Chapter Three
They returned home with heavy hearts and cried sitting in the living room. It was evident that their dad hadn't returned home yet.
Adam stroked Angela's head as she wept bitterly onto his shoulder. Angela's heart was breaking and memories of the times that she spent with her mom kept flashing on her mind. Her last words, her painful expressions all made her wish that she could turn the hands of time. If only she knew the seriousness of her mom's condition, she would have admitted her last night. Maybe she would have survived then.
Damian too sat beside her with tears in his eyes. Alex too couldn't stop himself although he had never cried in his entire life. Arnold sat with his head in his hands as a few drops of tears escaped his eyes too. Each one of them battled with their own emotions silently.
Their dad walked in at 11 o'clock in the night and stopped mid-stride when he found his whole family in such a state.
"What happened to you guys?" He asked worriedly.
"Mom died," said Angela bitterly weeping again.
"What? How? When?" Asked their dad in disbelief.
"Today in the evening. We called you but you didn't pick up your phone, " said Alex, displeased with their dad.
"Oh, I was busy. So what happened to her?" He asked, sitting down to drink water. "Did she return home at all? Or was she at that hospital of hers? Who informed you guys?"
"No we took her to the hospital, " said Angela. She couldn't believe the questions her dad was asking them. How could he not be affected by her death? After all she was his wife, the mother of his children.
"Why, what happened? Was she pregnant?" He asked sarcastically.
Arnold banged his fist on the table and got up angrily. "Mom had Glioblastoma. It's a very aggressive type of brain tumour which spreads very fast. Mom's was in the last stage. We had to operate her immediately but before the MRI and other test results were ready, the tumour burst internally. Do you know that she didn't have the will to live? So she never complained about her ill health. She kept going till the last minute and then last night she resigned from her job. She had high fever when we admitted her into the hospital I'm attached with, " yelled a furious Arnold. He turned around and walked towards his room, muttering angrily under his breath.
Their dad sat still digesting the news. "Who was with her when she died?" He asked and Damian got up and angrily stomped off to his house unable to take Angela's dad reaction any more.
"We were. Why, whom did you expect dad? Were you there?" Asked Alex, getting up and going to his room. He was disappointed with his father. Even if they had a fight, she was his wife of thirty years and this sort of behaviour wasn't expected out of him.
His dad didn't ask anything more. He simply went off towards his room. Adam and Angela dried their tears. Both were astounded by their dad's reaction to the news of their mom's death.
"I don't want to involve him in mom's last rites," said Angela in a choked voice.
"We won't," swore Adam.
The next fifteen days passed by like a whirlwind. Angela and her brothers tried to cope with the feeling that their mom was no more. Their dad surprisingly wasn't much affected. He continued with his university lectures everyday and they didn't bother him.
Damian was with them everyday and Angela was thankful for the support. Arnold shifted back home from his college dorm and life went on as usual.
Angela felt guilty for not spending time with her mom, for not looking after her when she needed her the most. She cleaned and sorted her mom's room and found old pictures of hers which she stored in a box. Surprisingly all pictures were of her either by herself or with them. There wasn't a single photograph of her mom and her dad, together. She found an old diary. A note fell from it and she picked it up. She read it in a breath.
Dearest Angie,
When you find this note, I would be gone. I have very less days to live. T
There are many things that you don't know. The answers to all your queries are in this diary but please don't read it now. Read it on your eighteenth birthday. You will be more mature to understand me then.
I'm sorry that I couldn't be the best mom to you although I wanted to. Have a happy life and smile every day when I'm gone. Give my love to your brothers too. I wanted a happy life with all of you but I didn't get a chance to. I want to see all of you happy. After you read my diary, tell your dad that I've forgiven him.
I'm watching over all of you. Be happy and follow your heart always.
Love
Mom
She broke down completely after reading the letter. Her mom's last letter. She stored everything carefully into a chest and took it to her room. She didn't say a word to anyone. Her mom had left it for her and she would read it when she turned eighteen.
Life continued as usual but all of them were disappointed with their dad. He too avoided any sort of interactions with them and they didn't complain. Term end exams were coming up and all of them were too busy preparing for their exams. Damian came over to study with her and so did Xavion. They slept together in Damian's house.
Xavion hardly went home. He didn't want to face the insults that his uncle threw at him all the time, trying to prove how worthless he was. Damian's life was no better. His mom and dad had ugly fights the little time that they spent in the house together. Most of the days his mom didn't return home at all.
Amidst all this drama, exams went on and everyone cleared and successfully went onto the next grade year. It was Adam's final year at school and he became extra serious. Things had normalised with her dad and as the months passed by everything was back to how it was before her mom's death.
Damian became more possessive of Angela much to her anxiety. He mostly hung around her, more than he spent time with Xavion. He loved to be close to her, to feel her against him. Angela was oblivious to his feelings and concentrated more on her studies.
Helena however realised that chasing Xavion was a hopeless dream and finally succumbed to Brian's charms. Brian had been pursuing her for a year now and she agreed to become his girlfriend. Brian, being Freddie's best friend, made her hang out with his group more often than with Angela.
"I think Freddie likes you, Angie. Why don't you hang around with us?" Asked Helena. Her eagerness at playing matchmaker clearly evident although Angela couldn't decipher why. She had always disliked Freddie but he never seemed to get the idea at all. She shook her head.
"No, I don't think I want to. You go ahead Nelly. I'm good," Said Angela walking off to the library. Before she could reach, however Freddie pulled her into an empty classroom.
"What the fu*k! Get off me, you as*hole," she swore, trying to push him away.
"Angela, will you come to my birthday celebrations this Saturday?" He asked in an almost pleading tone.
"I don't know. Most probably not," she said trying to avoid going. She didn't like his friends and would feel left out in their company.
"Helena's coming with Brian. I want you to come, " he coaxed, his face showing the discomfort and nervousness he was feeling. Angela had never seen him this nervous. He was very goodlooking and the most notorious boy of the school and girls always flocked to him, boosting his ego. However, she was not one of those as she was immune to his charms.
"I'll see. I can't promise. I've to go to the library. Bye, " she said, reaching for the door. He caught her hand and pulled her back to his side.
"I won't let you leave without a promise. You have to come or else I'm not celebrating. You can stay here with me the whole day," he threatened and Angela's eyes widened at his words.
"Why me? There are so many girls who would love to attend," she reasoned but he shook his head.
"I only want you," he said earnestly. "Please say yes."
"Ok." She said softly and extricating her wrist from his hold, she rushed towards the door. "I've got to go now," she said before disappearing into the library. Her breathing normalised and she was glad that she could escape him.
However, her relief was short lived as a furious Damian strode into the library and gripping her hand in a bone crushing grip, pulled her along with him, dragging her almost.
He took her at the back of the school building and swung her around to face him. "What do you think you're up to?" He growled in a menacingly angry tone.