Eric.I turned fully to look at my twin sister.“So tell me, of what use is knowing Mum has some relatives somewhere when it’s plain she does not want to have anything with them?” I asked with a little frown and she gave me an intense look that was worrisome.“And what if that is not the case?” Erica murmured softly and I was more confused.“I don’t understand where you are going with this.” It is a good thing our Mum is spending a good lot on our education, at this rate, with the constant way I keep having a deep conversation with my twin sister, I am worried I will soon exhaust all the English words I know and start looking for more.“What if Mum doesn’t know? Have you thought of this? What if she was not lying and she genuinely has amnesia? What then?” My sister suggested blandly and I could not look away, I froze dramatically.“Holy cow! What the hell?” It was my turn to utter some unacceptable words but my sister was neither worried nor shocked, she chuckled instead. Probably bec
Erica.Putting up an innocent look on my face, I slanted my eyes to him to gauge if my effort was working and I could see the guilt coming up already.Feeling elated, I smiled wryly but then…“We promised to always be honest with each other yes. Unless we feel it will hurt the other person and it is for their own good not to say anything to them.” He finally clarified with a murmur, revealing that he remembered our vow clearly but he also felt he’s justified in keeping some things from me.“Definitely right. But in this instance, whatever you are hiding from me cannot hurt me bruh. As a matter of fact, keeping me away from reality is what might hurt me.” I assured him in a low tone.He groaned and then sighed loudly after a few moments again and I almost thought there was an adult in the room with us. It’s amazing how we both can behave like big adults sometimes especially when we are alone together, having a serious conversation.“Tell me, what are you curious about exactly?” He fina
Anne Summer. Sweating hard from the cold dream, I knew I was not going to sleep again. As usual! Taking my robe from the chair close to the bed, I left the room quietly without waking the sleeping man on the other side. Though I wish I can always blame him for my present predicament, a sense of fairness will not let me, knowing full well I was a willing participant in the topic that has now become a nightmare in our lives. Seven good years! Seven good years since I last saw and embraced my child to my bosom and even now, till now I cannot believe I allowed myself and my husband to do that to her. To our only child! Just because of one mistake. Walking to her room as I usually did, I pressed the switch on the wall and the darkness vanished into brightness as I moved slowly to stand at the centre of the room. A room that’s still as neat and girly as the day she left it. Moving to the full set of mirrors that was a gift on her sixteenth birthday, a nostalgic smile flitted across m
Anne Summer.Coming out from the other side of the mall aisle, I searched everywhere rapidly with my eyes even though if asked I could not honestly say what I was expecting to see. But that curious twitch would not leave me and I don’t intend to ignore it. Although I have not associated myself with little kids in years, those voices kept bringing forth memories I can’t explain.It was not until my eyes landed on the group of people on the other side that I stopped searching, with an instinct telling me they were the owner of those voices.And it was not until the woman beside them turned to look at me that I knew what had been pushing me.Motherly instinct. Because right there, over there is Becca! My long lost daughter!Though another person might be confused with the long pass of years and the noticeable changes in her face and look and even her hair seemed slightly different if my eyes were correct. Despite the tight bun, I could see her golden hair is not a complete shade of gold
Anne Summer.I heard a door opening quietly behind me and I allowed my mind to come back to the present as I kept my eyes on the picture in my hand without turning to look at the man I knew would be watching my actions silently from the doorway.“Thinking of our daughter again. Ain’t you?” He finally asked gently and I sighed softly before turning to look at him.“It has been seven years, Josh. Seven good years since we sent our daughter away from her home.” I whispered with shame.“Stop thinking of it that way, Anne. You are only going to hurt yourself more with the guilt of it. Can’t you see what the pain and guilt is doing to my body? I am barely surviving.” My husband called my attention to his body that is now frail and weak and it reminded me again that I am not the only one suffering. My pain might be more visible because I am a female and I am very emotional, but that he does not cry around like I do does not mean he is not feeling the heat of fire also. Both of us had never
Anne Summer.Worried, the man had immediately called on every soul around the area to search for his daughter but none of them came back with any positive response. Frantic, he had almost upturned the whole place in his panic, searching for her everywhere before some people suddenly rushed in with a terrified look in their eyes. Without waiting to hear it, he had turned on his heels to rush out and by the time they got to the back of the court, it was the naked and lifeless body of his daughter they found on the dirty pavement.Battered and tortured, it was equally obvious she was brutally raped and molested before they snuffed life out of her, leaving behind a harsh note to the talented lawyer. Just like that, she was gone and the world of her parents became shattered.That night, leaving the house of the bereaved, our car had been so quiet, a drop of pin would be heard as we drove back home, each of us lost in our thoughts.All I kept thinking of was how that child would have been s
Becca.I woke up with sweat all over my body and I could not stop the shiver that took over my skin in big prickles.That dream had felt so real I could not stop myself from taking a wild look around my room. It was only when I saw nothing but the usual shadows of my room that I allowed myself to take a slow breather.Turning to the bed clock by the side, I saw that it was past midnight, too early to be awake in Canada anyways and I would not be surprised if every other person was having its beauty sleep except me.Allowing myself to look at the source of my wakefulness properly, maybe then I might be able to view it objectively and go back to sleep, I closed my eyes tightly against the pain of memory.Though I had been having some dreams about the past, this time is so different. Ever since that strange meeting at the mall, dreams about my childhood which although was not unusual, had been so real and scary this time around. It’s the first time I will be seeing my Mum’s face in my dr
Becca.Closing my eyes tightly, I forced to the front the memory of the dream before it could leave me.Yea, it was after the Disney dream, I had been so happy and content I had thought the dream would continue in that way until suddenly, the pattern changed and the bright colorful place became dark and I was thrown into chaos looking for my parents.I searched and searched everywhere, calling for them but there was no response. Giving up hope, I had turned my back to walk away when I suddenly heard a tiny sound of footsteps and a whisper behind me.In that dream I remember turning slowly with a bloody eyes which till now I don’t understand the meaning, maybe it stood for my pain, pain of betrayal I don’t know but I had turned at that moment with bloodshot eyes only to see my mother, not looking much older, standing a few feet away and calling to me softly with agony and tears in her eyes.But even in that dream, despite how long she called to me, my leg could not move and I found mys