As they began to grow in years, their love for each other grew. Adam felt God smile down on him, his father didn’t love him but he had a brother who did, and he doted on him. No matter how many times Gerald tried to separate them it failed.
Because of Damien he had to send Adam to school. Because of Damien he had to let Adam eat on the table with them
But as Damien grew and became a copy of his father, the more his father loved him and the more Gerald knew he was right all along. Adam was not his son and nothing on the face of the earth and beyond would make him love him.
But you see, that was okay. His mother loved him, Damien loved him and he loved them right back. To him there were the only family he had and those were the only two people he lived for.
Older now, Damien was a straight A student, following his father’s footsteps in the sciences. A wealthy man now, Gerald could afford so many luxuries, a fancy house and estates, cars and money to spend. Flying all over the place and owing his own company.
His heart had space for only his son Damien
“You are my lucky charm son’’ he would tell him. He gave him all that he wanted and didn’t want, he threw parties for him whenever he got home with a good grade and when he made first class and came out as one of the best young graduates of medicine… he was ready to give him half of all that he owned
“Father, there are two of us, my brother and I, we would share it equally” Damien would say
“He is no son of mine” Gerald replies
He knew whatever his father said always hurt Damien and he would want to fight him on it.
“Don’t bother D, Gerald doesn’t acknowledge me as his blood. I know my place in this house” Adam tells him
“Don’t be like that brother, you know father wouldn’t ever mean that”
“His eyes tells a lot of story Damien”
“At least you are not as stupid as I have always thought!” Gerald retorts
“Father please, you cant always treat him as though he is trash. He is your son. You take care of me and you don’t take care of him, you give me expensive things and you don’t bother with him, you send me abroad and you delegate him to the background. He as much as me is your son and I wish you could tell me the reason why you keep treating him like this but you don’t, even mother doesn’t want to talk about it and I hate it”
“ you would not talk to me like that Damien” his father thunders
‘’ I am sorry father but this thing between you two has gone on for too long, when would it end? How do you think I feel to have all the love and attention of the most prestigious scientist Mr Gerald Pope and yet, my brother suffers”
“ he doesn’t suffer. He eats and sleeps in this huge house and does whatever he wants”
“ he leaves like a prisoner in his father’s house. Like a slave, “
“ no he doesn’t. what do you want from me son..to give him money? I give him money”
“ money you throw at his feet to pick it, money you would give beggers”
“ I sent him to school and what does he do. At least he should have proved to me for once he is not daft and stupid and that he is not a .. bast..” he trails off when Damien stares at him , he sighs “he should have proven to me that he deserves my help, my attention. I sent him to one of the best high schools because you forced my hand Damien, I made sure he got into Harvard because you wouldn’t talk to me for a month because I sent you to one of the best Medical schools in the country. But what does he do, he comes back aftand says he wants to be a writer..a bloody writer??’’
“because that’s what he wants to do”
“then he is a fool and I won’t waste money on him”
“but he became a lawyer for you papa”
“a certificate he threw inside a drawer as soon as he graduated” his father retorts “Enough Damien, Enough. You are my son, my only son and you I love, Adam..that boy means nothing to me and that’s final”
With that he had walked away leaving the sad Damien alone with the hard faced Adam staring after him.
“don’t take it to heart brother, father loves you, he just doesn’t know that yet” he said grabbing his head and placing his own forehead to Adams
“it doesn’t hurt me, not anymore. My heart is made of stone, thick as congealed larva made of melted gold” he tries to laugh
“ well..at least I love you and mama loves you. “
“ yeah,.. well that’s enough” Adams says as they hug each other.
He had known right from then on that there was never hope for him and his father, Gerald. But at least nothing could separate him from the love of his mother, who seemed to go weak by the day spending more and more time in her room.. or the love of his little brother Damien. Not his father’s hatred for him. Nothing on the face of the earth could steal this small joy he had, in his heart.
But he was wrong.
For that cold night in August was the last he saw Damien smile. And it was all his fault. His mother never recovered from the shock..his father Gerald never forgave him and he hated himself and never forgave himself too.. and the hate his father had for him intensified.
But it was a night he would never forget and he wished he could go back in time and change it..maybe then, things would have been different.
He shouldn’t have listened to Damien that day, he shouldn’t have !!
*****
TO
BE
CONTINUED……
