Chapter 13: * The Trip *

" They have no right to do that to my dogs mama! no matter how noisy they are! hu ! hu! hu! I will kill them if I see them ", Kate was already crying hysterically.

" Yes , I know! no one has the right to hurt anybody eventhough they were just dogs , they also has life of their own that we and some people must respect and preserve", Karen explained, she understand how hurt her daughter at this moment because of the sad news she had burst out .

" I want to go home mama, I wanted to attend their funeral", Kate said.

" What funeral? ", unbelievably Prince asked.

" Aren't we going to hold a funeral for them? why is it when someone in our relatives die, we attend their funeral?", innocently Kate asked.

" That's for human, papa had already taken cared of their body, they had been buried in the farm",.Karen assured her daughter.

" Why is it papa didn't fight back their killer? or filed a case for killing our dogs?", Kate asked.

" Papa tried, but he had no idea who they are, they wear mask that's why they are unrecognizable ", Karen know she was telling the truth at that point.

" How I wish we didn't leave them behind, if we hadn't they might be still alive now!", Kate lamented.

" Don't blame yourself honey, it's not our fault that they were killed by criminals, if we're there we don't know what had happened to us too", Karen told her daughter.

" How about papa, is there anything bad happened to him too?", Kate asked when she remember her father.

" Your father's okay! gladly they don't hurt him so bad", Karen said.

" You mean, he had been hurt too?", Prince asked his mother.

" Of course not, he isn't, what I mean is we must be thankful he is safe", in a slip of a tongue Karen nearly reveal her husband ordeal with those criminals to her children.

" Thanks God, papa is safe! ", Kate said drying her tears with the back of her hand.

" Yes, I 'm thankful too he is safe", Karen agreed. Though there were times Karen notice the loneliness of her daughter because of her dogs death, Karen let her grieve for her pet's loss. She easily forget her grief when her sister Maggy shows some new antics she learned by imitating her, Kate and Prince actions that she had seen. Just like when Kate cried, she imitated her cries which they found cute. So Kate had no choice but laugh soundly with tears in her eyes at her sister's reactions.

" You're so cute ! you know, I am grieving for our pets but you keep on showing me your new found tactics", Kate said kissing her sister lovingly on her cheeks.

" Her love for her younger sister is greater than her grief for her pets", Karen is smiling as she share to her husband when she called in his office to check on him which she did everyday since they were separated by a distance.

" Glad to hear that, she'll eventually recover from her grief, at this time let her feel the pain of losing a pet that she consider as family members", Joseph advice.

" Yes, at least our daughter know how to grieve, she's a very loving human being. Then when are you coming over?", Karen asked.

" Right now we're busy because there were many out of town orders coming in , I couldn't leave them full in hand, besides I decided to stay in the farm, I let some of my trusted male employees to accompany me in the house when I go home. Check in the bank some payment transactions, okay? ", Joseph instructed her wife.

" Okay, just take good care of yourself and that's better if you have someone you trust live with you in the house ", Karen told her husband.

" Yes, I'm planning to let them stay in the house with their family when we leave for abroad ," Joseph said.

" That's good! I believe in your good judgement, that's fine with me ", Karen agreed.

" Thanks honey, I will come home for a visit , I miss you and the kids", Joseph said.

" We miss you too! we'll be waiting for you soon, just be sure no one's following you", Karen said.

" Yes I will!", Joseph promised.. For a few days Joseph had notice a car following him, so he made a plan with the help of his cousin Biance, which she willingly agreed when he decided to visit his family. As usual a car was following him but a different car at this time, he entered a motel which was owned by Bìance's friend and took a car key that Biance left for him to use and left behind his car at the motel's garage. He was laughing when he saw the car following him few meters away from the motel. Luckily the car lent by Biance was tinted ,he had got away easily from those following him.

" What an adventure! luckily you had gotten away from them, those rascals had made life so difficult for us to live! ", Karen said with a gritted teeth.

" Yes, that's why we should be careful, luckily we have people to rely for help like my cousin Biance and her friend the motel owner , they allow their car and motel to be my decoy so that I can easily get away from those criminals", Joseph said.

" Papa, are you staying with us now?", Kate asked.

" I'll stay for a week, but I still need to go back at the farm, we couldn't let our business unattended because that's our livelihood and provided us a good income", Joseph told his daughter.

" I miss you papa, I wish you'll stay with us for good", Kate told her father.

" I wish I could sweety! don't worry when we're abroad we'll be able to live freely and happily as we wanted to be", Joseph promised.

" Are we hiding? that's why we're away from home?", Kate asked innocently.

