Adela’s Ascent

"Well Mr Mayor I looked at something else, the births, marriages and deaths records of that same voyage of the Friedrich. Please read out the name under deaths of Berlitz.

"Omigod," the mayor exclaimed, sending a big buzz through the hall. "It says here, Berlitz, Michaela Helga (stillborn)."

"Yes Mr Mayor, I'm of German descent on my mother's side. Michaela translates into English as Michelle."

The hall turned into uproar.

The mayor walked over to Adela and hugged her. A photographer from the Clarion took that shot and although other posed ones were taken later that was the one published in the newspaper.

As soon as the mayor stepped back Pamela took his place and kissed Adela.

Pamela took the main microphone.

"Well everyone, I had sensed Miss Adela Roman would deliver, and deliver she has, beyond anything imaginable. We have always said this is a great community, a great place, to bring up children and perhaps we now know why. I hereby abandon my attempt to force a name change with greatest pleasure. I call for acclamation for Miss Adela Roman – be as loud as you wish."

The noise was deafening.

Adela regained the two documents and handed them to Janis who came to her, tears streaming.

The photographer got Adela to hold the death record just under her chin and that photograph would be published in the Clarion next morning.

Adela then ran down off the stage and hugged Charlie who seemed to be having trouble with something in his eyes.

Pavin congratulated Adela and said she was beyond belief. She then called Pamela to join her as people went by, offering congratulations and thanks.

"Why are they thanking me?" Pamela asked.

"It was your challenge that pushed me to go to the National Archive, and they know it," Adela said.

As the crowd thinned Pavin came up and kissed Pamela.

"Can we bury the hatchet, I'm with Adela now?"

"God you dirty old man," Pamela laughed, hugging him and winking at Adela.

"I'm off," Janis called to Adela. "Thanks for another lead story."

"My pleasure. Did you get Pamela's question why are people thanking me and my reply."

"Yes, and very useable that will be. Bye."

* * *

Two weeks after Adela's triumph, Pavin went home with Adela to meet her family. As they had half- expected, it was not a happy time.

When Adela called her mother to advise she had found a lover and told Marianne his age, her mother was shocked, saying 'the seducer' was only five years her junior.

"This cannot be!"

She dropped the phone crying.

David heard Adela out and said, "It's not a good look but bring him home. Let's fix a date and I'll get Jennifer and Nathan here. You may as well get it over in one shock, er, shot."

Pavin drove his black Audi saloon into the driveway and the family filed out to greet them.

"They look sombre," Adela said.

"Your mother looks young."

"That's my sister... oh god, a joke at a time like this. Thanks."

David was at the door to greet Pavin as he got out.

"Hi I'm David."

"Good morning sir, I'm Pavin. I'm pleased to meet you."

He said quietly, "I understand Adela was your pet, at least until she met me?"

David patted Pavin's back.

"No, it's fine. Nothing changes the course of history even with the interference of women."

They laughed and Adela looked across and smiled. She then looked at her mother and said ruthlessly, "Hello mum, your baby daughter still loves you."

Marianne put a hand over her mouth and ran into the house.

Jennifer shouted "Bitch" to Adela and hurried after her mother.

Nathan shuffled his feet and said, "Hi sis."

Adela ran to him and he hugged her and only then did she weep.

Her father came up to her and picked her up in his arms. "I'm your daddy."

With her feet off the ground Adela was left with few options so she kissed him and said, "Thanks daddy."

David carried Adela into the lounge, put her down and became a man.

Looking at his wife and elder daughter he said firmly, "That's enough you two, cuddling like a couple of war widows. Separate and sit up and be polite to our guest and my daughter."

They acted as if they'd been shot and obeyed.

"I'll fetch coffee," Nathan said and Adela went after him saying she'd help.

"God this is worse that I'd predicted," Adela said.

"I arrived last night and it's been the most unpleasant time I've ever spent in this house," Nathan said. "Until now dad's just allowed mom to whine and cry."

"Oh god I'm sorry," Adela said hugging him. "But you all knew I was different and was bound not to conform."

"He's the same age as mom," Nathan said stiffly.

Adela said he was not, Pavin was five years younger.

Nathan laughed and then said, "Christ just as well you weren't here this morning when Jennifer arrived and she and mom really got going. You would have murdered them."

Adela gave it another thirty minutes over coffee and still the room was thick with tension. She could see Pavin was uncomfortable.

She grabbed her handbag and said, "Goodbye guys, Pavin and I are off."

She walked out and Pavin followed, sheepishly. Only David and Nathan came out to wave them off.

They drove off and Adela said, "I'm sorry to have put you through that but I thought it was necessary. Let's take Charlie somewhere nice soon and get married."

"You want to marry me after what we've just witness?"

"Oh yes and none of them will be invited as I don't want to give mom the pleasure of refusing to come and thereby compromising dad."

"Well let's not rush this. We'll talk about it in another couple of weeks huh?"

Adela became really upset and silent.

Pavin, with his experience should have sensed that. but made the mistake of not pressing Adela for her response. Due to the emotional upset of her family's reaction overall to Pavin she now felt he was rejecting her. Back in Michelle she spoke to her best friend Janis White about it.

"I'm not telling you what to do," Janis said firmly. "There's too much at stake."

