Kapitel 4: Monster of Mignos
The small tin board rested outside the café at the farthest corner of the market said, “Betrice” in shouty capitals.
The shop was structured like those of the by gone days. However, the door and the board were freshly painted, Evelyn had worked hard whole of the previous week to make it look as presentable as possible. The White and red colours were the best bargain she could make, and then she blended them into different shades of pink.
“Daddy” she almost ran to hug Evan, who was busy baking the final batches of cookies.
Evan, her father looked older than his age, but his remarkable features said that there was a once handsome and elegant face which is now shrouded by fatigue. He smiled fondly at his beloved daughter, "Oh! my cupcake is here." he teased Evelyn, who he used to call cupcake as a baby, and even now from time to time he would dote on her calling put that name, and invariably he would get scolded as she felt miserably embarassed.Evelyn was about to protest, when he took out the hot cup cakes from the oven, she realised the trick and pouted right away.
“Enough now daddy, you better hurry home and freshen up. There’s grandma’s special chicken stew for meal today.” she was already pushing him towards the door, “But Eve the cookies.”
“Daddy you still have a shift at the factory, you must rest a bit before you leave for work.”
Evan looked at his daughter, she never failed to mesmerize him, girls of her age are carefree, pampered, and delicate; Evelyn on the other hand was already a hardworking, brave little girl with a loving and caring heart, he was astonished by how she would slog from morning till night with a smile on her beautiful face.
Evan felt like a helpless father, whose hands were tied; sometimes he simply wished he could simply escape with his precious daughter to some alien land where he could get rid of this dreadful name Betrice, where the past wouldn’t make them its slaves anymore.
“Daddy,” Evelyn gently put on his coat over his shoulder which broke his daze, “I have good news for you. Remember the baking competition I had enrolled for?”
“Of course I remember honey.”
“I am selected for the finals, out of all the hundred entries, only ten were selected, I am one of them” Evelyn squeaked and jumped holding her father’s hand overwhelmed by happiness.
“My baby, Daddy is so proud of you.” He wrapped her in a warm embrace, and kissed her on the cheeks, “I am a worthless, poor father who couldn’t give you anything, yet you always make me happy and proud. I pray and wish for your happiness” Evan had tears in his eyes.
“Don’t you ever say such things daddy, you give me more than I deserve. You, grandpa, grandma all of you love me and treasure me. Just wait until I graduate, I will study hard and become the best baker in the world, then we will have a chain of bakeries, you won’t need to work at that hazardous factory. And we will live in a castle as big as the Magnolia estate.”
“You bet I can already imagine myself sitting inside a luxury car driven by a chauffeur in a white uniform. But, Eve, do you really wish to live in a castle?”
“Of course I do, am I not your princess?”
A chill went down Evan’s back, “And what if one day someone comes and takes you away to live in a castle?”
Evelyn cracked up laughing, "If he is a prince I wouldn't decline, you know I have a thing for princes right?" Eve cracked up laughing.
“Stop it now daddy; both of us need to stop our blabbering and pull up our socks now. We need to build our own castle, no prince would ever want a penniless girl." She began icing the cupcakes, when she recalled, "By the way, the red envelope came this year as well; I really don’t understand why the Magnolia(s) keep sending us invitation every year just because long ago we were nobles.”
Blood drained down Evan’s face, “Ha…Ha… That’s I think they are way too rich to care that the Betrice have fallen from their glory long ago.” His laughter was forced, he wished he could tell the truth to his daughter, but he was too selfish and reluctant, he wanted to hold on to ignorance for a bit longer, he refused to make her already hard life harder.
The bells at the door chimed as the it was pushed open grossly, "Finally we got a chance to meet you YOUR LORDSHIP Mr. Evan Betrice. Should I thank my stars?" Evelyn didn't need to look to know the owner of this despicable voice, which was filled with humiliation and mockery towards her father.
It was Gerard Hidek, the son Gregory Hidek, the Syndicate leader of the Mignos Market. Evelyn preferred to call them him 'dick head' instead of Hidek. He was called the Monster of Mignos. The Gregory started as a middle man who used to lend money to simple shopkeepers. But in reality he imposed unreasonable terms of contract and like a leach he would suck out every penny out of the debtors untill they went bankrupt. Everyone in Mignos knew how he had rose to power from a money lender to a syndicate leader. But nobody dared to speak a word against them.
On his heydays Gregory was rogue in every possible way. Whenever someone would lend money from him, it was already known that either they would be absconded, in reality men would be sold to the cities as labours, and girls a nd women would forced to prostitution. Others, would invariably commit suicide to save their honour, and Gerard was worse, he would randomly beat up poor shopkeepers under some pretext, extort money from them or he would force the men with beautiful wives and daughters to send them to his den to serve him at night. Till date nobody has been able to pay back to the Hideks.
"Oh Mr.Hidek, why did you take the trouble of coming here. You should have sent a word for me, I would have been there at once." Evan panicked, getting cold sweat, he knew how dangerous a man Gerard was, and with Evelyn over here it was worse.
"What business do you have with my father Gerard Hidek?" Evelyn snarled, "Or are you simply busy without business?"
Gerard licked his lips, he was the most despicable pervert, "You know Mr.Betrice this is the only reason why I haven't laid a finger upon your beautiful daughter till now, because she is the only woman who isn't scared of me, I take my time in taming wild cats." He had a hideous grin at the corner of his lips, but Evelyn didn't budge.
"But the monster in me is too greedy, and might get impatient you know. Even though a fallen nobility but you are still respected as an honest man in Mignos so even now we are being nice to you. So, have you thought anything about this shop?" He looked around the shop slowly.
"There's nothing to think about" Evelyn snapped before Evan could speak, "We aren't selling this shop ever, no matter how much money you offer. This café belongs to us. Just because we don't owe any money from you, you couldn't usurp our property, so now you are try to force us with money?"
"Eve" Evan tried to supress his daughter, he bowed deeply, wary, lest he would harm Eve, "Mr Hidek, she is a child, I am apologizing on her behalf, but you see, this shop is extremely precious to us, it belonged to my late wife."
"We will pay you enough to marry once again." Gerard laughed, Evan clenched his fist swallowing everything in silence.
Eve was at her limits, "You bastard."
"Shut up Eve" Evan pushed his daughter behind himself.
"That's better, teach some humility to your daughter Mr.Evans, she shouldn't push her luck that far you know." He scanned Evelyn from head to toe, then looked at Evan, "A big project is involved in this, it's also an opportunity for you to fill your empty pockets. Do it while we say nicely, we have better ways to get things done you know."
"Give us some time please. A month Mr.Hidek." Evan pleaded.
"Two weeks that's the maximum I can offer. After that, I shall come back for your answer, and it shouldn't be a . Otherwise..." Smirking at Eve he lit his cigarette and left.
"Daddy" Eve was about to say something.
"Not another word Eve. Hadn't I warned you not to meddle with such people?"
"But Daddy"
"If you don't want me to stop you from coming to this café then you better behave. It's almost time for my shift, I will be late.You be careful.
Evelyn smelt the burnt cookies on the oven, but didn't care to take them out, she was way too mad to do anything now. She wasn't angry with her father, she was matured enough to understand why he behaved meekly in front of the Junior dick-head. She was simply upset at their helplessness, Evelyn wondered if their lives would ever change, or would she slowly drown in the darkness of greed of the Hidek like many others here at Mignos.
Geschenke
-- Geschenk
erhalten Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein