Casa Del Mara Estates
~Prologue~
No Pov
Bone chilling tears of ice cold rain ripped through the windy night and with a splash, collided into the sleek black streets. Timothy Del Ravyn lounged inside of the formerly loud and busy bar that could beat all the sense out of you in just one visit during the late night hours. With the little to no delusional feelings he'd regularly get, he could almost honestly tell you that all of his senses were functioning properly and giving him a strong foundation of knowing where, in fact, he was and what he was doing at that particular moment. But in the midst of all the partying and drinking that was all around him just the hour before, he was sober and his usual quirky well-being mind should be back along with his regular fun demeanor. Well, should be back. His body language was the same as always and his looks were all the same as always, but his mind was somewhere completely apart from the dimension his body was currently living in. Along with his mind, his eyes were also completely stripped of the normally witty spirited look his own father was also possessed with too. A dull heavy set feeling lingered in his once-brown orbs and he could even tell that the gleam of warmth and security wasn't there.
The forty-one year old man sipped his drink he had made for himself around thirty-minutes ago. The drink was as weak as he could make it. The consumption of alcohol did not seem as compelling as it did just before the midnight to mid-morning party. Ever since all of the late-night customers left about forty-five minutes ago, he has been sitting in the wooden chair glumly staring out of the fogged wide window that nearly covered the whole entire front wall of the corner-lot bar. It was already four-twenty-six am and Timothy did not even start clean up yet. He wasn't present in his body to even concentrate on controlling himself, much less to clean up an after-party of the town's weekend get-away.
The bar had an old rustic feeling that was extremely common for any other bar. The floors, walls, and ceiling was a caramel colored wood and it gave the whole restaurant a closed in feeling. That is, until you notice the fifty foot long window at the front where people walking the streets could look inside. Many, many decorations, photographs, and even Del Ravyn and his father's awards for best food and drink competitions were nailed onto the cedar planks of wood that built the wall.
Just then, Del Ravyn heard the bar tender's swinging door open with a squeal. The high-pitched noise, bringing him back to reality, made him remember the lack of oil that, that door hinge needed. His wife's voice, Fluer, echoed in his head, lecturing him about getting that door fixed and how it always had bothered her. A tiny grin pulled at the corners of his mouth at the mere thought of the vivid memory. Timothy's ears perked whenever he had heard footsteps exit out of the kitchen and into the bar. A sigh was heard and he instantly knew it was Ryan Jester. Jester is the bar tender of the Long Beach campus of the Del Ravyn's Restaurant and Bar; he was hired by Timothy Del Ravyn himself.
"Would you like help with the clean up, sir? I've only got the bar to clean and it really wasn't that messy tonight." Ryan's voice had killed the comfortable silence Timothy was being controlled by. The man chuckled at Jester's serving spirit and he slowly stood up to his feet. With a grunt from his lips he made his way over to the bar area to meet the boy. Jester was merely twenty-two with sandy-blond hair that was cut short. His green eyes were light and full of life, giving Del Ravyn remembrance of his own son's.
That was one of the reasons Del Ravyn hired Jester, he was too much like his own son to be put down. His shorter, lanky look gave Del Ravyn the feeling that if Jester and his son stood side by side, he couldn't tell the difference between the two.
"Nah, it'll be takin' care of Jess. You get outta here, I'll lock up." Timothy replied letting the boy go for the rest of the upcoming weekend. Jester had been working long tiring night shifts for the past week and Del Ravyn knew that Ryan was severely stressed and just completely worn out juggling his job, College school work, and his Aunt who he's living with all with one hand. Jester's Aunt, Elizabeth, is a widow of seven years and whenever Jester got a scholarship to California State University he decided to go and live with his Aunt who is only a ten minute drive from the University's campus.
Jester had known about his friends already planning for him to come and live with them in their dorm but Jester knew that he had to resign. He wanted to stay with his Aunt because she was, in fact, out of work and living poorly. So with the money Jester was able to receive through the bar tending at Del Ravyn's, he was able to keep his Aunt's house and his College school work filled with enough income to be sustained.
