Chapter 111
Adrian’s POV
Daniel’s Mansion – Morning Hours
I was helping dad with some office files as he said I was already sixteen and should know about the business.
I was sketching a design when mom came over.
“Adrian,” she said, smiling. “Looks like creating designs runs in your blood p>
“Daniel,” she continued. “Your and Adrian’s strokes are the same p>
“Yes,” Dad said. “I noticed this with Janet and her parents too p>
“She sketches the same way as Jonathan, he uses his finger tips while holding the pencil p>
“Mom!” Just then Jenny came running down the stairs.
“I can’t find my yellow jumper p>
“Mom put it with my clothes,” I replied. “I put it in your top drawer p>
“Oh, thanks bro p>
As Jenny went back up smiling.
“Oh,” Dad asked. “How’s school? Is anyone troubling you p>
“No,” I said, smiling. “Actually, now no one teases me now that they all know I’m your son and my surname is Staf p>
“Oh, and one more thing,” Dad said. “The papers are ready, we’ll go tomorrow to finalize your name papers, and update your documents p>
“Okay,” Mom said. “Enough talking boys, drink your juice p>
“But Mom? We just had breakfast.” I whined.
“I know,” she said. “But in-between snacks are important too, now drink up p>
I smiled as ever since I was born. Today was the first time I really felt like I had a family.
Yes, there were those days when I was with mother and Uncle Jonathan, but at that time also I always missed mother as she would always be busy with work, and at times Uncle Jonathan would also not be fully with me.
Now I understand p>
His mind used to be with his own daughter.
The peace of being with your own family p>
Is truly a blessing and I’m grateful I finally got it.
I exhaled.
I knew things may still not be perfect.
But now things are finally coming to their place and now we all can live a normal life.
Just then we heard sounds of cars pulling into our driveway.
“I’ll check,” I said and went over to open the door.
On opening I saw three cars, so I closed the door behind and stepped a few steps up.
I noticed as several people got out.
The men and women were dressed in suits.
Though I couldn’t recognize anyone, it didn’t matter.
One thing I was sure of p>
They were lawyers as they were holding official folders, and the others were assistants as they were holding Harmon Designs folders.
That’s when I realized this is not a simple social visit.
Then a man walked over and opened one of the car’s door and a person stepped out.
I froze as I recognized the person.
Imelda.
Time seemed to have frozen the moment I saw her.
It’s been months or maybe a year since I saw her.
A normal child?
He would have run over to hug her.
But me,
I wasn’t happy on seeing her.
I felt no relief knowing she’s out of jail.
I didn’t feel any excitement to see she came here.
Because all I could see was the woman who spent years hiding such a big fact from me.
Now on seeing her,
All I felt was p>
Anger.
Yet p>
She smiled back on seeing me.
I shook my head in disbelief.
She was behaving as if nothing had happened.
And just came back from a vacation.
A pathetic laugh escaped my lips as I saw her distraught face.
I understood she expected me to be emotional on seeing her.
Maybe having tears in my eyes the moment I saw her.
Maybe I’d run over and say, I forgive you.
Maybe she’s curious why I’m here and not at the boarding school.
Finally, she walked over to me.
I saw her lips part and saw her trying to speak softly as possible.
“Adrian,” she said. “Baby, how are you p>
I scoffed at seeing how she was trying to reconnect with me.
“Looks like you came rehearsed,” I said.
“Rehearsed?” she said, looking shocked.
“Adrian,” she said. “You’re my son p>
I didn’t reply or react to her words.
It was as if I was hearing a stranger speak to me.
One of the lawyers stepped up.
“Ms. Imelda,” he said. “You can go over p>
“You and Mr. Staf haven’t filed for custody so you have full visitation rights p>
“And since you are the one who raised Adrian since birth, you definitely have parental rights on him p>
“Yes,” another one said. “You have full legal standing behind you p>
I was going to reply, but Dad and Mom came out and walked over.
Dad stepped before me while Mom stood beside me with her arm over my shoulder.
Dad remained calm as he studied the men.
“May I see a plea first,” Dad asked in a professional, controlled tone.
“Yes,” a lawyer said. “You may p>
Dad read the paper he got.
“All this paper claims is, she (he said pointing towards Mother) can visit him today p>
“According to this,” Dad said. “You’re out on bail and can visit your son for a day, nothing else p>
“And that too, only if Adrian wants to p>
“It doesn’t say that!” Mother implemented herself.
“I know,” Dad said. “But now Adrian will do only what he wants p>
“He will speak to only those he wants to p>
He didn’t intimidate them.
He didn’t oppose the visitation rights.
He didn’t say something the lawyers could use against him.
After all, they also knew I was sixteen and had rights.
For the first time in my life, I saw someone standing between me and my mother.
Someone who would not let her have her ways.
Not because he should.
But because he wants to protect his son.
