CHAPTER 2: NOT MY SECRET TO TELL

I get home in a flash only to see my sister's car already parked outside the house.

"I'm home," I call out as I get into the house.

"Welcome back Drew. How was work today?" Mom asks, as she kisses me on the cheek.

"Um…... It was fine." I was searching for Adanna. "Where is Adanna?" I ask.

"Upstairs" She points, turning her face away from me to face the television.

I go upstairs and find my sister in her room lying down facing the ceiling.

"Hi," I smile, but she ignores me. "I'm sorry," I grumble under my breath, and she still ignores. "I'm really sorry. I'm sorry about the way I acted today. You were only just looking out for me and I overreacted. Please, I'm sorry," I plead.

"No problem," She says with her arms crossed and walks away.

Though she hasn't forgiven me, I know she'll open up because she doesn't keep a grudge.

I go upstairs, take a shower and put on black joggers with a white t-shirt. My mum calls that dinner is ready, and I go downstairs.

I sit on my usual chair, and my sister does the same.

There is an uncomfortable silence with icy stares while eating.

"Um….so how was your day mum?" I say to ease tension.

"It was very nice, and I had lots of sales today. What about you Drew, how was your day?"

"It was okay. Adanna came over and I hung out with Salah and Miranda. What about you Adanna?" I ask.

"Yeah, how are you Adanna haven't seen you in a longtime and I wonder why. And what are you doing right now?" Mum asks, and I roll my eyes.

"I am perfectly fine, mum thanks for finally asking and talking to me ever since I stepped in the house. That was very thoughtful, mum," Adanna says, smiling.

"Thank you very much, I thought of repaying you back since you happened to not return my calls for one full year and still not give a valid reason," Mum bites back.

I cough and add, "Is anyone enjoying the food?" an attempt to stop the argument that is about to unfold, but my mum continues.

"I did everything for you both. I worked so hard to get you guys a good life, but then you choose to waste your life doing what's not beneficial. You have everything handed to you on a platter of gold, so why don't you just take it like every normal child who loves her mother would do. Look at your younger brother. He is happy. Why don't you do as you're told? Many are looking for this opportunity and when I hand it over to you, you run away? Seriously, you used to be perfect I don't know what happened to you. Think about how your father would feel about…."

"Don't you mention that coward and don't think I came over to see you I'm only doing this for my baby brother, don't think I'm ever submitting to you," Adanna interrupts and leaves the table

I stare at her dumbfounded at the way she just addressed our father as a coward because she has never done that. She always loved him and was nicknamed 'Daddy's little angel' by our relatives.

"I'm off to bed," Mum says, like nothing just happened

I tell her goodnight and tell the new maid to come clear the table because I'm off to bed.

As I go to my room, I hear my mom's voice from her room

"Is she there yet?" I hear her say.

"Hope she isn't giving you any trouble?"

"So, when exactly am I getting my money?"

"Be sure to keep to what you said."

I then open the door to her room and she quickly says I'll call you back to the caller she is with on the phone

"Andrew, come here. What are you doing here?" She asks.

"I just wanted to check on you mum"

"Well, I'm fine there is nothing to worry I'm a grown woman stop worrying about me. Can't you see I'm strong," She smiles.

"I'll always worry about you mum because I love you," I say kissing her on the cheek"

"I love you too, son"

"Who was that on the phone? I heard you say something like, is she there yet?"

"So, you were eavesdropping, huh? I thought I told you it's a nasty habit," She scolds jokingly while twisting my ear.

"I'm sorry ma," I chuckle. "So, who was it then?" I still ask.

"Still curious, huh? Haven't you heard curiosity kills the cat?"

"But I'm not a cat I'm a grown handsome man," I grin

"I don't have time for your ego. But if you must know, I was making sure if our former maid Constance arrived safely at her new job. I told you I don't like someone being our maid too long because I like them to advance in life. I wouldn't want someone to serve me forever. I enjoy giving the less privileged a chance in life"

"OK mum, I get it. You're so caring, I love you"

"Thanks Drew. I just love seeing people smile. Aren't you supposed to be asleep? Don't you have work to do? It's past your bedtime."

"I'm twenty-five, mum I don't have a fricking bedtime. I can sleep whenever I want," I say, lying down on her bed and spreading my arms.

"No, you sleep when I say you do." She tells me. "Ralph, take him to his room since he is too stubborn to do so himself." She tells Ralph, one of her bodyguards who I didn't even notice, was in the room all along.

"No, thank you I can leave on my own," I get up and leave.

My mom has two bodyguards who follow her everywhere she goes. She had the idea of having a bodyguard when my father died.

