38

“I just want the truth.”
“All those years ago, I left home unintentionally, and I….
“Am I being selfish for not wanting to go back even after I have found them now?”
“Life has been so hard for them, on top of all of that, my mother lost her mental balance. ”
“If I go back, what good is it going to do,”
“I don’t have the answers to their questions. ”
“I can’t face them. ”
“And if I don’t go back, I will never be able to live with myself. ”
“Justin, I don’t know what to do anymore..”
“I have been waiting for this reunion my whole life and now I don’t even know what I want anymore.”
Justin Kept mute, listening to all I had today without saying a word. He allowed me to speak my mind, he allowed me to vent with his hands on mine.
“Isabelle? ”
“You have been wanting this your whole life, your family, your sister, and your mom.”
“I know you are scared.”
” Scared of facing them.”
“Scared of going back to your past. ”
“Is that what you want?”
“Think it through.”
“Will you be able to live with the guilt of leaving them behind willingly this time?”
“You always told me about bond ”
“I never fancied any of that, you know it, but you made me realize how important bonds are.”
“I can’t give you the answers you want.”
“You decide to make it. ” Justin told me.
It was insane how Justin was a whole different person when he was around me. He was right. I almost went on about how important bonds were and he learned from that. The fearless nonchalant Justin was a different person around me. He was free about his emotions and cheesy sometimes.
Justin left me with my decision. However, he made me understand the gravity of what I wanted and what I didn’t want.
******
It was a fine morning. The rain drizzled as I stood in front of the door.
I rang the Doorbell once, got no response, then I did it again.
I waited but no one came. I wanted to ring again when the door opened.
Mneso stood in front of me. We both Froze in time. Staring at each other.
After a long day of brooding, I decided I was ready to face whatever it was that was coming for me.
Whether I was willing to accept it or not, I wanted them back in my life and it was time for me to stop shying away from my problems.
There I was standing in front of my sister. I longed to hug her but I didn’t know how to. Not after that Rocky conversation we had.
“Hi….”. I said with a frail smile.
Mneso leaned over and hugged me. A hug so tight that I felt my entire organs squeezing. Just like Me, Mneso wanted the bond. She wanted that bond we shared all those years ago. We were little but the memories remain fresh in our minds.
Her hugs felt like heaven on earth. I wrapped my hands around her neck.
“I’m sorry Christen .”
“I’m sorry I said those words ”
“I didn’t mean to.” She said over my shoulders.
“It’s fine. ”
“I’m sorry too.”
We let go of each other, I wiped off her tears and she did the same too.
“I miss you.”
“Mom will be so happy to see you.”
She invited me in. When we got in, My mother was seated in the living room knitting a sweater. I remembered her always making my cardigans and caps as a child.
Immediately she saw me, she became hyper again.
“Christen my child ”
“Oh my child” she came up to me and Just like the other day, she started to touch and caress my body.
“Christen ” watching how emotionally helpless my mother was moved both myself and Meso to tears.
T
“Yes, I’m Christen. ”
“I’m sorry Mom.”
“I didn’t mean to hurt you this way .”
“I’m sorry ”
“Christen ”
“You are my child.”
“I know you are Mine ”
“You are my Child”
“She is our Christen mom .”
“My sister.”
MNESO reassured her. She pulled me towards herself and squeezed me in her arms. She rubbed my hair carefully and showered my neck with kisses.
MNESO joined in on the family hug and we all shared that moment. It was the most beautiful I ever Imagined. My imagination came through. My family was complete, Justin was back to me and my burden was lifted. My chest felt Lighter and I was able to cry out my pain on my mother’s shoulders.
A bit later, we sat down to talk. We didn’t speak about the past now, we wanted the past in the past and the present we decided to live in.
We all sat to talk. My mother was the happiest. Hearing Me accept the fact that I was truly Christen Made her so excited. She was elated.
Every now and then she would come up to me, touching me and kissing me to make sure she was really.
Two hours of my life spent with both of them made Me realize how empty I was the whole time. Their presence filled a void that none one else could.
I don’t know why but I felt my life was falling back into place. My family was complete, Justin and I got back together, my children were with me and I was filled with excitement.
