EASIER, MANSIONAIR
After texting Marcos, I decided to call my father before the plane could take off. I'm sitting on the plane's chair when he picks up the call. He tells me about Marcos' reaction to my cryptic message. I roll my eyes. The boy is so dramatic when he wants to be. The conversation continues on. The co-pilot comes into the main cabin to tell they're ready for take off. I tell this to my father.
"Okay, honey. Have fun. Tell your sister I sent my regards," he says.
"Okay, dad. I love you," I reply.
"I love you too."
"And dad?" I continue on before I can hang up.
"Yes, Gennie?" He replies.
"Sorry not sorry about the clown doll," with those words I hang up before he replies back.
I place my phone on do not disturb. He tried calling me again. Not even two minutes later, a message comes in.
Donor🤡: What the fuck did you do?
Followed by a series of other messages, brightly showing that he's frustrated.
Donor 🤡: Genesis.
Hi, Dad.
Donor🤡: Answer me.
No, thank you.
Donor🤡: Where is she?
Obviously, not in the Dollhouse.
Donor🤡: Genesis, what have you done?
Made a statement, duh.
Donor🤡: Call me when you land.
I don't think so.
Donor🤡: It's not a request. Nor a suggestion.
I roll my eyes and debate whether or not to reply. I go with the latter.
Me: See you in a month, Adrian.
His reply is quick.
Donor🤡: Adrian? I am your father, young lady.
Me: Okay...
Me: See you in a month, FATHER.
I turn off my phone after sending that message. The plane began to take off. We spent only a minute running along the runway before the plane lifted. The flight to Samoa is long. Almost two days in which we take two stops to fuel the plane and make sure everything is okay. I got to eat some airport food along the way. It's not the same as a homemade meal but it wasn't bad. Especially because I looked for places I actually like.
By the time it's Monday morning, I have arrived on the tropical island. As we get closer to the ground, I see a vehicle waiting on the runway below. The sun's ascending on the horizon. The plane bumps onto the concrete. When it stops yards away from the vehicle, the co-pilot comes into the cabin to open the door. A whiff of heat blasts into the plane. Heck, this is worse than the Californian heat. I detest it already. Why did I think I could survive a month in Samoa when I hate the heat already?
~ 🦋~
I didn't think I'd meet her now. She looks just like in the photo back home. Older. More mature. Beautiful. Her dark hair is raised into a high ponytail. She wears blue jean shorts and a loose blouse. It curves above the growing belly. She looks a little like me - well, I look more like her now.
My heart clenches as I approach them.
"Genesis Ferreira, it's a pleasure to have you on my island," Alexander extends his arm towards me. I take it, shake, and release. I do the same with her.
Except she presents herself as: Victoria.
I stop myself from narrowing my eyes at her. Is she serious? Does she know who I am?
"Shall we?" Alex motions to the suburban behind them.
"Please," I reply.
The driver, who's been standing by, takes my suitcase. It's placed into the truck and Alex opens the back seat door for me and Va--Victoria. We settle on opposite sides of the car. Alex takes the passenger seat in front of me. Victoria fidgets with the hem of her blouse as the car begins to move. The views from the airstrip to the compound are unlike anything I've seen in person. The tropical landscape is full of various shades of green and bright sunshine.
But the mansion on the land when we arrive is what catches me eye right away. Between coconut and banana palm trees stands a three-story house dressed in black. I can see a large patio and pool chairs on the second floor and large windows from where I sit in the car. Is there a pool in that large wooden rectangle?
If the facade is so grand, I can't begin to imagine how the inside would look like. This is nothing like the house back home.
There's a large garden beside the house and a greenhouse. I notice the small flutters inside it. Like something is flying in there. There's so many of them everywhere. Are they birds? The car comes to stop in front of the house. Alex gets out first. He opens my door and the driver, Victoria's. Once she's on the same side as us, he speaks.
"Tori, why don't you give Genesis a tour of the compound? She will be here a while, might as well get acquainted with each other."
I watch as Tori stiffens beside me. There's a fire in her eyes. A fire that matches my own. He's going to leave me alone with her... my sister? Just as quick as that fire came, it's gone in her.
"Of course, sir," she gives him a curt nod. I arch an eyebrow. There's an inkling of a growing smirk on his face. He's doing this on purpose. Son of a bitch.
"Thank you," I say, adding fuel to the embers. "I would love a tour of the grounds before settling in."
I throw some shade towards him. He hears it and looks at me. Mischief floats within his eyes.
"You're more than welcome to sleep before the tour, if you're exhausted," He says. "I am merely trying to be a great host."
"I appreciate that," I reply. "Though I imagine my sister may have an issue with this arrangement you've set upon her this morning."
Her head immediately whips towards me. I can only smile between the two.
"I don't have a problem with letting her off the hook. I'm beyond capable of exploring on my own," I continue.