"Alright, thanks sir, see you Monday." he answered a slight excitement in his voice. Jester had planned to go to the city's church service with his Aunt for the first time in a while and he wanted to get at least some sleep for the morning. He had once attended a small church back when he was a young child with his parents but after graduating into High School and College he had stopped going.
Jester then grabbed the cloth he was using to wipe down the counter-top and slipped into his pants pocket. Ryan turned and right before he had the chance to walk into the back where the kitchen was, Del Ravyn stopped him.
"I better not see you here until Wednesday night, Jess." his voice warned Jester. Already aware of the situation Jester had in hand, he wanted him to be refreshed this week. Ryan's eyes then filled with worry. He turned around, black converse shoes making a clamping sound to the floor because of the stickiness spilled drinks made, so he could look at Timothy in the eyes.
"But sir, I need the money for my-"
"With pay." Del Ravyn's sweet voice interrupted Jester's, a smirk plastering his warm face. Jester's eyes lit up as a smile played his own lips.
Ryan then turned and he chose his dark brown leather oxford jacket from the behind-the-bar coat hanger and he held it in his hands timidly. He was very thankful for how Del Ravyn worked at this campus of his whole entire chain of bars and how he was not a rich fool who only used his workers to do everything for him. His loyalty towards his, not just co-workers but friends, was astounding and it made everyone happy.
"Thank you sir." he thanked Timothy. Del Ravyn nodded as he rested his elbows on the bar's counter-top. Jester then left the bar and into the kitchen. Del Ravyn exhaled audibly letting his breathing calm his already stressed spirit down. Frozen a few seconds, Del Ravyn finally stood up from leaning against the counter, knuckles knocking on the wood to a certain beat. Del Ravyn turned away from the bar and examined the room. He immediately knew that he would be here for a little while longer than he originally planned but he cared for Jester and he knew that deciding to let him go for the weekend was helpful towards the boy.
Timothy's whistling rang throughout the bar creating the tune he had heard through the radio in his car driving to work prior to that lonesome night. The broom he swept with was brushing the messes on the floor into piles with the beat of his whistling.
Del Ravyn was thinking about this morning in how Fluer had asked him to bring home some milk for the cake she was baking. Tomorrow, meaning today since it was already nearly dawn, the Del Ravyn's first born's birthday was scheduled. His daughter was turning twenty and Mrs. Del Ravyn decided on baking a surprise cake for her whenever she drove down here to visit. Carol was Del Ravyn's first daughter's name. She had moved to Sacramento attending Sacramento State College just three years before. Because of her astonishing intelligence, she was able to graduate from High School nearly two years early than the rest of her classmates.
He then stopped in hearing the kitchen's door silently swing open this time and heard Jester's light footsteps approach him.
"'Night sir." he said his goodbyes to Del Ravyn. Del Ravyn smiled and lifted his sweaty hand up in reply. Jester then left the bar making the little bell hanging above the glass door furiously chime soprano notes. Del Ravyn then continued to sweep the sticky floor under neath the tables which carried the chairs that had been flipped up signalling that cleaning of the bar was now in session.
It was then when Del Ravyn's senses' attention was caught and his gaze zipped up and out of the fogged window. He heard people's screams and extremely loud noises that could make your whole body violently shake with tremendous fear. Curious as to what all of the rioting commotion was all about, Del Ravyn then dropped the broom stick making a loud clanking noise on the ground. But, the noise the broom stick had belted was overcome by the racket seeping through the non-sound proof window and glass door securing the air conditioning inside of the bar. Del Ravyn walked up to the door and looked left and right taking in the scene. Alls he saw were the few towns people who walked the streets at this hour, running down to the corner of El Camino and Delago St, which is in fact the corner of which the bar is located. Del Ravyn cautiously then opened the door to the bar as a young man raced by to check out what all this fuss was about. The door shut behind Del Ravyn as he stepped out of the bar's premises. Then, his eyes scanned over the cars parked along the sidewalk. Jester's was still parked. Confused, he decided to look for the boy.
