Chapter 30: Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty

CAIDEN

I stared at Alex and to that unfamiliar man. I figured that it was him, it was Dwayne. They look so peaceful and so happy with each other. I watch as the man put his arms on her back and began speaking. I couldn’t hear much so I went closer to them.

“—was the main reason of their fight. I am the reason why we can’t be a happy family. I am their burden.” I listen more, intrigued. What does he mean of being a burden? What story is he trying to engrave on Alex’s mind.

“—visit to the hospital came after…Mom was crying so hard, begging him not to do it. As a seven year old, I just watch them with curious eyes. Dad took me—He talked to people I do not really know. Then, the result was revealed. I was shocked—I was not his son.”

What? Shizballs this is crazy. This man is really crazy.

I inch closer so I could hear him clearer, “He became distant after that. He rarely comes home which made my mom cry all the time. Then suddenly, all of that changed” I couldn’t help it. My head suddenly hurt and I was drifting, drifting to the past.

*

I can see it clearly. I can remember it as though it had happened yesterday. I was listening to him as well as reliving my past.

It was Thursday, the second day of winter break. I was surprised when mom and dad told me that I will be expecting a visitor.

“Who is it? Is Uncle Victor going to visit with Nathan? I hope I can play cars—“

“It’s not your Uncle Victor who would pay you a visit”

“Then who?” Mom just shook her head at me and brought out a short, a jacket and a shoe from my closet. “Do I really need to wear that to meet the visitor? Is he really that special?” Mom touched my hair before asking me to go to the bathroom.

I was changing my clothes when I heard Dad’s car pulled over the driveway. Because I am so excited, I did not fix my hair, I just leave it as it is, like I have just rolled up from the bed. I quickly wore my shoes, put the ribbon on my neck and fastened the two buttons of my jacket. I ran down the stairs, my hand on my pocket as a sign of excitement.

I jumped on each stop and stopped short as I stared at the kid who was sitting next to my mom. He was wearing the same outfit as me; same jacket, same pants and even the same shoes. But what really shocks me the most is not the resemblance of our outfit but the fact that we have the same face.

I do not know how to process these kinds of things. He was even wearing the same expression plastered on mine.

I was confused. I didn’t know that twins exist, and we are an example. We scream and chase at each other in pure confusion.

“You ghost! Return my face, return my body, return my everything!” we screamed and Iwas surprised when mom pulled us close saying, “ You are Caine and this is your brother, Caiden,” she motion to the boy who look just like me. “You are brothers. You’ve been separated from birth because I have to give one of you up. My ex-husband has threatened to kidnap both of you if I didn’t give him one of you so I have to comply. Cedric though that he is your biological father. But then, as time pass by, he realizes that I have lied to him. So we negotiated once again, that he will return you to us with an exchange.” She look at me and brush my cheek with her soft hand before she brush the other boy’s cheek.

“It doesn’t matter now. What matters is you both are home. You are brothers. You have the same face but you are also different to each other. Though no matter what happens, remember that we love you so much. So you both have to love each other too. ”

I smiled at my twin and he smiled at me.

*

I listen intently and look at the man who is now facing Alex, half of his face I could see now. Shit. He is really my twin!

“The both of us are so happy. We have found the best buddy in each other. We are partners in everything that I do. We are best of friends. We are inseparable ever since I arrived at that house, the place where I really belong. Though when winter break ends, I went back to New York with you. There, Daddy or should I say Cedric, started talking to those weird people. Often, he will bring me to underground casino’s and when we do not have money to pay, the gangsters will beat me up. Cedric molded me into some monster as he train me to the bone and taught me things to trick my true parents. My only consolation is staying with you.” He touched her cheek making me flinch.

Stop touching her you idiot. Even if you are my twin, I won’t let you touch my dolce.

“Then, what happen next? What made Caiden involve in this?” She ask the question I have in my mind for a while now.

“It was my fault. I told him about you; how good you are to me and that you protected me whenever I needed you. He heard about my friends and how it feels to attend a real school and not be home schooled. I also told him of Cedric’s plan because I couldn’t bear it anymore. He just hurts me too much. Caiden being the kind and braver one has been cooking up a plan.” She stared at him, intently.

“One crazy summer, he exchanged with my place. I was delighted to be free of Cedric’s wrath and Caiden was delighted to meet all of you. He became obsessed of being outside and not only that, he was also obsessed of you.” I bowed down and couldn’t help but clutch my head as I remember those summers I spend with Alex. Did I really do all this with her? Am I really that romantic as a child? I guess, even if I lose all my memory, I am still sweet. I continue listening to my twin and can’t help but bite the straps of my bag so as to endure the pain on my head.

“It goes on for a few more years. He started going to you even though I am not aware, attending my classes and snatching you slowly away from me. We started fighting over you. I do not want you to get hurt because I know that you do not want to be tricked. We came to a decision to finally stop all these and distance ourselves from you.”

I remember that. I remember fighting with him and wishing that I was the one with Alex, that I was the one she met that summer. I wish I was the twin that ended up with her. I curse my parents for giving this fate to us. I should’ve been with her even from the start. Dang it.

“On my very last visit to you which should have happened on your tenth birthday, I planned to say good bye to you. Though, I was not aware that Caiden have followed me and boarded our plane. Cedric met a few guys on board and when I realize that Caiden was there, I urge him to hide but he did not. We fought and Cedric saw us, shocked, he started beating us up until he also beat up the pilot. The plane was shaking because of the turbulence and we are out of control.”

I shook my head, not being able to handle the pain. I remember feeling that fear I had nine years ago.

“The plane crashed. I swam to the next island with my clothes drenching in blood. You might not have notice it but, I am already lacking a leg,” I hear him tapping metal before showing a metal limb. “It wasn’t easy asking people to help. When I woke up, I found out that I was saved by one of Cedric’s friends, Paul Vorkam. He was a gangster and he took care of me. He told me that Cedric have died in the plane which delighted him. Secretly, that rejoices me too. Ryle took me under his wing and raises me as his son. He told me about my twin surviving the accident and that everyone I know thought of me as dead. Caiden return to his old life with no memory of me or you and everything that happened from his childhood. Ryle married Cedric’s wife which is Diane. It hurts me to distance myself away from you and tell you that I am still alive but what can I do? A dead man can’t show his face when everyone thought of me as dead right?” Alex just looked at Dwayne, her eyes welling up with tears.

I was shaking so hard. I can’t bear this anymore. So it is their fault that I have lost my memory? It was their plan all along to make me this miserable.

“The show must go on. We have to devise a plan so no one would think that there has been a foul play. Diane raised me to be one of the best. I got the same training as Caiden did with Paul’s supervision. They made me specialize in technology in Japan and transferred to Russia to study weapons. I choose to appear later than expected to claim what should have been really mine.” He touches her cheek once again and this time I slowly inch back, drawing away from them. She held his hand and look on his eyes. “Do you think, I have the chance if ever I got to you first and told you how I felt before?”

And that made me ran away. Hearing him say that to her only proves that he really loves her and I know that she loves him too.

I watch him as he cup her face with both of his hands and whispered something to her ear. Not wanting to hear their conversation, I stand off to the side of the road and hailed a taxi. I can hear her cursing as she turn. She pulled my twin’s hand, and started running towards the direction of my cab.

Fuck her. Fuck them for playing with my feelings.

© A.G_2018