Genre Fiction
13 December 01
Friendship Over Time
The two friends walked up the graveled path and stopped to look up at the three-storied mansion. It was a slate grey in color and had a white trim. They had been invited to hear the last will and testament of the late Donna Stanford who had died suddenly from a drug overdose.
“Well Sara Lee I guess we should probably go in huh? I mean it’s was your mother who died and such.”
Sara Lee turned and looked over at her friend who had spoken. He was slightly taller then her with a slim body, long black hair, slanted brown eyes, and had light brown skin.
“I guess if we must then Kim.” She said quietly.
Walking up towards the oak wooden door, Sara Lee reached out and knocked loudly. You could hear the knock echo throughout the house and hear footsteps inside. The door swung open and an imposing butler stood looking down at them. He was an old and crusty man with pale blue eyes and a stiff little beard.
“Yes?” he said coldly.
Kim and Sara Lee looked at each other for a moment and identical smiles appeared on both their faces.
“We are here to hear the will of Donna Stanford.” They said together.
The butler blinked at them in shock before letting them inside with a huff. Sara Lee batted her baby blue eyes at the man and grabbing Kim’s hand set off down the hallway. The place was all wood and looked like it had been recently buffed with polish. It’s smelled lemony and very musty. Walking down the hallway, Sara Lee led Kim towards a door to the far left and opened it. The room turned out to be a study were a whole bunch of white upper class people were seated in the room. Everyone gazed at the two before an old gentleman stood up and gave them the once over.
“Well Sara Lee its about time you came even though you missed your mother’s funeral and all.” He said in a haughty voice.
Sara Lee felt her composure slip slightly but felt her hand gripped tightly by Kim. Turning her head she looked at Kim who smiled at her reassuringly.
“Well if you had sent her the invitation much sooner then she could have made it.” Kim replied.
The whole room grew quiet and the old man slowly grew red with rage.
“Why did you bring this mix breed into my home young lady! You know we don’t welcome him at all.” The man all but shouted.
Sara Lee narrowed her blue eyes and started to see red.
“How dare you say that to my bestfriend father! He has been there more for me then anyone else in this entire room!”
The old man looked like he was about to explode from rage and one of the women stood up quickly.
“Um perhaps you two had better leave Sara Lee.” She said quietly.
“Well that’s the first damn time we have both agreed Aunt Millie.” Sara Lee replied sarcastically.
Turning around she grabbed Kim’s hand and walked out the study and out of the house. They both hurried down the graveled path towards an old white ford pickup truck. Opening the doors they both climbed in and drove away.
Kim looked over at his friend Sara Lee and was wondering if she had cooled down enough to talk. He thought about different ways to distract her from telling bad jokes to weird stories. But the one thing that stuck out in his mind was how they first met and how they were friends even now.
*
Kim had been walking through the high school football field as a shortcut on the way home after working at Wal-Mart nearby when he had heard a slight scream. It was hard to see because the lights were not on and he could not tell were it was coming from.
“Hello is anyone there?” he shouted.
There was a slight scuffling sound before he heard the scream again.
“Help me!”
Racing towards the sound he saw shadowy shapes that appeared to wrestling with something near the bleachers.
“Hey what the hell is going on over here?”
Everyone seemed to freeze before the two figures took off running and was soon lost in the darkness. Glancing down he noticed that the figure on the ground had stopped moving. Kneeling down he asked, “Are you alright?”
“Yes thanks to you.”
He blinked in surprised when he noticed that the voice was female.
“No problem. But what the hell possessed you to be in football field at this time of night?”
She seemed to fidget for a moment before replying, “Because um I was trying to find a place to sleep for the night and didn’t know that they were here.”
Kim was slightly surprised by the honest answer since she didn’t really have to tell him that. Shrugging his shoulders he decided to leave it at that and standing up began to walk away.
*
Panic filled Sara Lee quickly as she heard the man walk away. She was afraid that those two men would come back if she stayed here but she had know where else to go.
“Um please wait!” she cried.
The man stopped a few feet away but she still could not see him clearly in the dark.
Thinking fast she asked quickly, “Excuse me do you know were I could stay some place safe tonight?”
She heard the man let out a loud sigh.
“Well come on then you can stay at my place for the night and I won’t try anything funny.”
Sara Lee was slightly afraid that he was lying but she did not have many choices. Scrambling to her feet she quickly gathered her things and walked over to the man.
“What’s you name? Mines Sara Lee Stanford.”
She could feel the man look at her for a moment before replying, “The names Paul Kim, but you can call me Kim.”
“Thanks for saving me Kim, if you had not come I don’t know what I would do.”
“Come on lets go.” He replied gruffly.
They soon left the football field and reached an open street. Walking under a street light Sara Lee could finally see her rescuer and let out a slight gasp.
“Why your black!”
Kim looked at her like she was crazy and shook his head.
“Well I guess you could say that but I have Korean and Japanese thrown in as well. And your white so?” He said sarcastically.
