True Beauty

Chapter 1: Rich

It was another depressing day in Manhattan. But today was worse, much, much worse than any other depressing day. Today Lindsey Marie Vindai was putting her parents in their graves. Well she already did. Now she was standing in front of the shared tombstone with their names, birthdays, and death days. Under the dates read 'Loving parents and children. They will be missed.'

Lindsey thought all her tears were shed, but now she realized she would be moving to Gotham to live with her grandparents.

"Lindzey! Oh sorry, so sorry," Grandma Vindai cried onto Lindsey's shoulder. Grandma Vindai had wondrously long gray hair and beautifully tanned wrinkled skin. Her usually bright green eyes were filled with tears. She was a surprisingly plump woman for living in such poverty all her life and she had gotten shorter than the last time they had seen each other. Her father's parents had flown out to America for their only son's funeral. Back in Italy they had four daughters who couldn't make it.

"Thank you Mamas," Lindsey said. Then Grandfather Vindai came to pull his wife off his granddaughter. He had unusually pale skin for being Italian, but it must had something to do with the strange red hair he had before it turned white, or so Father said. He had dark brown eyes sunk low into his skin and his hands were rough and callused from working hard, laborious jobs in Italy.

"Call soon, Lindzey," he said to her with his weeping wife on his shoulder.

"I will Papi," Lindsey promised. She watched as they went off to the rental car they had and drove off. Their plane was scheduled to take off later tonight.

Lindsey turned back to her parents graves. A tear fell down her cheek when she thought she was alone.

"Oh dear, there's been enough tears today," she heard her Grandma Holling say as she wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She used her other hand that wasn't wrapped around her granddaughter's shoulder to wipe where the tear fell. "I wish I had another handkerchief to give you. But just think, now it's time to be excited! You get to come home with Wilson and I."

"Where is grandfather?" Lindsey choked out looking around the almost empty cemetery before looking at her Grandma. She had light, barely wrinkled skin, thanks to the many skin-care routines she's done over the years. Her light gray - almost white - hair was pulled into a fancy up-do. Her blue eyes were surrounded by red, showing that she did cry for her daughter. She wore a long, black dress that probably cost more than all the flowers for the funeral.

"He went to get the car. He'll be back soon. By now the truck with your belongings should be in Gotham and the servants should be unpacking them. You'll be living like a princess in the manor! You'll love the food Mr. Jang makes. He owned a five-star restaurant before selling it and coming to work for us. You won't have to do chores. We hired only the best to take care of our three hundred year old manor. You don't even have to drive anywhere. We have Samuel to do that for us. He's been driving us since Hailey was a little girl. He didn't drive us here because we knew she wouldn't like it."

Finally one thing her Grandma got right.

"Margaret! Come on, darling, it's going to rain soon," Grandpa Holling called from the road. He had stepped out of the expensive-looking car and was looking up the hill at them. He had thinning hair that had turned white a long time ago. He was very tall and thin and had glasses pushed up on his nose.

"Just a second!" Grandma Holling knelt in front of the gravestone a pressed her fingers to her mouth then pressed them on the stone. "I will visit. I will take care of your darling girl."

Grandma Holling stood up and walked to the car. Lindsey stood for a second before she whispered, "I'll remember everything. Not one memory will be wasted. But why did you have to leave me?"