Blake enters an unreal life

When Rene returned at four o' clock on Thursday morning, he still had the energy to make himself some coffee and spend time alone with his thoughts, before going to bed.

The choreography for the band's next concert was a top priority with him lately. He was at his most creative when he was alone, in the early hours of the morning.

The meeting with Ike and the clothing factory owner had finally gone well. It had been good to find something constructive for Ike to do with his idle hours.

He was glad that Ike had at least been cooperative enough to agree to come on back to South Africa without any delay. They seriously needed to meet at their band manager's house.

The T-shirt deal had gone off much more easily than Rene had expected it to and that was a relief as well as a reward to him.

The T-shirts to be manufactured would bear the rock group's name on the front, as well as on the back and they would be in Rene's favorite colors: mint-green and purple print, on a black background. He knew that his fans would be very pleased.

As he sat back in his favorite leather recliner chair, he also thought about Laura and her baby, who were still here; according to Josephine.

The thought that he could be of assistance filled him with a sense of well-being.

It was really a pity that Laura had been so short-sighted; marrying a guy who apparently had such a low sense of self-motivation. Rene really hoped that things would improve for her in the future.

If Blake showed some initiative by supporting his family financially, Rene felt that he himself would in that instance be only too happy to give the younger man whatever practical assistance he needed.

But then again, one had to take the poor guy's sense of pride into consideration.

Blake would probably be too proud to accept assistance from him. But, that could change the minute he knew that his family was already accepting charity from an old friend.

Rene decided that it was about time that Blake learned the truth about his family's welfare.

He should also be warned that fighting with Laura about it would simply not be tolerated.

Not that Rene actually expected that kind of reaction. Blake was apparently an even-tempered guy.

Rene went to bed at last, with this final conclusion to the problem with Laura. It at least kept his mind off his other, more serious problems.

***

Blake did not know what to do in order to collect his thoughts. Last night's adventure was just the most inexplicable, yet fascinating event he had ever experienced in his entire life.

It had felt something like two hours later when Jared returned with Carminda.

He had looked wide-eyed and sober. What could have happened? Blake had wondered.

Jared had been walking with Carminda's hand on his arm when they left him about two hours ago.

However, when they returned they were walking with a considerable distance between them. Jared had seemed as if he was ready to leave at any time.

Blake had thought that it would be a good idea to come up with the suggestion right then.

Jared really did seem about to leave, because he did not return to his seat.

When Blake looked in Carminda's direction however, he realized that leaving was not going to be such an immediate event.

She looked at him very steadily and speculatively, it seemed to him.

Then she said what he dreaded most at that moment, "Your turn, Mr. Edwards."

While Blake was still surprised about the fact that Carminda remembered his surname, she came over to him and took him by the arm.

He rose obediently and went with her. On the inside, he wished that he could behave like an adult and tell her that he had to get home immediately.

He wished that he could tell her that playtime was over, but he simply accompanied her compliantly, not able to say a word.

A small part of his mind wondered why Jared did not say anything either. He was usually far from being tongue-tied.

It had really seemed as if he was ready to leave, for a moment back there.

Meanwhile he and Carminda walked down a hallway which displayed beautiful paintings and framed portraits.

The room which Carminda led him to was further down the hallway, which was very long. A beautifully carved door opened to reveal a luxuriously furnished study and an adjoining art gallery. Blake stood in the doorway and gaped in open admiration. Carminda however, seemed to be in a hurry suddenly. She gently, but firmly pulled him into the room by the arm and closed the door behind them.

Carminda moved to the huge chair behind the desk, which was situated in the center of the study, directly opposite the door. Then she indicated for him to sit on one of the two leather chairs in front of the elaborately engraved mahogany desk. She herself moved in behind the desk, to sit on the high-backed, elegantly upholstered mahogany chair, which had a leather back-rest.

She then picked up a gold-gilded pen and rolled it between her fingers, while smiling at Blake with an amusing glint in her eyes.

Blake sensed a tangible amount of tension in the atmosphere between them, despite Carminda's apparently relaxed attitude. He smiled uneasily in return and waited with his breath held.

Carminda held her smile for what seemed like a full minute to Blake. Then she rose abruptly from the chair, dropped the pen on the desk and started pacing up and down along the length of the room. This made Blake even more uneasy. It did not last long, however, for she stopped her pacing as abruptly as she had started it and returned to her seat, with her facial expression now completely changed. She looked straight into Blake's eyes, with her own now narrowed into focus.

"Give me your right hand," she said firmly, in a voice just barely above a whisper, to which command Blake responded almost without a moment's hesitation.

She took his hand in both of hers and began to stare at his palm intently, with a slight frown between her artistically shaped eyebrows.