Sara Lee blinked in surprise and felt really dumb for saying that.
“No I didn’t mean it that way its just I thought you were white, and oh this is coming out all wrong.”
“Hmph. Come on lets go.”
Kim began to walk away and Sara Lee had to run to catch up with him.
It took them a few minutes to reach his apartment and they slowly walked towards his front door. Opening the door he waited patiently for Sara Lee to enter before closing it. The room was small with just a small bed, a coffee table, and a TV. Turning around he cocked his eyebrow and waited for her to say something.
“Nice place you have here.” She said quietly.
He let out a slight laugh at the understatement before sitting down on the bed.
“The bathroom is over there and you can have the bed for the night.”
She shook her head and protested, “But….”
“Just be nice and except the offer.”
Sara Lee’s face turned slightly red and she narrowed her blue eyes at him. Letting out a tired sigh she nodded her head in agreement. Turning around she headed towards the bathroom and closed the door.
*
Kim let out a slight laugh at the memory of their first meeting but quickly shut up when he noticed Sara Lee was looking at him curiously.
“What’s so funny Kim?” Sara Lee asked suspiciously.
“Oh nothing much, just having happy thoughts is all.” He smiled innocently.
Sara Lee turned her head and looked out at the passing scenery. They were headed back home to Austin, Texas and they still had about an hour since the will and testament had been read in Killeen. It was a beautiful day outside except it was slowly growing humid outside. She wondered what Kim was thinking about to laugh like that but then shrugged and let it go. It was not normal for Kim to let out a laugh from knowwhere and she wondered what he was thinking about.
She had known him for the last 5 years and it had slowly grown from a tentative friendship to becoming bestfriend’s, or more like siblings. During those years they had both been in and out of relationships, a marriage, and a divorce, but had still managed to stay friends. They had also both attended college together at UT and graduated with high honors. Currently they owned there own business called DreamTeam Advertising and were slowly making there name known across the whole state of Texas.
Sara Lee felt her mood brightening the more she thought about how their friendship had survived so much during the years. She wondered how two people who had met by accident and were so different could still be bestfriend’s. Tipping her head back against the seat she thought about how she stayed in his apartment when he had saved her from the two thugs.
*
At first Sara Lee had only meant to stay the night but then somehow a week went by. Kim never asked her any questions about her past or why she remained at his place. He was not a big talker, which was good but also bad because she missed talking to someone. It was late one night while lying on his bed that she decided to leave. Sara Lee waited for a little while to make sure he was a sleep before making her escape. Slipping out of the bed she gathered her things and quietly made her way towards the door.
“Were are you going?”
She stifled a shriek and turning around noticed that Kim was sitting up on his makeshift bed on the floor.
“Well?” he asked quietly.
“I just thought I was imposing on you long enough was all and thought I should go.”
“Liar.”
She jumped at this comment and had to cover her eyes when he turned on the lamp.
“Now tell me the real truth why you were running away from me.”
Kim looked so serious that she knew she would have to tell him the truth. And in away she was glad that she could finally tell someone her problems.
“I come from a family that is extremely wealthy and powerful. They care only for themselves and what others can do for them. Well one day I brought home my Mexican boyfriend who they had never met and they about went through the roof. They made me get rid of him and forbid me from ever seeing him again. Of course I lied and said I would but when I went to visit him, he refused to see me. He told me that my family had paid him good money to stay away and would continue to do it for a few more years. I felt heartbroken by this and decided to runaway from home.”
Sara Lee looked over at Kim and noticed he was watching her thoughtfully. Standing up he walked over to her and pulled her into his arms for a hug. She tensed up for a moment before relaxing into his embrace. They stood that way for a moment before Kim released her and walked back towards his bed on the floor.
Glancing over his shoulder he said, “You can stay here as long as you like. Well I am going back to bed, goodnight.”
Crawling back into the covers he rolled onto his side and closed his eyes. Sara Lee regarded him for a moment before walking towards the lamp and shutting it off. Dropping her stuff in the corner she crawled back into bed and rolled on her back.
“Thanks Kim, I really appreciate it.” She said quietly.
And closing her eyes she went to sleep.
*
A few miles ahead they both could see the city of Austin ahead and soon they two would be home. They were just about to enter the city limit when Sara Lee’s phone began to ring. Reaching into her purse Sara Lee picked up her phone and noticed it was a long distances call. Shrugging slightly she wondered who it was and answered the phone.
“Hello?”
“Hello Sara Lee this is your mother’s lawyer Sam. I need you to come back to Killeen to hear you mother’s will.”
“Why do I have too? I mean it’s not like my mother cared about me that much right?”
“Well actually she did but I cannot discuss it on the phone and it must be in person.”
Sara Lee blinked in surprise and wondered what her mother had left her.
