Memories Forever

Chapter 1 - A Good Girl

‘Karen wait up’. Doris the high school teacher called out as she hurried after her

‘Yes ma'am’. Karen turned to face the woman who held out a letter to her

'Give this letter to your parents. We need their consent on the school field trip coming up next month' Doris said

‘Okay Thank you Miss Doris’. Karen replied, collecting the letter from her before heading through the door.

Felicia called out to Karen as she exited the school building. ‘Hey girl, ready to go home?’

‘Yeah' Karen answered tiredly and walked up to meet her older friend by the car. ‘High school is not what it is hyped to be at all’ Karen continued. They both laughed but Karen meant every word, she had so much school work she didn’t think she could keep up with all of it

‘Don’t worry kiddo, you will rest at home, ….No school tomorrow so you can relax’ Felicia said. smiling sympathetically at her 

‘Can’t wait girl, can’t wait’ Karen muttered as she got in the car, saying hello to Gerald, the family chauffeur. He had come with Felicia to pick her up from school. 

They arrived home and met Karen's mum at the door, about to leave for her women’s group meeting in the church community center.

‘Karen’ Emma welcomed her with a big hug as usual

‘Hi Mum’ Karen replied, hugging back

‘There’s lunch in the microwave for you two, I am off to church now… See you at 7’ Emma said as she went out

‘Yes mum’, the two girls replied racing each other up the stairs to their rooms, excited to have three hours of laid back play time at home before Emma returned to rule their lives again as they put it

‘Fel, great, so let’s wash up. See you at the dining table in a bit’ Karen told her friend as they parted ways. She got into her room, dropped her bag and headed straight to the bathroom

Felicia just turned 18, a level headed girl born to Ben, the butler, three years before Karen was born and was like a sister to Karen. Emma had taken her in as a daughter when Ben lost his wife at childbirth.  Felicia just completed high school with excellent grades and was going off to College soon. She had been a good influence on Karen, unlike the other females living in that household. Her other house playmate, Gretchen, was a different story altogether.

Emma and Martin played hosts to their kindred and relatives a lot and sometimes these relatives asked them to help put their kids through school or pay for their school education by sending aid to them. The Lordswicks were always willing to do good and be a blessing as much as they could.

Karen came back downstairs refreshed and ready for a late lunch with Felicia and their numerous cousins. 

‘Hey where is everyone else?’ she asked when she came in and met just Felicia seated

Felicia shrugged. ‘Who knows?….getting adventurous maybe’. The girls laughed. It was never far from the truth. Their house was massive enough with hidden areas hormone-driven youths could get easily lost in and feed their desires

They ate the meal Claire, the cook, had warmed up for them and then proceeded to the den to catch up on the series they missed while in classes

‘So what do we watch?’ Felicia asked, flopping onto the sofa and turning on the TV

‘Anything you select is fine girl. I just want to de-stress’. Karen said yawning and lying down on the lounge chair

‘Okay...more like you want to snooze girl’ Felicia commented, laughing and they settled in to watch the latest TV series

After two hours of TV binge, the girls had succumbed to sleep and were fallen on top of one another on the settee, oblivious to everything and anyone until a deep voice awakened them

‘Get your lazy bums of the chair my lovelies’ a male voice bellowed

Karen stirred and wondered if she heard right

Felicia stretched out her arms and yawned... ‘What was that?’ she mumbled

‘I said get up girls, ….I am hoooome,’ said the deep voice again, chuckling and coming to stand in front of them

‘Ahhhh.’...the two girls screeched happily and jumped up, each taking turns to jump on the owner of the voice

‘Archeeer’, Karen squealed

‘Whoa what are you doing here?’ Felicia managed, out of breath from all the shouting and jumping

‘Hmm good question’ he laughed ‘I came to visit Uncle and Aunty and some two naughty girls...’ Archer continued, with a corked eyebrow which gave way to a wide smile. ‘How you girls been?’

‘Aww. We are fine Arch…..’ ‘Good to see you Archer’ the two girls replied at the same time

‘How is Uncle Jason?’ Karen asked him

‘Yea Dad’s good, Mum is good too. All is well’ Archer replied

‘Wow nice.. okay let me go tell Uncle Martin you are here’ Felicia said

‘Tell me what?’. Martin asked, coming into the den, 'Why were you girls screaming so much?’ he asked

On seeing Archer, he smiled ‘O my boy, Archer, how are you?...good to see you’, giving him a firm handshake

‘I am great sir, thank you for having me Uncle’ Archer said grateful for the friendship his dad had with Martin that made it possible to go through school with his financial aid.

