The Curse Family of Klaus

              I was always standing next to my father.  I watched him sit at his wooden desk that had been in our family for generations.  I watched him do the paper work and he taught me what to sign and why and to read everything carefully.  Sometimes he took me to the factories and told me that someday it would be mine.  He showed me his office in the factory and I stood by his side to watch him work.  I always knew I was going to inherit my father’s business and even as a child I stood proudly next to my father.  I was proud to continue the family’s work.

            In the mansion we were not allowed to enter the east wing.  It was off limits to everyone.  Only a few servants could go there to do their work but no one in the family ever went.  But I knew that someone very old lived there.  When I played outside, I saw him watching from one of the windows and at night, I would catch him looking out into the ocean.  Father would never tell him who he was or why he was in our house. 

            One night, when I was twelve years old, I decided to go into the east wing.  The hallways had pictures of people who I could only guess were my ancestors and there were many doors.  In the middle of the hallway, I saw the man and I walked up to him.  He was very old and sitting in a wheel chair.  He was skinny and had wrinkles all over his face and hands.  He was almost bald and he seemed like he could barely lift his head. 

            I walked up to him and stared at him, face to face.  I watched his blue eyes stare back into my green eyes.  I could tell that at one time his hair (what was left of it) used to be a darker color.  He spoke very soft and with a scratching voice.

“What is your name?”

“Thomas Klaus,” I answered him.  He looked at me from head to toe and for some reason I felt as if I was standing before God. 

“Who are you?” I asked with a strong and quick voice.  I showed him a face that said “I do not fear you,” The man only smiled back. 

“I am Mr. Klaus.  One of your ancestors.  I’ve been alive for over three hundred years,”

            I sat at what was once my father’s desk, now my own desk.  When father died I took over the business and soon I would start training my daughter, my oldest child.  The clock said it was almost six at night and I got up from my desk and went into the dining room. 

            The dining room had a very long table, with one chair at the very front which was my seat.  Behind my seat was the fireplace that was always burning and above the fire place was Mr. Klaus’ portrait when he was younger, shortly after he founded the business, over three hundred years ago. 

            After I sat down, Aunt Caroline came in with my daughter.  My daughter took her place on my right side and her aunt sat across from her. 

“I love how you did your hair today, Ruth,” I said to my daughter.

“Aunt Caroline did it.  She says a lady must always be neat and tidy.  She even gave me her pink ribbon to hold my hair back,” Ruth said with a smile.  Aunt Caroline was my father’s sister and due to being the second born had no inheritance in the business.  But to make herself useful she became the “nanny” of my children.  Even when I was a child, Aunt Caroline was strict and impatience.  She also favored girls among boys. 

“Where is the food, the chief is so slow.  We should get a new one.  This one is getting old,” said Aunt Caroline. 

“The food will be place once everyone is here.  Is Ian out?”

“I do not keep track of that…fool,” said Aunt Caroline. 

            Ian was my father and Aunt Caroline’s cousin.  Since his own father was the second born child, he too had no inheritance to the business.  Due to that, he was often seen as part of the low class in our family but he was still a Klaus and thus held some status among us.  But because Ian’s side of the family got the short end of the stick, he often went out to the local bar and met exotic women.  He stayed out late and sometimes did not return for a few days. 

“I heard that he is meeting that Indian woman,” said Ruth.  Aunt Caroline gave Ruth a look and then had a look of disapproval on her face. 

“Really, that boy will bring shame to our family.  He should be of some use around here instead of using his parent’s money for booze and women,” said Aunt Caroline. 

“I do not agree with his actions either, but he is still a Klaus and any member of the family is welcome to live here.  After all, family is number one.  Never forget that,” I said to both of them. 

            The door to the dining room opened and my youngest child, Bremen walked in and took his place next to his aunt. 

“You missed your lesson today,” Aunt Caroline said without looking at her great nephew. 

“Where were you?” she asked with a strict voice.  Bremen sat at his seat without looking up from the table. 

“He doesn’t talk to anyone, remember?  He’s crazy,” said Ruth. 

            I gave Ruth a look and she look down at her empty plate with disappointment and then I looked at Bremen, trying to see if I could read his mind.  Bremen was always distant from the family and me.  He never connected with anyone and never spoke a word.  The doctor said that nothing physically was wrong with him so the reason why he doesn’t speak is because he does not wish to speak.  Bremen was often in his own world and loved playing with his blocks, dinosaurs, and action figures alone.  Aunt Caroline was extremely strict around him especially since he did not talk and had his “own” schedule such as, he decided when to go to class, when to wake up, and when to do what he wanted to do. 

