The Prime Minister's Daughter

  Chapter 23

  The following day, Kevin arranged for Cetawayo to visit Obatala at the courthouse. The visit lasted about an hour. She seemed resigned to her fate by the time she left him. She went home to begin packing and making arrangements to leave. That night, Kevin and Deviane broke the news to Anila about their plans to go to Texas.

  "Mom, Kevin wants to go home and see his family before the trial. His parents are really anxious to see him since the kidnaping and everything. I'm going to go with him, so I can meet them."

  "Oh, when did you decide this?"

  "Just in the last couple of days. We've been thinking about it and feel it's not fair to Kevin's family not to get a chance to meet me before the wedding."

  "But we have so much to do."

  "You don't need me. I want a wedding just like yours. Whatever you do will be fine. Anyway, I'll only be gone a couple of weeks. We've got months until the wedding."

  "I guess we've been kind of selfish. Why don't you invite Kevin's parents here? They could be our guests."

  "No, I need to meet all of his family. We’re also going to look at some colleges while we're there."

  "I guess I can get along without you for a couple of weeks, but promise me you won't stay any longer."

  "I won't. Kiran will help you too. She likes planning social events."

  "When will you leave?"

  "Tomorrow. The trial is in three weeks and Kevin has to testify, so we need to leave right away."

  "Have you told your father?"

  "Yes, he understands."

  "Well, I'll miss you two."

  "I'll call you every few days to tell you how things are going."

  "Good, I'll be worried about you."

  "I'll take good care of her, don't worry, Anila."

  "I know you will, Kevin."

  "Well, we've got to go pack. We're leaving early in the morning."

  "Do you need any help?"

  "No, Kevin will help me."

  "All right, good night, dear."

  "Good night, Mom."

  The next morning, Kevin and Deviane were taken to a military air base. They were surprised to see a United States jet parked on the runway. They were escorted aboard and were delighted to see that Cetawayo and the children were already there. They gave Cetawayo a hug and said hello to the children. The captain came back and introduced himself.

  He asked them to take their seats and buckle their seat belts until they were airborne. Just as everyone was set for the takeoff, the door to the plane opened and Ambassador Rawlins boarded carrying a black brief case and a raincoat.

  "Hello, Kevin, Deviane."

  "Mr. Ambassador, I didn't know you were going with us," Deviane said.

  "Well, it was a last minute thing. You didn't give us much notice of this trip. We really had to scramble."

  "I just thought we were going to take BWIA," Kevin said. "I didn't expect you to send a jet."

  "The President didn't want anything more happening to you two. Besides, he wants you to come to the White House for dinner tonight."

  "Really?"

  "You don't mind, do you?"

  "No," Kevin laughed. "I've always wanted to see the inside of the White House. I can't believe this!"

  "I didn't bring anything nice enough to wear to the White House." Deviane said.

  "It's all right, we'll arrange for you to get a gown when we arrive."

  "Wow! This is exciting," Deviane said. "What about Cetawayo and the children?"

  "We've made arrangements for them. The President has agreed to grant them political asylum in the United States. It will take a few days to process them. We'll take good care of them, don't worry. In a few days they'll join you in Dallas."

  "Oh, the Prime Minister wanted me to give you this briefcase, Kevin. I don't know what's in it, but he said you would know what to do with it."

  "Oh, thanks," Kevin said as he took the briefcase from the Ambassador.

  "I guess congratulations are in order."

  "Oh, thank you." Deviane said.

  "Have you set a date?"

  "After the first of the year, during the dry season. We're getting married at the Royal Botanical Gardens."

  "Oh, that should be beautiful. You know, this is going to be quite an event. An American hero marries the richest and prettiest girl in Trinidad."

  "That's not true."

  "Which part?"

  "Kiran is prettier than me."

  "I'm not so sure, my dear."

  "I'm on your side, Ambassador," Kevin said smiling at Deviane.

  She blushed and turned her head to look out the window. Kevin and the Ambassador laughed.

  "Hey, with all this publicity you're getting, you ought to think about a career in politics."

  "Really?"

  "Yeah, you're damn near a household name. I bet you could be the youngest congressman on the Hill."

  "Hmm."

  "Well, I better go buckle up. The captain's ready to take off," the Ambassador said.

  While Kevin and Deviane were excited about the prospect of going to the White House, they were more curious about the briefcase.

  "Should I open it?" Kevin said.

  "Wait until the Ambassador is gone. I don't know what's in it."

  "Okay."

  A little later, the Ambassador went to the back of the plane to use the restroom.

  "Hurry," Deviane said. "Open it!"

  Kevin opened the briefcase and exclaimed, "Oh shit! It's full of money."

  "Really? How much?"

  "Two hundred thousand I bet. This must be Cetawayo's money. I guess I get to take care of it for her."

  "Yeah, because they've got to go through State Department processing, it might be difficult for Cetawayo to explain why she had two hundred thousand dollars."

  "Good point."

  Deviane noticed the door to the commode open.