I remember vividly the day I heard my dad died. That day my dad took me and my sister to my Aunt Hilda's house and on the way, he said he was planning on doing something special for my mum. He said that he wanted to take her for dinner to a special restaurant. He dropped us in my aunt's house, later that evening, when my dad was supposed to come get us he didn't come, so my aunt called my mum and told us she said that we should stay two more days in aunt Hilda's house. When the two days elapsed, my aunt took us home. When we got to the house, the house was crowded, and I saw my mum crying; I rushed to her and asked her what was wrong and she ignored me and continued crying. Aunt Hilda took me to her arms and hugged me tightly and told me with her voice hoarse that when my dad took my mum to the diner, shootings began and they shot my dad and took his body.

That's all I know. I never asked for details because I didn't want to go down memory lane again. I felt like the entire family should just move on.

Every day, the entire scenario played in my head for years and I always had panic attacks until my mum decided I should go get therapy. Everything seemed like it was fake. My sister didn't take it lightly at all. From that day on, she shut everyone out and acted like everything was fine, but later opened up.

My mum was so devastated that the next day my mum got two bodyguards, Ralph and Brent.

Brent was a very cheerful guy who always smiled. You wouldn't believe a guy like him would be a bodyguard because he looked rather much like someone who would fill in the role of an accountant.

Ralph was more of the serious version of Brent, who rarely smiled and always wore sunglasses even inside the house. Though we hardly spoke, the little time we had together, were worth it.

Whenever they weren't busy with my mum, they always played with me and gave me some advice in my teen years, especially Brent. But unfortunately, when I turned twenty, Brent passed away. It hurt me because we were very close. Then my mum got a new guy called Jim who I am not a fan of.

****

I wake the next day on my bed and get dressed for work the next day as usual. I go downstairs to the kitchen, but I don't see my mum. I call out to her but still didn't see her.

"MUM?" I call one more time.

"She's not here she went to run some supposed errands." My sister says blandly.

"Okay," I say, shocked at her appearance. "You look like you're going somewhere," I say when I notice her dressed up in a sleeveless blue floral knee-length gown with black pumps, a black shoulder bag and her braids styled in a ponytail with her edges and makeup done.

"Yes, I have an appointment with Miranda,"

"An appointment?" I question, and she nods. "Cut the formalities, Adanna I said I'm sorry, and I meant it. You could have just said you and Miranda planned on meeting. I'm sorry. OKAY? You don't have to be so formal. You're still acting like you are angry with me. I know you said no problem, but are my apologies accepted?"

"Apologies accepted for now because I don't know if you're going to do something stupid again," She says as she walks to her car.

"Can I give you a ride," I offer

"I know you're not blind baby bro, but I have a car."

"I know you're very smart, but can't you take a hint that I just want to spend some time with my big sister?"

"Ha-ha, hilarious," She says sarcastically as she enters the front seat.

I then call Lucia to inform her I'll come to the office a bit late today.

"So how is everything?" I ask.

"It's fine." She answers blandly again while scrolling through her phone.

"No really, how are you doing? You haven't spoken to me in a year and the least you can do is to tell me how you are doing"

"Well, since you must know, I am very fine. I just came back because I missed some things here," She answers again, still scrolling through her phone.

"Like me?" I smile, turning my face away from the road to face her.

"Don't flatter yourself little brother" She throws her phone on her lap and smirks.

"OK, don't act like you didn't miss me," I protest with a little pout.

"You wish," She giggles

"So, why did you leave? You never said why, I just came back from the park and mum said you left. What happened?"

"It doesn't matter" Her smile turns upside down, a sign telling me to drop the topic.

"Cut the crap, just tell me what happened"

"No, it's not my secret to tell. Just drop it," She warns"

"Just say it!" I demand

NO"

"SERIOUSLY, ADANNA JUST TELL ME!"

"You can't handle it"

"I can," I assure her, maintaining eye contact.

"OK, you want the truth?" She asks and I nod. "Dad is not dead"

The moment she says this I halt the car on the road because this dropped like a bomb. How can my dad not be dead?

"You're joking, right?" I ask, expecting her to say no, but she nods. "But mum said they shot him"

"Forget mum, she lied, the entire thing was staged."

"How did you find out?"

"He came to see me"

"NAH, this is all not true because mum can't stage something like that. Why would she do something like that if this is true?"

"That's because she wanted him to die. He was supposed to die. Yes, it's a shocker it was also to me when I got the details."

"But why?"

"As I said this is not my secret to tell go ask her yourself" She says and then opens the door, gets out of the car that's in the middle of and adds "I'll get a ride to where I'm going so don't worry about me."

I keep staring dumbfounded until she goes to the door of the driver's seat and says, "On second thought, get out of the car I'm driving you home. You can't go anywhere in this condition"

I comply and leave to the passenger seat and think a lot about the lie of a life I have been living for eleven years.