Family Short Story – Being a Cranshaw
Photo credit: ecerroni from morguefile.com
“How do u want your life to be when u grow up?” Every kid between the ages of 9 to 18 is asked this question. And if by 18 u don’t have a legitimate pleasing answer to the question then there is no end to the dissapointed pitiful looks that come your way. If someone had asked me this question when I was 18 I would have said I want to be a lawyer or a magazine editor…well u get the picture. But if u ask me this question today I would only stare at the gun pointed straight to my head and say “I just don’t want to end up dead.” But wait, I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me start at the beginning.
I’m Katherine Hamilton and I was the kid who had nothing but wanted everything. The one kid in the orphanage who outshone everyone else. The smart beautiful and determined girl who was, in the end, penniless. But that all changed when the Cranshaws adopted me. They were the elite of the elite. The creme-de la creme of society. I was 13 then.
The Cranshaws had 2 children. Alex, who was 2 yeara older to me and Celia who was a year younger. Celia was delightful and adored everything I did. As did her parents. Alex however was openly resentful of the fact that his parents had adopted me. He hated and deapised my progress. He tried to put me down but failed everytime. I despised him equally and ignored his attempts at sabotaging me. This family dynamics continued till I was 18.
The Cranshaws owned a multi-billion dollar company. I won’t lie I’ve always been attracted to it and being their favourite it was assumed I would get a share in the company. Of course I would never be the CEO and this vexed me a little but I was more of the ‘make it on your own’ kind of girl. But most of all no one expected my adopted parents to die on my sister’s birthday.
Celia wanted a masquerade party for her 18th birthday and during that masquerade party someone poisoned the Cranshaw’s drinks. And this is where all hell breaks loose. Now although the murderer wasn’t discovered everyone doubted it was Alex. He had not so subtly hinted his desire at being the CEO but father had vehemently turned him down. Celia had always been the one with the privilege of inheriting that chair. After their death Celia had been inconsolable. She had stayed home and refused to talk to anyone except me. Alex on the other hand was indifferent and showed no signs of mourning
The reading of the will took place immediately after the funeral. The reactions to the will were varied. Some were perplexed. Some were doubtful. Celia was overjoyed. Alex was furious that I had been made the official CEO, effective immediately. I was 21 then.
6 months later I finally got the hang of running a business. I was a fast learner and was appreciated. Celia visited often and was satisfied with her share of the estate. Alex exiled himself to London and gave me the cold shoulder. But the one thing that I simply could not understand was the death of my parents. I investigated further in secret and found out that Alex and Celia had been present when the will had been changed to make me the CEO. I tried to find out where Alex had been and what he had bought that night but I couldn’t connect any of it to the murder. Finally I confided in Celia. She advised me to check with the drug dealers Alex was infamous to have dealt with.
It was by mere chance that 2 weeks later I found the drug dealer who had sold the poison. Alex was visiting and I tried his number from my office. He just wouldn’t pick up. On the 4th try he finally picked up but at the same time Celia walked into my office with a gun in her hand.
”Hang up” she said.
“You!! You killed mother and father!! How could you!!” I screamed.
She walked up to me and hung up the phone. But I was sure Alex had picked up enough of the conversation and would get here soon. I only had to stall her.
“Why did u do it?” I asked.
“Why? U ask why? I was there the day they changed the will. This company was supposed to be mine. But it doesn’t matter. The board loves me and once your gone that chair will be mine. I turned off the cameras and no one’s in the building. There’s no use in screaming”
“Alex knows. Alex is on his way.”
“Oh please. U think I didn’t think of Alex? I stole his phone on the way here. It wasn’t Alex who picked up your call it was me”
I’ve read in novels and seen in films that people think of all the things they did before they die. Let me tell u that that is an overrated concept. As my sister lifted the gun to my head I could only think of the orphanage and how happy my life was there. Just as she was about to shoot the door opened and Alex burst in. What my little sister did not know was that I had told Alex everything an hour before she got here and he had been on his way to arrest her with the police in tow. He had thankfully found out that she was here.
My sister looked at him and then at me, her face etched with anger and madness. I let the relief show on my face. I opened my mouth to thank Alex and my sister shot me in the head.
__END__