  "Put it away, the Ambassador is coming,"

  Kevin closed the briefcase and put it under the seat.

  He smiled at the Ambassador as he sat down.

  "The attendant will serve us some lunch later on. If you want a drink or anything, just push the button over your seat."

  "Thanks. This is so cool, flying in our own private jet," Kevin said.

  "Your daddy has a private jet, doesn't he, Deviane?" the Ambassador said.

  "Yes, I've been in it a few times. We went to Caracas once."

  "Well, you might want to relax and get some shut eye. You're going to have a long day."

  "Good idea," Deviane said as she started fumbling with her seat. "Kevin, wake me up for lunch."

  "Okay, sweet dreams."

  Deviane closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep. Kevin looked out the window at the ocean beneath them. He was much too excited to sleep. All he could think about was eating dinner at the White House. He thought back to that moment of decision, when he knew something bad was about to happen. He was so glad he hadn't stopped to think and just let his instincts guide him. He thanked God for putting him in the right place at the right time.

  At two-thirty the plane landed in Washington D.C. The President's helicopter was waiting for them at the airport. Kevin, Deviane and the Ambassador were taken aboard immediately. Cetawayo and the kids were escorted to a State Department van that was waiting not far away. The helicopter ride took thirty minutes. When they landed at the White House, they were escorted to guest rooms, where they could rest and prepare for dinner and their meeting with the President. One of the First Lady's aides found Deviane a gown, and a hairdresser came in to do her hair and nails. Kevin found a tux hanging in his closet. One of the White House servants came by to ask him if he needed any alterations or help getting dressed. Kevin politely declined. At six, the guests were called to the Blue Room for cocktails.

  As Kevin walked into the elegant room, he noticed the magnificent candelabra and the picture of James Monroe on the wall. He admired the aqua upholstery on the chairs that matched the rich wallpaper.
Then he saw the most beautiful thing in the room. It was Deviane, dressed in a magnificent, long, silver satin dress with a plunging neckline. It gave him goose bumps. He stared at her a moment, like she was a stranger. When she saw him, she waved and he quickly walked over to her.

  "My God! You look stunning. I was mesmerized when I first saw you."

  "Thank you. You look pretty handsome yourself. I was wondering what you'd look like in a tux."

  "Is the President here yet?"

  "I don't think so. I've already seen someone I know, though."

  "Really, who was that?"

  "The wife of the Ambassador to Barbados. I had dinner with her one time, when we were on holiday."

  "Well, that's good. I doubt I'll meet anybody I know."

  Just then, Ambassador Rawlins spotted them and came over.

  "Hey, let me take you two around and introduce you to everybody. My, you look fantastic, Deviane. You better keep a close eye on her tonight, Kevin. She might get kidnaped again!"

  The Ambassador took Deviane by the arm and escorted her to a group of people. Kevin followed and the Ambassador introduced them. Thirty minutes later, the President made his entrance and immediately found Kevin and Deviane.

  "Kevin, you did well in Trinidad I see," the President said.

  "Yes, I'm very lucky."

  "So, you two are going to take the plunge, huh?"

  "Yes, in January," Kevin replied.

  "Congratulations. I must say we had some very concerned moments back here when you two were kidnaped. That must have been quite an experience."

  "It definitely was that, sir."

  "How are you both feeling? I heard you both were badly beaten."

  "I'm okay, I just got hit a few times," Deviane said. "Kevin is the one they really hurt."

  "I'm feeling a lot better. I had a couple of broken ribs, and you can still see the bruise on my forehead. It's still a little tender."

  "How did it feel to kill that terrorist, Ray Mohammed?"

  "It felt good, at the time."

  "I bet it did. Are you going to be all right with it?"

  "Yeah, I had to do it."

  "It's never easy to kill someone, no matter how evil they are," the President said.

  “No, it’s not.”

  "So, Deviane, have you been to America before?"

  "Yes, we went to Florida a few times and then Dallas, of course.”

  "Well, I hope you enjoy your stay."

  "I'm sure I will."

  "Will you two be living in the United States?"

  "We're not sure, but we'll definitely be going to college here."

  "Great, do you know where you're going yet?"

  "No, not yet. In fact, we're going to look at a few colleges while we’re here."

  "Oh, you should go see Georgetown while you're in Washington. It's a fine school."

  "Maybe we will."

  "So, what do you think of the White House?"

  "It's magnificent!" Kevin replied.

  "Play your cards right and maybe you can live here someday."

  Kevin raised his eyebrows. "Well, I don't know about that, Sir."

  "Kevin and I are thinking about going to medical school," Deviane said.

  "Both of you? My word, you two are ambitious."

  "We'd like to open up a free clinic for the poor," Deviane said.

  "That sounds great. Well, we better get this dinner on the road, Pierre gets cranky if we're late for dinner. Come on everyone, let's go to the dining room. Dinner is served!"

