Broken Flyght – Chapter 24

“Vivi, I’m so glad you’ve finally returned my call. I was worried these last few days when I didn’t hear from you. And then I saw that video…”

Ken pauses in his vidcall and shakes his head. I smile, ignoring Sean’s disgruntled face across the aisle from me. I purchased us a private booth so I could talk and take advantage of the train’s higher bandwidth for long-distance calls, but I can tell Sean would rather be anywhere else but here. The train rocks and an empty station flies by.

“The video is a little wild.”

“The video scared me half to death!” He leans into the call on his end. “You almost died.”

“I know,” I mumble. Guilt tugs at my heart. I should’ve been more careful.

“I’ve never met Jinzo Lee, but I’m going to give him a big hug when I do. He saved your life! You seem to be picking the right people to keep by your side.”

A smile awakens my lips. “It would be great if you and Jinzo could become friends.”

“I hope that can happen.”

I nod, knowing this is the best answer I’ll get from Ken. He does things his way, always has. He’ll give Jinzo a chance, but whether they’ll get along is entirely an educated guess at this point.

“And this is where I deliver the good news,” he continues. “I’m taking some time off so I can come to Ossun and be with you for a bit. Just a week, but it’s better than nothing. I need to speak to your parents, and we should sign the contracts. And I want to see how our little project is coming along.”

Sean shifts in his seat, and I catch the annoyance pouring off of him in waves. I should end my call though I want to sit and talk to Ken for hours.

“That’s great! I’m looking forward to seeing you again.” And I mean it. Now that I’m no longer super desperate (only a little desperate), I’ll feel like we’re on more common ground. It’ll be great to talk with him again without having as much baggage between us.

“I know it’s early in your relationship with Jinzo, but I’ll do my best to share the time with him and not step on any toes. I can’t wait to see you, Vivi. I’ll forward my travel itinerary on to you now.”

“Okay. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“See you soon.”

The vidcall ends, and Ken’s face disappears. I’m tempted to watch the cached video again, but our stop is coming up next. The Cardoso estate is three stops on the train past where I used to get off to go home. My heart squeezed as we stopped there about fifteen minutes ago, and I did my best to hold on to my calm. I’m going to need it.

The train slows down, and Sean’s face widens in panic.

“Let’s go,” I say, standing up and brushing off my black pants. The weather has turned chilly, so I’ve paired the pants with a warm pink sweater and a knit shawl I’ve wrapped around my neck for warmth.

Sean opens his mouth to protest, but I grab his travel bag and wave him from the seat. When we get outside the train station, he begins walking in the correct direction. He’s been here before, lived here in secret. He knows where to go.

We walk in silence along the pedestrian causeway next to the main road for a few minutes. My stomach is in knots.

“Okay, so, confess. Why did you run away from Alipha, anyway?”

Sean has avoided me ever since our meeting in Marcelo’s shuttle. This is the first time we’ve been together alone since our first date.

“I didn’t run away.”

He rolls his eyes when I raise my eyebrows at him.

“Not really. I told her I was done being John’s whipping boy. That I was going to get a job and be on my own for a while.” He sighs as he transfers his bag from one hand to the other. “But then she saw you that night in Sagae, at the fall festival, and she blew a gasket. And we fought over vidcalls, and then she broke down crying, and then…”

His voice trails off.

“Anyway, I wasn’t going to go back, but you’re making me, and —”

“Hold up, right there,” I say, stopping and poking him in the chest. “You will thank me for this someday. You know why? Because you being a coward and running away from your responsibilities will not be good for you, for Alipha, for your family, for anyone!” I huff a breath through my nose, aware that people across the street are watching us. “If I have to step up and take care of my responsibilities, then you will too. Especially since it’s your lying that got me in this mess in the first place.”

I turn and keep on walking. Sean keeps pace a step back.

“If you love Alipha, you’ll stay, and you’ll deal with…” I snap my fingers at him.

“John. Alipha’s number one,” he reminds me.

“John. You’ll deal with John in an honest manner. If you decide it’s not worth it, that you don’t love her enough to stay, then you can leave, and fucking do it like an adult. You’re twenty-seven years old. Act like it.”

We approach the gate to the Cardoso estate, and I speak to the guard to gain entrance. I did not let Alipha know we were coming, but Ai did the detective work for me and figured out when she would be home.

