Chapter 4

"So you said she never told you about us? That's kinda of my kind of secrets, he said and they all laughed, echoing the sound of their unbridled voices across the distance of nothing, save mountains and creepy forests that looked right back at you in defiance and condescendingly too, if you stared at them for too long like I did, in their bright green jumpsuit with a touch of brown around the middle.

I was simply dumb, but with Marcus around, I was very much relived.

"I'm sorry about that , Olivia,"Mom said, reaching out to my hands.

A lot had changed about her. The few I could observe were already too much to take in, nevertheless, I shouldered it, knowing that in the past weeks before my departure with Marcus, we weren't on the best terms, but I couldn't help but justify it all with what I met later.

Maybe she was initially against my coming because I could find out about this part of her life, not that it mattered much. I couldn't let any of her odd relationship get in the way of what I felt for Marcus. Not even she.

It had been two days already since our arrival. It was Marcus' old family home. A house he had explained to have been in the family for as long as the word " endless", whatever he meant but I figured it would be nice to step out of Orleans for a while and experience the rest of the world.

Panting, in a haste to catch my breath, leaning against the wall with him beside me, he popped up the question and it took me like forever to respond, having bathed in our own sweat as we tangled moments before, relishing the euphoria of a lover's touch, as intoxicating as new wine.

I recalled the scene with missed feelings, mostly because of what had happened along which I had been too occupied and excited to have considered.

The groaning voice of Charlie, calling out for help. It was as though he was right behind me at the other side of the wall but reasoning eluded me as we danced and tossed about against the wall like two tigers wanting to devour the spoil. At that moment, we badly needed each other, especially the union of our minds which I felt for a fleeting moment.

Shrugging off the burden of Charlie's ordeal, I imagined a different scenario with him being taken by Angelica in a ride like ours.

"A penny for your thoughts."

"I want no penny, Marcus, girls want pounds these days,"I replied and we both laughed into each other's arms.

" Hope you were turned off by our step siblings relationship?"

"It isn't half siblings relationship, is it?"

"Olivia," he called gently and pulled me to the bed.

" Glad you made it," he said locking eyes.

I wasn't sure I would come at first but wanting to escape my mom's presence at all cost, I had to accept the invitation, even though it was literally my first time away from home, without relations nearby.

Just to make sure that I prepared myself having been paranoid, I checked out the place in the maps and sought the opinions of tourist guides on the area.

Sadly, no one knew about the old family home which I had expected every guide to be aware of. And that was how I turned up at the doors of an old guide, who was retired and owned an antique shop downtown.

Being referred to him by a police officer who was so engrossed in her thoughts for sometime, searching my face for something I just couldn't make out, I got to the location she referred as the outskirts of town.

What was meant to be a store which would be patronized by all and sundry was not only dusty and wornout, but to add to the flames, fallen branches and dried leaves were everywhere giving off the picture of abandonment and at a point, I had begun cursing in my mind, wondering why she had to direct to someone that was obviously out of this world.

Stuck in a heap of decayes, I thought of the next port of call, pushing back and forth with my left leg.

"I might as well take care of these while I'm here," I thought out , and finding a goodly shaped branch like a rake, I began moving the heaps away from the entrance.

"Hey yo!"one went by and hailed. I didn't look up to see who it was not did I bother responding.

Few moments later, two middle aged men with silver strands arrived with wheelbarrows, shovels and rakes.

"Thank you,"I smiled and shook their hands.

"Thought you would need a hand seeing how you were so engrossed with work that you didn't return my greetings."

" About that, I'm really sorry. It's already a habit and it was deliberate at all."

He was like a Greek god, only that his brows were so thin, it was like an almost invisible line. The outlines of his face, carefully sculptured were different , if not worlds apart from the younger that concentrated on clearing the decay.

I watched him, baffled that a man that old could exude such features.

His black joggers, similar to his younger brother's , was free, yet revealing his maleness where the zipper stopped mid chest, tauntingly.

" He is so old, yet too young."

Chatting all through, we moved the decayed material down to a grain field nearby, and the owners, peeking from many yards away, never stopped thanking us until they got closer, the man and his wife, both advanced in age.

"Nice child you got there," the old man said, sparing me a gentle smile.I couldn't refute him. I could pass for the express image of his child, if he ever had any.

"What's the time now,"the older asked as we returned

"17: 59," and combing his beards, he sighed," it has begun.