A/N: It's getting late here, pardon any grammatical errors. I'll come back in the morning to check if there are some errors left. Thank you so much for reading this far, it meant a lot to me.
Enjoy! (Revised 22/10/2020)
After we arrived at the airport, he guided me to the plane. This atmosphere reminded me of school study tour to Singapore last year. When Mama was still here. When Mama was still here. She accompanied me to the airport and hugged me before I took off.
I cried again due to the painful nostalgia. "Stef, can I go to the toilet for a moment?" I asked, sobbing. I wanted to cry to my heart's content in there until I feel strong enough to endure this wound, even though it will never heal completely. After all, if people see a child crying and next to a man dressed all in black it can raise some nonsense suspicions.
"Sorry Alessandra, but our time is running out. I'm afraid we'll get late," he took a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it over. "Use this. You can cry all you want on the plane." Why is he in such a hurry?
We passed the VIP entrance gate. Apparently, we were going to board a private jet. All my life, It never crossed my mind that I would fly in this. I took a deep breath and exhaled. Hopefully this will be a sign of my new life where I would live free from any difficulty of any kind. I wished.
After the plane took off, I looked out the window. This plane passed through clouds that look like thin cotton. Roofs of the buildings were visible below layers of clouds. Did I act like plebs? Yes, but I don't care. When I was on a study tour to Singapore, I got a seat on the aisle and I didn't taste the luxury of seeing the view outside the plane.
After this, will I finally be able to meet my siblings? if so, what would they think of me? this got me nervous. But before that, I have to get confirmation from Stef about them. Cal has already said that I have older brothers, but there is one more thing that hasn't yet come to light. I pondered and chalked up words to start this conversation with Stef. First, starting from:
"Stef, do I have siblings?"
He closed the magazine he was reading. His eyes stared at me sharply for a split second, then reopened the magazine that was placed on his lap. I don't know what he was thinking with such a gaze. I also did not miss to see his left hand which got clenched after he heard my question.
"You do." He answered without taking his eyes off the magazine. Oh so I do really have brothers. Now is the time to get to the point.
"Then why didn't they pick me up?"
He closed the magazine and put it on the table, now all his attention was on me. His light brown eyes looked at me without any pity. One of his eyebrows raised.
"Because they don't care about you. Why do you think you're so far apart from them? They dumped you, Alessandra. For them, you're just a mere burden. It would be quite troublesome to protect you from their rivals if they try to get to them. That's why they chose to avoid problems by removing the root of it."
Upon hearing this blunt statement, I felt like something punched my stomach. Those words were like a bomb that was dropped to blow up the mental defenses I had built up. No wonder they haven't contacted me, or even help us when we were in trouble. So this is why. I am nothing more than a troublesome burden that's better off to get rid of.
"I'm sorry, maybe I said it too frankly for you. But I can't spoil you with sweet lies. I can't afford to give you empty hopes that only kill you slowly. I have to be honest on what exactly happened just the way it is, even though the truth is too painful," he added calmly, as if didn't care about the effect it had on me.
But I understand. Even if he changed his words to make it sounds more pleasant, it wouldn't make me feel any better. Because this is what happened. There's no need to sugarcoat it if the reality is far more bitter.
I should've gotten used to this: dumped and ignored. My father threw me away since I was born, mama often neglected me when she was alive, even though she had to. I should be immune to this. But why does it hurt so much? as if this was the first time I was treated like this.
"I see," I tried to say as calmly as possible to show that his words had no effect at all. Even though my heart wanted to scream and go berserk.
If they cared about us just a little, maybe mama was still alive today. But what a dream I had, they threw me despite the blood relations we share, let alone her.
"That's why I decided to take you in because you're my family no matter what." His cold right thumb wiped my tears which I didn't realize has fallen by themselves.