‘Welcome son, Jason told me you were coming today.’ Martin motioned for him to sit down and the two of them caught up with family country home updates before they began discussing his schooling and career path, the girls excusing them at this point.

The girls took Archer’s bag upstairs to a guest room, the one he always used whenever he and other cousins came over to visit.

‘...Mmm so excited Archer is here.’ Karen gushed as they got out of the room and almost collided with another house mate, one of Karen’s numerous cousins, Gretchen, who had come up to drop off fresh toiletries in the rooms

‘Hmm now we won’t know peace again’ Gretchen, her cousin laughed, casting a knowing look at Karen

‘How…. what do you mean Gretch? Karen asked, acting all innocent. 

Gretchen snorted in reply ‘Ha! I know you have a crush on him girl, all googly eyed with fantasies and whatnot’ Gretchen replied, smirking and teasing her. She was age mates with Karen but had lost both parents in a car accident a year ago. She quickly became another beneficiary of the Lordswicks love. But she was a wild one, notorious with the boys in the area, yet she had a kind heart and a friend to Karen.

‘Please… I am a good girl,’ Karen said with an eye roll

‘Yea shut up Gretchen... he is related to Karen, she is just fond of him’ Felicia rebuked her, slapping her playfully on her arm

‘Mmhmm right...they are not related by the way’. She answered. ‘So, good girl huh?... we’ll see’ Gretchen said, chuckling, she will see about that. That Archer was definitely bad boy persona and she had had a couple of encounters with him when he visited in the past. She was pretty sure some adventures would go down again now he is here.

They laughed and headed back downstairs to meet the two men in the living room.

Gretchen got called aside by Claire as they passed by the kitchen. She wanted her to help her out with dinner preparations

‘See you girls later’ Gretchen said. ‘Greet lover boy for me, tell him I will see him once I am done here’ she winked at them, going with Claire to the kitchen

‘Yeah yeah’ the girls replied shaking their heads and going into the living room

‘So now you have to apply to write the entrance exams into the two Universities in this town and study hard to be accepted into one okay?’…they heard Martin say as they entered the room

‘Yes sir’ Archer answered firmly, grateful for the opportunity he was being given to study and fulfill his dream to be an Accountant and mentee of Martin.

Karen looked at Felicia in delight, quietly squealing and rocking on her feet. ‘Dad that means Archer is coming to stay with us?......as in live here permanently? Karen asked excitedly

‘Yes dear, he is moving in to start preparations for his College education’ Martin said, smiling, getting up and heading to the door

The girls nodded, pleased with this bit of information

‘Okay kids I am off to my Study to continue work on some papers. Feel at home Archer, Emma will be back from church soon and we will all have dinner together at 8’. Martin said over his shoulder as he went out of the room

Archer looked on amused as Karen jumped happily and came over to sit on his laps, leaning into his embrace

‘Yes Uncle’. Archer replied. He called Martin ‘Uncle’ even though they were not blood-related. His Dad Jason and Martin go way back, had been close childhood friends and roommates in College. The two men had reconnected two years after Karen was born and every year since, the two families had family hangouts in the countryside and sometimes they came over to the city to spend a holiday or anniversary celebration with the Lordswicks.

They were close family friends but over the years the economy became not too good to his dad, making the last two years tough for them. Archer grimaced as he recalled the difficult moments

Uncle Martin had been a lifeline to Archer, sponsoring his education with Emma kind enough to treat him as family whenever he visited during his school vacation

Archer recalled the last conversation they had together with Uncle Martin at the last Christmas holiday in their countryhome when he had offered him a chance to train at Middletown. He smiled at the memory of that day as he hugged Karen and drew her close to him playing with her hair. He had come as arranged and was here now to start a new phase of life as a college student and mentee to Martin in his finance business

‘So girls how have you all been?’ he asked Felicia and she, together with Karen, gave him the load down, catching up on all house gossips and shenanigans. He always did tease the girls and was a good-looking one, confident and an unrepentant flirt. The reasons why Karen was always googly-eyed at him. 

Felicia couldn’t be bothered, would not fall to his charm or playboy ways whenever he was around as their house guest. Well, Archer was going to be around for longer now and the girls were going to have to get used to him and who knows what adventures would happen with him around.

‘It is going to fun having you live here Arch’ Karen said softly leaning further into his hug, his arms tightening around her waist. Felicia shook her head, looking away from them and turned to flip through the channels looking for a suitable program to watch

‘Sure Princess, now I get to see you and be with you every day’ he replied in a low husky voice, placing a soft kiss on her forehead, stirring those familiar butterflies that set her off on one of her numerous fantasies