Chapter 20 Choose Your Words Carefully

Alastair met Kami's gaze. Then he, daftly maneuvered his wheelchair and positioned it across the threshold of the door as he gave his family the smile that did not reach his eyes.

Katherine looked at her husband and felt annoyance at his deliberate attempt to make a scene. There was no way she was going to allow Alastair to fracture the fragile bridge she was constructing with her granddaughter. Elizabeth looked at him, and saw the bitter old man he allowed himself to become. In that moment her mind flooded with memories of life with Alastair through the years and as annoyed as she was, she also felt pity.

Elizabeth remembered how she fell in love with him when they were both barely adults. They were married two years after they met, and her family approved of her choice. Her parents considered Alastair to be well suited for their daughter financially, and from a social stand point. Elizabeth recalled how Alastair could do no wrong in her eyes because she admired everything about him. His arrogance did not bother her because she was arrogant too. They both lived a privileged life, and thought nothing wrong with their expectation of entitlement.

Alastair had a brilliant legal mind, a quick wit and a sharp tongue. Those skills aided him in becoming one of the top barristers in the City of London. It was only a matter of time before he rose through the ranks of the judiciary, and became part of the Queen's Counsel. Added to his rise in his chosen career, was his old English money and lineage. When those three factors came together, along with Alastair's inherent arrogance, the result was someone who honestly felt his opinion was always the correct one.

As long as folks agreed with him, things went smoothly, but when someone had the courage to stand up to him or offer an alternative point of view, the person was belittled, sometimes in a humorous way, at other times in a cold-hearted way. The only person who was not subject to his disapproval if their opinion differed from him a bit was his wife. His children on the other hand learned early in life, that their father's word was law, and he tolerated no deviation from it.

From a child Michael showed an interest in the different social worlds around him, but unlike his parents, he was willing to look at things from the other person's perspective. As he grew older, Michael began to openly question his parents' lifestyle and the dismissive way they often treated people. As time went by, Elizabeth began to look at her life through the eyes of her son. She did not like what she saw, but rather than strive to be a more socially conscious person, she became defensive and insisted Michael fulfill the role she and Alastair mapped out for him.

For awhile it seemed as if Michael had accepted the expectations his parents placed on him. He went off to the University of Cambridge and studied law, graduating at the top of his class. But then he dropped his bombshell, after finishing his Bachelors degree. He informed his parents that he had applied to study at Harvard University in the United States. He shared his plans to pursue his choice of career in science with the intension of making the world a better place through scientific research.

Elizabeth listened to Alastair threaten, then bribe Michael to do what was expected of him but to no avail. In her heart of hearts, Elizabeth knew Michael would not settle on being a lawyer like his father. She knew he had a kind, and gentle soul that was meant for greater things than she or Alastair imagined. But still she sided with Alastair against her child in trying to force him to do what they wanted him to do. That night she made the second biggest mistake of her life. The first biggest mistake occurred when Michael came back to visit them two years later and introduced his wife Kalia to them.

Elizabeth remembered standing there and listening to Alastair rain hurtful and hateful words on her son and his young bride. Then she told her son, her favorite child, that he had made a big mistake in marrying a coloured girl. She honestly did not plan to demean Kalia, but she wanted them to understand that even though folks may appear to support mixed marriages on the surface, in truth they did not, especially in the British aristocratic society they were all a part of. She tried to get them to see that any child born to their union would be disadvantaged. She honestly did not intend to cause pain by her words because she spoke from a point of worry for her son and his bride. However, try as she might to express what her heart meant, it came across as condemnation to the young couple. Michael and Kalia walked away from his parents that day feeling the chasm, the gulf, the ocean of anger and emotional pain opened between the older Keefer and the younger Keefer couples could never be bridged.

That day, after Michael and Kalia left the house, Alastair and Elizabeth began walking on divergent roads. As the finality of what occurred wrapped itself around Elizabeth's mind and heart, she began to cry. Her tears infuriated Alastair who was already very angry at Michael and he verbally lashed out at Elizabeth in a way that he never did before. She in turn responded in kind, and the beginning of the death of their marriage began.

Elizabeth took a long hard look at the woman she had become and vowed to change her life. She knew it was too late for the gap between Michael and herself to be bridged but she was determined not to make the same mistake with her son Harrison and her daughter Charlotte. She began to actively work on her relationship with her two other children. It was not easy to go from being standoffish, to warm and embracing, but very slowly over time Elizabeth achieved what her heart yearned for with Harrison and Charlotte.