"I'll never dump you like they did. I'll never leave you like Maria did. I'm willing to take you in with open arms. So, never double-cross me. We're family so we have to help each other, no matter what happens, Okay?" he put his hand on my shoulder.
His subtle words did not calm me at all, my mind was still focused on my father and brothers. For some reason, I still have doubts about him.
"I will always be with you, Alessandra. I will not give you up no matter what happens, that's what's family is for."
What the hell are you thinking, Alessandra? this person was the only one who came and gives you a place to live and was willing to take care of you. Why are you thinking of such nonsense? Did your brother come to take you home? they didn't. Did your father ever come, even just for a minute to offer his condolences? he didn't. You only have Stef now.
Right. I only have this person. All my doubts gradually disappeared, replaced with a sense of relief because finally someone from my blood-related family would accept me.
"Thank you for taking me in, Stef. I owe you a debt of gratitude."
-
"Wake up."
I feel a pretty hard pat on my shoulder. Slowly, I opened my eyes and groaned. The dawn rays that penetrated the airplane window indicated the day had changed. Yesterday, I took off at noon, now it's already morning. That means more than 20 hours I was on this plane. If it took that long for this flight, then ... where am I now?
I dragged my self following right behind Stef towards the exit. I looked around, there were so many foreigners. My eyes caught the giant flag that was hung on the wall above us when I was on the escalator to the ground floor, which seemed to welcome the arrival of the travelers. My eyes widened, surprised by how far he took me.
Suddenly, he grabbed my left wrist tightly. I winced in pain. He grabbed my wrist, forcing me to follow his half-running pace down the escalator. "Stef, it hurts," I cried. He didn't budge and accelerated his pace even more. His neck didn't stop turning right and left. As if he's running from someone. "Stef—"
"Your pace is too slow, we have to get out of here instantly," he said when we got to the parking lot. He opened the car door and pushed me in. "What exactly is going on?" I asked. He got in and slammed the door, didn't heed my question at all.
"Go, now!" he ordered the driver who sat in front of us. Upon hearing his master's order, he nodded and immediately hit the gas, leaving the airport.
During the trip, he kept looking back, making sure no one was following us. I stroked my wrist which was gripped by him. It was painful. There was a reddish color printed all over my wrist. It'd be blue tomorrow.
"What's happening?"
"It's nothing," he said while scrolling down on his smartphone.
"Then why do we have to hurry? What's with your actions earlier?!"
"Alessandra, can you shut up? Your whine really bothered me. I just finished traveling for over twenty hours. The last thing I need is the annoying voice of a brat who can't stop asking unimportant things!" he said in a rather yelling tone. Why did he have to be so angry? I was asking logical questions!
"Well, I'm just asking—"
"About things that are completely none of your business. I don't want you to keep asking about unimportant things. Mind your attitude, remember that I'm the only person who's willing to take you in right now. Don't ever talk back to me. Got it?!" he snarled. His nature is much different from the last time. Is he bipolar?
I nodded twice, too exhausted to argue. When I thought this quarell was over, two fingers pulled my chin to the left to see his eyes. "I don't like your nods, answer me with your words. You're not mute, are you?" his words really pierced me.
Hopefully he is like this because he is in a bad mood. But why did his mood suddenly change? yesterday he was fine. Whatever, I don't want to argue with him either.
"I understood, Stef. Sorry for asking nonsense."
The scenery that was previously crowded with people passing by and carrying out their own activities now turned into abandoned old buildings. We entered abandoned constructions site, empty housing, and—wait. Is that cctv attached to an rusted electric pole?
It turned out that not only one CCTV was installed. There are other cameras installed, such as on the walls of abandoned houses, roofs, old empty office gates and other electric poles. This area has been abandoned by its inhabitants. Then what is that much cctv for? the cameras installed faced many directions, some of which are our direction of arrival.
After passing so many empty buildings and dozens of CCTV installed here and there, the car I was riding in entered a gate and stopped right in front of an old, empty factory building. This kind of building played a memory in my brain that recorded that incident. I still remembered clearly everything that happened.