Donna Stanford had been a timid and depressed woman and had not helped her daughter much during her life. Sara Lee had not been to close to her mother and had not seen her in a few years. It had not surprised her when she had found out her mother had died, since the woman had tried to commit suicide before.
Letting out a tired sigh she said she would return and hung up the phone. Sara Lee turned and glanced over at Kim. He was singing along with the radio, which for some reason happened to be playing a Mariah Carey song. Reaching over she tapped Kim on the shoulder and he glanced over at her.
Cover the mouthpiece on the phone she asked, “Kim do you mind turning around and heading back to Killeen? I need to go there immediately.”
Kim reached over and turned off the radio. He regarded her thoughtfully for a moment before slowly nodding in agreement.
*
It took them another hour to head back to Killeen and lucky there was not much traffic on I-35 since it was a Sunday. Kim glanced over at Sara Lee and wondered why they were headed back to Killeen again. He had not asked her since she had gotten off the phone and now his curiosity was starting to bug him. Letting out a sigh he decided it was time to ask.
“Sara Lee why are we going back?”
She turned and regarded him thoughtfully before replying, “I am not to sure why really. It’s just that the lawyer said my mother left me something and I am curious what it is.”
“Okay but hopefully its not that big mansion or worse that God awfully butler.” Kim replied jokingly.
Sara Lee let out a surprised laugh at this and shook a finger at him.
“But I thought you liked the crusty old butler, I mean think of all the things you could make him do.”
They both grew quiet and thought of evil things to do to the butler.
A thought popped up in Kim’s head and he said, “I know he could clean my shoes?”
“Serve you dinner?”
“Eat an onion and do tricks!”
They both laughed at this and it was almost possible to picture the butler doing it, well almost. The two of them glanced at each other and twin smiles appeared on their faces before saying, “Nah!”
*
The sun was setting when they finally arrived in Killeen and back at the mansion again. They both stepped out of the truck and gazed up at the mansion and thought it would look better a different color. The two walked up to the door and this time Kim knocked on it. It was immediately answered by the same crusty old butler who regarded them for a moment before letting them in.
“The lawyer is in the study and is waiting for you to arrive.”
Sara Lee and Kim looked at him in surprise since that was the first full sentence he had spoken to them. Sara Lee smiled up at the butler and thought perhaps he isn’t so crusty after all. The two of them headed down the hallway again and entered the study. Sam was the only one present in the room and motioned for them to have a seat. He was a tall old man with white hair, blue eyes, and dressed in a brown suit.
Sara Lee regarded him thoughtfully before asking, “And where is the rest of my kin?”
“They have already heard you mother’s will and this part only retains to you.”
Kim and Sara Lee looked at each other and wondered what was in the will. It must be something important or why would they have been asked to come back.
Kim looked up at the lawyer and asked, “Should I leave?”
Sam smiled at him and said, “No, Donna Stanford wanted you to hear this as well.”
Kim was very shocked by this since the last time he had met the woman she had not said a word to him except hello. And Sara Lee felt unsure as well and wondered just what her mother was up too.
Sam regarded them both and began to tell them what was in the will.
“It states that Donna is leaving her daughter a large sum of money, the house, and her jewels. She was truly sorry that she had not been a good mother all these years and hoped that Sara Lee could forgive her. And she wants her to do know that she always loved her and always would no matter what. And to Paul Kim she wanted to thank him for being a true friend with her daughter and showing her what friendship really means.”
There was a shocked silence in the room and knowone said a word. Kim and Sara Lee were stunned at Donna’s will and were not too sure what to do. Sam smiled at them both and quietly left the room.
“Well.” Kim said thoughtfully after a moment. “That was some will your mother left.”
“Yea true. I guess she did care about me after all.”
Kim looked over at Sara Lee and watched as tears slowly filled her blue eyes. He stood up and walked over to the window. He was unsure what to say to her and decided to give her a moment of privacy. Gazing out the window a strange thought appeared in his head and he let out a suprised laugh. Turning around he looked over at Sara Lee and noticed that she was looking at him like he lost his mind.
“Well your family must be in an uproar over this, especially your father.”
Sara Lee was quiet for a moment before asking, “Why do you say that?”
“Well your mother did make you wealthy and leave you the house right?”
“Right.” A huge grin appeared on Sara Lee’s face and she wiped the tears from her eyes. Standing up she walked over to the window and looked up at Kim.
“The only sad part about this is that I never got to really know my mother though and I wished I had now.” Sara Lee said sadly.
“Don’t worry I think she always knew that.”
Sara Lee smiled at her friend and silently thanked her mother. Looking up at her friend she began to chuckle quietly. Kim looked at her with a puzzled expression and waited for her to share the joke.
“Hey Kim you know the only bad thing about all this.”
Kim looked over at her for a moment and shook his head.
“No what?”
“It looks like we are stuck with this old mansion and that crusty old butler after all.”
Sara Lee smiled up at him and Kim regarded her thoughtfully for a moment before letting out a surprised laugh.