Alastair on the other hand became harder and more demanding in every area of his life. His tongue went from being sharp to downright cruel as he belittled employees, co-workers, his domestic staff and his family at times. He was respected for legal achievements in the judiciary but over time more and more persons distanced themselves from him socially because of his cutting remarks in and out of the courtroom.

He never once brought up Michael's name again, and when Elizabeth tried to speak to him about their son, he would walk out the room. As far as he was concerned he was right and Michael was wrong.

Harrison looked at the smug look on his father's face as he blocked Kami and Hildy from exiting the room. Harrison asked himself "Why did I idolize this man for so long?" And in the next breath he knew the answer to the question; "I thought that he could do no wrong, I wanted his total love, approval and respect".

Just as memories flooded his mother's mind, memories also ran through the roads and byways of Harrison's mind.

This man was my hero as a boy, I wanted to be just like him, and eventually I was. I took pride in being compared to my father. It took seeing my parents' marriage slowly unravel after Michael left for good, and an ultimatum from Lauren fifteen years ago to finally make me see what I had become; the image of my father. The original picture, of which I was a reflection, was often verbally cruel, selfish, and arrogant. I thank God, I thank God, for the day Lauren put me to sit down and placed her cards on the table. She spoke from her heart and let me know in no uncertain terms that she was leaving me because she could no longer tolerate being married to 'my father' as she saw me. But bless her soul she did not close the door to our marriage but left it open, giving me an opportunity to re-enter if I made a one eighty degree turn in attitude and behaviour.

When I honestly looked at myself through her eyes I did not like what I saw. I loved my father and spent my entire career trying to match his achievements, but I loved Lauren more. When all was said and done, I cared more about my marriage then my career. So, I did the only thing I could do … I begged my wife for forgiveness and began seeing a psychologist to work through my 'Daddy issues'.

The last fifteen years with Lauren was much happier than the first fifteen. Unfortunately, my relationship with my father deteriorated as my relationship with my wife improved. When I stopped supporting his foolish attitude, he accused me of siding with Elizabeth against him, and he was not pleased. Needless to say, the last fifteen years, have not been easy, I love my father, and I tell him so often even though he does not believe me. He sees love as equal to obedience. I pity him because he has so much unresolved emotional issues".

"Dad move aside your wheelchair so that Kami and Hildy can pass", Harrison spoke gently but firmly to his father as he blocked the way out of the room.

As Alastair opened his mouth to reply to his son's words, Elizabeth said; "Choose your words with care Alastair".

Hildy and Kami looked at each other as they once more communicated with their eyes. They were acknowledged that the Baron was not someone they wanted to be around, if it could be avoided.

"My Dear Elizabeth, I always choose my words with care", Alastair said softly to his wife.

Turning to look at his granddaughter he said while cocking his head to the side, "Kami Keefer".

Everyone stayed quiet and waited to hear what he would say next.

"It has been a long time since I have seen Michael. A long time since I have spoken to him. Tell me the truth, he sent you here, didn't he? He is finally ready to admit he made an error in judgment going off to study in the States. I knew this day would come. I knew I would live to see my son comeback with his tail between his legs. Even now he still has a lot to learn. Instead of coming like a man to admit his wrong, he sends his half-breed progeny".

There was a collective gasp in the room as jaws dropped at Alastair's softly spoken, deliberate words.

Elizabeth knew her husband was capable of cutting words, but she had hoped with the warnings both she and Harry gave Alastair, he would for once heed their counsel.

"Alastair".

"Father".

Elizabeth and Harrison spoke at the same time but before they could continue Kami held up her hand to silence them. Hildy place the hand on the small of her lover's back as she gently rubbed a soothing circle there. Hildy would lift Alastair out of his chair by the lapels of his expensive robe and jack him against the nearest wall for insulting her woman and her dear father. But she knew her lady wanted to handle the nasty man herself.

Kami began in a firm voice, a voice that enunciated each syllable of each word.

"Baron Keefer, as my Grandmother already told you, my father did not send me. He wants nothing from you and neither do I". Kami leaned her head to the side and looked at the Baron with mixed emotion before continuing.

