Kindra Fields, Business Woman: Chapter 5—Caleb

**Author’s Note** This part of Chapter 5 will be from Caleb’s point of view.  Please read the chapter from Kindra’s POV first.  You can reach it by clicking the previous chapter arrow above.  I couldn’t wait for Bridgeport, so I did a little side save file in order to focus on what Caleb, Ronald and Alana do before they too head to the big city.  The story will pick back up from Kindra’s point of view after this chapter.

Kindra Fields was moving to Bridgeport.  That’s all that Caleb could think about.  It consumed him, though he did his best to hide it.  He had hoped that now that he was an adult, she would remember how she had once felt about him.

She liked me, I’m sure of it, he thought.  But it was too late.  She was leaving.

At her party, Caleb enthused about his new career at the theatre.  He rambled on about how he hoped to get some experience in the music industry before setting out on his own.  He hardly knew what he was saying.  Kindra and Mrs. Fields both nodded and made encouraging noises at him.

“Some day I want to be a famous musician,” he said.  “I want to inspire people.  Make them feel things.”

“I’m sure you’ll go far, Caleb,” Mrs. Fields said.  Kindra just nodded.  She seemed distracted.  It was probably the move.   When she got to the big city, she would meet all kinds of interesting people—guys more interesting than him.  She already knew guys more interesting than him.  He’d seen her out with that blond dude in the suit.  How could he compete with that guy?

The guy in question looked like he came from money.  He didn’t look like a guy who had had to work part time just to support his mom and half-sisters.  The blond suit didn’t seem like a guy who didn’t even know who his own father was (or the fathers of his sisters either).  That guy looked like his mom made him cookies and took him to baseball games on Saturdays.  His mom probably didn’t come home late smelling like booze, cigarettes and sex.

Get over yourself, Caleb, he admonished himself.  Someday you will be a somebody, too.  And then Kindra will notice you.  She’ll see what she’s been missing.

Yeah, he thought.  Then everything will be perfect.

But Caleb couldn’t make himself believe it.  Kindra Fields was moving to Bridgeport.  He’d probably never see her again.

Caleb was still living with his mom, but he had plans to move out soon.  Ronald Fields, Kindra’s brother, and Alana Ball, were graduating soon.  They were the other members of his band, ARC.  They hadn’t had a lot of practice time lately.  Caleb was always working or taking care of his family.

“Hiya, Ma!” he waved at her when he passed her on his way to work.  She didn’t look too unsteady.  He hoped that she was headed home to be with the girls.  Caleb’s oldest sister, Debbie, was home baby setting the younger girls, twins Eden and Evelyn.  Debbie was in the same grade as Ronald and Alana.  Eden and Evelyn were just toddlers.

When Ronald and Alana graduated, Caleb got what he wanted and Ronald moved in with him.  They moved into a similar rental house to the one that Kindra had rented before she moved.  Caleb was just sorry that it had come at such a high price for his friend.

Ron and Kindra’s dad was a pretty stubborn old guy.  He liked things to go his way and no one else’s.  Mr. Fields had wanted Ron to take over the family farm, but Ron didn’t want it.  When Ron came over to Caleb’s house to tell him about it, he was pretty upset.

“Dad said my ambitions were foolish,” Ron said.  “He was upset when he saw my hair cut and new clothes.  He didn’t understand that I want to be a rock star, not a farmer.”

“You had to sort of expect that, Ron, right?  Look at how he treated Kindra.”

“I know, but she and Dad have always fought.  Dad and I mostly get along.  He used to be proud of the way I played my music.  Heck, I learned how to play the guitar from him!”

“I know.  But your dad inherited the farm from his dad.  He probably thought you’d want that legacy.”

“Yeah.  He’s pretty hurt.”

“He’ll come around.  You’ll see.  When we hit it big, he’ll be so proud that it won’t matter that you’re not a farmer.”

“You think so?”

Caleb nodded.  He had to believe it.  They had to make it.  Kindra would realize what she is missing if he became a big-shot rock star.

A week or so after moving in together, Caleb woke up to the smell of cooking waffles.  Ron was making breakfast.  When he went into the small kitchen, Caleb was shocked to see that Ron had died his hair.

“Wow,” Caleb said.  “That’s blue.”

