Chapter 12: Chapter 12

ETHAN

I took my bag and followed Jayden behind. As we walked out of the room, I couldn't stop staring at Jayden. You might be wondering, why he has grown so much hatred for his mother?. Why he doesn't want to see her?. Well, it was a long story. But I will try to make it short as I can. Jayden used to love his mom so much. He used to be the lover of home. When we were much younger and were attending a boarding high school, he would always tell me how much he loved going home. How he wanted to see his mom and dad. He would tell him how much he loved his mom and wish to marry a woman like his mom. I would laugh at him. Everything changed after the death of his dad and his mom got married to a rich man. Jayden believed his mom didn't morn his dad enough. She didn't just get married to his father's boss, barely a year after his father's death, she also gave birth seven months later. I knew all these and I could feel his pain. But I had tried to make him understand that his mom is human and had to move on. I had told him to move on with his life but he just couldn't stop talking that night. The night that had taken his hero away from him.

<Flashback>

It was our first year at St Vincent University. Like other students, we had been looking forward to leaving America and coming over to the Caribbean. Jayden and I had been the lover of nature and though Jayden wasn't from a very rich family line I was, he had always been a happy child. Contended with whatever his parent had given him. We had been best friends from junior high school. Jayden was the opposite of who I used to be. I was cold-hearted while he was the friendly one. Back then in high school, students who always troop after him, girl drooling, and guys wishing to be like him. I would drive them off anything they come closer to him and he would laugh and tell me no one could take him away from me. He usually tells me back then, that our friendship was destined from above. We were just quite opposite. Our social status, our characters, even our intelligence. He was a brain box and I on the other hand wasn't the lover of books. He doesn't party, I love parties. He was friendly and I was cold-hearted. But he changed me. And when we resumed to St Vincent university, I was a different person. Friendly, funny, jovial. Just name it. It was a surprise to my parents and so many other how Jayden had succeeded in making me a better person. I was happy with my new life and my friend. I had thought everything will be that way. But everything began to change when we received the news. It was a few days after we came to the Caribbean, that we received the news of Jayden's father's death. That was the first time I saw Jayden cried. I couldn't keep my face dry also. Jayden was like his father, friendly, jovial, and always looking out for others. His death was a great loss, not just to Jayden but to every one of us who knew him.

**

The taxi came to a halt and Jayden sighed. I held his hands. "It's ok, Jay. I'm here with you". It was few days to his dad's burial. We had traveled from the Caribbean to give him, the last respect. Jayden was so nervous. I could feel his pain. The pain of not seeing someone you had grown to love. I squeezed his hand tenderly. "It's well, Jay. It's going to be fine"

He nodded. We stepped out of the taxi to meet the pitiful stares from all those that come to sympathize with them. I held Jayden tightly for fear that he might run away. We walked past them and entered the house. Jayden pulled away from me and ran into the opened hands of his mother. "Mother" he called. I could hear him weep. I sniffed. My parents were present too. They had come to sympathize with them.

My mom walked closer to me. "Ethan. I'm happy you came with Jayden. His mom was afraid he might hurt himself"

I nodded. Jayden's mother gestured to me to come closer which I did. "Thanks, Ethan, for coming with him". I could only nod my head.

All necessary things were carried out and Jayden's father was laid to rest. Everyone that spoke that day, spoke highly of him. He was a good man until his death. Those were the good testimonies received. We spent a few days with his mom before returning to school. While we returned, I noticed Jayden wasn't like his usual self. At first, I had thought it was the death of his father but it wasn't. One day, Jayden broke the news to me. His mom was getting married to his father's boss. I was startled by this revelation. Why would she get married to his dad's boss?. Jayden was furious and so was I. It was barely a year after his father's death. Why would she get married now?. Jayden had poured out his anger? "She can't even morn him for a year!!. Has she been having an affair with him before my father's death?" He asked

I couldn't give him the right answer. I don't even know what the right answer was. I was as confused as he was. His mom called me to help her talk to him. She tried to explain her reason to me. She believed I would understand her better. And of course, I did, but Jayden didn't. No matter how much she tried to make him understand, the fact that she didn't morn his dad enough was something, and the fact that she got married to his father's boss and gave birth seven months later, won't make him forgive her. He changed from his lively self to being cold. He just doesn't want to have anything to do with ladies. He believed they would only love you when you're alive or when you are doing well and would leave when you needed them most, just like his mom betrayed him. He told me he wasn't going to visit her for any reason. And though I was able to make him go once, it had been difficult to make him go again, except now.

<Flashback ends>

Jayden poked me, jerking me back to reality. I rolled my eyes. "Hey, what are you thinking of?" He asked

I sighed. "Nothing. I am just thinking about how you had turned out to be the old me and me the old you". He furrowed his brows. "Remember I used to be the cold one and you the lively one?"

He groaned. "I'm not cold"

"You are Jayden. You just won't accept it"

I hissed. "Whatever"

I watched him walk away and I sighed. I hope he gets over this soon.