It was getting late and I needed to leave. Aiden and Amelia were going to be back soon and I needed to be home.
My mother begged me to stay. She started whining like a kid telling me to stay awhile with her but I couldn’t. I promised to come back to her the next day. After a long persuasion, she gave in. Mneso and I were On the front porch. She was about to see me off.
“So I’m an aunt now.”
“An aunt to two beautiful children. ” she teased with quirked eyebrows.
Yes, “those children’s” names are Aiden and Amelia.
“I can’t wait to meet them in person.”
“I can’t wait for you to meet them too.”
“Plus, Justin and I kind of settled our differences. I think we are good now.”
“Oh wow, I’m happy for you”
“Heyy ..? why do you so gloom all of a sudden?”
I asked after seeing her wide smile turning into a stale look.
“I… just wished things were different. ”
“I wished we didn’t have to stay apart for so long. ”
“Christen, I wish we didn’t have to witness such incidents at a young age.”
“I know. ”
“I understand everything and I’m sorry I wasn’t here, I’m sorry I didn’t have time to make it all better ”
“I’m sorry it was tough on you.”
“I’m sorry”
“I love you so much and you will always be my little pumpkin. ” I pulled her cheeks and kisses them.
“I’m sure everything will fall into place soon. Sooner than expected. ”
“Why don’t you stop by the house tomorrow?”
“You can meet the kids and maybe Justin if you are lucky. ”
“I would love to meet the kids.”
“Justin? Well not so much. ” She chuckled in between her words with a teasing smile.
I looked at her with quirked brows and a demanding face. Demanding reasons for her answers.
“What ?”
“Don’t look at Me like that.”
“He causes you so much pain already. ”
“I don’t think I’d like him.”
“We will see about that.”
“I have to be on My way now. ”
She gave me a warm hug and soon I was On my way. I felt so fulfilled and happy about my day. Spending time with my family, bonding, and chatting. I loved it all.
*****
“Mummy, who is she?”
“I’m your aunt. Mneso.”
“But you both can call me Maddy.”
“Maddy?” Amelia asked
“Yes Maddy ”
“You know what I bought you chocolate for easy identification. ” Mneso pulled out two bars of chocolate from her purse and handed it over to them. She knew how to get to kids and her skills were paying off.
“Thank you, Aunt Maddy. ” the two spoke simultaneously and left.
“I told you, Christen, I’d be such a wonderful aunt. ”
“You can already see for yourself. ‘
” Indeed. “I scoffed.
“They are so cute.”
“Yours would be too someday. ” I added.
Oh! how I enjoyed teasing her.
“I doubt I’m going to have anything. ”
“What do you mean by that?”I asked and was cut short by interrupting the ding of the doorbell.
“A second ” I left the conversation and went to the door. I opened and Justin was standing in front of me with a shopping bag filled with toys and goodies for the kids.
“I didn’t know you were coming, “I asked him in and he kissed my cheeks
We both walked in towards the Mneso who was impatiently waiting to be introduced but still acting nonchalant.
“Justin, this is my sister Mneso. ”
“Mneso, Justin. ” I introduced the two and allowed them to carry out further exchange of pleasantries themselves.
He stretched his hand for a Handshake.
“Mneso is such a unique name.” He complimented but Mneso kept a straight face. She didn’t seem to be enjoying his presence or Maybe she was but didn’t want to push it.
“Justin?” She asked again.
“Yes, Justin Danko.”
The looks on Mneso’s face changed. When she heard him call his name again but this time his surname was added. Their names were still locked while all these questions went on.
“Justin Danko?”
Any relation to Danko Ezra?
“Yes, my father. ”
Mneso’s face wastunknk with Surprise. She withdrew her hands gradually. The looks on her face were a rather confusing one for me. I couldn’t tell if she was shocked by the name or the face. Or maybe she was just surprised to see Ezra’s son in my house. I didn’t know which it was.
“Mneso, do you perhaps know who he is?” Interfered. The room was becoming tense filled and Mneso’s questions were starting to sound a bit different from normal.
“My father is quite popular so I mean it’s only normal to who he is ‘
“And that was the reason he died wasn’t it ?”
She asked with a smirk.