The gate swings open and the guard nods to us.

“Mr. Bargado knows the way,” the guard says. Sean and the guard nod to each other.

It’s a long walk away from the main road to Alipha’s homestead. Like most women who take on a leadership role in the family, she lives in the primary household with her network. Her parents have either moved into the city or into a secondary house on the estate. They’ll stick around to help the husbands and consorts with children whenever Alipha has them.

A brisk wind blows up the street, carrying with it the scent of burning firewood and cinnamon. We must be close to the main house now. I stuff my hands in my pockets to keep them warm.

When we round the corner and the main house comes into view, I’m not surprised to find Alipha on the front porch with another man. This must be her number one. I recognize him from the fall harvest festival. He’s an imposing man, the very definition of tall, dark, and handsome. I can see why he’s Alipha’s number one. He probably keeps everyone in the household in line.

“Well, well, this is an unexpected visit from the consort thief.” Alipha lays it on thick, getting in the first jab.

“Alipha…” Sean’s voice is pleading, an almost warning.

She purses her lips and looks down her nose at Sean. “I hope you’re happy,” she says to him.

I suck in a quick breath and bend at the waist, coming to a respectful bow. I’m going to kill Marcelo when I get back.

“Alipha, I apologize for the intrusion into your day, but there appears to have been a giant misunderstanding. Is it possible for us to come inside and talk?”

“I have nothing to say to you. Take Sean and go.” She huffs and turns her back on me, but John places his hand on her arm. Leaning into her ear, he whispers something, and her shoulders relax. She turns back around. “Fine. Please come inside.”

“Thank you,” I say, bowing again. “Let’s go,” I urge Sean, and he follows us indoors, his eyes on the ground and his feet shuffling through the dirt.

I’ve never been inside the Cardoso estate, so I take a moment to learn and understand all the ways Alipha’s family is different from my own. I like the eclectic mix of family heirlooms and styles they have on display. Their front hall exhibits a collection of framed photos, the real old-fashioned kind, of family members old and young.

I slip off my shoes and walk to a photo of a couple standing on a beach with a large mountain in the background. Atop the mountain is a giant white statue. I’ve never seen anything like it.

“Wow. Is this… Is this Earth?” I press my hand to my mouth. My family doesn’t own photos like this. If this is what I think it is, it should be in a museum. Maybe reprints of it are.

Glancing over my shoulder, Alipha softens a bit. “Those are my very great-grandparents, several generations removed, and yeah, that’s Rio. The original Rio. Before the bombs.”

Before it was flattened by three nuclear bombs close to five hundred years ago.

It’s moments like this that remind me of how much we’ve lost. We lost almost all of our technology, almost all of our people, and almost all of our memories. Some, though, were lucky to keep the evidence of our history.

“What a treasure for your family,” I whisper, my voice caught in my throat.

I tear my eyes from the photos and turn to her. “Is it possible we could speak alone, woman to woman?” I don’t acknowledge the men in the room. In every respect, they don’t belong in this conversation, and I don’t want John hovering over us.

Alipha considers it for a moment. “Sure,” she says, waving to a door. “We’ll talk in the library. John, please take Sean to the kitchen and get him something to eat.”

“Sure, Alipha.” John nods to Sean, and they both walk off together. I hope this is the last time I ever have to see either of them.

Alipha’s library is two-stories high. Bound-leather books from floor to ceiling are stacked in shelves that wrap around the room. I haven’t seen real books since college. They’re a sign of wealth, of a family who spares no expense. A fireplace at the inner center wall is ablaze, and there’s an open book sitting on an ottoman between two leather chairs. I’ve already been struck dumb by her foyer, so I try to play it cool in here. I love… loved my family home, but we didn’t have rooms like this. My family is understated, quiet, and hides away their wealth.

Alipha gestures to a high-backed, maroon leather chair for me to sit in at the fire and she sits across from me.

“The weather’s turned cold. The fire was a good idea,” I say, trying to make small talk. I suck at small talk.

“There’s nothing better than reading next to the fire,” Alipha says, her manner amiable and light. “Now, we’re alone. Please get to the heart of the matter.”

“I’ll, um, start at the beginning.” Don’t become tongue-tied now, Vivian! “You know what’s happened with my family.” She gives a swift nod. “So, my aunt hired Marcelo Silva to broker relationships for me, in an effort to earn money to buy back the estate.”

