I rested my head against my dad’s shoulder while he stared at the ceiling, and started telling.
“Garry and I were just little boys when we lost our parents to ill health in a span of three years. We were taken care of by our parents’ friends but we were shattered and would have never risen to our feet if we didn’t have Rosie with us. Yeah, she was our beloved little sister. I know you have never heard of her. Your brothers have heard of her but never saw her. Garry and I loved her a lot, just like your brothers care for to you.” I was listening to the new fact awestruck and passed a smile on the last sentence, remembering my brothers.
“She was our doll. And since our parents’ death, Garry took care of us like a father, more than a brother to us.” Dad was looking outside the window while he was telling all these as if he was reliving all of them.
“Things went fine until a day when Rosy said that she wanted to marry a guy from a nearby town. Soon we found that that guy was a criminal. We tried everything but could not convince her to leave that boy.” Dad’s face changed from a happy memory to sorrow and then anger.
“After a few days, Rosy put charges on us that we were not letting her marry of her choice. She was 18 and thought she could do anything she wanted to. She did have the rights legally, but she was still 18. How much she could know of the cruel world?”
Dad huffed and continued, “Police took Garry on remand for a week as Rosy put charges on him. We had a very good reputation in our company and society. But this thing shook us all our core from inside. " I could find dad’s voice going feeble. But he continued. “She flee away with that boy after some days and never came back to us again. We searched for her a lot and found her even, but she refused to return, instead, she insulted us in public. We had this business running and everyone started insulting us, especially Gary. It took years for us and our clients to come from a healthy relation track. We did move on with our families, but he could never forget what Rosy did to us. He was devastated by that incident and commanded me, Sophie and Milly never to utter even Rosie’s name ever. It was tough for me. But I could not lose my brother after I lost my sister.”
I was feeling so overwhelmed with all these flash of information. I could not imagine how bad it would have been with dad and uncle those days.
“Things came to track and we were a happy family with all the boys born. Garry and Milly could not have children for long. But they loved and cared for Logan, Jack, and John like their own boys. But Garry was the happiest when you were born.” Dad’s smile appeared again and I accompanied him. “But something terrible happened that very night. Gino’s parents were coming to see you in the hospital. But they met a fatal accident on their way and died on the spot.” I gasped on this new reveal. Is that the reason Gino hates me?
Dad continued, “It was after 8 months of the incident that Garry brought Gino to our family when he learned that he was not taken good care at his aunt’s house. Garry and Milly adopted them soon. It is one of the reasons that I adore them so much. They didn’t delay even for a moment in showering all their love for an orphan child.” Dad sipped in some water before he continued, “Garry used to love you more than any other child in our family and gave the same place to Gino. Miracle chose to meet us when Milly was blessed with a beautiful baby boy, Mark. I thought our family was complete and would never see a bad day.
“But fate chose to turn its wheel and things started changing gradually after some years when you started looking a lot like Rosy, your aunt. Garry was pulled into the same haunting hole. I could see him sinking again. And the turning point came when you were around 8 years old. It was a fine summer night and you were playing outside with Andy and don’t know how you got lost. All Andy could say was you ran away somewhere. We couldn’t blame him too, after all he was just 9 then.
”I can’t tell you really what an awful night that was. Garry, Logan, Jack and I started searching for you in every locality possible. We did find you almost after 4 hours of search and I thank God for that till this day. We were all relieved, but something terrible happened that same night. Those days Milly, your aunt was carrying a baby. And due to tension because of you going missing, she fell very ill. We hurried her to hospital but she and Garry had already lost their child. That triggered every bad memory you have of your uncle. He took you responsible for the loss. All the memories which Garry had buried deep inside his heart of Rosy started rooting up again for you.”
I could find a tiny tear coming out of dad’s eye. “Dad…” I could not hold my tears when I saw my dad in pain. Dad gave me a smile. “I am sorry Ria, for all the things you had to undergo all these years. I know you did not do anything wrong. Trust me, I and your mum tried our level best to make the things return to normal all these years, but we failed. I am sorry, honey”
I hugged my dad. I had so many things going on in my mind, and I didn’t know what to say. But there was no way I could let my dad feeling sorry for all these things.
“Dad, thank you for telling me the truth. But never say sorry to me. I love you and mum the most.” That was all I could say to my dad. “I love you too, Ria. But I’m sorry to keep you in darkness all these years. All your brothers, well except Joe, know about this. I am sure they too will be relieved to know that you know the reason now.” Dad replied to me. But I couldn’t help but ask, “Dad, is aunt Rosy the reason that Logan and everyone are so much strict and overprotective of me?” To this dad laughed and said, “Oh no way, Ria. Rosy neither was and never will be the reason for your brothers being protective of you. Its the typical brother instinct they have dear, we all have. And they trust you more than anyone else. We all do.”
I huffed and said, “But Dad, they always scold me for every little thing. Especially, Logan. When you and mom leave us for work and put Logan in charge, you can’t imagine how tough time he gives to us.” But I found dad looking at me amused. “It’s not funny dad” I prickled but my dad won’t stop smiling at me. “I wish you never had given so much authority to Logan,” I whispered, I was angry but I could not hurt my dad’s feelings. “Come here, " Dad said and sat me on his lap and held me with his chin on my head. “You know, some 8-9 years back, your uncle went out of the city for business work and I fell very ill, hospitalized for more than a week. Logan was hardly 11, but he took such good care of you all as your mum was not that strong mentally, me being not well. It’s not that just one incident, Logan has always taken care of you guys more like a father than a brother, just like Gary cared for us when we were kids. That’s why I always allow Logan to take care of you guys with so much responsibility and your mom and I trust him with you all kids if anything happens to me or your mother.”
“Daddy, please…” I stopped him from saying anything more and he put a small kiss on my forehead. “Its ok, lil Ria. I think you should sleep now, it’s quite late.” Dad said slept me down and tuck me inside the sheet and left the room.
I tried to sleep but kept tossing left and right and could not sleep. I decided to talk to Sally and dialed her number, she was a great window for me as I could share everything with her.
“Hey Ria, you are still awake, everything alright?” She received my call and said, I was glad to have a friend who did not swear at me for waking up 2 o clock at night.
-“All good, Sally, did I wake you up?”
So dumb of me to ask this question.
“No way, man. By the way, how are things at home? Did Logan take things well?” She asked and I replied to her the entire evening session right from Logan knowing about the fight to mum’s homecoming news and then I threw a bomb at her, telling everything I got to know from dad. There were lots of Whats and Reallys and Oh Nos and what not… I even cried a little in the middle but she was the best console someone can have. She made me laugh here and there and I came back to normal mood.
“Hey, Sally, thanks, dear. I really needed a girl at this moment and I have my savior with me " I giggled saying this. “Oh yeah, I am”, she said and started laughing. “By the way, that Daniel guy, I mean he was so cute, man, I mean sooo cute!!” She talked of Daniel and I realized I totally forgot about him.
“Shut up, Sally!!” I shot back. “Oh ho, someone’s blushing. hahaha!” She couldn’t control her laughter. “Will you cut it out already?” I said but couldn’t stop laughing either. “Goodnight Sally. Meet you at school.” I said and she wished me back and we hang up. Talking to Sally was a good break. And then talking of Daniel did lighten up my mood and I started thinking of the small interaction we had earlier. Would he talk to me again? Would I meet him again?
I realized I was over-thinking. I mentally slapped myself and went back to sleep.
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