“Oh! Sister, why do you seem tense? What happened to you?”
“Earlier that was mom, uncle Franco. I don’t know her. She told me something earlier and said she had seen Auntie Martha.”
“What?!” Franco pretended to be surprised, but he had known for a long time that Martha was alive and he had seen her.
He sat down and made Lora sit down to listen to what she had to say. Lora told a story, starting with how she saw Martha and what she discovered about it.
“Are you sure what you’re saying, sister Lora?”
“Sure, will I still lie? What will I gain if I make up a story?” Lora replied.
“So! How is that? Shall we take Sister Martha back? Have you seen the brother Roel?
“That’s another problem for me. I have a hunch that Roel is also alive in case I don’t know where to find him, so that Naneth’s family can be complete.”
“Naneth is still fine. You are concerned that her family will be complete while I ruined my family because of her. I lost my father,” Lira replied.
“What are you, Lira? Do you have to compare yourself to Naneth? If you’re really lucky to have seen your father since childhood and you’ve been able to study well because of them and Naneth has also contributed to your life, you can graduate, so if it wasn’t for him, your dad is crazy. He wanted easy money, so he sold Naneth.” Franco replied.
Lira was silent because her uncle once again blamed her sin on Naneth, so she didn’t want to talk anymore.
“Ah! Sister, that’s why I’m here, because I want to invite you tomorrow night to my house. I’ll show you something. Don’t be surprised, but know if you will be happy.”
“What’s that Franco? Maybe it’s a headache again. I haven’t even moved Martha yet and then you’ll show me something again.” Said, Lira.
“Sister, you will feel differently here. Come with Lira and bring your child, too. I’ll pick you up tomorrow night. I’ll just let my boss know that I’ll borrow his car for a while.”
“Okay! What time will you pick us up so we can get ready?” Lora said.
“Maybe around 5:30 pm.”
~~~~~
The next day, Lora went to the precinct to talk to Abigail, pretending to be her relative. The police guard called Abigail there, and they met.
“Are you Abigail?”
“Yes, I am. What do you need from me?
“I have something important to ask you. I hope you will tell me the truth.”
“What is it?”
“How did you become Natasha’s stepmother?”
“Ah! Why? Who are you? Why are you interested in learning about her?
“She’s a relative because I’m her sister-in-law. She’s the wife of my brother-in-law, my husband’s brother.”
“Oh! Really?! I also don’t understand why mom Natasha became my stepmother. Dad just introduced her to me. I didn’t know she had a former family.”
“Is that so?! Won’t your dad tell you how they met? Because I feel like she has lost her memory because she doesn’t even know me.”
“Is that so?! How did you meet mom Natasha?
“Because a friend of mine talked to me. I didn’t know that my friend was taking care of him. Only yesterday did I find out that Martha is at your feet.”
“Martha?! You mean Martha is her real name?”
“Yes Abigail, we have been looking for her for over twenty-seven years and I didn’t even know that I would see her. I thought she was dead because we haven’t heard from her since she left our house. She left the house just after she was born because she wanted to find her wife who is my husband’s brother. It’s as if she lost her mind because of depression.” He told a story.
“Oh! That’s the story. Case I don’t know what the exact situation is how dad and mom met. He is. What is your name?”
“Ah! Of course, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Lora Reyes.”
“Reyes?! How are you, Naneth Reyes?”
“Ah! She is my niece. Do you know her?”
“Yes, she works with my cousin Dominic.”
“Wait, did you go to the province to follow Robin?”
“Ha?! Yes, it’s me. I’m sorry, I don’t intend to follow Robin.”
“Okay, if you have information on how Martha got to your dad, can you help me convince your dad to just give Martha back to us?”
“I can’t promise that sister Lora because dad has the right to mom but I’ll try so I can ask,” Abigail replied.
“Okay, the important thing is you try to convince him. Thank you very much for your cooperation. Don’t worry, you can get out too. Just trust and don’t despair, you always pray. Okay, I’ll go now.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Reyes.”
Lora left. She was a little relieved when she got information from Abigail when she came out that she met a man who looked at her for a while and then went straight in. She just let go of who that person was.
“Abigail, who did you meet me outside? Why does she look at me like that?”
“Ah! Is that Dad? She’s sister Lora she is Naneth’s auntie.”
“Oh! Why is she here? What does he need from you?
“Dad, she needs something from me. Dad, where did you meet mom Natasha?”
Louie was silent. This was again the question he had always avoided. It was a long time before he spoke.
