Sofia:
-That worries me too! Because now, she is living alone, in the apartment in Ciudad La Rosa -I answered, trusting that Shayla was coming to her senses.
-Calm down, my love! Now I’ll call Leonel so I can assign her a bodyguard,” he confirmed, giving me a smile that makes me shiver all over.
-How much do you whisper? -Sheyli asked me, smiling.
-I’m telling Rafael what happened today at the port,” I affirmed, speaking softly, because there are matters I don’t like to discuss in front of the children.
-Oh, that’s good! You know, I’m worried about her being alone in Ciudad La Rosa and we don’t know what will be that jerk’s reaction? -said Sheyli, sadly.
-Rafael, he just informed me that he will provide her with a bodyguard,” I assured Sheyli, looking at my beloved husband.
-Thank you Rafael, I appreciate it! -Sheyli replied.
“Sofia, look at the triplets floating! -she shouted in admiration, looking at my children floating.
-They have the best coach in the world! -I replied proudly to their father, who held up his thumbs and flashed me his most beautiful smile.
-I love you! -Rafael shouted.
Everyone smiled when they heard his loving and passionate cry. We spent some time in the pool sharing and enjoying my children’s witticisms, until the birthday organizer arrived to put an end to it.
Although I am not a fan of lavish celebrations, my husband wanted to go all out. Besides, it will be his introduction as the biological father of my triplets. We booked the best place on Paradise Island, sparing no expense whatsoever.
Rafael:
Immediately, I got out of the water with my children, when I saw the organizer arrive. I involved them in the decision making process for their celebration. They wanted to invite the entire preschool where they studied.
-Children,” I said, “I have no problem inviting all the children. However, logic dictates that for a celebration of this nature, we should invite our dearest ones, with whom we want to share everything, do you understand? -I asked, looking at all three of them equally, suspecting that something was up.
-Ahhh!” exclaimed Rafael Angel.
-Ohhh! -whispered Rafael Argenis.
-We just wanted the other children to see that we do have a father! -added Rafael Enrique, pouting.
-And why is that? -I asked, pulling him towards my legs.
-Because the older kids always yell at us that we don’t have a daddy and they do,” he clarified, his voice cracking on the verge of tears.
-Well! -I answered looking for my best and intelligible words for children of his age, looking at Sofia, who was still with her mouth open, assimilating what he told me and I explained to her:
“Now less, those children are going to enjoy this magnificent birthday party. We will make sure that all the networks and social media talk about the celebration, so that they know about it,” I assured her, looking at the organizer.
-Mr. Rafael, that is within the budget you approved, the coverage of the event, especially the fireworks and the two planes hired to show in the sky the image of your children, as well as yours and your wife’s,” she argued.
“What we can do, is to ask the company that provides us with the service, to make a tour around the whole Island, eliminating the exclusivity of the areas you demarcated -she recommended.
-Great! Are my children pleased? -I asked, with a smile that matched theirs.
-Yes, Daddy,” the three of them shouted in chorus, and Sofia smiled as she saw their beautiful smiles, identical to mine. Definitely, my children are my little clones, but gifted, they have a mentality that surpasses children their age.
The Narrator:
Sheyli, sitting around one of the tables, poolside next to Estefania, totally absent of what was going on around her, received a message from her sister, via WhatsApp.
[“Are you alone, twin?” asked Shayla].
[“No! We’re all around the pool, watching the triplets float in the water. I’m amazed!”, replied Sheyli].
[“You can’t imagine, how sorry I am that I’m not there! Enjoying myself with my family. But, well, I brought this on myself!”, added Shayla, regretfully].
[“And you, how are you?”, Sheyli asked, getting up from her chair and walking towards the inside of the mansion].
[“Fine, despite my condition” answered Shayla, sending a sad face emoji].
[“What state?” Sheyli questioned doubtfully].
[“Please! Don’t say anything, but I’m pregnant by Jose David” she confessed to her twin].
[Sister, I mean, it was true! I doubted it, I couldn’t believe it” assured Sheyli, stunned].
[Does he know?” Sheyli asked.]
[Yes! But he doesn’t want it. He demanded that I lose him. But I didn’t accept. Besides, since I was removed from office, he threw me out of his side,” said Shayla].
[“What else could you expect from that lout and delinquent,” Sheyli interjected, feeling very bad for her sister].
[Then, let me talk to Sofia and Estefania, I’m sure they will support you” expressed Sheyli].
[Let me think about it! Later, I’ll let you know” she said, saying goodbye to her sister, feeling ashamed for the way she let Sofia down, and even doubted her, regarding her judgment about Jose David].
(***)
“My God! And to top it off pregnant! What a big mistake my twin made?”, reflected sadly Sheyli, who was entering her room at that moment, letting her tears flow, now that no one will notice.
“Not even when Sofia got pregnant with the triplets, did the outlook become as dark for us as it is for Shayla now,” Sheyli reflected, going into the bathroom.
Sheyli did not go back down to the pool, but remained locked in her room, reflecting on the situation her twin was going through. For her, it was very painful to imagine her alone with this situation and the discomfort that pregnancy produces.
In the prison of Ciudad La Rosa:
Brutus in view of the fact that no one advocated for him, nor helped him since he entered the jail, preferred to sign a collaboration agreement with the prosecutor. In this way, the white-collar criminals involved in the death of the vineyard magnate Milko Zambrano will be punished.
In any case, the prosecutor proposed him a good deal if he confessed all his crimes and put on a silver platter those who paid him for committing his misdeeds. He analyzed the proposal carefully because he was not sure how much he would benefit from it.
Finally, convinced by the head of the commando group who initiated these investigations looking for the origin of Martin Elias, Brutus accepted. And the first thing he did was to mention and describe perfectly his mentor in crime, Popeye and Josefina, alias Chepa Rondon.
Brutus spent around nine hours testifying, pointing out in great detail the hours and days in which he participated in each crime with his accomplice Popeye. Likewise, he detailed the times he was required by Chepa Rondon and Reyner Medina to carry out the works paid by them.
However, it was the word of this, a criminal of international stature, against “two respectable” members of a society in which they have participated for many years. He made reference to some hiding places where Popeye could be located.
For the prosecutor, with the testimony of these two criminals, it would be possible to formally reopen the case of Milko Zambrano. In this way, to start the search for his son, reported missing many years ago…