Jared's breakaway

The fact that he was not at his wits' end yet (with worry over his wife and daughter's whereabouts), did not really surprise him. All indications were that they would be safe. A little disillusioned perhaps, but safe.

Laura was a reasonable person and he knew that she would understand his present predicament and forgive his irrational behavior. This would happen the moment he got to explain everything to her.

Right now he had to get ready for his first appointment as a "working man". There was not a moment to waste on considering his university studies now. Everyone, including his lecturers would be very disappointed, but now was the time for living, not studying. One could always do that later, he reasoned.

He had to discover the true purpose of his life and then act in accordance with whatever that role was. This thought gave him all the zest he needed to quickly run a bath and set out some clothes for his appointment with the country's only international supermodel: Shannon Kingsley.

Shannon was Carminda's beautiful and talented sister. She was about 1,85 meters tall, according to Carminda. This meant that Shannon's sister was about two centimeters taller than her.

Shannon also had legs which were just as long and sexy as Carminda's. Her green eyes had a slanting appearance and they were about as alluringly beautiful as her sister's. Without makeup they were not as remarkable, Carminda had pointed out. With glamorous eye makeup though, those eyes held a catlike charm which had everyone in the world of fashion talking.

Shannon also had Carminda's full, pouting mouth and while Carminda had long, ash-blonde hair, Shannon's was just as long, but a light-auburn shade of blonde.

Her face was small and waiflike, showing high cheek bones and a tiny, upturned nose, to charming advantage.

Besides all the physical charm though, Blake was soon about to discover that there was pretty much more to Shannon than met the eye.

To begin with, she was a shrewd manager of her own business concerns. Carminda had given him a subtle warning concerning that fact.

After he dressed, Blake kept reminding himself that it did not really matter what he looked like.

He had a job to go to, not a romantic date.

All he had to do was look professional, because he had to present himself in a descent manner. That was the only thing Carminda had advised him to do.

***

Jared was busy using the telephone when his parents arrived from their visit to the farm. It was already around four o' clock in the afternoon.

He was calling his former girlfriend, Carla in Cape Town. After Monday night's adventure he just had to get away from home.

At least for a short while, he had to shrug off this feeling of superstition, which was hanging all around him.

It was something which he had adopted on Monday night at that bizarre woman's place.

This was the only way that he could think about her. To him she was nothing but weird.

Jared just could not believe the way that she had managed to draw Blake and him after her, with those strange powers, which she seemed to possess.

Jared just knew that no one would believe him.

He therefore decided that he would not even consider telling anyone about that night's encounter, let alone his parents.

His mother breezed past him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek in passing. His dad took off his hat and then occupied a seat near the window, before lighting his pipe. That attitude, Jared knew, meant that his dad was in the mood for some serious conversation.

Well, Jared thought, he had this coming.

It had been some time since he last had a job and his father had suggested to him that if he could not shape himself up career-wise, it would be just right for him to go to his Uncle Peter's farm, near Bronkhorstspruit.

"It would be good to go and lend your uncle a hand," Jared's father had said.

One thing Jared thought he knew for sure though, was that he did not need farm-style living right now.

After talking to Carla and finalizing arrangements to pay her a visit in Cape Town, sometime during the course of the following week, Jared hung up and faced his father, who obviously had something on his mind.

His dad was sitting by the window, studying the garden outside. He really did want to speak, Jared noticed. From experience Jared knew that, if that were not the case, his father would be reading the newspaper instead. He only hoped that the subject his father had in mind was not as grave as he feared.

"So, how was your day Dad?" he ventured to ask, tentatively.

"Quite swell Jared, it was just what I needed," Mr. Johnson remarked. It did not seem as if he wanted to talk after all.

Jared never really knew what his father's moods would be like.

He knew that his dad was very capable of starting a four hour long counselling session, which would consist mainly of his own presumptions.

That was the price Jared had to pay for living with his folks. Today he did not have half the stamina he usually mustered, in order to listen to the usual lecture. He had plans to make.

"So, how is Carla doing?" Mr. Craig Johnson enquired of his only son. Jared then realized that he had spoken Carla's name before replacing the phone receiver.

He knew that he would now be obliged to talk for much longer than he had hoped.

"Oh, I only called to find out about Ray's gymnasium. I figured that he could perhaps have something there for me to assist him with," he lied and continued, "So I asked Carla if she could put up with me for a day or two, while I spend some sessions at the gym with Ray."