"Julian , I swear, I didn't kill him ! " he insists as if he is afraid am really going to run.
"You didn't kill him?! Who was the one who stole the car keys even when we told you several times to not do that!
That day your brother wasn't feeling well ! But you still convinced him to take you to some stupid video game shop!
You drove that day , didn't you ? How many times did we tell you , you weren't old enough? How comes you came out of that car alive while your brother died ?!
You knew what you were doing , you knew we always preferred him over you and you know why? Because all you always did was play video games and go force a neighbour's innocent kid to kiss you and you were both boys!
But your brother was brilliant, doing everything right and helping us with the company even when he was at that age! You knew he was gonna be the president of that company after your father so you were so jealous leading him to an accident and you jumped out of the car leaving him there to die .
Now that you are the president, do you feel great?! After killing to have that position! I've been patient with you , putting up with your presence in this house because I gave birth to you ! Otherwise I would have sent you to hell already!" His mother screams .
What the...!
" Julia.. Julian I didn't do it." That's all he's been saying all this time since his mother started to narrate the story.
I don't know what to think but one thing I refuse to enter my brain is that Julian killed his brother on purpose.
"I know , It's okay" I tell him putting my hand over his shoulder.
" What do you mean you know ?! Wait until he ends your life too." His mother says after hearing me.
" Atleast he'll be the one who has taken it away because I will care less ! In my life.. I've never seen parents who detest their own child to this extent , especially not a mother!" Honestly, I've never, not even in movies.
His father looks like he's not bothered by all these but I realise that his major problem is when it comes to the gay part .
"By the way , Why is he calling you Julian? I thought you said that your name is... what was it again.. isn't Julian a man's name or is it used by all genders? " his father asks .
"I lied , Julian is my name not Annabel, we came here to impress you but I don't it's working so I can just get comfortable." I take off the wig and the heels , then I lick off the lipstick but I know my lips are still pink because naturally , that how they are.
I sigh deeply as if I've uplifted a very heavy load from my shoulder.
I don't care how surprised they look right now , Adam said they are weak but they just trong to me.
He said they can't take it but I see them take it just fine. "He's gay and there's nothing you can do about it , why does it disturb you so much anyway? Neither of you care about him!"
I can't believe this is what Adam has been going through. When he's out there he looks tough and everyone fear him , not knowing that when he enters this house he's so small and won't even cough!
"Julian... stop" he says but I don't care , he can hate me for this but I don't see what he gets from pretending, even he is pretending but they are still treating him like this , so what's the essence?!
"Let me speak" I say to him and he lets go of my hand. I turn to the still shocked parents, "I love him , I respect him, I believe in him , he means everything to me , and by the way , you might wanna know that you are the only people who think he is worthless, tell you what... out there... he is like a god, everyone thinks,,no , not really think , everyone knows that he is great and good at what he does , so I don't think he should even be dying because of what you guys think of him."
They still can't seem to find words to say .
"Come on love, let's go." I pull him with me but he resists. "What" I ask wondering what he's up to.
"Adam, no one here gives a damn about you." I tell him hopping that he comes to his senses and see the reality .
"But they are still my parents. "
" I know that , but.. "
"Can you get going already? You've chosen that path and I want you to know that I am not your parent from now own!" His father yells suddenly as if he has just unfrozen .
"Dad am sorry! I've been trying so much to do what's right just for you to at least show me that fatherly love but in the end I lost everything, all the hard work gone to vain!!"
"Mom am so sorry , please forgive me for not listening to you , but I didn't kill my brother , I didn't do anything intentionally, that guilt will never leave me , especially when you remind me everyday that it was my fault , yes it was my fault but I didn't do it intentionally, I hope both of you can forgive me one day and make me your son again because I love you so much and all I've ever wanted is for you to love me back ."
He puts the keys of which am thinking they are for the company on the table , he also leaves the car key.
They don't say anything and Adam seems to have finish so I gather together my little energy that is remaining and hold him out .
Outside the gate, I get a taxi and I give him the address of Ad's house , he told me that no one knows about that house , he always went there when he couldn't go home for the obvious reason now .
The taxi man keeps throwing weird glances at us probably because am wearing a dress but I don't give a shit!
Now that I've removed the wig and my feet are bare am confusing people ! But I still look pretty , they'll think that am just having a boy's hair style .
Am still holding Ad , his head is on my shoulder and I think he's asleep or pretending to be asleep because how on earth can he sleep with all that in his head .
We go for an hour and I know we're almost there, suddenly he raises his head sitting up, sweating .
" Hey.. you okay?" I ask honestly concerned.
" My brother He.. h" he stammers.
" Calm down.. hey.. " I hold him to make him calm.
"I've had a dream about him again. The same dream"
" What dream?"
"He always appears in my dreams , in my dreams he's still young as we were when he died , he keeps screaming that it's not my fault , the same words over and over until I wake up."
" Do you know when he'll stop coming in your dreams and stop screaming like that? The day you'll stop blaming yourself, he's probably not at peace all those years because you are not at peace too. Adam, stop blaming yourself, I know they made you believe that it was all your fault but clearly your brother knows that it wasn't your fault and you didn't do it intentionally! Can you please let him rest in peace by stopping to blame yourself?"
"That day he was the one who wanted us to sneak out , am not blaming him now but just because my parents knew that I was the sturbbon one they never listened to me "
" It's okay , it'll be okay , they'll come around, just give it time."
"Thank you Julian. Am glad I met you , you're the best thing that has ever happened to me , am sorry I didn't tell you everything but I was so afraid that you would leave."
"Well, that's never gonna happen." I say again swearing on my life , he leans on my shoulder again.
Within minutes we arrive .