Manning’s household was one filled with bubbles of ecstasy and hope for years. It was a close-knit family known in the neighborhood for its amiable and welcoming culture. They had lived in Atlanta ever since their first child was born, releasing streaks of sanguinity right after her first cry. They named her after her late grandmother, loving her more than anything else as she was the first surviving child after a series of miscarriages. Charlotte was born without any complications which was a gift to the Mannings as they had frequented the hospitals more than they wished, the pungent smell of hospital antiseptics clinging onto them for years. Seeing their healthy infant dart around the house left them desiring for more, hence they gave parenting another shot two years later with the same level of hope that the second try would be as fruitful. Ever since she had her scan done, Mrs. Manning spent her trimesters preparing for the arrival of her twins as her heart leaped in immense joy.
We all sat down in the living room, Terrence and Vivian cradling together on the couch. He had his arm over her shoulder, still looking as astonished as he was before. The pool of tears had dried up, leaving behind the loud sniffles from Vivian. Lucas had settled on the couch right across from mine, waiting anxiously to hear the entire story unfold. “Wait, but it doesn’t make sense,” Vivian spoke, tilting her head to maintain the same eye level as Terrence. “He had searched all over for you, reassuring me every night that he would get you back. You know how he can be...” she sniffled once more before adding, “and three months later, he told me that you were found dead in an alley in Yorkshire. I did not believe him at first as I knew you wouldn’t leave without me. Not all the way to Yorkshire.” She pulled out a tissue from the holder and blew her nose noisily on it. From the very first time we met; I had never pictured Vivian having an ugly cry as she did today. Her confidence and
The whiskey I had had before fazed out of my head thanks to the breezy night air. As I sat outside with Charlotte, my mind flashed back to Vivian and Terrence. For the years that I had known her, Vivian had never mentioned having a sibling – alive or deceased. Her family talk began with her tycoon of a father and her then best friend, Abby, but after her fall out with Abby, she only ever mentioned her father in passing. Abby and Vivian had apparently been allies since high school; their bond being christened to last forever. Forever ended up being shorter than they had planned when Abby fell in love with Mark despite Vivian’s abhorrence. Learning that she did have a sibling was astonishing, and I could only imagine how she felt when the truth she had lived with for years turned out to be pure fabrications. Despite our casual arrangements for leisure, a part of me genuinely cared for her, but I found solace in the fact that Vivian was one to bounce back faster than she fell. Charlot
I sneaked into the dark room, avoiding any movements that could wake him. The night had brought forth heavy news to bear, and all I wanted was to be there for him. I had failed so far as Lucas and I had chatted late into the night, completely unaware of the time. We had both been perplexed when the kitchen clock chimed at 2 am: four hours of conversation and laughter later. It felt good finally catching up with him after a long while, which left both of us feeling like we had not missed too much. I removed my house shoes and crawled into the bed beside Terence who was facing the other side of the wall. His breathing seemed hazy and the way he hid his hands under the pillow made his posture look quite fragile. Being the bigger spoon, I cuddled him and kissed his temple, marking my presence in case he needed it. I lay close to him, breathing into his back enough to impurify my air with his scent. Feeling my body next to his, he turned around and held me next to him. He kissed my for
Terrence crept out of the room, unable to fall asleep. There was a heavyweight in his heart that kept him awake. He had heard the laughter from last night seep through the wall but he could not join them for fear of being downcast in their happy reunion. He had feigned sleep when Charlotte walked in, afraid to burden her with his own weight. The staycation was meant to be thrilling for both of them, and he did not wish to sour it so soon. He reassured himself that he was happy to finally reunite with his sister, but a part of him shunned him for betraying her before. Terrence sat alone at the bar, not bothering to turn the lights on. He took a shot for leaving his sister behind, another for being a coward and not being able to confront his step-father on his identity, and one last shot for not looking for his sister before this. The alcohol went down his gut carrying with it all the pain in his head. He set the shot glass down and lay his head on the counter, going through the after
I spent the morning with Terrence driving around the city to find jewelry stores. The trip had been awfully quiet as Terrence stared out the window through the entire distance. I could tell that he had a lot going on in his mind, but could not garner the emotions to care much. I hardly knew him enough to meddle, choosing rather remain as quiet as myself. Traffic was not as bad during the weekends which made it easier to maneuver around various corners of the city. Our first stop was Starbucks where we got coffee as we had missed breakfast in the house. We then headed to Golden Beauty as our first jewelry store which was a fruitless move as all we got were girls gawking at me. Such scenes made me uncomfortable and clearly, Terrence too felt it. The second store was also a flop as nothing Terrence saw made him happy. At Khan’s however, there was a wider collection of jewelry that screamed expensive from afar. The jeweler displayed various sets of rings which judging by Terrence’s jovi