  Since Kevin and Deviane's arrival, the crowd had swelled to over a hundred. The gigantic horseshoe-shaped table was an incredible sight. Kevin was impressed by the gold silverware and fine china. Before they sat down, the First Lady came over and introduced herself. After they had talked a few minutes, she left and everyone was seated. Before dinner started, the President asked for everyone's attention.

  "Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to say a few words and then propose a toast to our guests, Kevin Wells and Deviane Shah. Several months ago, we all witnessed a most courageous act. Kevin Wells, without blinking an eye, rushed into harm’s way to protect a head of state who was a guest here in America. He prevented a horrible tragedy from occurring and thwarted an attempt by terrorists to forcibly take over Trinidad. We thought that was as much heroism as anyone could expect from one individual in a lifetime.

  “Well, as you know Kevin was called upon again to demonstrate extraordinary courage. This time, he and the two daughters of the Prime Minister of Trinidad were chased through the forest by enemy guerrillas, who had orders to kill them. One of the girls was shot. Kevin carried her, under fire, for several miles until they thought they had been rescued. Unfortunately, it was a trick. Kevin and Deviane were bound and gagged, thrown into a helicopter at gun point, and then dumped in a dark prison cell. But Kevin Wells didn’t give up. When the opportunity presented itself, he managed to wrestle a rifle away from a soldier who had just hit him with it in the head, and once he had the gun he killed the soldier and also the assassin, Ray Mohammed. Then by the grace of God, Kevin and Deviane were rescued and we welcome them here tonight!"

  The crowd gave them a rousing round of applause. Kevin smiled and bowed slightly. Deviane wiped a tear from her eye.

  The President continued, "Raise your glasses and toast this most extraordinary American, Kevin Wells. You're an inspiration to us all!"

  Everyone took a drink and then gave them another round of applause.

  "If you haven't already heard it, there is a fairy tale ending to this story. While in captivity, Kevin and Deviane fell in love and are to be married in Trinidad, in January!"

  Several women in the crowd sighed, "Ohhh!"

  "Here's to Kevin and Deviane! To many wonderful years together!"

  After dinner, the President excused himself, as he had to attend to matters of state. He suggested Kevin and Deviane spend the night in the White House. He told them he'd see to it that someone gave them a tour of Georgetown in the morning. Then, they could take an afternoon flight to Dallas. They accepted, thanked the President and were taken to the Red Room for coffee with Ambassador Rawlins and other State Department officials.

  "Kevin, I'd like you to meet Monty Crandall. He's my boss at the State Department. I promised him I'd introduce you both to him before you left town."

  "Hi, it's a pleasure to meet you." Kevin said.

  Deviane smiled and said, "Hello."

  "I'm not going to bore you with more accolades. You've had enough of that tonight, I'm sure. What I wanted to tell you was that the President wants to provide you with some security while you're in the United States. We don't want anything happening to you. We'll provide a jet to take you anywhere you want to go. I'm assigning three men to watch out for you."

  "Is that really necessary?" Deviane said.

  "Yes, you're the daughter of a foreign head of state, so this is just diplomatic courtesy. We want your stay here in America to be pleasant and uneventful. Besides, the press could be a problem, so we'll help you manage that situation."

  "The press?" Kevin said.

  "Yes. You two are a hot item. They'll be stalking you wherever you go."

  "Really?" Kevin said.

  "Yes, we also want to be sure you get back to Trinidad to testify. This trial is very important to the United States. We want to be sure Deviane's father stays in power. He's been very friendly to the United States and we don't want anything to jeopardize that relationship, particularly since the Cocos Bay discovery."

  "Okay, whatever you say," Kevin replied.

  "If you two want to be alone before you go to bed, there’s a sitting room on the third floor that you can use. Or, if you want to see a movie, just let one of the staff know."

  "Thank you. That's very thoughtful," Deviane said as she smiled at Kevin.

  "If you need anything at all, just let someone know."

  "Thank you, sir," Kevin said.

  "Well, the Ambassador and I must r
un. It was a pleasure meeting both of you."

  "Yes, it was nice meeting you. Thank you for everything," Kevin replied.

  After the Ambassador and Mr. Crandall left, Kevin and Deviane went up to the sitting room to talk for a while before bed. Someone from the kitchen staff brought them a snack and asked if they needed anything else. When they were alone, they kissed for a while, then held hands as they gazed out the window at the cars traveling down Pennsylvania Avenue.

  "You know, this is a fairy tale," Kevin said. "Sometimes I think I'm dreaming and I'm afraid I'm going to wake up."

  Deviane smiled. "I know what you mean. When I saw you for the first time on Jay Leno, I just knew we were meant to be together. I was so scared that I wouldn't be able to have you. Then, when you thought you loved Kiran, I wanted to jump off the roof."

  Kevin laughed. "I'm glad you didn't."

  "Now, I'm so scared something will happen and I'll lose you."

  "No chance. You're stuck with me now."

  "You promise?"

  "Scout's honor."

  Deviane put her arms around Kevin and squeezed him tightly. Kevin began to stroke her hair and caress her neck. Then he kissed the top of her head gently.

  "I love you," he said.