SIBLINGS: Forbidden Love

Veronica stepped out of the house and as she expected, there were reporters everywhere, they all rushed to her when they saw her, all of them pointing their microphones to her face and some actually hurting her with it. Veronica frowned and snatched the microphone from the annoying reporter, she slammed it on the ground and the others were shocked at the attitude "if you want me to talk, show your manners."

Hearing that from her, they all recovered from their shock and started asking their questions "is what that is in the news true?"

"What do you have to say as their mother?"

"A lot of parents are holding you responsible for this outcome, what do you have to say in defence for yourself?"

"How are you going to treat this news?"

"How can you be such a bad mother?"

"Why didn't you create more time for your children?"

"What effect do you think this will have in your company?"

"Do you think Legal Rights could survive this blow?"

"Do you think you are good enough to be the CEO of Legal Rights?

"How sweet does Jason find his sister?"

Veronica glared at the reporter that asked the last question and he shut up immediately, she withdrew her gaze from him and looked directly at the cameras "none of you have asked me a question that deserves an answer. But since I already know you won't ask that, I will just go straight to the point. Let me tell you a story, a story I told myself I will never tell anyone, especially my Jason, for I fear what effect it will have on him but seeing the situation at hand, I don't see myself avoiding it.

It all started twenty two years ago, a friend of mine, a very good friend of mine, Eunice Raine, had come to me, she told me she was pregnant and I was shocked because Eunice is not the type that wants a family. I know about her long time boyfriend Gerald Holmes, who had proposed to her three times but she refused and he also refused to let her go, we all attended the same college and I had gotten married a year after school, Gerald had proposed to her the first time on my wedding day but she turned him down and two years into my marriage, he proposed to her again but the answer was the same.

I on the other hand, was having issues of my own, I have been married for two years but have not gotten pregnant, three years later, making it five years into marriage, I still hadn't gotten pregnant and Gerald proposed to Eunice the day she told me she was pregnant, I thought she will accept but she still refused and when he left brokenhearted, I talked to Eunice but she said she was afraid of having a baby and should Gerald know, he must insist on marrying her.

I asked her if she didn't want to marry him but she said she was sacred because both of them are orphans. Eunice ran out of an orphanage home when she was thirteen, I had been the one that picked her up on the road and took her home with me, my parents loved her and treated her like their daughter. Gerald on the other hand, I don't know about him, I only know he was an orphan, I don't know how it happened, whether his parents died on him and he has siblings or if he came from an orphanage home like Eunice.

So she was afraid, because she doesn't want her baby to only have both of them, she wants her children to have grandmothers and grandfathers and since Gerald is also an orphan, she don't see that happening with him, I know it's a lame excuse but that was her fear but she loved him, she loved him so much that even though she refused marrying him, she couldn't get herself to breakup with him. Gerald finally got to know about her pregnancy and was by her side twenty four seven. I was by her side too as well as my parents and my husband.

The day she delivered, I was by her side and I fell in love with her son the first time I saw him, he has this shiny blonde hair like her but his father's blue eyes, he looked so adorable. I was with her in the hospital with my friend Sharon who immediately called Gerald and told him about his handsome son, according to her, she said Gerald told her he was on his way immediately to see them. After ten minutes, Sharon's phone rang and she excused herself to answer, returning again, she looked like a ghost, I knew something was wrong and I signalled to her with my eyes to hold whatever news it was because of Eunice but Sharon didn't catch it and just blurted it out, Gerald had an accident and he died on the spot" she stopped and wiped away the tears from her eyes.

Some of the reporters were already dabbing at their eyes while some of them had their eyes red like a tomato. Veronica heaved a sigh and continued "you can imagine what happened next, Eunice just gave birth not up to an hour ago, only to receive the news that the love of her life and also the father of her newborn baby was dead. She went into shock and died shortly after. Jason was lying in his crib, without any idea, that his parents both died on his birthday. Eunice feared of him not having grandparents but he ended up not even having parents.

My heart ached for him, his mother didn't want him not to have grandparents but never did she know that he won't even be having parents. As her closest friend, I know her heart desire for her son and I too on the other hand, was looking for a child, so I decided to satisfy both of us by giving myself a child and giving her son both parents and grand parents" she looked at the cameras with her teary eyes "Jason is not my son. Jason is adopted and whatever it is he is doing with my daughter is not an abomination neither is it an atrocity. Their love is very much accepted both to moral, to biology, to nature and to us their parents. And by all means it is also accepted to the world.

So whoever it was that spread this rumor, I hope you know now that what you shared is false and I will also have you know, for trying to ruin my family, watch over yours" after dropping such threat, Veronica turned and walked back into her house where she saw Jason, Anna and Samuel waiting for her.

Jason's eyes were red and it was evident he had been crying, Anna had her hand on his which showed she had been comforting him, her eyes were teary too, Samuel beckoned Veronica to come to him and he pulled her into his arms, no one knows how much she hate to talk about Jason's fate like him, that day she had lost a sister and a friend, so he understands very well.

"Did they really...died...the day...I was born?" Jason asked, veronica released herself from Samuel's hold and walked to him, she cupped his face in her hands and wiped his tears away with her thumps.

"I'm sorry, I never wanted to tell you this news because I know how it will affect you. I'm really sorry but I want you to know, it's not your fault and they don't blame you. Wherever they are now, I'm sure they are very happy and proud of you. They love you so much, I was there, I know how much they were expecting you, Eunice just can't stop talking of what to do when you arrive and Gerald said he will teach you how to play basketball. It was his favourite game, that was why when you showed interest in it, I had Sam let you learn it, they really love you and I'm sure they didn't mean to leave you alone.

They loved you so much honey, no one planned for this to happen, but you just can't tell nature what to do. They wanted the best for you, we all do. My parents didn't object in me adopting you, they all loved you and they were happy to be your grandparents, they loved your mother, I do too. You know your Nana Edna loves you don't you? And your grandpa Oscar, right?"

Jason nodded when he thought of his grandparents, not once did they make him feel adopted, if he hadn't been told, he will never have known with how they all treated him, but he just didn't know that his real parents died on his birthday and every year he celebrates his birthday happily when he should be mourning his parents "I know, I know they love me and I love them too but it's just that, my birthdays will never be the same anymore."

Veronica felt her heart missed a beat, this had been her fear, the reason she never wanted to tell him about them "you don't have to talk like that, they wouldn't want you to, they love you. They wouldn't want you sacrificing your birthday to mourn them, don't make them sad, okay?"

Jason sniffed and grabbed her hands that was cupping his face, slowly he lowered them from his face "I need some time alone" he turned and walked up the stairs to his room.