Kevin stood by and watched from the glass door as Audrey made her tenth lap. That girl is incredible. She can swim back and forth and only stopping for a while before continuing again. He shakes his head as he walks out of the door. Audrey is already out from the pool and drying herself off.
“Hi, Kevin.”
“Did you also learn in boarding school how to swim like that?” He asks as he sits on one of the lounge chairs. Audrey wore her robe and followed him.
“I’m in the varsity team.” Audrey replied sweetly. Kevin noticed the innocence and simplicity in this girl that it aroused his sense of protectiveness as her big brother. She’s very lucky to grow up having the privileges that a normal young woman would have and having five brothers of whom he is sure will be taking care of her. “Are you really a farmer, just like what Atty. Kiefer said?”
Kevin smiled and nodded. “Do I really look like one?” When Audrey shook her head, he sighed. “Yes, I am. I’m taking care of the land that my grandfather left. Mom was long gone and there’s no one to take care of it but me. It wasn’t that big, that land, but it was able to produce root crops and vegetables that I sell to the market.”
“Is it enough to pay the taxes?”
Kevin paused and looked at Audrey. “I’m struggling to maintain my ownership.”
“It’s just right that you came here, Kevin. I was actually scared to meet my other brothers but all of you seemed very nice to me. I began to feel having an extended family aside from Nick and Mom.”
Kevin drew a deep breath. Quietly, he asked. “How are you coping up, Audrey?”
The question surprised Audrey because no one asked her about it since her father died. She bit her lower lip and looked up to Kevin. Tears began to well up. “Uh, I missed him. I may not see him much, he may not be the best father and I may have hated him for that, but I’d always love him.” She looked down on her lap as Kevin brushed his hand on her back. “I wasn’t able to tell him that I love him so much. It was my regret that I wasn’t able to get a short moment to talk to him and tell him that.”
“Audrey…” Kevin pulled his sister in an embrace as Audrey began crying. They’ve been like that for a while until Audrey was through pouring out the emotions inside. Kevin guessed that Nick felt the same too but he’s just too scared to show it.
They turned when they heard noises inside the house. ‘For such a big house, they can clearly hear the echoes of people shouting inside’, Kevin thought. A maid came out and told them that Howie, AJ and Nick were fighting. The two immediately stood up and ran in to see what’s going on. They found the three shouting at each other while Brian was just standing at the foot of the grand staircase and watching them. He even seemed amused by what’s happening.
“What’s going on?” Kevin asked Brian.
“They’re fighting over the use of the car.” Brian smirked, shaking his head. “Being the older one, Howie couldn’t just give in to the younger two.”
“No. I’m going to use it. I need to go to my friend.” AJ said. He’s the one holding the car keys and moved away when Nick tried to reach it. “Don’t use your excuse on me, Nick. It won’t work.”
“I need to see my friend too and I need that car.” Howie insisted, pulling on AJ’s shirt as he tried to reach for the keys himself.
Kevin rolled his eyes. Are they this immature? He turned to Audrey. “Is there any other car?”
“There’s only one. Atty. Kiefer pulled out the rest of the cars and kept it somewhere in the city. It must be part of the will.” Audrey replied.
Kevin sighed. He saw Nick stomped and pushed AJ, shouting at him that he wants the key. “Give me the key! I want it now! I want it now!” Nick pushed AJ once again. Whoa, the brat is starting to show his tantrums. AJ retaliated as he raised his fist and tried to hit Nick on the face but Howie stopped him before he could. Howie got the keys and ran outside. The other two followed. Kevin followed too and reached Howie before the younger ones could and grabbed the keys from him.
“What the –? “ Howie turned around. AJ and Nick stopped when they saw Kevin.
“No one’s going to use the car.” Kevin announced. He puts the key in his pocket.
“Just who the hell do you think you are to say that?” Nick yelled at him, frowning furiously.
“I’m your eldest brother.” Kevin said. He saw Audrey coming towards them and he decided to give the key to her. “Audrey is going to hold the key and you’re going to make a schedule with her on when you are going to use the car.”
“Oh, shut up, farmer.” Nick said and asked the key from Audrey. He went to his sister but the other one only went behind Kevin, which makes Nick stand face to face with the man.
“What did you just say?” Kevin frowned.
“Shut up, farmer!” Nick pushed him hard. But he was more surprised when Kevin’s fist landed on his face. He fell hard on the ground. Audrey wrapped her arms around Kevin to stop him from hurting Nick. “Fuck, you don’t have the right to do that.” Nick exclaimed, wiping the blood off the corner of his mouth. He struggled to stand up and charged towards Kevin. The eldest one pulled away from Audrey and hit their youngest brother straight on the face. Nick fell down again. He kicked Kevin on his leg and he received a kick on his stomach. AJ smirked and enjoyed himself in watching the fight.
“Damn, Howie! Don’t stop them!” AJ yelled when the elder man came between their brothers.
