After returning home, Karlyna Bancroft faces a big challenge. As she attempts to rescue her family Rum & Wine business from a wealthy sugar producer, a bigger challenge develops in dealing with her past and her childhood inadequacies. But Karlyna's biggest challenge has been and is keeping her childhood tormentor away from her heart. Because of her half sister's one selfish decision, Karlyna struggles to bring her family business back on track is short lived. The Other Side of Paradise is a contemporary novel about love and the struggles of one island family's downfall in modern day Jamaica. What ensues is drama among the islands wealthy upper class. This story paints an insightful scenic view of the island and provides a glimpse on the island and its culture.
For Karlyna Bancroft, this fiesty, free spirited thirty-one year old Island girl, returning home to assist in her failing family business was definitely not on her agenda. At the indirect request of her ailing father to come home and after several years living in the United States and barely surviving financially, Karlyna Bancroft goes home to Jamaica. She finds that her family’s rum and wine distillery will soon be taken over by a sinister sugar producer, a family acquaintance, who had recently expanded in the rum industry and is engaged to be married to Karlyna’s half sister. Inadequacies and childhood insecurities resurface within Karlyna and the age-old class and color lines are rearing its ugly head in modern day Jamaica, which Karlyna would have to overcome for her to rescue her family business.
To complicate this situation even more, Karlyna faces her childhood tormentor, Jude Spencer, an enigmatic unrelenting man, who seems to be doing everything to get her to notice him, including dating Karlyna’s best friend. Armed with a few supporters, Karlyna’s attempt at bringing the family business back on its feet is short-lived and she realizes that she may need Jude Spencer’s help if she should ever succeed.
Excerpt
Chapter 12
Changes
I walked out into the evening with Wellesley Rougally by my side. I looked up towards the mountain, breathing in the air with a sense of homeliness and embracing every inch of my environment. I had come to notice the new patch of pink coralia and royal poinciana planted in the center of the roundabout driveway. Along with a wide variety of gloriosa lilies, purple-blue lignum vitae and some colorful birds of paradise made for striking scenery and helped me to relax, despite being in the presence of Wellesley Rougally.
Dusk had swiftly enveloped the valley, and in between the trees were dark shadows of its existence. A few creatures croaked, buzzed and chirped—crickets, grasshoppers, and frogs from the ponds echoed in the evening hour.
For the past five years, the sound of the country had beckoned me home, but I had chosen to ignore its calling. I had feared that once I returned home, I would disappoint my family, and so it was emotionally better to remain in a country that did not know what great potential I had.
We headed toward the roundabout, where Rougally’s car was parked.
“Karlyna,” he said, breaking into my reverie and sounding a little bit peeved. “I did not like what you said about my brother.”
I raised my brow questioningly.
“Innis is a successful pilot, married with two children.” He let out a frustrated breath, and his voice had a passionate lilt as he snapped, “Despite what you’ve heard or are inclined to believe, we Rougallys are strong men…Innis is not a poofter, battyman, homosexual, gay or whatever term you or anyone see fit to say he is.”
I looked up at him for a moment before I acknowledged his comments. “Sure he is not—but a lot of folks would disagree with that.” I wanted him to know that whatever his brother was, I could care less, and had no interest in debating his sexual orientation. I was surprised at myself, listening to Wellesley’s ranting about Innis. I put an expression of indifference on my face and in my eyes, and only because my frost-covered reply caused Wellesley to stir in anger did I decide to change the direction of our conversation.
“I don’t mean to change the subject, but was there some business you wanted to discuss with me?” My insensitivity slipping again into an apathetic tone. I was impatient to join my friends and uncomfortable in Wellesley’s presence.
“Very well,” he said with resolve, his voice rising with the same lilt of odd combination of Jamaican and British accent, which could only be acquired if one attended a prestigious private school in Jamaica or went to live in Britain for a while. He cleared his throat and returned with great assurance, “I won’t keep you but a minute. I was a tad concerned about your remarks earlier on.”
“Was it my turn to apologize?” I asked him sarcastically, my eyes defiant in the face of his resolute stare.
How dare he dragged me out here when he knew full well his brother had always been a little feminine? I rolled my eyes in exasperation and looked up towards the hills of Croftsvale, where I noticed a few new, huge mansions now sat pretentiously on the mountain’s edge.
I searched the sky for an escape while gradual movements in the dimness of evening began to pervade the earth, and it brought back memories of the sounds of the estate children playing around dust before their parents called them inside for dinner.
“So what is this business that we need to discuss?”
“What’s the rush?” he said silkily, and when I shrugged my shoulders—a sign of my impatience—he said, “I’m getting married.”
“Congratulation!” I heard myself remark with as much sincerity I could muster.
“To Marlyna,” he finished, and he watched the curve of my smile become a point of rage.
I ran my tongue against my teeth in anger at Lyna’s selfish decision. I knew she did not love him, for as a child, she had been repulsed by him; had always thought of him as a snake in the grass. Besides, I believed Marlyna was a bit too self-centered to love anyone, even more the likes of Wellesley. She knew about Wellesley, so what was she doing? What would be her gain in such a match? I did not believe it was love on her part. There was more to the story than he was telling me.
Still stunned and reeling from the news, I thought for a minute before I asked, “Marlyna?” My mind raced back to the rumors I had heard of Wellesley Rougally and his reputation of forcing women into bed. Had he forced her into bed, so that she had no choice but to marry him? That was just a little too naïve for Lyna. She would not allow anyone to bring her to such a point. It had to be a mutual decision. But why?