            The servants came out with the dinner and placed them in front of us.  They filled our glasses with soda for the children and wine for the adults.  I had to tell them that Ian would not be joining us for the evening.  When everyone received their dinner we ate quietly.  Aunt Caroline kept complaining about Bremen because he was not sitting straight but Bremen ignored her, which made Aunt Caroline even more furious.  When everyone finished their dinner, we left and continued with our lives.

            As I walked towards my office I caught sight of Bremen entering the east wing.  I knew he was going to see Mr. Klaus.  I told my children that the east wing was off limits.  Ruth obeyed, but Bremen was always drawn to that place since he was a toddler.  I tried many times to stop him but he kept finding ways of getting there.  Eventually I just gave up but I started to notice that as Bremen got older, he spent more time in the east wing with Mr. Klaus.  This upset me because it was said that Mr. Klaus always favored the first child, so I did not see why Mr. Klaus took an interest in Bremen, the second child.  He should take more interest in Ruth, the first child and the one who will take over the family business. 

            It was almost ten at night when I started to get tired.  The children already came in to say good night.  Ruth was in her pink pajamas and gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek.  I kissed her back and patted her head.  Bremen was still in his clothes and walked passed me to stare out the window. 

“Bremen, say good night to your father,” Aunt Caroline said.  Bremen ignored her and I told her that it was all right.  I told Bremen good night and he turned around and walked out of my office without saying a word or looking at me. 

“I’ll give that child a good beating,” I heard Aunt Caroline say but I knew she wouldn’t.  I told her that I did not want my children to be beat and if I found out she was hurting my children, I would throw her out of the mansion and she would be banish. 

            I got up from my desk and walked to the door.  I shut the light off and headed for my bedroom but on my way I saw Bremen.  I was wondering what he was doing up so late at night.  His sister was asleep and so was Aunt Caroline by now.  Most of the servants were gone and Ian was probably still out having a great time.  I quietly decided to follow Bremen and I was not surprise to see him going to the east wing. 

            Before entering the east wing I felt something that I could not describe.  I knew I felt anger and hate.  Mr. Klaus was alive for over three hundred years and only I knew about that because that information was only passed down from first-born to first-born.  Mr. Klaus seemed to be in charge of Bremen, but not only Bremen.  The whole family!  I had to order his food and clothes.  I had to pay for his medical bill and much more.  He was not just controlling Bremen, but me as well.  He probably also controlled my father before me and his father.  By the time my father died I was supposed to be the patriarch of the family but instead Mr. Klaus is because he is old and wise. 

            I also hated him for favoring Bremen over Ruth.  Ruth should be the one sneaking around.  Ruth should be the one he sees everyday, not Bremen!  Ever since Bremen was born I always wanted to be able to interact with him.  Play with him outside, watch his favorite TV shows with him, make a fort with him, and much more but Bremen favorites Mr. Klaus over me.  Bremen probably doesn’t even acknowledge me as his own father.  This increased my fury. 

            I walked into the east wing and walked to the door that was the bedroom of Mr. Klaus.  I knew that I had enough!  I opened the door and I saw Mr. Klaus sitting in his wheelchair, looking out towards the ocean.  I picked up a book of his and I walked towards him.  When I was right behind him, he turned around but he had no fear, it was as if he knew I was going to be there.  When I saw his face I became furious.  I hit him over the head with the book and kept hitting him and hitting him.  I did not care that he was already dead, I kept hitting him.  Blood got on my shirt, face, pants, and shoes, but I kept hitting him over and over again. 

            After what felt like hours I stopped.  I could not believe what I had just done.  I had killed one of my own kin!  Not just a kin, but an ancestor!  Tears went down my face because I knew I broke the number one rule, family first.  I just knelt there on my knees, screaming in my head.  What had I done?  Then I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head. 

            Bremen watched his father fall to the floor, dead, with the screwdriver in the back of his head.  Bremen looked at Mr. Klaus’ body and his father.  He felt nothing.  Not happiness, regret, anger, sadness, he felt nothing.  But he felt hurt when he watched his father kill his only friend but after killing his father, he felt nothing. 

“I am free,” Bremen said and he softened his fists.  In one of his fists he dropped a pink ribbon.