“Yeah, Alana and I dyed our hair last night.  You should see her.  She’s got pick streaks.”

“Ok.”

“What?  All rock stars have died hair.”

“Whatever you say, dude.”  Caleb snickered as he took a fork full of waffle.  “The fans will just have to like me au natural,” he said.  “I’m not dyeing my hair ever.”

“Why would you need to?  Your hair looks dyed anyway.  You’ve got all those copper and blonde streaks.  You’re a girl’s wet dream.”

“Better believe it!”

But Caleb didn’t believe it.  If girls found him irresistible, then why hadn’t Kindra realized how much he loved her?  Why hadn’t she wanted to go out with him instead of that blonde guy she’d been with?  Why had she left for Bridgeport without looking back?

It’d been weeks and he hadn’t heard from her.  She hadn’t called Ron either.  Caleb envisioned her dating some rich snob business man who could take her to posh restaurants and fancy bars.  She’d be like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman going to the opera with the Richard Geer wannabe, falling for all of his lines until he was offering to be her white night and take her away.  Caleb wanted to punch the imagined tycoon.

His only solace was his music.  He was spending a lot of time in the park playing for small crowds there before going to work.  Sometimes Ronald and Alana joined him, but they were pre-occupied with each other.

More often than not, they’d be distracted and Caleb would be left playing solo.  He didn’t mind so much.  He was the writer of their little trio.  Alana always came up with a good bit of music, and Ron was always good for a romantic ballad or two, but most of the group’s lyrics were his.

After weeks of slaving away at the theatre, Caleb was getting frustrated.  He had written almost 20 new songs since Kindra had left, but no one seemed to be interested in recording them.  Ronald and Alana were getting frustrated, too.

“Guess what,” Ron announced one night after work.  They were eating autumn salad, the only thing that Caleb knew how to make without burning it.

“I proposed to Alana the other day and she said yes.”

“What!?”  Caleb couldn’t believe it.  He was happy for his friends, but he was shocked, too.  He felt sort of bad that his first thought was about the band.  Would they break up if Alana and Ron got married?  “That’s awesome, dude.  So when’s the big day?”

Caleb laughed and looked slightly uncomfortable.  “Well, actually, we haven’t set a date yet.  Alana has this crazy idea…”

Caleb could believe it.  Alana always had crazy ideas.  “Oh no, what is it this time?”

“She says she’ll marry me, but not until we have a hit song and are famous.”  Ron looked at Caleb like a man searching for a life-line.

“Wow.  That’s quite a condition.”

“I know.  She thinks we could really make it, but she says we’re being stifled here.”

It was a common argument coming from Alana.  She made no secret of the fact that she hated living in Twinbrook.  Caleb remembered when Alana had told him to channel all of his romantic frustrations about Kindra into music so that they could make a hit record.  He’d been trying, but no one wanted to hear his songs.

That night when Ron came into the room the two of them shared, Caleb was strumming a new tune on his guitar.  He had a glimmer of an idea.

“Dude, it’s late…almost 2am.  We should get some sleep.”

“Just a sec.  I almost have it…”  Caleb played the tune again adding a little flourish.  “There.  That’s it.”

“A new song?”  Ronald yawned as he climbed into his bed.

“An idea.”  Caleb set his guitar in its stand.

“Have you figured out how we’re going to hit the big time?”  Ron punched his pillow a few times and then rolled onto his side.

“I think I have.”

Ron rolled back and looked at Caleb questioningly.

“We should move to Bridgeport.”

“You’re as crazy as Alana!  We can’t afford to go to the city.  Where would we live?”

“Didn’t Kindra say you could bunk with her?”  And that was the real reason behind Caleb’s idea.  It was a legitimate reason to be near Kindra again.  He’d get famous and make her notice him.

“Oh man.  Alana and Kindra in the same house.  That’s going to be very interesting.”

“But she’ll do it.  Alana wants to get out of here and marry your sorry self.  She’ll live with Kindra if it will help us get famous.”

“Oh god, you’re probably right.”

It was a crazy idea, but Caleb thought it would work.  They’d have to sell all of their stuff and leave with just their guitars and the clothes on their backs, but if they played for tips along the way, they should be able to have enough to get a new start in Bridgeport.