Episode 18

Miguel

Yunno, I started hating myself already. Actually before I slept off in my room, I cried alot. I thought am a big disgrace, why on earth am I getting possessive over my own sister, why do I have feelings for her? Am just the family’s black sheep, where are my manners, Are there no other girls out there? Just why? Why? … I cried while all this thoughts run through my head till I slept off and now?

What’s this Mom? I asked again. Mom didn’t reply, she stood there for what seems like eternity. Then the next thing I saw was tears running down her cheeks, she spoke……

Mom: Why did you go there?

Mike: You said to get your travelling license

Mom: Why didn’t you just get it? Why did you have to check others?

Mike: Don’t tell me it’s true

Mom: what is?

Mike: That I am Emmanuel Amadi

Mom: Since when did you started bearing such name? Your name is Miguel Adams, my one and only son

Mike :..crying… Mom, was I adopted?

Mom: You’re are my son, my own son. The Mike I never stopped loving ok. Don’t let any rubbish thoughts run through your head OK. Mom loves you, Dad loves you and Ella loves you. We all love you so much.

By now, I was welling loudly. It’s so unbelievable! I can’t describe the feeling, but it’s overwhelming. Dad heard my cry and came to the room. He need not a soothsayer to tell him what’s happening when he came in….

Mom: Honey pls help me! Help me pls!.. Still crying

Dad: Oh no! You shouldn’t have, you’re not supposed to nah….. He came to me and hugged me. I cried loudly on Dad’s shoulder.

Dad: You’re my son. The son I’ll forever be proud of, nothing will ever change that ok….. I kept nodding while still crying on his shoulders. I so cried like a baby. Twas disheartening.

We were all sitted in the sitting room except Ella. There was a deadly silence, then I spoke up…

Mike: Why didn’t you tell me?

Dad: Cox there’s nothing to tell

Mom: You should have told me at least
Dad: So that I’ll have you behaving like this? There is no gain in telling you, after all you’re my son. Don’t ever forget that… He turned on the television to news channel.

Mike: But wait oh, twas not up to a year you got married before adopting me. It’s not like mom was barren or something. What happened?

Mom: That day..

Mike: Huh?

Mom: You asked what happened?

Mike :….I nodded

Mom: Just before we got married, we visited an orphanage home in the village. You were so cute so I carried in my arms, when I dropped you to leave, you held my index finger with your tiny hands and cried just like a baby the mom wants to leave in another person’s care and go out. You were just a month old then.I left you that day. I wasn’t in need of a child that time, moreover I hoped to have mine. When I and your father got married, I became pregnant two months later. But then problems came in the family when your grandfather died and they wanted to forfeit your father’s property because he was the second wife’s son and does not have a son yet. We couldn’t take it, not after your father’s hard works. That was when I remembered you, we adopted you and told them that you’re our son we have been hiding all this while tho twas hard to believe cox twas not long ago that we got married.

The truth is, we might have adopted you when we had troubles but that’s not true. I just needed an excuse to adopt you. Tho the family didn’t believe that you’re our son but your presence did a great job. And I really wanted you to be part of this family cox after that encounter with you, I kept calling the nurse to ask of you. Many people wanted to adopt you but I kept telling her to wait for me, that I’ll surely adopt you after marriage but your father objected at first till that family conflict came up and I decided to take advantage of it.

Dad: Yea, I shouldn’t have objected. Am glad I later agreed cox you’re the best son ever.

Mom: Me too, am sorry for everything

Dad: No, I am just grateful to be part of this family cox you never gave me a reason to think otherwise. I love y’all

Mom: Love you too my boy.. She kissed my forehead and headed to the kitchen
Everything seemed to have returned to normality. We decided to keep it a secret from Ella. Mom and Dad made me promise not to tell her till we graduate from university. Mom still travelled the next day while Dad left for work. I’ve not really recovered from the shock of the truth which was unveiled yesterday night. Twas too much for me, the family who has cared and loved me all this years is not my biological family. Then who’s my mother? Who’s my father? Are they really dead or they abandoned me?
Well, I need not to think about that. Here I am with the perfect family I could ever wish for.

But now I have to keep it a secret from Ella, my feelings for her just became stronger now that I realized we’re not related by blood. It’s going to be really tough for me to conceal it. Do you think I can really control my feelings for Ella, and keep pretending to be happy with her being with other guys even when I know the truth? Not being able to confess my love for her and keep being in the brother’s zone even when I want something more than that?

I didn’t go out that day, just played video games, watch movies, sleep, eat, bath, browse, etc. In conclusion, I was just lazing around. I spoke with Emeka, he said Ella is fine and that he did something wrong to Ellie but refused to tell me what it is. For some reason, I was glad they fought.

You need not to be surprised that I already reconcile with Emeka, we guys don’t hold grudges for a long time. Am no longer as annoyed as I was with Ella before, really missing her, yet I refused to pick her calls.

The next day was no different from yesterday, around 6pm I heard a loud bang on our gate.

Who could be banging the gate so loudly? I rushed and opened the gate. Twas Ella, as I looked at her, the memories of what happened in her absence came running through my memory lane.

One part of me wants to give her a warm hug while the other just wants to turn away and go inside not because I am still angry with her, I just want to use this as an opportunity to keep my distance to avoid spilling the truth or letting my feelings out.

What should I do? Keep my distance or return to the way we used to be? Mind you, before you say, return to the way we use to be, remember that my feelings have changed from brotherly to romantic which means that it’s…. Kinda dangerous right now!