Aunt Vicky haven't seen Rita's kids since they were brought by their mom, hence she told me to help her walk downstairs in order to see them. Gladly, I helped her walked out of her room and then straight downstairs. As soon as the kids saw us coming, they stopped eating and looked at us surprised. Of course they knew Aunt Vicky, but they might not have seen her in that condition before. By the way, it had been long since she walked around the streets. She hadn't been fine for some time, you know? That was why.
"Come on, eat your food please young children" she said to them the moment I sat her on the armchair which was opposite the couch they sat in. After which I sat on the other chair close to hers. "Patrick, right?" she spoke to the eldest while staring at. And in response, he nodded his head positively. Thus, she asked how old he was... to which he responded that he was nine years old. "I thought as much," she beamed at him and then turned to his younger brother, "And you are Paul, isn't bit?"
"Yes" The boy nodded his head in response. Then she asked him how old he was, to which replied to her that he was "Six years old."
"Nice one, Paul. Do you know me?" she asked him, but this time around the boy didn't say anything to her. He only turned to his brother and lowered his face. "Okay, I get it. You aren't used to seeing me around. How about you, Patrick?" she asked the eldest one, and without wasting any time he nodded his head affirmatively and told her he used to see her around, he also used to see Jessica and me. He clearly mentioned Jessica's name, however he used 'YOU' for me. Hence, she asked if he knew my name.
"Lorry?" he said making both Aunt Vicky and I to burst into laughter. Lorry was actually a nice name, but it wasn't popular in the upper States. It was popular though in the lower States. People normally used Lorraine in upper States instead of Lorry. But whatever the case was, neither Lorry nor Lorraine was my name.
"Nah, that's not my name" I shook my head negatively. "My name is Laura, not Lorry. Although they kind of sound alike, but they are different names" I said and that made him smiled.
"Laura," he said, probably imagining how the name sound like. "I thought my mom says Lorry" he added making me to chuckle, of course mom called my name in his presence but he didn't get it right. He must have heard it in the wrong direction, or forgot about the name and decided to come up with another name that sounded like it.
"No, she said Laura. I am Laura Ryan, but you can call me Miss Laura or just Laura. I would be glad to answer you" I assured him.
"Okay" he said and then heaved a sigh as he left the rest of thr cornflakes for his brother to finish. The sign of a good leader, I really liked that. Or maybe, he was just satisfied that was why. Well, whatever the case may be, it was really a good thing to see. An elder brother remaining something for his younger brother. Sadly, I didn't know exactly how if feels to have a younger sibling or an elder sibling. Although, I would say I had a little taste of it with Jessica as a younger cousin sister. But not as close as being a sibling.
Aunt Vicky then explained to them that their mother went to see their father somewhere far and may not return anytime soon. However, they would be able to communicate through voice call or video call until she returns back. The kids didn't really look that happy, but they seemed to be okay with it. She then made the first call to their mother using her phone and then gave them the phone to speak with her. Thus, they began talking and despite having been told their mother went to see their father in somewhere far, they still asked where she was.
Probably to confirm if really Aunt Vicky was right about it. Well, they got the same answer from their mother. She told them she went to visit their dad in somewhere far away from home, and that she would try and come back to see them soon. However, for the meantime, she urged to trust me and Aunt Vicky, and to not try anything stupid or say foul words to us. "Okay, mom" They acknowledged her words, and then she told them to request for a video call with her via MyFace with their pad anytime and she would try to converse with them whenever she's available.
After the voice call, they handed Aunt Vicky back her phone and looked at each other happily. Seeing how happy they were, I asked what would they like to do now... to which each of them responded to what they intended to do. Paul wanted to draw in his sketch pad while Patrick wanted to play games with their Pad. None of them mentioned watching cartoons or movies, hence I turned the television off and then cleared the table for them.
I took the bowl and the spoons they used to the kitchen, and then the remaining cornflakes and milk as well. After that, I told Aunt Vicky that it was time for dinner. I wasn't asking her to help me with any work but just as I told her it was time for dinner, she told me to help her walk to the dining Island so she could help me with choppings and other things.
When I tried protesting against it, she told me she was bored and also she had something to tell me. Something very important, something that required privacy. Hearing that, I nodded in acknowledgement and then helped her walked to the dining table.