"I--," Valentina begins.
"She will give you the tour right now before it comes to hot out," Alex interjects whatever it is she was planning to say.
"Very well," I nod.
"If you'll follow me..." she says.
I do as she says while she begins to walk in the direction of the greenhouse. I look back at Alexander who stands with a full-on grin on his face. I shake my head at him. This is not what we talked about. This is not how my introduction to my not-so-dead sister was supposed to go. He wasn't supposed to force her to be with me - to get to know me.
Valentina opens the door to the greenhouse. It's filled with all times of flowers and plants typical to Samoa. Taro, citron, turmeric, aloe vera, kava, beach sunflower, red hibiscus, and so many other beautiful plants. But the fluttering creatures I had seen from the car were not birds. They are butterflies. Niue, the swallowtail, and a few others. Blue flashes in my eyesight. The iconic blue morpho butterfly from the Blue Moon logo flies past us.
I'm in complete awe.
"Gennie..." Valentina's voice interrupts my actions. I look at her, waiting. "I'm sorry I left."
"I don't--," I begin but I don't know what to say. Sighing, I look away from her. "I'm exhausted. I'd like to get some sleep."
~ 🦋 ~
I don't want to get up.
I arrived on this Samaon island yesterday morning. I slept for hours after Valentina brought me into the house. She guided me to the room where I'd be staying. I just want to remain in bed - within my sheets - and look outside to the palm trees. I want to stay in this room with no contact. My very own cocoon. My dinner was brought up to me yesterday by a staff member who was surprised to see my uncanny resemblance to the lady of the house.
Now, I wasn't confident if I wanted to see her.
But, whatever it is I'm doing isn't healthy for my sanity. I force myself out of bed, take a shower, and dress for breakfast. I found the route to the dining room with no problem on the second floor. The windows here are wall-to-wall, ground-to-ceiling with asymmetrical rods between the glass. They look out to the patio, where I find I was right. The rectangle I saw from the car is a pool.
Alex and my sister are already seated at the table when I arrive.
"Good morning," I greet them.
"Ms. Ferreira, splendid morning, don't you think?" Alex grins.
"Yes, it is," I reply. I steal a glance towards Valentina. She fiddles with the fruits on her plate with a fork. I sit down in the chair, directly in front of her. Alex makes small talk with me. At some point, Mist comes up. The drug from the formula sheet I found in my father's stash of papers with her as the specimen being tried.
"I think I'll have to try out it in stay," I say. As a joke.
What I wasn't expecting was Valentina's outburst.
"Don't you dare give her that!" She rages at Alexander.
I raise an eyebrow as I look at her. "Why the hell not?"
"I am your sister! I will protect you from anything I think maybe life-threatening," she cries out.
She may be my sister. She may state she cares. That doesn't stop me from attacking her.
"Protect me? Like you've protected me all these years from your little paradise? I mourned and cried for you. I fûcking raged for you! You were here all this time," I exclaim back to her.
"This has not been paradise, Genesis. Dad sent me here against my will. I was married to a man who abused me," she says. "Who killed my child."
Alex grows tense between us at the head of the table. Then he excuses himself, saying he's got work to do on the other island. I can't help but glare at the woman in front of me. The audacity she has to say anything about me. We stay in heated silence. No one speaks. She puts down her fork. She looks intently at me.
"All I've ever wanted was to protect you. My one goal was to bring our father down. To stop him once in for all. I couldn't stop the deterioration of my mental health. Dad sent me to this island to 'heal,'" she does quotation marks as she says heal. "So, I stayed on this island to be hidden and penitent. Looking for a way to stop him."
She's silent for a few seconds before looking me back in the eyes and continuing. "You can hate me all you want. I left and placed you in that position. Dad's partner in crime never should have been you. If you are here - looking for a way out from your life - I suppose I failed my role of the big sister."
It takes guts to say what you feel.
I no longer know where I stand as myself. My life has been measured by someone else's actions. I'm scared I'll fall deeper into the rabbit hole. I'm afraid I'll never find my way out. What I answer to my sister is the most candid declaration I've ever said to anyone.
"I can't," I trail off. "I don't hate you. You did what was best for you. You protected yourself and me, as I have done all my best to protect Marcos and our step-sister, Sarah, from what our father does. I've wanted to hate for so long. For leaving. For ending your life. Then I found out you were alive. For a moment, I did hate you. I spent almost two weeks in a rehabilitation center, realizing that I can't be a hypocrite. If I could, I would have ended my life a long time ago. I broke the heart of the man I've loved most for years with my white lies. I've done things I'm not proud of with dad. But I can't hate him. Just as I can't hate you. He's been all I've had for a very long time. I no longer know what's right or what's wrong. All I know is that I can't criticize someone else - can't say anything about anyone else - if I am partaking in events that would ruin each and every one of us."
👀