Tiara POV:
"
There was absolute silence that was filled. I could see how dejected Mr & Mrs Simpson looked. I didn't understand whom to talk to first, more than that I don't have any idea of what to talk in this situation as I have never been in such situation or seen or encountered such situation. I stood in the middle of the living room and was turning my head towards Michelle and Michael and then towards our room.
As if understanding my situation Michelle stood up and said "I think we should leave now" to which Michael nodded and got up.
"Ohh No please, don't leave" I didn't know why I said.
They cared or didn't care but they were foster Parents of Raymond. As to what I understood they kept him at distance but they never stepped down from their responsibilities. They must have reasons and Raymond needs to at least give them a chance and listen to their reasons once. Good or broken there is definitely a bond between them, and I don't want this bond to be forgotten without giving a chance.
"No child, we should leave now. Raymond is right, his anger is justified but our reasons are much stronger to be like that towards him." I could see tears in both their eyes.
"I am too young and inexperienced to talk in such matters, but I just want to say that you both should talk to him and explain him the reasons."
"It is too late to give explanations. We always wanted him to be unemotional. Now when we see him so, we don't know whether to feel happy that we succeeded or to feel sad that he has nothing but anger filled against us" Michael spoke sadly.
I was surprised to listen to them "They wanted him to be unemotional. How could they?"
"I know you are surprised and shocked with what I said but that was how we were asked to bring him up - Strong willed, Emotionless, controlled, frigid and detached"
"But why?" I couldn't stop myself from asking.
They both went silent. I waited for some more time for them to answer for but they kept their silence.
"I know you don't want to answer me, but I request you to explain Raymond. It is never late to give explanations. He needs to know the reasons. He needs to get rid of his inner turmoil that has got accumulated since years within him. You need to free him of that. Whenever the topic of family came between us, I could only see pain and hurt in his eyes. He is a normal human, like you, like me, like anyone else, and he needs to be normal with everyone. The Raymond who spoke to you a while ago is not the man I am with since two months. Raymond I know and have seen is different, he is caring, loving, soft-hearted, smiling, willing to do anything for persons he loves. It is just that he is all of that only with me. So now you can understand he is not what you wanted him to be but he has successfully hidden his emotions under a mask called "Intimidating, cold hearted and ruthless". "
"You are right. May be we could have spoken to his father and made him understand that we should not raise a kid emotionless. We should not have hurt Raymond" Michelle cried
"Please...Please relax.....Everything will be fine." I held Michelle's hand gently
"But how, he is not ready to listen or talk to us. I am afraid he would ever want to meet us even?" Michelle sobbed
"I will try talking to him. Just give him some time."
"Thank you" they both said pulling me into a hug. A smiled escaped my lips
"We will come tomorrow may be" Michael said
"Or the better option is you can stay here tonight. We have lot of rooms and I am sure this mansion isn't a bad place to stay either'' I smiled
"Are you sure? Wouldn't Raymond have....."
"Leave that to me. I will handle him. Please come with me I will show you the room. Please make yourself comfortable and get freshened up. If you let me know where your luggage is, I will ask the staff to bring in. I will meet you in about an hour so that we all can have dinner together''
"You are really beautiful in and out Child. God bless you and we are sorry for the trouble" Michelle lovingly placed her hand on my head and smiled amid tears.
"Its fine" I smiled and took them to one of the guest room and asked one of the staff to get their luggage to the guest room. After making sure they are fine, I took my steps towards our room to face Raymond.
I opened the room door to see it completely dark. Switching on the lights, I looked around and found Raymond nowhere. I walked forward towards the balcony and there stood Raymond pressing his hand tight against the railing.
"Raymond" I called him softly but he didn't turn
I walked towards him and placed my hand around his shoulder. He still didn't look at me.
"Do you want to talk about it?'' I looked at him waiting for him to look at me and respond. There was no reply.
"Raymond, we promised each other to share our happiness and sorrows. I have till date never insisted you to tell me about anything that you were not comfortable with. But now I am asking you, would you want to talk about it?" I asked
"I don't want to. I want to be alone for some time."
"Raymond I have stopped them from leaving the home and they will be here tonight. I expect you to resolve everything between you and them."
He gave a stern look at me and then I could see his eyes red and tears forming. For the first time I saw tears in his eyes.
"Would you want to be in your first favourite spot?" as soon as I said he immediately hugged me and I could feel wetness on my shoulder.
I didn't say a word, I knew Raymond needs to break the wall he has built within himself and he need to let out the emotions. I stayed hugging him and rubbing his back till he broke the hug
"You might be wondering how pathetic I am right sunshine?''
"No. I am happy that you for the first time has let your emotions surface. You are a normal person with emotions Raymond. I have seen the real you some days back and I am seeing the better you now. Tears doesn't make you weak or pathetic, they just tell you have a heart and it can get hurt too" I cupped his face and placed a kiss on his forehead and took him towards our room and we sat on the bed.
I didn't say a word neither did Raymond. I wanted to give him time as I was about to get up to warm the dinner he held my hand and before I could turn he started saying
"They have hurt me a lot sunshine. They never considered me as their son. They always have kept reminding me that I am adopted. I used to go to school and see the other children happily meeting their parents, being loved by their parents. When I used to return to home, it was always maids who made food. The food lacked taste because it lacked the love. It was as if they want me to go through hardships. I was just a mere kid who craved for some love from parents and I felt that was not so much to demand or expect. I started studying well thinking my being good at studies would make them love me as their own kid, but they hardly bothered. When I was 9 they sent me to boarding school. I pleaded them to let me stay with them, but they never accepted my pleas. I felt neglected and subsequently started developing anger and it started masking my emotions. I was thrown away by my real parents, I was never accepted by foster parents and that made me feel that relation, bonds, feelings are waste of time. I worked harder and harder. I wanted to become successful, so much successful that people would want me in their life and dare think of throwing me out of their lives and I decided not to accept people in my life."
"I ... I am sorry ...I didn't know ''
"Don't be sorry, you haven't done anything'' he took a pause and continued
"As I grew older, I learnt everything but cooking, cooking was something I couldn't learn. Every time I used to eat something, the food got used to stuck in my throat, nothing tasted good and I decided to eat only for keeping my body alive and started eating salads. I became mechanical Sunshine. And then you happened. You started invoking my hidden feelings and slowly started making me alive. You started to break my walls slowly but surely"
I hugged him tight and placed kisses on his cheeks. I caressed his face and looked at him, his eyes showed nothing but love towards me. I sat there as he leaned on my shoulder holding me by my waist. After sometime I took hands in mine "Talk to them Raymond. You need to end your internal war at one point. May be if you listen to what they would say as to why they were so with you, you would feel better" I said and left from there saying I would wait for him to join for dinner with his parents at dining table.
"Can having a talk make everything fine and let the hurt of lifetime fade?"