"I pity you Baron Keefer. You are a bitter old man. Part of me is sorry that the last time you and my grandmother spoke to my father, that it was in anger. But another part of me is glad it happened. I am glad because it caused my father to protect his African American wife, and his future biracial child from your influence. Your cruelty over thirty-five years ago was the best thing that you could have done for my father and his wife. He stood on his own two feet without any financial and emotional support from you. He is a man, that is something you have never been. He is a parent, that is something you have also never been".

Kami turned to be grandmother and saw the tears in her eyes, and the emotion on her face. She softened her voice as she spoke to Elizabeth.

"I am happy that I got to meet you Grandmother, I look forward to seeing you, Uncle Harrison and Aunt Lauren in two days time". Then turning hack to the Baron, she continued with the words.

"I am glad I got to meet you tonight Baron Keefer. Seeing you gave me a better understanding of what life was like for my father living under your control. I have no desire to repeat the experience. I bid you goodnight".

Kami turned and looked at Hildy because she knew her lady was chomping at the bits to manhandle the Baron. And in their silent eye communication, Hildy got leave to do something.

Hildy fixed her dark green eyes on the Baron as she walked over to him and leaned into his personal space.

"If I had my way I would pull you out of this chair by your lapels and slam your scrawny body into the nearest wall, but I respect your family, so I will refrain myself on this occasion. What I will do instead is say this, if you ever have the fortune to be in Kami's presence again, you will speak to her respectfully or you will say nothing at all. If you fail to comply with my instruction, you will regret it. You experience a lot of pain due to your arthritis, I assure you the pain I will inflict on you will make your hip pain feel like a paper cut".

Alastair looked at her and smirked because even though Hildy looked deadly serious he did not believe she would dare touch him. Hildy saw in his eyes that he was laughing at her threat. She was going to ignore his smirking face but then he spoke in a clear defiant voice and said:

"Half-breed progeny".

Before she could stop herself, she took his hand in hers and did a quick Kave maga move on his thumb that sent a shot of pail like lightening up his arm down his spine and pooled at his most sensitive arthritic area. Alastair let out an involuntary high-pitched whelp.

Hildy released his hand and took hold of the wheelchair and in one swift move wheeled him back out of the room and parked him with his face to the wall in the corner of the hallway and walked back to Kami and her family.

Kami was grinning from ear to ear while Harrison, Lauren and Elizabeth looked shocked, not in a disapproving way but rather in a 'I can't believe you actually did it', kind of way. Humour was evident in all their eyes. Alastair looked like a child who was placed in the naughty corner.

Alastair was shocked that Hildy dared to lay a hand on him in his own house. He struggled to turn the chair around as his hand and arm still tingled in pain.

His eyes blazed in rage as he shouted at Hildy, "I will call the police and bring you up on charges! How dare you lay a hand on me in my own house! Maybe you act like a Neanderthal in your country, but in Britain we are civilized! I will sue you, you filthy dyke for everything you own!"

At the last words Harrison eyes changed from humour to anger.

"Stop it Father! You have said enough! You will not be calling the police or suing anyone! If you insist on continuing in this vane I will ask your physician to schedule you for a mental health evaluation even though I know you are in FULL control of your mental capacities. I assure you when folks at the law offices enquire on your health, I will tell them that you are beginning to suffer from dementia. And I know how you value your mental prowess". Harrison said these words in a tone of voice that broke no opposition as he stared at his father. The two men's eyes were locked in battle with neither backing off.

Elizabeth intervened by saying, "Alastair, stand down. This battle you just waged is lost".

She then turned to Hildy and smiled as her eyes twinkled. "I think I will leave my husband in his naughty until he cools down". She then embraced Hildy and Kami once more and softly whispered; "I am sorry he was cruel to you both". Kami assured her that it was Ok, and Elizabeth called Miller to take them to their hotel.

Alastair's face was like a ripe blueberry as he looked at his wife and her guests but held his tongue as the young couple graciously made their exit.

Hildy and Kami remained quiet as the butler drove them to The Ritz. After thanking Miller, they went to one of the lounges in the hotel. They sat and looked at each other as the events of the night recapped in both their minds.

Taking a deep breath, Kami reached for Hildy's hand as she said, "Thank you my love for being my support this afternoon in the Parliament, and then tonight at the Keefer's home. I could not have made it through tonight especially with the Baron if you were not there".

Hildy leaned into Kami's personal space and she rested her forehead against her lady's own.

"Sweetheart, where you go, I go. Your family is my family. Together we can face anything because we love each other, and God loves us".

Then they kissed, and made their way upstairs.