“Dad, what?”
“Ha?! Honestly, I met her in one incident. When I shot your mom, I was shocked, cowardly, and scared. I left her lying on the floor instead of taking her to the hospital. I ran away because I was afraid of being imprisoned. I went to a bar, I was drunk, and I was just left in the bar and the guard sent me home. I was very drunk, but I still tried to drive. I was running fast without realizing that I had collided. It was only then that I went downstairs to see who I had run into, a woman and very dirty for almost a week without a bath. He can smell it too. I felt sorry for her, so I took her to the hospital. The doctor treated her immediately.” Louie’s story.
“Oh! So you mean, it’s your fault why mom lost her memory? What are you dad, how many sins you have, but until now you are still out and you are not imprisoned?” Abigail replied.
“Abigail, they have no evidence, so they have a hard time imprisoning me for what I did wrong.”
“That’s where you became complacent because they didn’t see any evidence of you. What if they see evidence? You won’t be imprisoned?”
“I will wait for that day, but for now, if they do not have evidence and a warrant of arrest for me, I am still free,” Louie replied.
“You’re a terrible person dad, your conscience doesn’t seem to bother you.”
“Shut up, even here we will quarrel. I’m leaving. I’ll be back tomorrow.”
As Louie left, Abigail’s words penetrated his heart. He loves his daughter, but he is really afraid of what will happen in his life; she is afraid to face his ghost.
~~~~~
“Roel, what is our plan?
“Soon Jean, our suffering will end.”
“Hopefully Roel, I’m afraid of the consequences of my floating.”
“Let us protect you against Gilbert. By the way, I have already seen my daughter.”
“Really?! Who and where is he now?
“Naneth is my daughter that I have been looking for for a long time.”
“Really?! How did you know?”
“We have already met the youngest. If Franco is a brother, he knows Naneth is my daughter. He had also just discovered. That’s why when he was young I always saw him on the side of the road selling hard-boiled chicken eggs and I was happy every time I saw her. That was the leap of blood.” Roel’s story.
“It’s good to see her first. And it’s still in your care today. Does he already know that you are her real father?”
“I can’t say yet. I’m afraid of how he will react when he finds out.
“What are you?! Why are you afraid? It would be better for her to get to know you so that you and your father can have a long bond.”
“You’re right Jean, I’m about to have the family I’ve been looking forward to for a long time.”
“I’m happy for you if that day ever comes.”
“Thank you, Jean.” Roel’s phone suddenly rang.
“Bro, where are you now?”
“I was just talking to a client. Why?”
“Because Gio has been looking for you before. I’m here in the office now.” Said Franco.
“Please tell him I’m back there. I’m just taking care of something,” Roel replied.
Roel said goodbye to Jean because Gio was already looking for him.
A few minutes later, he was in the office. While Franco was talking to Amer, they talked about tonight.
“Brother, where are you from? Gio has been looking for you before. He said he will talk to you.”
“All right, just tell him to come to my office,” Roel replied.
Gio knocked on his room. He let it in.
“You seem to look for me, Gio.”
“Yes dad, I just want to ask you who was with you to go to the cemetery to visit Kyla’s mom?”
“Ha?! How did you know I had someone with me that day? ”
“Dad, Kyla, and Dominic told me because they were also there that day to visit Kyla’s mom and Dominic’s dad.”
“It was just a friend of Cecilia and me. That was the only day she found out, and she took me with her.”
“Oh! Really?! Why did Dominic say that the woman was wrapped up?”
“Gio, first, let that be the important thing. I know her. Maybe you have bad thoughts. If you think someone is interfering with us. Don’t continue because we don’t have a relationship.” Roel explained.
“Why are you so defensive dad, I’m not saying anything like that! I’m just asking. What is that woman’s name? ”
“Ha?! Ah, her name is Jean.”
“Her name seems familiar to me.”
Roel got nervous. Maybe they had met Jean and he would remember.
“Ah! Do you need anything else?”
“No more dad, I’m leaving. That’s all I want to know about you. Just make sure what you say is true.”
“Sure, don’t you trust me, son?”
“Ah! By the way, I have already started preparing for Naneth and I’s wedding. We have to hurry because his stomach is getting bigger.” Said Gio.
“All right, it’s up to you. Just tell me if you need anything else.”
“Okay dad, thank you.”
Gio left. Roel just smiled with a mixture of sadness and fear.
How will Gio react when he finds out the long-held secret?