"If you were in this position, what would you do?"

"God you can be so frustrating at times. You now have me trapped. I'd clear off that's what I'd do but that's me, not you."

Adela said, "Well not to worry as I'd already decided to depart. But where to me don't know."

"I have two weeks' vacation that I'm being forced to take. I've been thinking of going to Auckland, New Zealand, to see my brother who works in TV. Come with me."

"Are you serious?"

Janis said yes.

Adela said she was born in New Zealand.

"Dad was on a shooting vacation with friends and had a fall and broke his hip and was hospitalized. Mom, heavily pregnant, rushed over to be with him and because of the stress hello baby, out I popped as a prem. fortunately they are good with perm births there and I was soon thriving. Four months later we all came home so I gained dual citizenship."

Adela said, "I'll take a ticket one-way. Why don't you."

"Er, I'm not off the wall like you. But I'll look to see if I can organize a two-year exchange. The Clarion is in a scheme that promotes this in the form of a cultural exchange."

"Then talk to your boss tomorrow."

"I will. God you are making this appear exciting."

Adela told Pavin she was leaving him.

He behaved badly, they rowed and he fired her.

She called Charlie asked for a bed for the night and he was only too happy to put up with her – his words – for as long as she wished, saying she'd brought excitement back into his life.

"He'd done nothing to win you back, has he?"

"Nope."

"Want me to tell him to try?"

"Nope. Actually my thinking is he'll go into his cave for a week or two and then when he emerges he'll see Pamela in a new light."

"You think so?"

"Yeah. She's not teamed up with anyone since she and Pavin broke up. I wonder why?"

"Ah you smart bitch. You're going to make me answer that aren't you?"

"Yes."

"Aw heck, it's because she can't find anyone as good or better."

"Yeah and that's why I think and you like Pamela as well. I'll have a girl-to-girl chat with her?"

"Please do, I'd be ever so grateful. Now, what are you going to do?"

"I'm heading off to New Zealand with Janis White."

"Right, I have connections. I'll arrange for a long-stay visitor's visa."

"No, it's okay. I was born accidentally in New Zealand so have a Kiwi passport, never used."

Charlie laughed and said he was really going to miss Miss Weird.

"How on earth can you be born accidentally anywhere but at home or at a movie?"

She explained.

Charlie was fascinated and said if he promised not to tell Pavin where she was if she settled in New Zealand asked could he visit her?

"Yes Charlie, I virtually regard you as family."

Charlie had trouble with his eyes.

"My son stupidly dumped you. He'll pay for this. Sweetheart gave me your bank number and listen; I want you to stay here until you leave. I'll take you and Janis to the airport."

"Okay, so you are going to give me a going away present."

"Yeah, something like that."

Ten days later, arriving at the international airport to connect with their flight to New Zealand, with a two-hour wait until boarding, Adela had a premonition. She said to Janis, "I have to find a computer café to check my bank balance."

"Okay I'll come with you. There will be one within this holding area."

Adela connected to her online bank account. "Omigod."

"What are you overdrawn?"

"No Janis. I now have four extra accounts beside my name. In the last few hours half a million dollars has been placed into my account."

"What a bank mistake."

"No, Pavin's father Charlie has enriched me."

"God, what were you doing for him – super fragilistic fellatio?"

"No as one thousand grand would be overpayment for that. Come on let's have half a bottle of champagne."

They sat sipping. Adela told Janis she was absolutely sure Charlie was sound of mind and totally aware of what he was doing.

"In the last six weeks I've spent quite a bit of time with Charlie, going out to shows, the movies and to dinner more often than not alone with him because Pavin had his poker night or bowling night or night out with his pals or work-related functions where partners were not invited. Charlie said I'd jazzed up his life."

"Without fellatio?"

"Yes, without anything but walking arm-in-arm."

"Since his wife died most of his friends have slowly drifted away and his social life had reduced to something very basic. Then along comes me who requested him to take me to the state capital on that quest that rather brought him out of intellectual sleep, making it seem like he was interacting professionally again."

"That's still an unbelievable huge reward – gosh even fellatio plus a finger..."

"Janis, please. I regard him as near-family."

"Oh darling, I'm sorry; me and my big mouth."

"You are my dearest friend Janis, there's no need to oversell yourself."

"Oh really. Y-you think as kindly of me as that?"

"Shut up Janis otherwise there's not more booze for you until we arrive in Australia... oops I mean New Zealand. I hope our pilots are clearer about our destination than I am. There are two other things Charlie had said to me. One was he wanted my bank account number to give me a little going away present. The other was something he said with apparent deep hurt. It went something like, "My son will pay for dumping you."

"That's it, that's it," Janis said excitedly. Can't you see? He's given you a chunk of Pavin's inheritance."

"Oh god I think you are right. Janis, what have I done to deserve this?"

"Well frankly darling, you have through your generosity of spirit brought a guy in his mid-sixties out of premature retirement and post-depression after the untimely death of his wife. He's just a little appreciative of what you've done for him. Write to him; I bet you'll find he's returned to work and many of his former clients are returning to the fold."

"Do you really think so?"

"I know so darling and it's not the alcohol that's talking."

Part 2 (final)to follow)