Even though Lyna and I were not close sisters, I could not understand why would she make a serious decision to marry a man who had fathered two or three children and wasn’t supporting any of them. Though he and his family had claimed it was a rumor, how could one be sure? Was Lyna willing to live with such a reputation? Did she believe the rumors were mere gossip, or did she choose to ignore them? Lyna was not naïve, and there were no reasons to think that she was in the dark about the man she wished to marry.
He noticed that I was submerged deep in thought and I was displeased over the whole affair as I ran my tongue across my teeth in anger.
“She has accepted my proposal,” he informed me with an air of arrogance.
I swallowed hard, fearing what Lyna’s plans might be and what it might lead to, although fully aware that the Rougallys were set on destroying my father and his business.
“So what does that have to do with us discussing some important business?”
Sensing there were more to the bombshell he had just delivered, I anxiously shifted my weight from one leg to the other.
He cleared his throat and inched closer to me, pretending as if he was about to answer my question.
Touching my hair and taking a lock to sniff only prolonged my curiosity. “Hmmm,” he moaned. “Your hair sure feels good.”
He ran the back of his hand down the full length of my cheeks and muttered, “and your skin…that beautiful caramel skin is so soft.” His voice ended in a sensual crescendo. “What is that beautiful smell?” he whispered breathlessly.
I moved away and answered, “Juniper…and what does all that have to do with us being out here?”
“Nothing at all. New York sure has done wonders for you, Karlyna…you have matured into a beautiful young woman.”
I pulled back instinctively, easing away from his car. He came around and slowly pinned me to the hood. “Which is why,” he continued in the same seductive tone, “I would like to give you enough money to go back to a better life.”
“What do you mean?” I questioned.
Wellesley drew himself up to his full height and straightened his clothing on his torso. “When Marlyna and I are married, seventy-five percent of Croftsvale Rum & Fine Wines Distilleries, along with Croftsvale Estates, will become mine. I am prepared to buy out your share and you can run on back to the States and enjoy the money.”
“Over my dead body!” I yelled, blinking erratically from what I had just heard. “What does she get, selling out my father’s life’s work like that!”
“That is between Marlyna and myself,” he added rudely. “But you should know Marlyna has her own practice as a lawyer and has never had any interest in the business…Your father knew that.”
I glared at Wellesley Rougally. I was stumped for words. My anger had risen to a feverish pitch and I was numb to whatever more he had to say. “Where do you Rougallys get off, trying to buy people?” I snapped angrily at him.
“The very same way Huxley Bancroft got off.” He said it so calmly that I felt like slapping his face. “It is just unfortunate that he only has a bunch of females to run the business.”
“That is my family’s sweat and blood that built that rum industry…with the torture of my slave ancestors who toiled so hard to farm the sugarcane to produce what we have today. I will not allow the Rougallys to take that away. I would die first,” I swore wholeheartedly.
“So loyal…But that won’t assist you in any way.”
Here I was, enraged by my sister’s plan to destroy my father’s dream, and Wellesley Rougally stood calmly with a look of triumph and a smirk plaguing his sinister lips at my defeat.
When he spoke, his words were deliberate and provocative. “The business is failing. I would be doing you a favor.”
“Bloody hell, you would!” I spat out angrily, sounding like my Dada throwing a fit. “Over my dead body—something you will never be able to afford to buy,” I pledged.
“Everything and everyone has a price, and you, my darling, are standing in my way.” He moved even closer to me, prying my legs apart and shoving his stone-hard knee in between my thighs, pinning me against the hood of his car.
“I take what I want,” he told me ruthlessly. “Including difficult females like yourself…and your sister was difficult, like you as well, but as I said, there is a price for everything and everyone.” He allowed his voice to ease to a light flirtatious tone.
He grabbed my lips savagely, sucking them that I thought they would bleed and I would pass out. His brutish acts were unpardonable and I shook from both fear and anger. He was going to be repaid. The only thing that prevented me from slugging it out with him was that he genuinely had me in a vulnerable place.
Soon after, his forefinger strayed down to my chest and, with one swift pull, he ripped the buttons from my blouse, rending the garment in two. His head came down in a hawk-like swoop as his mouth found my breast and he grabbed my caramel nipple between his teeth, sucking like a starved calf as I attempted to shove his head away. His teeth clamped down harder on my nipple. I felt a crippling pain shoot through my head and I was about lose consciousness—an excruciating pain that forbade me from reacting.
Slowly, he released me from his grip and said, “As I said, I am a man of my word—I take what I want. I am the law around here,” he remarked with the strongest of conviction. I read the truth in his eyes as they went cold. “Ask Police Constable Durning—he is no longer your father’s henchman!”
Professional Reviews
The Reality of Paradise
Reading the other side of Paradise gives you a sneak peek in the lives, cultures, traditions and love of Jamaica's elites. This story is about a young Jamaican socialite, Karlyna and her visions of the two cultures she experienced…The freedom and excitement of being away from one's traditional family and their watchful eyes. It deals with cultural differences and to some extent racial cultures.
After the illness of Karlyna's father, she returned home to fulfill her obligations as a dutiful daughter. She surprised the entire family by turning around the family business all the while protecting it from not only her envious neighbor, but her very own sister. Karlyna learned, struggled with love and childhood hurts and grew to overcome all and ended up getting all that she desired. The love of a devoted man and great friends helped her to accomplished task that seem impossible.
This book is my favorite read thus far as it takes you on a journey that almost seem real, the writer draws you into her world and at times, you get the sense of actually being there and feel a part of the story. In an odd sort of way, you laughed and cried with the characters as if you are a part of the family.
Helios is an award winning novel about a brilliant inventor of new technology, a fallen CEO seeking redemption, and an idealistic youth who comes of age in corporate America.
Part Three in the Mu Series - Sarah Thompson reluctantly abandons her desperate search for her soul mate on Maui and returns to her Montana hometown. Her brother has had a terrible accident...
