn't even know about it, judging from what I heard in their conversation. The only person she was unable to call was Fred, and that was because he was still unconscious.
"If it wasn't Jack, Vivian and Suzanna, then it's probably not Shirley and Fred. The two can be crwzy at times but none of them can ever steal from a store," I heard her contemplating, "but I would have to confirm from Fred when he gets better, I really have to be sure none of us stole the alleged missing jewelries"
"You should ask your friends again" I finally chimed in.
"And what's your business?" she glared at me.
"Hmm," I huffed, "I am just trying to help, okay? Just ask your friends again. If possible, make a conference call. Tell them what exactly is going on and to problem you guys may find yourselves into if the culprit isn't found" I said. Somehow, she acknowledged my words and did as I said. She didn't thank me though but since I wasn't after that, I wasn't hurt.
She called them and they had a conversation on phone, everyone swearing they weren't the ones and some promptly began expressing their fears. Of course no sane person wants to go jail, but if only they had been careful enough to not be caught. They shouldn't have been there in the first place.
"Yes, crimes are legal during the festival but the rule is don't leave traces, otherwise after the festival you would be prosecuted. In our case, we didn't leave any trace but we shared the pictures we took in the stores with our friends right? That was how the cops found out we were the ones" Jessica said and continued, "Of course we wore masks, but how about our voices? Plus, we had on few occasions took off our masks, or didn't we? I am even confused, we shouldn't have shared those pictures" she heaved a sigh, "No, it's not Laura, she will never do that. Plus I deleted the ones I sent her immediately. It has to be someone, and that someone clearly intended to have us jailed..."
She continued talking while I wondered the person that mentioned my name, suspecting I was the one that reported them. Who the heck could that be? I wholeheartedly trusted Shirley, she would never say that but I didn't trust Suzanna, Vivian and Jack. Those three, I even suspected they were the ones that stole the jeweleries. If they weren't the ones, then it clearly wasn't any of them from their group.
After the call, she went upstairs to her room... so restless. And when she came back later, she headed to the door. "Where are you going to, sis?" I asked out of curiosity, thereby halting her. She stopped and turned, as if trying to tell me something but then she looked away and left. That was weird, although she was used to doing the things she like already.
I tiptoed to the window and watched as she walked away, while swiping through her phone. Was she going to the police to talk to them herself, or going to meet her friends? I wished I could follow her but doing that would only piss her off further, she was already confused.
I could remember when she sent the copies of the pictures she snapped with her friends in the jewelry store, I warned her instantly that it is a wrong thing to do. I told her it could land them into trouble but she was stubborn, now she had started seeing the result of their childishness.
If she had grown up in the city, she wouldn't even think about stepping into the store let alone taking pictures illegally with their jewelries. The state police would arrest and detain them for just that, and if it involves stealing some of the jewelries then legal action would be taken and they may end up serving sentences in prison.