“Fuck! If you’ll kill each other, don’t do it here!” Howie pushed Nick away. Brian and Audrey were just too shocked to even move or say something.
“You don’t have the right to do this!” Nick cursed and glared at Kevin.
“I’m your brother and I can do what I have to do. Respect, Nick. That’s all I ask.” Kevin looked at the others and is silently glad when he saw them stepping backwards from him. They should know better than to provoke his temper. He turned to Audrey. “Go and get dressed, Audrey. Let’s leave these assholes.”
~~~
Kevin looked through the windows of the car as Audrey drives it. His license is not for driving abroad and lets Audrey sit behind the wheel instead. He has no problem on letting his sister drive it. He heard her laughed. “We’ve got a million dollars on our account and you only wanted to eat in McDonalds?”
‘Yeah, I wished they allowed paying some of it to the bank,’ Kevin thought. But the card given to them didn’t permit them to withdraw money except when the transactions will be made in France. He really had to go through these five months of torment with his brothers to get his inheritance. “You can’t blame me. Don’t get me wrong. I already have eaten in McDonalds but I haven’t had any time going out and I’d like to experience eating at McDonald’s in Paris.” Kevin chuckled. As soon as his sister got dressed, he told Howie, AJ and Nick that they will drop them off in town and they can go to wherever they intend to go. But they refused. “After eating our lunch in McDonalds, you have to tour me around the city.” He added.
Audrey glanced at him. “You know, I really like you as my brother and I like what you did earlier to the other guys. That ought to keep them quiet and civil for a while, especially Nick.”
“Those three were a bunch of brats. Howie was the son of some Puerto Rican political icon, AJ is the son of a former Hollywood actress and well, Nick. We all knew Nick. I expected that attitude from them.” Kevin sighed. “And they are all here for our father’s money. So am I.”
“But maybe, do you think that there’s a hidden agenda behind all of these? I mean, Dad wasn’t the best father but he’s a schemer, you know. I knew him too well to think that he had something in store for us.”
“Whatever it is, Audrey, we’ll just have to wait and see.” Kevin finalized then went out of the car as soon as Audrey had it parked near McDonalds. He waited for his sister and together, they walked towards the fast food establishment. After telling him what she wants, Kevin fell in line to the counter.
Audrey found an empty place near a bunch of guys who were busy with their reading materials in front of them. She can overhear them speaking in French and she sighed.
“Excuse moi, je m’appelle Philippe et vous?” A guy, from the group and obviously good-looking, approached her table. He got a pair of reading glasses perched on his nose in which she found charming.
“Huh?” Damn, she felt stupid in front of this cute guy.
The guy blushed and bit his lower lip. “I’m sorry. I thought y-you can…” Philippe looked at the ceiling then back to her, “speak French. My name is Philippe.” He smiled down to her.
“And I’m his brother.”
They turned when Kevin arrived with their food. He gave Philippe an intimidating look from head to foot and glanced at his sister. “Do you know him?”
Audrey shakes her head. “It’s nice to meet you, Philippe.” She smiled politely. Kevin sat across the table from her and placed her food. They were planning to start with their food when they noticed that Philippe is still there. “Uh, excuse moi but we would like to be left alone now." Audrey said.
Philippe only gave her a look of confusion. Kevin drew a deep breath as he made a gesture of showing him away. "Pardon, mademoiselle, but I..." He sighed, "I didn’t catch your name."
”That’s because she didn’t throw it to you." Kevin retorted. Audrey placed a hand above her brother’s hand. Philippe sighed in resignation. He gave Audrey one last look before he excused himself and left.
"He’s cute." Audrey whispered to Kevin. "It’s just that he’s a little, uh, confused of himself."
Kevin rolled his eyes. "If he’s interested in you, he must learn to speak English first." He took one glance to the group of college guys near their table. They were looking at them while Philippe, whose face is still blushing deeply, busied himself with a thick book in front of him. The guy must be the shyest person in their group. When he attempted to take a quick glance to Audrey, he met Kevin’s look instead and he immediately looked away. Audrey didn’t see it. The young man is attracted to her.
Kevin shakes his head as he secretly smiled. He remembered the first time he saw his wife and it was on a diner back in his hometown. When it happened, he knew then that Kristin was the one. “Audrey,” he called his sister’s attention.
“Yeah?”
“Did you know that I’m already married?”
“Really? Atty. Kiefer never mentioned anything about it, Kev.”
“And you already had a nephew.” Kevin smiled. “I asked Atty. Kiefer not to say anything about them for now. I’d like to be the one to introduce my family to my siblings.” He drinks his soda. “I missed my wife and my son.”
“How old is my nephew?”
“He’s only five-months old. That’s why we decided not to take him here because he’s so young. We call him Koko.”
“I want to meet him, Kevin, as well as your wife.”
“I hope you will,” Kevin sighed. Talking about it now, he missed his wife. He wished that everything here are done so that he can go back home, pay the bank and get back to his normal life.
