YMORYO'S VILLA
MORNING
Ymoryo, his wife Ellisbonne, his two girls Felila and Fillian and his only son Ymor are at their table eating breakfast and enjoying a great ambience.
"Ellis, are you going to read us a poem after breakfast?"
"I will think about it, if you blow me a big kiss." Ellis flirted with her husband in between bites on her apple.
"Oh mom, you know dad can't resist you when you recite lyrical words," the twins reasoned.
"Oh! Is that so?" Ellis teased.
"He will never admit it in front of us, but he knows we are telling the truth." Felila and Fillian jovially offered. "Daddy, why won't you show mommy that you love when she reads her poems to us?"
"Girls, your mother knows that I am completely and utterly in love with her. Though, I am transported out of my mind when she reads one of her poems to me. My wife, your mother is such a talented writer and beautiful inside and out. We are so blessed." Ymoryo remarked in a fatherly fashion.
"Ymor, I think that is a little more than you can handle for your age. What dad meant is that he loves mommy a whole lot." The twins smirked hilariously.
"OH!" Ymor was part shocked and confused.
The twins snickered and joked, "Daddy and Mommy are seating on a tree, k - i- s- s- i- n- g."
"I know what that means." Ymor laughed, his little mischievous laughter.
"Oh, so what does it mean Ymor, please do tell." Ellis intonated playfully.
Ymor was holding the back of his hand to his mouth and kissing it, "Is it that, mommy?"
Everyone burst out laughing.
"You are too much momo!" Ymoryo acted overly surprise.
"How do you know what that meant?" Ellis asked while facing the twins, "Fifi, Fefe, tell me you guys did not show him?" She was understandably concerned.
"No mom, it was all you and daddy." The twins countered while making fishy lips.
Ellis was rouge with embarrassment and attempted brilliantly to change the subject.
"Ah, let's see. Is everyone ready to hear me read a poem?" Ellis inquired singsongingly.
EVERYONE SHOUTS YES
"My smart girls, before I forget, grand-pa, grand-ma and possibly your uncles are coming over for your birthdays tomorrow." Ymoryo announced while forcing himself to appear pleasantly delighted.
"Uncle Finley and Finney are coming too? Dad, you better wear super underwear because you know uncle Finley loves to mess with you," Fillian ridiculed.
"I can deal with him. For your information clever one, he has been my brother for 29 years now. I think I am well versed in the ways to deal with him. Finney used to be like him, now he is one of my closest friends and the only family member that I can truly rely on. People can change. You can choose to be a thoughtful teacher who reacts positively to negativity. As you would come to learn, negativity begets negativity likewise, positivity begets positivity."
"So it's okay for Uncle Finney to treat you the way he does?" Felila bellowed.
"No it's not, but I would be worse than he is, if I allow him to dictate the way I react to his malactions." Ymoryo settled.
"Can't grand-pa and grand-ma stop him? They are his parents, if they told him to stop mistreating you. He would." Ymor suggested.
"Momo, it would only make him worse. Only if they stopped him early on, but now it's no use. I can defend myself. There was a time when I used to be scared of him. Now I am not afraid of anyone. I am your fearless father." Ymoryo stated decisively.
"We love you fearless daddy!" The twins professed to their dad who seemed to blush proudly.
"Yes we all do daddy!" Ymor proclaimed while almost falling out of his chair to go hug his father. He craved Big Mo's attention. If he could be the center. Even only for a second. He would give it his all.
"Big Mo, we love you. Don't you ever forget that. We will have a grand time with or without your parents or siblings tomorrow. Now you have us and we are all obsessed with you." Ellis revealed without restrain while leaving her chair to sit on Big Mo's lap and smother him with smooches all over his face until his cheeks turned crimson.
"I would lead a thousand lives just for the possibility to be loved and cherished by you all at least once. I feel the same profound love for all of you from the deepest parts of my soul. What a loving and caring family to have! I wish you were all with me when I was growing up. But you are here now, that's all that matters to me. I am a happy man beyond my wildest nightmares." Ymoryo teared joyfully while his two daughters joined Ellis and Ymor to his chair to share the love. The whole family hugged fiercely and Ellis finally recited her latest poem on family.
YMOR NEPTENU'S MANSION
1986
NIGHT
On Foley's thirteenth birthday his father, Ymor and his grand-mother, Ellis, are searching deep into their souls for the right words to tell Foley about the family curse.
Ymor is watching Foley from a distance standing by himself.
"Hey Fofo, how are you big guy?" Ymor called out to his son.
Foley stops stuttering only when in the company of his grand-mother and father.
"Hey dad." Foley piped without stammering.
"You are thirteen now. You are getting bigger right before my eyes. What a handsome boy, you have grown into." Ymor observed proudly.
"Hey Fofo, how is my favorite grand-son?" Ellis approached Foley and hugged him.
"I am doing okay grand-ma." Foley returned the hug and gave his grandmother a smooch on the cheek. At 13 years old, he was already a few inches taller than Ellis and such a sight for all sore orbs.
"Hey remember we had that talk. No frowned faces. It's your birthday Fofo." Ellis reminded his grand-son after taking a long look at him.
"I know grand-ma." Foley agreed as he shakes his head. Unconvincingly a half-smile peered through.
"Mom, I truly believe Fofo will always sport a frown on his face until he is in better company. You or me." Ymor provoked with a knowing smile.
"My two favorite people in the world. Besides you guys, I just have no real reason to have a smile on my face." Foley joked while continuing to shake his head.
"Ymor, what have your meddling wife and evil twins done to my precious Fofo?" Ellis continued with a cinch of malice.
"Mom! That is a very mean thing to say." Ymor scoffed in contempt.
"Son, I am merely stating the truth. I know you never want to acknowledge any of their mistreatment of Foley but I see it and I am calling it like it is. It's okay to have a little fun too. Make light of things." Ellis explained.
"Mom, please not now. Lehci was expecting a girl. Alright? She is just upset. Especially now that she found out she cannot even bear any more children." Ymor retorted with a ping of sadness.
"Ymor, I told you before that your wife knew about our family but still decided to marry you." Ellis pleaded, freezing her gaze intently on her son.
"Hello, I am still standing here." Foley complained.
"Fofo, you know we all love you dearly. Grand-ma as you can tell, does not like your mother very much." Ymor defended with conviction.
"Dad, mother does not like grand-ma either. I guess that makes it alright." Foley examined.
"Fofo!" Ymor scolded.
"Dad, I know you love me but as far as my brothers and my mother are concerned, I know the truth." Foley objected.
"What truth? What do you mean?" Ymor quipped.
"I mean, dad, I understand. I understand my mother and my own brothers do not like me very much. I used to feel sorry for myself but I understand now." Foley accepted his truth.
"Mom? Do you have anything to do with that?" Ymor nervously asked while Ellis had a resting grand-ma dearest face plastered on.
"No, Grand-ma has nothing to do with that. It is very obvious dad. Everyone knows it. You are not protecting my feelings. You should be protecting me from their abuse." Foley interjected restlessly, not expecting an answer. He stormed off and Ellis ran after him.
Ymor stood there powerless. Upset. In disbelief. Internally conflicting. Unable to reconcile his love for his son and his feelings for his wife.