Chapter 15

You can never Return Home

Cassie sat at the breakfast table like she had her whole childhood. She sipped on the coffee that Marie had brought her. That had been another shock for her family to get used to. Both her mother and Marie had stood with mouths hanging open when she asked Marie for a cup of coffee as she sat down at the table.

Marie was peeping at her from the edge of the doorway into the kitchen. Her mother sat across the kitchen table from her, slowly drinking her own coffee but taking as many stealthy peeks at her as Marie. Cassie noted that her Mother was now looking her over more fully, less at her face and body more at how she sat and acted and how she was dressed.

"Cassie, you are no longer my little baby. It will take me some time to adjust, but you are bigger than me now! You are all grown up and I was not there when it happened. Look at you! I feel like I went to sleep for ten years and just woke up and now those ten years are gone.

"Just look at you! You are no little girl, you are a grown woman. Just the way you wear that suit; a suit! You are a young business woman."

"Mom, I have not thought about that. Everybody around me just took it for granted. Nobody saw it happening to me. I think it's over now though. I have not seen any more weight or size change in two weeks. I think I am over my growth spurt."

"And who were those two women with you? I'm sorry if you told me, I was out of it and don't remember."

"I'm sorry Mom; they are Betty O'Keefe, and June Smyth. They are chauffeurs, bodyguards and companions. Betty was trained in the Army and June in the Air Force. I need them as, legally, I am still underage. No matter how old I look, all my identification tells the truth. I am thirteen years old. It does not matter that I am a duly sworn Special Deputy United State Marshal, I am thirteen."

"But mentioning my suit, I need another wardrobe. I have three suits like this, seven sets of what I called work clothes, battledress with heavy duty work boots. I just have a couple of pieces of what I call casual clothes for just hanging around and visiting folks."

"I am going to need a complete school wardrobe, everything!"

"Cassie, about school, you will stand out like some kind of freak. You look older than any senior in school. But you are only a freshman, I know you said sophomore but that doesn't make a difference. You look too old to be in High School."

The silence was deafening.

The next day Cassie's father, George, flew home from Odessa. Cassie was standing by her Tahoe that she and her companions had just finished polishing. A Super Cab 4x4 drove up the driveway and pulled up near the back door. Cassie walked around the house and met her Dad on the sidewalk to the back door.

"Cassie baby!" A big grin lit up his face as he took her into his arms and squeezed.

"Wow girl you have really grown! And you're almost as tall as me now."

"Dad, that's a problem and Mom, mentioned it too. I am going to stand out like an elephant in the living room if I go to school here. I don't think I can blend in. What can I do?"

"I think we should do some talking about it and then we will think and see what we come up with."
"Cassie, before you left for the summer I would have never imagined that you would leave home rich and come back obnoxiously richer."

With that he gathered her into his arms once more. They turned and walked, with his arm about her, into the house.

The next morning Cassie went to her dojo to exercise. She was stretching when she saw her Sensei slip into the Dojo quietly and move up behind her. With a loud "Hiji" he attacked. Cassie reacted without thought, and he was flying through the air. When he landed on his back, she was standing over him with her right foot resting gently on his throat. He slapped the mat three times. Cassie stepped back and waited.

Rolling over Sensei Inoue Shina stood then bowed to Cassie,"Sampai."

Cassie returned the bow and replied, "Sensei Inoue."

"You have kept in practice, have you noticed any changes with your new height and weight?"

"Not as much as I would expect, but most of my practice has been Kata and solo."

He stood watching her, "You are saying that you have had no sparring partner since you have been gone?"

"That is correct Sensei."

"What about your two companions?"

"Companions? Oh you mean Betty and June, I've just recently met them and I don't know if they have martial arts skills."

"Shame on you Sampai Cassie; I saw them yesterday evening as they found the dojo, the pool, and all the other equipment. They looked like they had found heaven. They returned thirty minutes later in gi's and spent a good hour working out."

"Really? How good are they?"

"They will be able to give you a serious workout, but still have much to learn."

"That is good; I think I will be leaving again and very soon."

"This time you will not be returning so soon." Sensei Inoue said. "There is no reason for me to stay. I will start looking for a place to go."

"Sensei! That is utterly unnecessary. Both my Mother and Dad enjoy having you here. My Dad said that you have a way of bringing civilization just by your presence."

"Your honorable father is very gracious. I will take my time then, and look for a place of contemplation."

"Please take your time in doing so."

Cassie and Sensei Inoue practiced together for a couple of hours. When they finished, Cassie's body ached with pains that she had not felt in months. After a good soak in the Jacuzzi, though, she felt like a million dollars.

Cassie joined her Dad in his office and they talked for hours. Cassie learned, for the first time, the full details of her inheritance. "My God Dad, you are saying that when I was born I was already as rich as you were?"

"Yes Cassie, and not only was she very rich she was also very secretive. Only last month a new trust came to my attention. After investigating it, I found another estate in Virginia worth about Five million dollars and fully covered with maintenance trusts to keep it up and pay any and all taxes due for the estate. The only reason I found it was that it had been accumulating excess funds and when they reached a certain level they were deposited into one of the other trusts I have been managing for you."