" Yes sweety, we are! that's why we do not allow you to go away from here ", Joseph honest reply.

" That's why we're doing online class? ", Prince asked.

" Yes my son, I just want you to understand the situation right now it is for everybody's safety", Joseph explained.

" Yes papa, but I hope it will get better soon", Prince said.

" It will be better when we're abroad, that way no one will bother us anymore, no more threat to our family''s life", Joseph told them.

" Who will tend our farm when we go abroad papa?", Kate asked.

" My dad will, when he goes back from his business trip", Joseph answered.

" When are we going abroad papa?", Kate asked.

" When we finish processing our papers and we have our necessary documents", Joseph said.

" Do we have a place to stay in abroad papa?", Prince asked.

" Yes we have, that's where your grandpa stay right now in abroad", Joseph told his children.

" What will be your work abroad papa?", Prince asked.

" Your grandpa has business abroad that's where we import our product , I will help him in running it, I already have my necessary documents I am just waiting for yours", Joseph said.

" Did grandpa know we'll be going there?", Kate asked.

" Yes of course, he is just waiting for us to arrive there, before he comes back here", Joseph answered.

" Then I wish we can leave sooner, I hate the thought that we are hiding from some bad people", Karen and Joseph look at each other when they heard what their daughter said,but they didn't say anything to correct her or lie further.

" Of course papa we know that something is wrong eventhough you're telling us differently, we know that we are in hiding we just do not ask you", Prince said.

" I know you're a big boy now, we're doing this to protect you," Joseph told his son.

" Am I making your life difficult? we are hiding because of me?", Prince asked.

" Yes, do you remember what happened at the mall? those people that are observing us at home? they were criminals who wanted to get you because of your power", Joseph explained.

" What? that's why they killed our dogs? but I can fight them papa!", Prince unbelievably asked.

" That's what they want, to expose your real identity and they'll get you away from us, who knows they might kill me,mama , Kate and Maggy just to get you.", Joseph said.

" I will never let that happen to all of you" Prince swear.

" That's why all I am asking your cooperation, right now all you have to do is watch after your mother, Kate and Maggy.Take good care of them young man!", Joseph told his son.

" I will papa, but you must take good care of yourself too", Prince reminded his father.,

" Don't worry about me son, I can take care of myself, but for now I will enjoy my time off with you for a week ", Joseph said, while kissing her baby daughter which make her laugh wildly when she felt his day old beard on her cheeks.

" Good for you Maggy, you're just making our life happy because of your laughter", Karen told her daughter as she pinch her lightly on her chubby cheeks.

" Whoaa! you're heavy, just in a few weeks you gained more weight! ", Joseph said as he carry her daughter and swing her in the air playfully.

That was one of the best week in their family ,all they did was play and eat and sleep.

Kate had forgotten her pet, the couple assume their daughter had understand what hardship they're going through as family than the death of her dogs.

." I will still call you everyday, take care of yourself while I'm away from you, " Karen told her husband when he left her in the gate.

" Don't worry I will ! take care of yourself and the kids too, I will be back again whenever I can get away from those guys unnoticed," Joseph promise.

." Okay," Karen replied.

" I'll be waiting for your call honey! ", Joseph said.

" Okay! drive safely honey!", Karen reminded him. Joseph, left with his mom's spare car that Karen and the kids used, he left Biance's car to be used by them just like what Biance instructed. Again he passby at the motel to pick up his car and left his mom's car and key in the motel's supervisor and thank them.

" I noticed some uniformed guys nearby", Joseph mentioned.The supervisor had shared to him some unexpected incident that happened a day after he left his car.

" Three men had come, and looking for your room, they want our staff to open the door you are occupying at gun point ,but we told them to leave our customers alone and we do not share informations about our customers whereabout and that includes your room. We decided to call the police to send them away and that's why they guard us for days now." the supervisor story.

" Thank you for your help! you were great

for protecting your customers, I'm so sorry for the threat in your life that you had experience bacause of me", Joseph told her.

" It's okay sir, we do not expect them to pester us as well, we're very nervous that time

seeing the gun pointing in our faces but we are just praying badly that day and they just left when police mobiles arrive ", the supervisor related.

" Sorry I had no intention of involving you with my problem", Joseph remorsefully asked for apology.

" Not your fault sir! it was not you who threaten us but those bad rascals who point guns at us", the supervisor assure him.

" Then thank you for your understanding and kindly tell your boss, thank you very much from me", Joseph sincere words.

" Yes sir, she understands your situation and she's happy to be able to help you, anyway you had paid for your car's accomodation at the garage and that's a big thing for her ", the supervisor replied.