Missing Him

A middle-aged woman wept bitterly, holding a photo frame. Her aging face looked gorgeous, evidence that she was once an outstanding beauty in her youth. Dark circles marred her face.

She was sitting in the middle of what looked like a mess. An open storage box was placed before her. There were letters wrapped in jute thread and a photo logbook.

To her right was a drawing pad with all sorts of arts in it. They ranged from simple drawings, to complex ornamental decorations. He was a talented young man. She missed him so much.

Her body shook uncontrollably, as she recalled her cruel actions towards her eldest child. If only she had been more understanding then! If only she had questioned the motive of the man who exposed her son.

It was too late already. Twelve years have passed by without any sign of her son. He had completely vanished from their lives as though he never existed. Her beautiful child.

Was he still alive? Did he survive the cruelty that was the world? How was he doing? She had so many unanswered questions for her love. "Beau, mother misses you. I am sorry, my love. Will you forgive this foolish woman?" She talked to the boy in the photo.

Samara's regret knew no bounds. She was the worst mother to ever walk on Earth. The image of her son's pleading eyes haunted her every time she closed her eyes.

He had been only seventeen when they drove him away from the only home he had ever known. He left home with the clothes he had on and those they packed for him.

Her heart ached for the abandoned child. He was Gay. What was so wrong with his sexual orientation? Now, she understood that his sexual orientation had nothing to do with his normality.

Twelve years ago, she was a woman who loved her reputation more than herself. She lived by what the world expected of her and hid it under the pretext of being religious.

Both she and her husband were ignorant. They choose their beloved reputation over their son. Were they still considered normal parents? What about her son? Was he a normal human?

They had thought that he was infected by some sort of disease. They had immediately isolated him without hearing his side of the story. No benefit of the doubt was given. Neither a chance to explain. He was set packing the moment he stepped foot in the door.

She cried even more. Such a cruel mother she was. She didn't even let him hold his sister one last time. Isla had been a big part of Beau's life. He loved her more than his own life.

Though they had a huge age gap between them, Beau was the best brother to his darling baby sister. He would carry her whenever he was home. When be drew, she was his muse. If he sang, she was his subject and when he danced she was his inspiration.

He loved her to death yet she denied him a final goodbye. Samara hugged the photo frame to her chest. The room was sparkling clean with the exemption of the books, photos, and letters that were spread around on the bed around her.

A soft knock came through startling Samara out of her grievances. She tried to wipe off the remnant of tears on her face as fast as possible. The door was opened before she could get rid of the evidence by a middle-aged handsome man. In his company was a little girl.

Her ponytail was messy as were the shoes she had on. Her front teeth were covered by the chocolate she was eating. The little girl was the replica of Beau.

Samara smiled painfully through her teary eyes as she looked at them. Her incomplete family. The only one missing was the boy who once occupied the room where they all were at the moment. The older version of the girl had a toothy smile on her face.

The siblings had both her husband's and her features. They were the total package as they inherited both of their best features. If Samara was a gorgeous woman, he husband could be described as an eccentric handsome man.

Raymond was a man with a stoic face yet his eyes were warmer than summer. His sharp cheekbones accentuated the rest of his features giving him a vintage handsome look. He had grown a short stubble that looked manly on him.

The man walked towards the bed and held his wife in his arms. He knew why she was in the room. She missed her son. It was his birthday today. Ever since they sent him away from home on his 18th birthday, this was what she did on every birthday.

Raymond was no different from his wife. Like her, he had regretted his actions after their son failed to return home. At first, they thought that he was only being stubborn. They had assumed that the said son would return home once life became too difficult to handle outside their protective layer.

How wrong they had been. Their son left them. He was their source of joy before they found out about his sexual preference. Beau was the best son any parent could ask for. He was not only a dutiful son but also a caring one.

He would entertain them whenever they were in a bad mood. Despite his clear dislike for churches, he would attend all the services they attended just to make them happy and proud of him.

Before that day, he had been the perfect son for them. Placing their happiness before his own. They were proud parents who would boast about him to their peers and friends. Being the selfish parents that they were, they had never considered his happiness.

They neither questioned his actions nor his ways of making them satisfied. They had known that he did things to make them happy. They had never discouraged him nor asked him to do things because he liked to do them.

Raymond regretted being a selfish man to his flesh and blood. Beau was an angel. His only selfish act had been falling in love with another man. They had used his only mistake to condemn him to hell.

But was it even considered a mistake? No one knew better than Raymond that love was a blessing, never a mistake. His innocent son fell in love too. He didn't have a choice regarding who to love. It just happened.

" Samara, where do you think our son went? I wish to meet him and apologize to him. I wish to meet him before my end." The usually stoic face cracked displaying a nostalgic feeling on the man's face.

The little girl looked between her parents and furrowed her brows. She sweetly squatted closer to her mother and wiped her tears away. " Is mommas sad because I didn't share my chocolate? Here mommy. Have some. Don't cry."

She spoke softly tearing up in the process. She had thought that she made her mother cry. Samara hugged her daughter close to her chest packing her on the head. "No baby. Mommy misses your elder brother. Do you want to meet him, love? He loves you a lot."

" Mommy, where is big brother? I have never seen him." She looked up at her mother questioning. Samara could only weep silently for her boy. She held the photo frame close to Isla's face and pointed at the boy in the picture.

" See baby, he is your brother. What do you think?" Little Isla traced the picture with her fingers smearing melted chocolate on it in the process. " Mommy, I look like him. He is so pretty mommy. Can I meet him soon?"

The lady looked at her husband helplessly as though asking him the same question? Will she get to see her baby anytime soon? Was it possible for her to embrace him again?

The three cuddled on Beau's bed for a while until the little girl fell asleep. Samara and Raymond looked at each other silently. The man held his wife's warm hands in his own as he silently comforted her.

" Darling, I will use our family detective to look for him. I hope this time, we would find him. He did a good job of hiding from us for over ten years. He might hate us now. As long as we know how he is doing, we won't interrupt his life. Don't cry, honey. "

He spoke as a way to comfort himself and his grieving wife. Beau was their heir and son. No matter in what state they found him, he will hold on to his son and cherish him this time. He would not let the world dictate how he should live. If his late father found out about his doings, he would feel so ashamed of him.

Raymond felt guilty in his heart. He was given everything as he grew up. He neither lacked affection or wealth. He had them all. His father did a wonderful job of raising him while he did nothing for his son. 'I will find you soon my son. I hope you find it in your heart to forgive your old man.'