“If Adrian agrees,” Dad said in a frank voice. “I won’t object, if not then p>
He trailed off and everyone understood the rest.
The lawyers fell silent and stepped back.
All of a sudden the atmosphere became uncomfortable.
I saw Jenny was watching from the door.
Tension was evident from her face.
“Jenny, honey,” Mom said, still holding onto me. “Why don’t you head on inside p>
“Adrian?” she asked, concerned.
“He’s not going,” she said warmly as she held me tighter.
I saw Jenny was reluctant but went back inside.
Before going back inside, I saw her glance towards me.
I smiled back to relieve her so she could go inside.
She was clearly worried and I was too.
Once Jenny went back inside, Mom stood firmly beside me.
Not in front of me, but beside me.
She made it clear to them,
My father was standing before me,
And, my mother?
She was standing beside me.
I smiled as I felt warmth in my heart, a warmth I never felt before.
“Mr. Daniel Staf,” a lawyer said. “You should be aware of this p>
“Ms. Imelda is Adrian’s legal mother, she has the rights to take her son p>
I couldn’t believe my ears.
I wanted to ignore every word, but when I heard the lawyer say, rights to take her son?
My blood boiled.
Finally, my lips parted.
“Did you…from the beginning know who the donor was p>
Silence fell between us.
She didn’t answer.
Instead p>
She lowered her head.
I exhaled after all she was the woman who gave birth to me,
I could be a little lenient with her.
So, I asked again.
A little more firmly.
“Did you know who my father was p>
“Answer me p>
Again silence followed.
Dad was also watching closely.
Now he already knew the truth, but hearing from the woman who once claimed to love him, was different.
For me,
I wanted to know if she would admit or refuse as this mattered to me.
I saw her part her lips.
“I did what I thought was best for you p>
I let out a hollow laugh.
“Adrian?” she questioned me.
“How could you p>
“I really did it all for you p>
The last sentence confirmed everything for me and Dad.
Years of anger that had been bottled up p>
Had been uncorked.
“So,” I said in a low anger voice.
“You knew all along the donation was Dad’s, didn’t you p>
I saw dad was visibly affected.
And why not.
Not only did I spend sixteen years without a father,
But dad also spent sixteen years not knowing he had a son.
I saw dad exhale.
I understood the fact that I hit him again p>
He missed sixteen years of his child’s life.
We both watched mother carefully.
Waited for her to deny,
But now she couldn’t.
And her silence was her answer.
Finally, I saw she was ready to speak.
I hoped it would be the truth.
“Adrian,” she said. “I’m your mother p>
“You should know, whatever I did and am doing is for you p>
“To protect you p>
“Our family p>
“Our future p>
“The Harmon family, us p>
I laughed bitterly.
“Protecting me?” I asked. “From who? Dad? Or Uncle Jonathan p>
“Mother, you were only protecting yourself, using me p>
For the first time I saw she was shaken.
“And what did you say?” I asked. “My mother p>
“As far as I can remember I’ve had nannies and staff taking care of me p>
“Even when I was down with fever, I had the maids stay up all night changing the cloth, and giving me medicine p>
“For that matter, even Uncle Jonathan stayed beside me at times p>
“Back home at Uncle Jonathan’s, Aunt Veronica took care of me, she was careful of what I can and can’t eat. She even stayed up all night when I wasn’t feeling good p>
“That’s what a mother does p>
My voice wasn’t angry,
But a quiet cry of my painful heart.
“Imelda,” Mom said. “A mother isn’t the one who gives birth alone p>
“The one who takes care and is there for her baby, is a mother p>
“Having nannies or staff take care isn’t bad,” she said.
“But giving your child some love, care is required p>
“If you don’t?” she said in a low voice.
“Your child will depend on his nanny more than you p>
“A child needs his mother every day, no matter how old he is p>
I recalled the times I used to fall and would call out for my nanny instead of mother.
Or when I would pass, I would run home to tell them before telling mother.
For the first time I looked at Isabella.
She wasn’t trying to take mother’s place,
But she refused to allow the pain I suffered be dismissed as a normal fact.
I could see mother was shocked to see Isabella defending me.
I saw dad was getting ready to finally speak to mother.
I was partly worried, and partly sure of what was going to happen.
“Imelda,” Dad said.
“You didn’t only take a father away from a son. You stole a son from a father p>
“You stole sixteen years of my rights as a father p>
“Adrian actually asked me, why I abandoned him p>
“I never did cause I never knew he existed p>
“I never rejected having him or taking him p>
“Why would I p>
“He’s my son p>
“If I knew he existed p>
“I would give him the best in the world p>
“If only I knew he existed p>
“Ms. Imelda?” One lawyer said.
“You told he left Adrian and you p>
“This is a different story p>
For years I knew mother had controlled the narratives around her.
For the first time,
Not only I and dad,
But the lawyers were also questioning her.
