Walking the Right Path

Chapter 24 || The ending; Part one ||

She sighed when she reached me and joined me on the staircase by the porch. She dropped the bags by her feet, flexing her shoulders to release the knots in her muscles.

"It's been a while since we talked," she said, turning to face me. "Someone would think you're avoiding me."

"Maybe."

We sat in silence like that for a few minutes until she broke it.

"When I was a little girl I adored my uncle William. The thing is he and my father weren't on good terms but my mother... She was just too good and didn't want their rivalry to stop him from having a relationship with his niece. My little mind couldn't see the envy in his eyes the moment my mother announced that she was pregnant again. I couldn't see it every time her belly swelled more and her and my father shared happy laughs, talking about baby names and nursery things. Her," she paused, "Her name was going to be Esther."

"You don't have to tell me this Pen Pen. It's a sore subject for you and it wouldn't be fair." To tell me when I'm just about to leave you.

"I want to," she cleared her throat. "As I said, I adored my uncle because he always got me whatever I wanted, played with me and my dolls and did all the cool uncle things. He even had a nice nickname for me, Nelo, like one cartoon character I loved. It all changed when the veils were removed from my eyes. We were playing hide and seek, dad was at work and mom...mom was supposed to be in the living room except she wasn't. I saw it all happen from the little corner where I was hiding. William and my mom were talking by the staircase, I didn't know, I swear I didn't know or I would've done something," her voice cracked.

"Their conversation turned heated with him yelling and gesturing a lot. Mom was just by the edge now, it was too late when I shouted. William backed her to the edge with his yelling until all I could see was her weak body rolling down the staircase," Penelope shut her eyes as if she was imagining the whole scenario again.

"The worst part was he just stood there watching her unmoving body from the top of the staircase. He walked away and left her bleeding on the floor. I was the one who shouted for help, ran to the living room to find a phone to call an ambulance. Unfortunately they didn't come in time. My mother... She had a miscarriage. Both she and the baby couldn't make it."

My heart ripped into two as she narrated the story. I imagined all the pain I felt from when my father left and tripled it. I can't even begin to imagine her position as she battled with doing the right thing by forgiving her Uncle.

How do you forgive someone who made you lose your mother and unborn sister?

I gathered Penelope into my arms letting her cry her heart out. After all, it would be the last chance I have to hold her. I wondered if she would hate me for leaving or understand my position.

Not that I won't be coming back. My plan was to leave for a few weeks, maybe get back to school and write my final exam then graduate before finding a way to move back into this town permanently. If possibly Richardson would be happy to house me. And we would keep in touch somehow. Yes, that was my plan.

A plan I couldn't bring myself to tell her anymore.

Penelope sniffed, wiping away the remains of tears in her eyes. "I still can't look at him without imagining the look on his face when he walked away. I lost my sister and mother that day and even my dad. I haven't seen him in three years. One day he just couldn't stand the sight of me. He dropped me off at Nonna's and never came back. Nonna took away all his pictures and anything that would remind me of my broken family. I remember cursing God and questioning why it all had to happen to me, why he had to take all my happiness away. We went from the perfect family to nothing."