The Chronicles of Soraya Thenayu: Darkwood Academy

Chapter 9: Missing Memories

"Shortly after our daughter's first birthday was when the government required me to travel and work undercover once more. Adonia left with our daughter to live with colleagues until my contract was up..." 

    He frowned, then glanced over at Soraya, who was quietly listening. "Then you and your mother were gone up until Adonia became pregnant with your younger brother..."

    "Tishva, how could that be Soraya's younger brother if you didn't see your wife again until she-" Dr. Athan paused, looked down at Soraya, and hesitated. "She left shortly after Soraya turned one, and she came back pregnant when Soraya was almost six," he rephrased. "That couldn't have been your son unless you're talking about a half brother."

    Mr. Thenayu shook his head. "It was Soraya's younger brother," he stated adamantly while reaching out to hold his daughter's hand, his grayish eyes coming back into focus. "I am so sorry that my memories keep getting jumbled around and I keep forgetting what's actually going on."

    Soraya threw her arms around her father. "It's okay, Papa." As she hugged him, Soraya couldn't help but wonder what her father had been doing for those thirty years that he didn't remember. It didn't make any sense that he would have forgotten such a huge part of his life.    

    Someone must have done something to make him forget. But who did that, and how?

    "Hey, Soraya," Kalisha's soft voice came from the head of the table.

The girl pulled away from embracing her father and looked up to find the waitress holding a small pink bowl of vanilla ice cream with strawberries covering the sides. There were two small wooden spoons sticking out from the top; one was for her, and the other for Tishva.

    "We figured that you and your father could share," she said while placing it onto the table between them.

    "Thanks Kalisha," Soraya sniffed. "That's so nice of you."

Tishva nodded and blinked back tears.

"No problem, enjoy," the waitress bowed and walked away to check on the other customers.

"Where's Yosef?" Soraya asked when she noticed he was no longer sitting across from them. She swiveled her head and spotted him whispering into Kalisha's ear. Both he and the waitress gazed at her and Tishva with empathy in their eyes.

    "I think the doctor is a lovely person," Soraya stated. "You should trust him, he really wants to help you."

    "I know he does," Mr. Thenayu agreed. "I guess I've just been so used to dealing with my own problems by myself for so long that I've forgotten how to let others in," he ruffled Soraya's strawberry blond hair. "I'll confide in him more about my problems while you're at school, I promise."

    "Thank you, Papa," Soraya tucked into her sandwich, her appetite finally kicking in. Yabo sat on the table next to her, sniffing at her plate. The girl took off the top bun, which had pieces of melted cheese and steak stuck onto it, and handed it to her pet.

"Mow!" Yabo cooed gratefully, taking the bread into his paws and munching on it. Soraya finished the rest of her sandwich before diving into the desert. As delicious as the strawberries tasted with the vanilla ice cream, she made sure to only eat half of the bowl's contents so her father could enjoy the rest of it.

    "You alright, brother?" Dr. Athan slid back into his seat and held out his black gloved hand to Tishva.

"Much better now. Thank you," Tishva placed his hand into his friend's and they held onto each other. "You're the best. I don't think I deserve you."