Watching Time (Novel): Chapter 9 (Secrets)

Naomi knocked on the red door, and soon, a woman answered. “Oh, Naomi, it’s been awhile!”

          “I’ve been busy,” Naomi lied. “Is Mark here?”

          “Actually, I think he went to the park,” Mrs. Storm apologized. “If you find him, could you tell him Aleniah has been looking for him?”

          “Yes, ma’am,” Naomi nodded, and walked off. The park? Why would he go there?

Ethan stiffened when he saw Mark approaching, and glanced warily at Fia. She didn’t know, but Mark did. Please don’t talk about my education!

          “Hello, Mark!” Fia exclaimed. “Ethan got off work this week!”

          “And off school, too, right?” Mark commented. His eyes widened as he saw Ethan’s pale expression. “Definitely feels that way given how easy it is, right?”

          Fia squinted at Ethan, but there wasn’t a hint of suspicion in her eyes; only friendly accusation. “School is not easy!”

          “It can be,” Ethan shrugged, saying no more. He could tell from Fia’s expression that she knew something was off.

          “Are…you okay?” Fia wondered.

          “He’s fine,” Mark chipped in.

          Fia stepped back and squinted at both Ethan and Mark, and Ethan felt the back of his neck sweat a bit. “Did you just answer my question to Ethan for Ethan?” she inquired.

         

Naomi found a furious Fia storming past her, and wondered what had happened. She stopped and stepped into pace beside Fia. “What happened?” she wondered.

          “Ethan lied to me,” she muttered. “I mean, I’d have been fine with him getting kicked out. I know he’s smart enough to get by without a decent education, anyways, given how much he researches. But lying to me about it? Covering it up?”

          “Maybe he had a good reason,” Naomi shrugged. Fia abruptly stopped walking.

          “A good relationship is built upon trust, and trust is built on honesty,” Fia countered. “So I shudder to think what his excuse may be.” She continued walking, and Naomi followed her to her home. Maybe talking with Mark would be nice, but right now she knew Fia needed a friend she could trust.

          The problem is, we all have our secrets. Fia’s idealism may be nice in theory, but if she knew all of our secrets…would she look at us the same way again?

Myra snuck into Naomi’s room. She had suppressed the suspense for quite a while, but she had to know. She had to figure out what was in Naomi’s box.

          She crept silently. She knew her sister was going to be spending the afternoon with Mark, so she wasn’t at risk of getting caught. Even Earl was outside doing…something.

          So Myra searched the room, making sure to put everything back exactly where it was, so Naomi wouldn’t grow suspicious. Finally, she found it, in one of the drawers of the desk. She checked to make sure it wasn’t sealed, and found that it wasn’t. That meant if she opened it, there would be no sign. She did note, however, that there was some wrapper stuck to the side.

          So it was wrapped, and yet she unwrapped it. Did she, perhaps, look at whatever was inside again?

          She started to lift the lid, but last second closed it again. I can’t do this. I can’t keep yet another secret.

          She slid the box back where it was and exited the room. She did the one thing that came naturally to her, now: she collapsed onto her bed and cried.

Naomi gave up trying to shake Myra awake. It’s not like it’s important, anyways. I doubt she’d like it, anyways. She stood up and began carrying the box away-

          “What time is it?” Myra moaned.

          Naomi almost laughed at how cliché that comment was. “Almost eight. You have a habit of sleeping all afternoon, don’t you?”

          Myra smiled at that one. “So, what was so important you had to interrupt a dream about marshmallows?”

          “I have something to give to you,” Naomi responded, and handed the box to her sister. Her sister stared at the box.

          It wasn’t that big, Naomi knew, but she figured it was a good gift, and found her hopes confirmed when Myra gasped.

She couldn’t have known! She couldn’t have!

          But apparently, Naomi had. Myra stared at the picture of her parents, both much younger. The explanation seemed easy: Earl was also in the picture, smiling as he shook Myra’s father’s hand.

          They had known each other. I wonder how?

          “Thank you,” she whispered, and realized tears were escaping her eyes. She didn’t care, anymore, though. Naomi could see. She’s my sister, after all.

          “You like it?” Naomi asked, grinning, and Myra nodded. “Don’t tell Father. I must admit, I did sneak onto his computer and print it there. As far as he knows, I don’t know this picture exists.”

          “He knew them…” Myra whispered. The thought couldn’t escape her; at least, not like her tears could.

          “Apparently,” Naomi nodded. “That explains why he wanted to adopt you; why he went so far to find you. It creates more questions than it answers, definitely, but-“

          “It’s nice finally having some answers, at least,” Myra shrugged. She tore her eyes away from the photo and looked at Naomi. “Again, thank you.”

          Naomi smiled, as if she had just been comforted herself. Then that smile faded. “It must be so much harder for you.”

          “Why?”

          “I only lost my mother,” Naomi told her. “You lost everything.”

          That felt like a punch in the gut; she had lost everything. That doesn’t mean you need to remind me.

          Myra shrugged dismissively. “I’m still tired. I should go back to sleep.”

          Naomi’s face fell, and she obviously released she had made a mistake. She left silently, not adding another word. Myra, however, couldn’t get back to sleep. Not now. Not anymore.

You’re so stupid, Naomi thought to herself. She gripped her laptop and threw it at her bed, then froze, horrified. Her laptop hadn’t broken, but her words to Mark came back to her:

          I’m not sure I’m ready for a sister who might throw things at me, especially since it feels like she’s replacing Mother.

          She went over and gently picked up the laptop. She’s not the one that’s going to be throwing things. I am. She may have suffered more, but I’m in worse condition. What have I let happen to me?

          She flipped the laptop open and turned it on. She opened her email address and noticed the unread email pinned to the top. The subject read, “I Found Another Meme”, and the sender was marked as her mom. Her last email address. Her last meme.

          I’m not ready.

          She brushed away tears and closed the laptop, and then placed it back where it was. She knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep, not anymore, so she sang a lullaby to herself. She sang deep into the night…

Jerome’s words rang inside Rebekah’s head. With as many times as you’ve been adopted, you’d think someone was after you!

          They bothered her, not because he hit so close to the truth, but because she had only been adopted twice. Jerome supposedly knew that. Unless it’s not true.

          Nothing could shake the feeling that secrets were being kept from her, so she decided to prove it. Jerome would have important documents, and they would prove who her parents were: Juan and Maria.

          She snuck downstairs and found his office. It was a start. It may be located in his bedroom, but she hoped his important files would be there. She opened the door…

          And found Jerome already there, at his computer. He turned. “Ah, Rebekah, you surprised me!” he said, a hint of nervousness in his voice.

          He expected me to be a murderer or something. He knows my past.

          “Who were my parents? she whispered.

          “That’s a difficult one,” Jerome shrugged. “We don’t know, really. The family you grew up with…well, they just found you on the side of the road, supposedly.”

          That can’t be right! They were my family!

          But…if they weren’t…who are my parents, and why did they get rid of me?