"We've arrived," said Stef who immediately opened the door and left me, followed by the driver who also got out of the car. I frowned. Dozens of question marks appeared in my mind. The first is, does Stef really live here?
The door beside me opened, revealing our driver. "How long do you plan to stay here, kid? I'm not your personal driver, bring this damn bags of yours yourself!" He took off my backpack that was hanging on his shoulders to the ground and pushed my suitcase, which made It fell down backwards, its back side touched the ground. He then walked away. I snorted in annoyance. Fortunately, there are no glassware in it. No need to be rude, anyway.
I immediately got out of the car and grabbed the handle of the suitcase and my backpack that was lying on the grassy red soil, and patted the dirt that stained its backs. I walked following that person. I saw Stef was already far ahead.
We arrived in front of giant concrete wall. Above the wall there is barbed wire attached. And do not forget the CCTVs that were installed at both corners of the wall. Perfect for preventing people from randomly getting in and getting out. I felt nervous and gripped the shoulder strap of my backpack. The small metal door which is located at the right corner of the wall opened automatically after Stef pressed some numbers buttons beside it.
My eyes were presented with a land filled with trees and tall grass as far as the eye could see. We walked on the footpath that cut through the garden. Between these grasses, I sighted many plants which have leaves that are palmately digitate or compound, with serrate leaflets. Its stems reached about one to two meters high and their roots buried in the ground wrapped in large black plastic.
There are also many cactus-like shoots that are blue-green, yellow-green in the form of flattened ball with sunken shoots tips that grow beside the trees. I also saw many bushes of blackthorns, up to two meters high. The branches are straight, the leaves are dark green, thin, oval-shaped, and pointed at the edges.
The entire land was filled with various types of plants that were randomly placed between the trees and tall grass. I didn't dare to ask and kept walking. My back is already sore from a quite heavy backpack, and also my left hand feels stiff from pulling a large suitcase behind me.
After walking over the endless path, we came to the end of the road. There is a mansion not too far away on the left. The front yard is covered with stones glued together with cement. The entrance road to the house starts at the end of this path.
Stef pushed two large wooden doors standing tall before us. After we got inside, we could hear the clacking sound of heels coming over. A woman in her late twenties, she was dressed in a tight green sleeveless v neck dress that exposed her large cleavage. Her hair is blonde and tied in a messy bun.
"Welcome back my dear!" she said happily and put her arms around Stef's neck. He embraced her waist and pressed their lips together. "How's this house doing while I was away? Are you lonely?" said Stef.
"I miss you so much, my love. I can't even sleep," she said in a spoiled tone. I cringed so hard by this, it made my ears ached. They finally released their respective bodies after realizing that I was still waiting behind, while the driver had gone somewhere.
"This is my niece, Alessandra. You can call her Lessa, Sandra, Alessa, whatever."
"Lessa. Please call me Lessa. Thank you," I said briefly.
That woman did not heed what I said at all. As if I don't exist. She looked me up and down and then looked back at Stef, looking confused. "This is the kid you were talking about? she doesn't look like you at all. Or her brothers. Or your brother." Ouch, it's not the first time I've heard someone else say this.
"She inherited her mother's physical appearance." Ah ... thank you very much for the explanation, Stef.
"Oh, I see." The woman nodded, then bent down to face me and matched our height. "I'm Elena, Stef's girlfriend." She introduced herself and hold out her hand without a smile at all. All of her fingers were painted with various colors of nail polish. Her eyes looked blue from a very close look. Her large cleavage was very visible. It is very similar to what I saw in the magazines I found at Calvin's house.
Guys are really into this, huh?
I shook her hand and said, "Hello, Elena. It's nice to meet you."
She didn't answer to my greeting at all.
A/N: I watched Devilman Crybaby and it ruined my life, thanks Netflix🙃