Then, his eyes widened as he jumped, yet another loud bang echoed through the streets causing the people to uproar again. This time, Del Ravyn was able to see the crime. A tall lanky man dressed in all black from head to toe was armed and firing across the street. Searching around the suspect, Del Ravyn's gaze found a body lying lifeless on the sidewalk. Del Ravyn's brown orbs widened in realization of what was in fact happening. But then, he noticed where the majority the people were running to. At the end of the sidewalk where Del Ravyn stood shocked, people gathered around.
As if on instinct Del Ravyn's feet briskly carried him into the small crowd. He pushed his way through and what he saw made his heart sink. There on the ground in a thick pool of blood was Jester. Two strangers were attending him trying to keep him awake. Del Ravyn lowered down to him.
"We're calling an ambulance and the cops. Just wait you'll be fine." he tried to calm the heavily breathing young adult. But, Jester knew he wouldn't make it. The dying young man didn't respond but just stared grimly into Del Ravyn's nearly black sorrowful eyes. Del Ravyn's hand slipped into Jester's as he started to take notice to how the boy was most certainly going to die.
Two gunshot wounds were painted across Jester's chest with blood spurring out of them. Knowing there was nothing no one could do not even the paramedics, Del Ravyn still denied the fact that he will not make it. Then, another gun shot was fired. Del Ravyn's eyes snapped shut but then he perked his head up to get a glimpse of where the shooter was. He wasn't found.
Del Ravyn's attention was now pulled to the sounds of sirens. Cops were raging in at full speed from the North end of El Camino road. The police cars slammed on their breaks. The leader was already parked, opened doors and weapons drawn as the one behind emptied and the licensed officers came running up. From the East side of Delago Street, an ambulance came bellowing in and stopped at the light. As paramedics hoped out with a stretcher, Del Ravyn looked down to Jester. Jester's breathing was stopped and his usually bright full of life face was as nearly white as a sickening ghost.
Jester was already gone.
The paramedics, did however, pull him to the stretcher and take his body away. Del Ravyn stood up, minimum amounts of Jesters blood thinly spread on his sleeve of his light brown coat, and was not the least bit happy. Del Ravyn could already imagine the picture in his mind:
Ryan Jester
1964-1986
His blood boiled towards the suspect who had killed his friend and his every intention was to catch this killer.
Del Ravyn quickly stood up and turned to the streets. The shooter was no where in sight. Of course he had made a break for it in hearing the cops in fear for his life but Del Ravyn had the slight gut feeling that a shooter as this man couldn't have escaped that quickly with little to no escapes or well hidden places to hide. But this being said, Del Ravyn calmed himself down slightly in knowing that the cops will find the killer and he will be set to jail, maybe worse.
A cumbersome frown was set on Del Ravyn's face as he solemnly stalked back into the bar. The tiny bell chimed yet again stealing the silence in the room but after the door closed and the bell stopped humming, silence overcame the room making the clean bar now tense and extremely empty. Del Ravyn's heavy breathing was what finally broke the chains of the unbearable silence as his heart rate quickly escalated. With a solemn expression on his face, Del Ravyn slowly walked around each table then picking up each chair, flipped them to their appropriate state, and let them stand on their own legs. After ten minutes, the bar was proficiently cleaned. Del Ravyn slowly walked towards the coat hanger and examined it. He quickly found his belongings and snitched his dark brown velvet hat off of the coat hanger and set it on his clean cut deep brunette hair. He flipped all the lights off with one switched and stepped out of the bar.
Slipping the keys out of his coat's inside pocket, he pressed the proper key into the hole and twisted it. Del Ravyn then looked up to the sign and slipped his hands into his pockets. The end of the illumining red "Ravyn's" was starting to flicker out. The building was a light cappuccino colored paint but from aging and weather, the top of the building started deterring and looked like it was very old and breaking down.
The empty bar was shut and locked up. Timothy took a few steps back and watched his prize possession for a few more minutes. Then, Del Ravyn then hung his head low and grimly stalked down the street, away from the newly found abandoned Del Ravyn's Bar and Grill for the very last time.
R&R
~Lee:]