Michelle's ex-boyfriend

Chapter - 18 What is her name?

Layla Weklic

2000

"Please, come home, May," I begged my sister Mary over the phone.

"Don't talk to me in that pleasing tone, I feel like a real bitch for denying you," She replied.

"You can't stay like this, Mary. It's been 4 years. And you are only 16. Do you have any idea how much I and Mom miss you?" I breathed. Remembering the desolating memory of Mom whimpering over her photos this morning.

"I know. I miss you guys too," She stopped. "But I can't stand him Lay," Mary stated. Since childhood, she was used to calling me Lay and I was accustomed to calling her May.

"I will talk to Dad, I will make him understand that this isn't your fault. I will take extra care to make sure he won't badmouth you," I suggested.

"Oh, dear sissy, there is only so much a man can tolerate. I don't blame him you know," She let out a mournful laugh. "He nearly collapsed when he found that I wasn't his," She recalled. "I don't blame our mom too. And there is only so much a woman can survive the loneliness too. He toiled himself in the military for 15 years," She stopped.

"But that's barbaric May, even if you were not his daughter and born to someone else, he did love and raise you for 12 years. How could he forget that," I questioned, remembering how seething he was towards her, which eventually made her leave.

"I became a walking symbol of his wife's betrayal," She replied. "He couldn't take it Lay. I wasn't gonna leave actually. I did love him as lot as my dad so did he until he knew. Even now, I still do love him. It's just I can't stand him abusing Mom bellowing that I wasn't his progeny,"

"It was all my fault," I cried with poignancy. A tear even fell on the phone. Recollecting the scrimmage I started four years ago, due to my idiocy.

Four years ago, Mary met with an accident and lost a lot of gore. We all rushed to the hospital and offered to give our blood. But none of our blood groups matched with hers. I raised a question out of peculiarity stating how is this possible? That question seeded into Dad's brain, and he watered that seed with his suspicions. And finally, he decided to run a DNA test. Then that seed grew into a tree and bore fruit as the DNA result stated Mary wasn't his daughter.

Then, that tree rooted its roots with despair and hatred in his heart. That tree grew its branches in his mind with maul behaviour. There was a time when he was a good father, but now he started persecuting Mom demanding who her real dad was. May couldn't endure seeing him with his monstrosity and decided to leave.

"Stop blaming yourself Lay, truth will always find a way to unravel," She assured. "Enough with this chuntering. Tell me what's going on with your life, doc," She mocked.

"I am barely a doctor, still pursuing my degree, remember?" I reminded her.

"No doubt you will be one of the best doctors. You are a wizzo at academics. I can count on that. Lay you are already 23. Tell me you are seeing someone at least now," She insisted I speak up. But I chose to be otherwise and remind myself to be a quietude.

"Darn it. Lay. There is life apart from academics too. You never socialize nor make chums," She complained.

"I do have a friend, Holder Pipes, remember?" I answered. "Leave about me, tell me how are things at foster care? Speaking of that, how's your friend Jaro?" I queried.

"Lay, there is something I need to tell you, I think, I-, I might have a little crush on Jaro," She blushed. I can already imagine her cheeks painting the colour of crimson with shyness. That's her first crush. I can't believe my baby sister crushing over someone.