The club was filled to the brim as people indulged in various activities. We had to squeeze ourselves past sweaty bodies as drunken souls jumped and danced on the dance floor. The music blaring through the speakers was sending vibrations through my entire being. The lights changed color as they flickered, shooting their rays in different directions. I covered my ears with my hands in an attempt to reduce the noise but it was in vain. It was my first time inside a club as noisy environments were not my favorite places to be. Vivian had already reached the flight of stairs that lead to the VIP section, stopping every minute to air-kiss someone she knew. She occasionally stopped to take selfies with a few, making our journey to the top quite long. As I approached the first stair, Lucas stretched out his hand for me to hold. I looked at him briefly before taking it, enjoying the feeling of protection and care. He held me firmly and helped me up the stairs. I enjoyed that moment briefly
The noise in the club reminded me why I preferred hosting parties myself instead of going out. The darkness in the room was however a plus for me as not many people could recognize my face. Vivian had been to many parties and club outings with her ‘friends’, enough for everyone to know her from the bouncer to the deejay. She on the other hand cared less about what their names were and just enjoyed swimming in their glorious compliments. She led the way to the higher floor which had fewer people than there were on the dance floor. A waitress attended to us as soon as we sat and took our orders. I ordered a vodka lime for Charlotte as a test to see if she had changed her style since the last time. A small grin formed on my lips when she approved my choice. *** I had been invited to a party to celebrate one of my high-school classmate’s birthday. Her name was Anna. No, Amy. That doesn’t sound right… April, yes. April and I were in the same calculus class though we barely ever exchange
“Did you all think that I was going to let you off so easily, huh?” Vivian shouted from behind. The crowd gaped in surprise as they watched her stagger to the front, knocking down some of the arrangements that had been placed symmetrically on the ground. She was clearly drunk. “You and your family came to ruin my life and you think you can escape that easily!” Vivian laughed out loud, devilishly. “No, honey! You got it all wrong! Vivian Kent never accepts defeat.” Lucas stomped over to meet her in the middle of the aisle and with all his strength, he pulled her back all the way to the end. She was screaming and wincing in pain, demanding him to get his hands off her. Lucas was not about to do that. “Let me go, Lucas! I will not tell you again!” she shouted loudly. Before she could utter another word, a louder roar was heard from the left side of the audience. It was Terrence. Jenny had invited him for the wedding, and as a form of respect, he had taken the first plane to Atlanta to
The wedding setup looked as beautiful as the Heavens were imagined to look. The aisle divided the white seats into half, leading up to the altar that overlooked the Chattahoochee River. The sun had just risen, covering the surface of the water with its orange rays, as if contributing to the wedding theme.At the front, the couple’s family had designated seats and the planner had even left a seat for Aunt May as per Jenny’s wishes. The peach and white flower arrangements were placed along the sides of the aisle creating a romantic and lush aisleway from the entrance all the way to the altar.White florals and pampas grass had been used to create a modern eclectic boho feeling that was highlighted by the rustic wedding arch at the altar. From the sight of the venue, it was clear to see Aunt May’s presence around them, and their influence on their lives. Rita had gone out to inspect the venue for the umpteenth time in a bid to calm Jenny’s anxiety down which left her running around and
Lucas had bottled up all his wrath until the moment he heard Charlotte’s voice, calling out for Noah. He turned his head swiftly towards her, stunned by her interference in their direct family matters. This was a thing that Lucas felt he had to do alone, and now that the control was off his hands, he was unsure of what to expect.“What is wrong with you, Charlotte?” Lucas asked her, pulling her down to her seat. She was reluctant to go back down.“Noah, wait, this can’t end like this,” Charlotte said, her focus directed entirely on Noah and not the man who was currently tugging at her arm. The guard was about to walk him back to the seat but Noah resisted. He remained rooted to the floor.“Noah! We came here to tell you that you didn’t have to die sad and guilty anymore. Lucas came here to let you know that as much as you hurt him, he did not want you to carry the weight of your sins to the grave. It’s the first reunion in decades, it was definitely meant to be difficult. But it was n
The two doors opened simultaneously and Noah Benjamin limped out into the hall. The orange jumpsuit he wore was baggy around his frame and his face was time-worn, cutting him out to be a man of the age. His grey-white hair was wizened and straw-like, and his beard was patched up around his face, almost covering his entire skin. From afar, his eyes appeared sad and worn, but I could tell they lit up when he saw eyes as he neared. He tried fastening his pace towards Lucas, but his unsteady feet could not let him hurry.“Lu- cas,” he called out as the guard behind him helped him to his chair. I was rooted to my seat, still holding Lucas’s hand for support. His eyes were lasered on Lucas whose face seemed totally disinterested in whatever the old man had to say.“Lucas, my son. Is that you?” he called out again. His voice was weak and rough, and he seemed to be using the remaining energy in his bones to call out for his son. Lucas still did not respond.“I never thought I would ever see
The prison area was fenced six feet high with electric barbed wire all around the huge parcel of land. There was pin drop silence all around the neighborhood which made me feel like we were entering the devil’s study room. My eyes were focused on the front gate which was past the field where many men stood outside, staring at us while murmuring to each other. I drove to the front gate where manned guards stood with huge firearms around their torsos, their fingers ready on the trigger. A tall slender man approached me on the driver’s side, requesting for our identification and purpose of visit. After a long process of security checks and document verification, we were let inside.The field was bigger from the inside than it seemed outside. We parked next to the main block. I had taken three days to assure myself that I needed to do this now, but as we parked outside, all I wanted was to turn around and go back home. I sat there silently; my mind froze from the world outside my body.
