The Revelations
Lance sat on the bench at their garden with his laptop on. After what happened at the wedding, he went back to their house with a smile – no grin – in his face. He’s so happy that he feels like he won a lottery, or like God gave him the ownership of the earth, or like he’s flying.
It never crossed his mind that this day will come, the day that his heart will beat again, one more time.
Lance saw Charles walking towards his direction. He noticed that Charles has a brown envelope in his hand. Lance looked at him in the eye; there was something in Charles’ face, like he’s shy or ashamed or something. Charles sat beside him.
“Sorry,” Charles said. “Sorry for everything.”
“It’s okay,” Lance said. “At least you found a way to set things right.”
“I have to tell you something,” Charles said with shaky voice. “It’s very important. It’s something you should know, they kept it from you.”
“When you said they, you mean…?”
“Mom, Dad, everyone!” Charles answered. “Haven’t you ever wondered why Dad adopted you? Why you looked so much like me? Why Dad gave you the family heirloom?”
“What are you talking about?” Lance was now serious, the smile in his eyes faded and turned into a wondering expression.
“Here,” Charles gave him the envelope he’s holding.
Lance opened the envelope. He read the content of the papers inside it. It’s a DNA test, he saw Greg’s name, and below it was his name as the alleged son. His whole body went cold, like someone just poured cold water on him. The probability of paternity is 99.99%. And the testing was conducted by Timothy V. Junio – Robi and Bianca’s older brother.
“I… I can’t believe this…” Lance said. “This isn’t true; tell me this is just a joke. This is not funny.”
“I hope it’s just a joke,” Charles said. “But it’s not. Before Tim went abroad, he told me about this thing. He knows that Dad won’t tell you the truth
“And why are you telling me this?” Lance asked. There were tears forming in his eyes, and Charles could see the anger in his face.
“Because I believe that it’s the right thing to do,”
Lance returned the paper back into the envelope and went inside the house. Charles saw the anger in Lance’s face, an anger he never saw in his brother before.
“Dad!” Lance shouted. Janine looked at him with wonder. Ivan was shocked because of Lance’s sadden anger.
“Why are you shouting inside my house?” Sandra was the one who answered him.
“Tell me what this is,” Lance raised the envelope.
Sandra took it. She opened the envelope, she need not to read the content; she knew what it is before she read it. “How… Where did you get this?”
“It doesn’t matter. All of you lied to me!” Lance shouted. He looked at Janine and Ivan. “I trusted both of you.”
“What’s going on here?” Greg said as he enters the living room.
Lance looked at him. Greg was stunned; Lance’s eyes were filled with hatred. Lance’s hand turned into fist.
“What’s going on?” This is the first time they saw Lance so angry – so mad. “Why don’t you ask yourself?”
Sandra gave Greg the DNA test. Greg just looked at Lance with shocked eyes. “Lance, let me explain.”
“Explain? No Dad, you don’t have to explain, I completely understand what’s going on here. You adopted me because I’m your bastard son, you didn’t tell anyone who’s outside this family because your afraid that it might destroy your name, that it might destroy the name of your family.”
“Yes,” Greg said. “That’s a part of the reason. I’m not prepared Lance, I’m afraid to tell you the truth. I don’t know what would be your reaction…”
“I’d be happy then Dad,” Lance shouted. “I’m a child then looking for parents, I’m an orphan wondering where my parents are! But now, now that I found my father I don’t know if I’m happy. You don’t know what I’ve been through Dad, even a five year old boy would understand, but I’m eight when you found me then why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I don’t know what would and could happen next. Maybe that’s my mistake; I always plan for the future.”
“My future is not like the houses and buildings and bridges you built that you could plan and design for me Dad,” Lance half ran to his room leaving everyone behind him.
He opened his room and packed his clothes. He packed all the things inside his room that came from his own money, leaving everything Greg gave him.
He changed his clothes and fixed his room. He took his bags and his car keys and went out of his room.
“Where are you going?” Janine said when she saw him. “You’re leaving?”
Lance looked at her eyes. “I don’t want to stay here forever.”
“Lance you can’t leave,” Ivan said.
“Why? Is there something left that I should know?” Lance asked him.
“No but…”
Lance turned around and went out of the house. Everyone was trying to make him stay, to stop him from leaving. He opened the door of his car and went inside.
“The biggest mistake I made in my life is when I agreed to live here with you people,” was the last thing they heard him said.
As he drives away from the village, he saw something in his hand. It was the ring his Dad gave him – the heirloom. The ring made him remember Nicole.
Lance picked up the phone and dialed a number, “Can we meet?”
* * *
Nicole drove fast with her car her father gave her when she graduated. It was a pink version of Lance’s black car.
Can we meet? Lance asked her at the phone minutes ago. He wants to see me. The thought made her heart beat faster.
They met at the orphanage, where their story began, where her feelings for him began. When she stopped the car, she saw him standing in front of the gate. She went outside and run towards him. As soon as she came Lance grabbed her shoulder and put his other arm around her waist and their lips met. Nicole put her arms around his neck. Both of them longed for this kiss, and they don’t want it to last, neither of them tried to let go of the other. The kiss was passionate; they were like hungry lions that hadn’t eaten for a week.
Finally they had a hold of themselves, and their kiss lasted.
“I love you Nicole,” Lance said. “I loved you and I will love you more…”
“I love you, too Lance,” Nicole said.
“You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me, and if loving you is a mistake, I don’t want to do the right thing anymore,” Lance said.
Nicole smiled and held him tighter.
“I’m sorry if I broke your heart,”
“No,” Nicole said. “You didn’t because I believed in you Lance; I believe that you love me.”
Lance kissed her in the forehead and then in the nose. “I’m here to say goodbye,”
Nicole looked at him with surprise. Her grip loosened and she stepped back. “Again? Why?”
“I need to go Nicole, I need to find my self,” Lance said. He told her everything that he found out that night.
“Can’t you stay? Can’t you find your self here with me?” Nicole asked with tears in her eyes.
“Don’t cry, Nicole,” Lance said. “I need to go as much as I want to stay with you.”
“You’re so unfair Lance,” Nicole said. “Just as when we had this chance to be together again you’re leaving me behind?”
“I’m sorry,” Lance said. “But I need to do this alone.”
Nicole nodded and wiped her tears. “Will you come back?”
“I don’t know,” Lance said. “Let’s have a deal.”
“What deal?”
“What date is it?” Lance asked. “And what time?”
“It’s July 21st; the summer solstice and its 8:53.” Nicole answered him.
“Before that date and time comes three years from now, we should see each other,” Lance said.
“Where?” Nicole asked.
“To a place where our feet would take us,” Lance answered. “Don’t try to look for me, and I won’t look for you. Let our feet take us where our heart says to go.”
“And if we don’t?”
“That means we’re not meant for each other. In that three years, just let your heart beat for someone else, I don’t want your heart be my prisoner.”
“This could be impossible,” Nicole said. “But I’ll always believe in you. I know that we’ll still meet again, because we belong together, forever.”
“No matter where we are in the world, no matter what happens, just always remember that I love you, I will always love you,” Lance kissed her forehead once again. “And if ever your heart would beat for someone else, if ever years will pass by and we’ll never see each other again, please always remember that I love you.”
The kissed again, this time, it’s a kiss for goodbye. Tears fell in their eyes as the stars fall again above their heads.
0 comments:
Post a Comment