Page 12 of The Second Ending
Her friend shook her head. “No, but I think I’ve heard the name before. I’ll send Josh a text tonight and see if he knows this person. It would be a coincidence if he did.”
Ashleigh let out a chuckle. “Oh no! There’ve been enough coincidences already. I’m happy for a nice, disinterested stranger. Now, what were we thinking about dessert? I’m in the mood for chocolate.”
Ashleigh had imaginedSebastian Vera as a beige sort of person. Indeterminate age, indeterminate background, mildly pleasant, but rather forgettable—a perfect government functionary who shows up, does the job, and disappears without leaving any trace of his or her involvement.
She was not expecting a strikingly handsome man with olive skin, thick black hair, expressive brows, and a personality that could stop traffic. What was someone like him doing in the city’s planning department? He should be on TV, at the very least!
He met the group at the entrance to the park as planned, and strode over as soon as he saw them, absolutely at ease in his well-cut suit, matched with shoes just casual enough to go tramping across the fields. Ashleigh felt quite out of place in hernavy chinos and dark blue t-shirt. She hadn’t been anticipating outdoor office chic. But, my, he did it well.
“Masako,” his rich voice boomed out, and he threw his arms wide. Of course. He must have met her when she arranged for him to join them, and clearly she’d made a good impression. One point for their side.
Masako introduced him to Marcus and Shelley, then to Lana, and at last, to Ashleigh.
“Ashleigh Lynch,” he rolled her name, seeming to enjoy the sound of it. “A pleasure. I’ve been doing my homework, and I read up a bit about you. Only Linked-In, nothing creepy, I promise. I have to say, your profile is most impressive. And I hadn’t realised you were so young. That much engagement and experience usually takes many years to achieve. I am more impressed still. You worked in Chile?” he asked, eyes focused directly on hers.
She nodded. “I love it there.”
“Si, es un país muy hermoso, a very beautiful country. My father is Chilean. His family escaped during the Pinochet years, although I was born here. He’s never gone back, but I’ve been a few times to find relatives.”
“Were you successful? Or…?” Chile’s history could be painful. She shouldn’t have said anything.
But he smiled. “Partly, yes. My grandfather’s sister is still there, and through her, I met several cousins, all wonderful people. But, alas, we aren't here to talk about Chile. Let’s see what’s happening with this planned development instead.”
He turned toward Marcus, but his eyes lingered on Ashleigh for a moment. “What can you tell me about this project? And then we can walk through the site, as you proposed.”
The topic turned to that of business, and they began walking.
This was the first time Ashleigh had seen more than a glance of the fields in question. Perusing the specs on a city map wasn’tthe same as being there in person, and she was pleased the others had agreed to this suggestion.
The land in question was shaped vaguely like a triangle. Taking up one apex of the green space was the public school, its low 1950s building an ugly grey blot on the otherwise verdant area. The school playing grounds themselves were set off by the expected chain-link fence, but the fields continued for quite a distance past this, to a line of trees that marked the parkland which made up the second corner of the area. From the maps, Ashleigh knew the park was bounded at the back by a small stream, one of many that traced their way through little ravines and creek beds, most disappearing into sewers at some point on their journeys, all finally ending up in the lake. The proposed development would take up the third corner of this area, effectively separating the school and park and erasing the field between them.
“This,” Masako waved her arm before her, “is where the proposed development will be.” She emphasised the word ‘proposed’. “It is, of course, where the kids like to play. The schoolyard is fenced off, and the park over there is too uneven for sports, and people use the area for little kids and for picnics. The older kids like this flat ground, so they can kick around a ball or play frisbee. That’s what we need to preserve.”
“And this is the land that we are purchasing for our residential development,” Marcus inserted. “It’s all legal and the zoning is approved. But we’re here to look at the land and see what options there might be. Why don’t we start at the park, since we can already see how the school fits into the whole area.”
They wandered across the field, dodging a small group of older adults engaged in their morning tai chi class, and a couple of young mothers power-walking together, their children asleep in their jogging strollers. At last, the group made their way towards the furthest end, where the land dipped slightly intothe stream. There was a path tracing the rivulet, and the land immediately beside it was thick with growth and brambles—a natural barrier between people enjoying the park and the water.
“Someone’s been enjoying this area a bit too much,” Ashleigh chuckled. She drew everyone’s attention to a small section where the low growth had been flattened, and where a pile of empty beer cans shone like beacons, glinting in the bright morning sun. Red, blue, and gold, the reflected light dazzled her eye, sequins in the brambles.
“Kids!” Sebastian huffed. “Always sneaking about and leaving a mess. I’ll call this into the parks department, get someone to clean it up.”
“And this is part of what we want to deal with,” Marcus stated. “These late-night things are illegal and pose a danger to the community, but with a new, high-end development with the appropriate staff, kids or others will be less likely to indulge, keeping the whole public area safer for everyone.”
“You can’t seriously suggest this is a public service—” Masako began, but she closed her mouth quickly with a huff. “We’ll discuss this later. That section, there, is something we need to look at. You see where the land flattens out just past the large tree? Just past there.” She strode off towards some of the newly-erected temporary fencing that held the signs about the impending development. Ashleigh watched the others walk off in her wake and began to follow along.
A sound caught her attention, and she swivelled her head. There, just coming around a small copse of bushes, a little child wandered into view. The kid couldn’t have been more than two or two-and-a-half, clad in tiny denim trousers, a green jacket, and a large-brimmed sun hat. Even in the autumn, the sun was strong, and delicate skin must be protected. But where was his parent? Probably two steps behind.
Ashleigh was about to follow her colleagues to the area Masako mentioned, but something held her back. There was no parent in sight. And now this toddler was heading straight for the stream.
Of course. The shining cans must have caught his attention, glittering like toys in the bright morning sunshine, and he was going to investigate. This wasn’t good.
“Pretty shiny,” she heard the little one say, and then, in a sing-song mantra, “pretty shiny, pretty shiny.”
Still no parent. Ashleigh abandoned her trajectory and moved as quickly as she could to where the child was now approaching its treasure. The section of the undergrowth there was very close to the stream, and the shallow banks looked slippery. She moved faster still, rushing over to call to the little one before he could get too close.
“Hi. Hi there. Come back.”
The toddler giggled and kept moving.