The dress that Rita had designed for Jenny fit her like a glove. Clearly, it had been tailored just for her. She stood in front of the mirror for a while, her eyes filling up with tears as she stared at her reflection in utter disbelief. It was still taking a while for her to come to terms with the fact that she was about to become Anthony’s wife.“You… you are so beautiful, my baby,” her mother cried out from her bed. Jenny watched her reflection in the mirror, forcing a smile on her face as she nodded. The beauty before her had left her dumbfounded. Jenny had never fancied a big white wedding like her sister Charlotte did when they were young, but she always hoped to find a good man to settle down for as long as life allowed. And here she was, getting what she prayed for and more.Charlotte stood up from the seat in the corner and walked over to her sister, standing bedazzled by her side. She put her arms on her shoulder and looked into the mirror. Her face was wet with tears of joy
But I just need to make sure that as we move forward, we won’t end up regretting anything from the past…Charlotte’s words kept ringing in my ears as I sat through a meeting with Korean investors in the afternoon. The three men all dressed in matte black suits were interested in investing in the petroleum company that Mark and I ran. As they discussed business and partnership matters, my mind revolved around my past which seemed to follow me everywhere I went.I knew Charlotte did not mean to force me to meet Noah, but deep down, I knew I needed to shed off the skin, and that meant meeting him even if it was for the last time.“Thank you, Mr. Benjamin. We look forward to our next meeting,” one of the investors said as he stretched out his hand to shake mine. They were all standing up, which stopped my train of thought and brought me back to the four-cornered office.“Yes, thank you all too. Let me show you out,” I said to them as I walked around my table and opened the door for them.
One week laterJenny, Rita, and I were all together in my apartment, surfing through the internet to find the best event planners for her upcoming wedding. Jenny seemed calmer than I imagined she would be. However, as her support system, we still insisted on being by her side just in case that changed abruptly. The anxiety of being both married and a mother was bound to spill out from her soon, and we did not want her to go through it all alone.“Do you think I should invite Terrence?” Jenny asked. I looked up stunned, noticing how all the eyes were fixated on me in wait for my response.“I don’t know, do you want to invite him?” I turned the focus around.“I don’t know. He was once a part of this family at some point, so I just thought it might be cordial to have him around,” Jenny said.“Mh,” I sighed and immediately returned my attention to the tablet screen in front of me. I did not want to dictate her audience, but I knew agreeing to her question meant that I was the one inviting
The rest of the time on the island went by smoothly, and before we could create enough memories to last us a lifetime, it was time for each one of us to go back to the real world. “Did you have a great time?” I asked Charlotte while we were still in bed. It was half past eight in the morning, and the ship captain was scheduled to come to pick us all up at noon. “I had the best time of my life, Lucas. Thank you for everything,” she responded. “You don’t need to keep thanking me for doing the minimal things for you. you deserve so much more,” I told her. I kissed her forehead and hugged her tightly under the sheets, not willing to let go of her anytime soon. She smiled warmly. “We did not discuss how this works from now on. Kerrington Publishers had just launched earlier this year, and hence we don’t have any branches in New York, or anywhere else for that matter. And it would be selfish of me to ask you to live with me in Atlanta since you are mostly based in New York. I don’t want