Chapter 7: Chapter 7
"Yes. May I know who is calling?" Nick politely asked.
He knew it was a number from the school, but he wasn't sure who was calling. The seriousness of the situation will depend on who is calling him if it has anything to do with Kate being in trouble.
"This is the Principal of the Rosa Parks High School," the principal wasn't sure if the Nicholas Eudovic that he knew and this man over the phone is the same person, so he did not mention knowing a person with the same name. "Are you the guardian of Kate Taylor?"
"Yes. Is she alright?" Nick asked abruptly.
The principal was taken aback to realize the guardian was not angry about his student being in trouble. He sounded worried about her safety instead. The old man cleared his throat and glanced at Kate, who was still sitting properly on a chair in the Principal lounge.
"She is alright. But not the student she had trouble with," the principal answered.
Nick was not sure he heard the words of the principal correctly so he asked.
"I'm sorry, what do you mean?"
"Please come to my office so we can discuss things in person and properly. Kate Taylor is detained in my here until the issue is resolved. She won't be released without a guardian," the principal firmly stated.
"I'm on my way. I will be there in twenty minutes or so," Nick replied with equal formality. Then he cut the call to call for the company driver to pick him up and get Kate at the school principal's office.
He had never been detained in a school office for any offense so he was not sure how Kate was feeling right now. Nick was worried she might be too scared. Based on his knowledge, Kate has never been to such kinds of trouble before. He was really worried she is crying like she did in front of him yesterday.
The driver was already waiting by the University entrance when Nick came out. The company is located somewhere nearby the Uni so it was a short drive of ten minutes to get to his location. And from the Uni, the High School area only takes twenty minutes without the traffic. And since it's in the middle of the day, non-rush hour, they might reach the place lesser than twenty if they step on the gas pedal to speed up within the road limits.
In the Principal's office.
An old half-bald man was sitting at his table where a computer was to the side of his desk and a monitor was playing as he watched. He had been playing the video clip again and again but he cannot believe the same timid girl in front of him, seated in one of his visitor's chairs in his office is the same girl in the surveillance video clip. They look the same, as the clothes were the same, the hair, the face, and everything but the auras are far different. The girl in the video looked fierce and pissed while the one in his office is timid and proper. He wanted to believe something is wrong like they brought the wrong person while the true culprit is out there, free. He wanted to make sure he is not making a mistake about this case since it involves a Eudovic. Even if he is not sure it is the same person he is going to meet in less than an hour.
"Kate Taylor, who is Nicholas Eudovic to you?" the principal could not hold his tongue voicing out his curiosity.
But Kate did not answer. She bowed her head and kept her silence.
"Is his father's name Elijah Eudovic?" the principal asked again.
Still no answer from Kate.
He was so intrigued. Kate doesn't want to answer any of his questions. He called Kate's class adviser to ask about her usual behavior. He found out she is not among the trouble makers. She has never been into any disputes throughout the years she attended the school. He asked if anyone saw and witnessed what happened in the hallway but no one wants to come forward and stand as a witness. He asked a few more teachers that handle Kate's classes, they all have the same opinion about her.
"Why don't you tell me what really happened?" the principal asked again.
He was feeling desperate to know. But he cannot be mad at the girl in front of him either. He did not want to offend anyone in connection with the Eudovic's. Elijah Eudovic is a Russian businessman who married one of the local girls in the city. A woman who had been an orphan but strived hard in life and made to work for Elijah's company. But she was too kind that everything she earned was donated to the orphanage where she grew up, just keeping some for herself to get through another month. She also went to this school through a scholarship program that she also remembered her alma mater when she got to earn her own money. She donated an amount of her capacity yearly which she saved little by little and gave to the school every Christmas. To the orphanage, she gave them monthly on her paydays.
Elijah found out about her and he fell in love with her pure-hearted personality. He admired her for being so kind and without an inch of greed in her nature. As she worked for his company, Elijah got to see her every working day and saw how diligent and trustworthy she was in everything she was assigned to do. Elijah Eudovic was also a self-made successful man. His family was from the dark world of the Mafia which he fled away from and lived life in his chosen ways. The righteous and respectable ways. He left home and started his life journey from scratch. He wanted to prove he was capable to live a decent life without the constant fear of being killed by their enemies or being caught by the authorities. He had been through those disgusting situations where they have to live like mice somedays when chaos comes while they live like royals when the chaos is over and the sun rises on their side again.
It wasn't a life he wanted to live when he gets older so he ran away from home at the age of eighteen. So far from home that he was able to come to the US through a very long course of journey. From trains to ships to trucks and hitchhiking cars, he arrived in this city. He was confident with his little knowledge to communicate that it would be enough. Language is never a barrier when your skill and dedication speak to attract your employers' good impression. He was good at mechanics so he applied to work for a car repair shop with a little space for accommodation. He was like a magician who can turn a dead car alive in a few touches here and there, a few twirls of nuts and bolts and with the right tools, he can even upgrade the units. After a decade he already has his own car repair shop. After another five years, he already owns a few branches in different locations. Then when the business boomed, he sold them all to build a small company. A Car Parts Distributor Company. And another five years, his company expanded almost three times from how it started. He was already in the late years of his thirties when the girl came along and crossed paths with Elijah.
The girl, Ida Mathew, a girl whom Elijah saw himself in a way captured his heart wholly. And despite their age gap, he wooed her, loved her, and offered to give her everything he has just to marry him.
With Elijah's sincerity, Ida fell in love with him within months of his pursuit. They got married and invited a lot of people who stood as Ida's family. The Principal was one of them, he was still an assistant Principal during that time and was ordered to attend instead of the Principal who was on a seminar. He had witnessed how Elijah Eudovic loved Ida, and he also witnessed how Elijah supported Ida's passion in expressing her gratitude to anyone she felt like she needed to express. Elijah continued to support the same amount Ida had declared to give to the orphanage and schools she had attended to even after her untimely death. Nick did not know about any of these but the Principal had always admired the Eudovic's for their humble and respectable lifestyle.
Just as Nick has estimated, he arrived less than twenty minutes after his call with the Principal. He checked the room and saw kate sitting on a chair with her head bowed down. He wasn't sure if she was crying so he looked at the old man sitting at his desk. He was looking right in Nick's direction but he doesn't seem to notice Nick has already arrived. It was wide open but for courtesy, Nick knocked to get the Principal's dazed attention looking blankly at him.
The knock brought the principal back from his wandering thoughts. With his questions and curiosity still unanswered. He was so ecstatic to realize it was Nicholas Eudovic that he knew and the one standing at his door.
"Nicholas! Come in! Come in!" The principal jovially welcomed Nick inside his office before he shut the door.
"Principal Johnston! How are you doing? I'm here for Kate Taylor, Sir," Nick shook hands with Principal Francis Johnston.
"I have been trying to ask her some questions but she won't say anything. Maybe she is waiting for you before she does," Principal Johnston was relieved to know he did not upset Kate with his interrogating questions. He just asked for mild information anyway, or at least that's what he thought he did.