Alipha listens patiently and doesn’t indicate if she knows any of this.

“I asked Marcelo to find a possible match with someone who could also be a ship’s mechanic. The Amagi, my ship, needs one. So, Marcelo went on the hunt, and he found Sean.”

Alipha frowns.

“You should know Sean contacted Marcelo once Marcelo put out the call on whatever networks he uses to find these men. Sean deliberately lied about his connection to you or anyone for that matter. He hid his involvement in your network with his family and his boss.” I shake my head and sigh. “There was really no way for Marcelo to know he belonged to you.”

She stares off into the fire.

“I swear,” I plead, covering my heart with my hand, “I have no desire to steal men from other women. I know such actions go against every possible unspoken rule. I just want to live my life and try to get the family estate back. Nothing else. Sean and me, we barely even spoke, much less had any physical contact. I’m sorry this happened.”

She sighs, and the resignation is palpable.

“I hope you believe me? I know we’ve never been friends, but I have no reason to hurt you.” I lean forward and try to catch her eyes.

She looks my way. “Strangely enough, I do believe you.”

I blow out a relieved breath. Thanks be to the gods.

“Sean was actually my first. I used to sneak into the barn late at night when I was thirteen and let him fondle me.” She laughs, and I try to keep my own embarrassment away. “But he’s distant and has… social problems.”

Ah. Well, that makes a lot of sense.

“He doesn’t get along with my other men, and they don’t like that he avoids their eyes and keeps to himself. He must have been really desperate to get away from me if he went after Marcelo.”

I shake my head at the hurt in her voice. “I don’t think that’s it at all. I think… I think he’s into ships and engines, and he just wanted to find something new to work on. But he realized pretty quickly that he missed you.” I shrug, not able to explain Sean’s social anxieties. “And that I was going to be a very poor substitute for you.”

Alipha turns her eyes to me, and for the first time, I see a real person behind the mask. “I love him, but he’s not fit for a relationship network. I don’t know what to do with him.”

I press my lips together and look into the fire. “I don’t have any answers for you. I’m sorry. He seemed to love working in the engine room of my ship… until Jinzo Lee came along, that is.”

Alipha sits back in her chair, and a little grin curves her peach-colored lips. “I saw him jump into the water and save you in that video. That was so very brave. What are you going to do about Cressida?”

Alarms blare in my head. I’m not sure what Alipha is hoping to get out of me with this line of questioning, but it won’t be anything definitive or even personal. Though this conversation has gone well, we still have about twenty years of animosity and irritation between us.

“I’m not sure,” I admit. “I’ll have to let Jinzo decide on the best course of action there. Also, this is a situation where Marcelo and I thought we were getting someone with no strings attached. Even Jinzo believed he was free and clear. Now, matters are different.”

Alipha’s eyebrows pop up in surprise. “Two men with issues? My dear Vivian, you have some luck.”

I chuckle. “I have the worst luck. Have you seen my life? It’s a fucking disaster.” I press my hand to my mouth. “Sorry. I don’t know if you’re the swearing type.”

“I fucking love swearing,” she says, and we both burst into a laugh.

I twist my wrist and look at the time. “I’m sorry about intruding in your afternoon, but I should be going.”

Alipha pops up from her chair when I rise to my feet.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay? Maybe have a drink? John makes great mixed drinks.”

She’s inviting me to stay? That’s unexpected.

“Oh, wow, thank you for the invitation, but I expected this meeting to go a lot worse than it did, so I planned to meet up with Jinzo. Maybe we can have a drink sometime soon.”

“I’d like that,” she says, bowing to me. I bow back, warm inside that I’ve managed to salvage a potentially awful meeting. Marcelo was right. This was a good idea.

“Thank you again. And good luck with Sean. I hope you work something out you can all live with.”

Alipha leads me to the door and out to the foyer where I slip my shoes back on.

“You’ve surprised me, Vivian. I never understood why we didn’t get along in school.”

I shrug. “Me neither. I always thought you hated me.”

“And I thought the same thing.”

“Then let’s definitely get together, have some drinks, and put this behind us. I’ll call you soon, and we’ll make plans.”

She reaches forward to open the door and the cool outside air rushes in to greet us.

“I’m already looking forward to it,” she says with a wave.

It’s hard to hide the spring in my step all the way back to the station.