Mom was crumbling her skirt p>
Meant she realized she was losing her control.
Silence fell between us.
The lawyers stopped talking, and rather looked as if they preferred to retrieve.
“I…I p>
Even mother stopped defending herself.
“Mother,” I said exhaling.
“Dad is my father by birth, and since I met him, he’s been doing what a father should do p>
“Uncle Jonathan is the man who raised me, and during that time did everything a father should do,
“So,” I continued. “Daniel is my father, and Jonathan will remain a father figure for me p>
“As for you p>
“Nannies raised me p>
“I was never allowed to call you mom or mommy cause you said it makes me look like I’m a materialistic boy p>
“And honestly, now that I look back p>
“Calling you mom or mommy, wouldn’t sound good p>
Cause you are not one p>
I stood firm to my words as dad stood before me and Isabella was still beside me.
I saw Jenny was watching from her window, holding a stick for some reason.
I just hoped she wouldn’t throw it at the lawyers.
For the first time I saw what a family looked like.
This is what parents are.
This is what a sibling is.
“It’s not up to you whether you want to take me or not p>
“Whether you can take me or not p>
“I won’t go with you p>
“You cannot take me away without my consent p>
“And you know that p>
I looked at dad standing in front of me and Isabella standing beside me.
“I have a father here to protect me p>
“And p>
“Now I also have a mother who takes care of me p>
“So, mother,” I said. “You can leave p>
I glanced towards Isabella.
“Mom just brought me juice to drink, you barged in p>
“So, please mom gets angry when I miss my juice p>
I saw my mother felt hurt when I called Isabella ’mom.
“I know I’ve not been around, but you can’t just like that p>
She trailed off.
I knew she was thinking I was talking about presence and not the biological fact.
She thought I was talking about care and protection.
She knew these were things she failed at.
Her face turned pale as she said, “Adrian, you’re still my son p>
“I’m still your mother p>
For the first time I wasn’t angry at hearing her call herself a mother.
I was just p>
Disappointed.
“You only gave birth to me p>
“You never raised me p>
“So, you’re not actually a mother p>
Her expression stiffened as I held onto Isabella’s hand.
“For seven years, you made me believe Uncle Jonathan was my father p>
“For seven years you made me wonder who my father was p>
“For seven years you made me ask why did he abandon me p>
“Yet p>
“You knew who my father was p>
“For the past seven years, you knew where he was p>
“You still let others bully me for not having a father p>
I exhaled.
“Now p>
“I know the truth p>
“I know who my father is p>
“And he gave me a real family p>
I saw her smile disappear from her face.
“Oh,” I said, getting her attention.
“Now I also have a sister p>
“A real sister p>
Imelda froze on hearing me.
“What do you mean by that p>
“Jenny is dad’s,” I said. “My dad’s biological daughter p>
“She is my sister by blood p>
“Something no matter what, you can never take away from me p>
Color drained from her face.
“What do you mean by that p>
I didn’t answer as I knew the question wasn’t for me, it was for mom, Isabella.
For a moment silence fell between us.
Then she stepped forward and walked over to Dad.
She didn’t walk ahead of him, but beside him.
“Just as Adrian said,” she replied in a calm voice.
“Jenny is Daniel’s daughter p>
Not only mother, but the lawyers, and assistants were confused.
Isabella continued.
“I also had Jenny by using donation and IVF p>
“Through a donor program and the donor that I chose was Daniel’s p>
Mother’s eyes widened in shock.
“No,” she said, shocked. “It’s impossible. I told them to destroy, no p>
“Imelda, I have files to prove Jenny is from the one Daniel donated back then p>
Silence fell again between us all.
Dad reached for Isabella’s hand.
“She didn’t know at the time, it was mine p>
“I just found out about Adrian, and on coming back, we found out about Jenny p>
Isabella looked directly towards mother.
“Adrian and Jenny are my children, and my husband is the father of both of my children p>
“One I gave birth to p>
“The other I chose to be mother of p>
Then Isabella smiled, as if she still had one more thing to tell.
“Oh, and as for Adrian not being born to me p>
She paused.
“Adrian and Jenny, my born share the same blood,
“And Adrian and I p>
“Share the same AB positive blood p>
The statement was simple English.
But the meaning was rock solid.
“Odd isn’t it,” she said smiling.
“Even if I didn’t give birth to Adrian, we share the same blood type p>
For seven whole years mother tried to trap Jonatha in a web of biological relationships.
She used blood ties,
She used legal rights.
Now I stood before her with a family she never could provide.
My family:
Dad, mom, and Jenny now are with me.
“Ms. Imelda,” a lawyer said.
“Mr. Staf has more rights on Adrian then you do p>
“We thought he had abandoned him p>
“But now the perspective is different, sorry you can’t take him with you unless he wants p>
Mother got back in the car as she knew there was no chance of taking me.