As soon as I dropped her there, she heaved a sigh and then cleared her throat. "Laura," she called my name... to which I responded politely. Then she continued, "you know I am not a bad mother right?" she asked, making me to wonder why she had to say that. And just as I nodded my head in affirmative, the thought of my encounter earlier with Jessica bounced into my mind. "Good. So, Jessica might be a spoiled brat but it wasn't my fault. Perhaps if her father was alive, he would have helped me shaped her to be a very good girl just like your parents did to you in your case. But he left me," she said getting emotional already, "he left me alone by getting himself killed. I had to raise her alone, although he left me with a lot of money to possibly last me a life time but that wasn't enough. I needed him, and his daughter needed a fatherly figure. I couldn't just do it alone, it was my first time and I had no one to guide me through" she sniffed and wiped the tears that just gathered in her eyes, "Those drug cartels, they wouldn't let him be. He and his colleagues that raided and confiscated their funds were all killed. The only person that survived was Officer Brian, Loraine's husband. And he's currently with the central agency for investigation. Laying low and carrying out secret missions. That way, he wouldn't be chased any more. I had wanted marrying again so Jessica would get the fatherly love she deserved from her stepfather but doing that will reveal the truth about the money. I didn't want that to happen, and no matter how hard I would try to keep it a secret from whoever I choose to be with the person will definitely know about it someday. That was why I just decided to remain single. I also disliked associating with the people around here, I didn't also want unnecessary friendship or bond. How I secretive I made our lives made our neighbors to be curious about us. On different occasions, many had tried to establish friendship but I would always shun them except for few... and those few too, there is a limit to our closeness"
"Sorry about that, Aunt, but why would they confiscate such a large sum of money. Jessica told me it was two hundred million bucks..." I said as she caught in,
"She did?" she said, wrinkling her brows.
"Yes, when you were still unconscious" I responded, and seeing how surprised she still was I decided to explain better. "Actually," i heaved a sigh, "it was Frank that first told me about it. I know you would be wondering how he leary about it, it was Jessica that told him... after which he gisted me. She told me how she discovered the money, how you explained everything to her, and how she planned with Reade to help her secure a fake grant to which she would fool before into thinking it was a student grant to study in Oxford, meanwhile she intended to use the illicit money to fund her education there. She also told me her plan to use Frank now as her paper or fake benefactor in order to achieve her dream of studying in Oxford"
After explaining, she could and couldn't stop looking at me. She must be wondering how I knew all that and didn't confront her about it. But just as I was about leaving the dining to the refrigerator, she halted me. "I hope she warned you not to tell anyone, because that money was meant to take good care of us in a low-key. I don't want anybody to know about it again, I will give you five thousand bucks from it if needs be..." she uttered as I cut in,
"Come on, Aunt, I am not that mad to expose you. If I do, you will get killed by those drug cartel. And the authority will dishonor your husband, and might even take all that he left... and leave Jessica with nothing. Surely, the money is illicit but the fact that it came from drug dealers, I am sure even if it entered the hands of the politicians they would share it within themselves" I said, assuring her about my unshakeable loyalty to her.
"Thank you, Laura. I really appreciate it!" she said, beaming at me. She was really happy that I was willing to keep the matter a secret. Well, just like I assured her I would surely keep it a secret and would go to my grave with it, no matter the circumstance or situation.
After the conversation, I headed to the refrigerator and brought out some vegetables for dinner. While I cook, I kept thinking about Aunt Vicky's words, it must have been hard for her losing her husband. But yet again, I think he deserved what he got. The money shouldn't have been confiscated by him and his team in the first place, whoever gave the the Intel about it was also cruel. Same goes to the person that gave them the order to even approach the drug cartel...
Well, it was the nature of job, they follow orders. But yet, I would have quitted if I were to be in his shoes. For God's sake, life is priceless. And yes, Jessica missed his love and that was one of the things that greatly affected her. If she had gotten the right love and care from both parents, it would have been great. The story wouldn't have been as bad as it currently was.
That reminds me of poor Patrick and Paul, those two kids knew nothing. Sadly, their father if charged with murder would be sentenced to death or life imprisonment. Both of which would definitely have great impact on those boys. They would be raised by their mother alone, just like Aunt Vicky did in the case of Jessica. But would Patrick and Paul end up like Jessica? Well, only time could tell. I would be glad though if Rita decide to get married again to another man if Mr John ever gets an unfavorable sentence.
One more thing was how the children would ended up being in the future. What if they also eventually develop the same problem as their father? The problem of skyhigh libido and s*xual urge? Hopefully though, it should stop at their father. The kids would have gone through a lot already to grow up as adults with such a psychological problem.
