The Hidden Truth

Sitting in my car, I dialed the same number for the eighth time. The Commencement Ceremony drones on in the background with the president calling out names for the students to walk across the stage and collect their degrees. When the fourth ring goes by unanswered, I snap my phone shut, wondering how I could have been so stupid. I sigh, slipping the phone back into the glove box and locking it before returning to the football field where the ceremony now in full swing, is taking place. I discreetly take my seat next to Kenneth O’Shea who then leans over and whispers, “I take it you didn't get a hold of anyone?” I shake my head. I assume he read my expression despite my best efforts to conceal the fear. The kid always reads me like an open book. That's more than I can say about my supposed best friend who knows nothing about me or my family. Kenneth and I grew up in the same neighborhood and went to corresponding schools. We even played together when we were younger, so it's no surprise that we ended up at the same University despite our different career paths. I researched the company I planned to work for and chose to move ahead into the management field while adding the companies four major languages to the ever-increasing workload over the last few years. As a result, it stretched my goal from four years to six years. But in the end, I’m satisfied with my accomplishments. I'm confident that my specialized skills in strategic management will make me the greatest asset to Jose’s Textile since my father’s time at the company. Kenneth, on the other hand, followed in his father's footsteps - the medical field. In high school, he mentioned that his family wanted to open their own clinic specializing in the more ‘superior’ aspect of the world. His family is what we in my community call believers. They are the ones that have faith in the ever-growing phenomenon occurring in nature. Of course, that information is strictly between us. However, I have supported them in their endeavors and volunteered myself many times for his experiments and will continue to do so when called upon. “So, what are your plans after this?” He should know by now not to ask that question but alas, I say, “You know where my loyalty is.” “Yeah I know,” I could sense the disappointment in his words, but he goes on to include, “Just so you know, if you need me, I'll be there.” Before I can reply, the president calls my name. I head towards the stage to collect my Master’s Degree in Business Administration - in short, my MBA. That was the last time I saw Kenneth. In fact, it's been exactly one year and three months since our last communication. During that time, I secured a job at Jose’s Textile. Working for the same man whom I believe was responsible for my family's fate. Although I have no proof, I still feel as if Jose Ramirez is somehow connected to my parent’s demise. Yet here I remain, following his absurd orders while I continue trying to get in touch with Justice. I need to know where my siblings are even if it means I risk losing everything I’ve worked so hard for in the process while I hunt him down for the information. More months slip by and still no answer. Finally at the end of my shift on Sunday, I walk into my boss’s office refusing to accept anything less than a ‘yes’. I knew long ago when I took this job that it didn't come with a vacation package or even a health care plan, but I accepted it as a way to find out more about this man and hopefully put my grudge against him to rest. “Jose, I've been at this company for well over a year now! I deserve a few days off per week!” “Ha! You knew when I hired you that you'd be working seven days a week.” “Please sir, I'm only asking for a few days.” “You know, I like you. You are one of the only people in this company that doesn't question what I ask of you and I admire that. So, I'm going to return the favor. I won’t inquiry the reason you need the time off for. However, I will grant you a week to do whatever it is you need the days off for, and I expect you back here ready to work by the following Monday morning.” “Thank you, sir.” As I turn to leave his office, he opens his mouth to speak again. “Oh! One more thing before you go..” I turn towards him, ready for the man to add more stipulations to my plan. “When you return, I don't want to have this conversation again. Your position requires you to be here every day. You got that?” laying on a strong emphasis on the words ‘your position’ and ‘every day’ as if I didn't already know. It’s the one thing that kept me from asking him in the first place. “I understand sir. Thank you again.” I say as I walk towards the door. “Don't make me regret hiring you.” “You won't.” In the absence of any more words spoken, I walked out. I had a feeling that a week might not be enough, but I decided to make it worth the time he allowed. However, I did make a mental note to check into other positions that have fewer work days. If my plans go the way I anticipate, I'm hoping to at least have one day off every week. The next day, I pull up to a huge rickety house in the middle of nowhere, my heart thumping a strong staccato in my chest. I didn't know what to expect nor was I prepared to confront the owner of the home. I parked my car in the driveway and shut the engine off. Looking up at the house I remembered when I was much younger, running around in the yard as I was chased by Justice carrying a snake in his hands. I laughed at the memory of a scared little boy running and screaming while wondering if he was going to throw it on me. As the memory dies out it's replaced with yelling followed by a slamming door. That was the last time I had been to this particular house. It was I who had done most of the yelling and I who slammed the door. Fear crawls under my skin as I exit my car and make my way up the front steps to the main door. I knock once as I listen to the sound echo in the distance. Knocking a second time I speak, “Hello, is anyone here?” By the third knock I begin to hear movement just on the other side of the door. Slowly the door opens to reveal a very disheveled Justice who says, “What do you want?” “Where is everyone?” “Gone.” “Did they leave you behind on purpose?” My words quivered at the thought of finding my siblings dead. “No! I chose to stay and wait for you. I just didn't think it would take you four years to return” he replies. Stumbling his way through the living room towards the kitchen. I follow him not caring too much for the shambles the house is in while wanting to know more. “Tell me where they are?” My heart continues to beat rapidly hoping that he’s only joking with me. Justice lets out a chuckle as he replies, “The look on your face when you thought that I killed them was priceless. Besides, if you came here thinking I would tell, you're wrong.” “Stop playing with me and tell me!” “First we are going to talk.” He says, as he grabs a kettle from the stove and fills it with water. I take a seat at the table watching every move he makes. As many times as I've been in his house, I know that he doesn't boil a kettle of water without some kind of malicious intent behind it. He then takes out two cups from the cupboard and places them next to the stove. With his back to me, I watch as he continues doing something with them. When the kettle whistles, he turns the burner off and pours the now hot water into the two cups. As he’s setting them on the table, he carefully slides one cup directly in front of me. The other is slid to the opposite side of the table. I only stare at it while trying nonchalantly to determine which of the million and one potions he uses on a daily basis was chosen to be placed into mine. Justice takes a seat across from me just then as I desperately try to identify any differences at all between the teacups. Both are the same color and consistency as far as I can tell and are nearly the exact same level of liquid too. Neither one smells any differently either. Can it just be that my personal lack of trust for this man has me doubting his every intention? “So, what have you been doing for the last four years?” “You know what I was doing!” “Humor me, Michael.” I rest my eyes on him as I answer, “Securing a future for the kids.” “And have you?” My eyes return to the cup before me. I haven't exactly secured much beyond a steady paying job and I figured once I got the two back into my hands, I'd be able to determine what to do then. “Sort of,” I replied. “That doesn't sound too promising. So, tell me if you had to make a choice on saving the life of one of your siblings, who would you choose?” “You know I can't favor one over the other.” “Choose!” He yells. As much as I hated singling out one of the kids, I had to pick my sister. My brother could handle himself in this world without me but my sister, on the other hand, was far too fragile to fend for herself alone. “Kai.” I almost cry her name, but I manage to hold myself together. Justice sits back in his seat as he replies. “That's what I thought. I always knew that you favored her over Alex, ever since she was born. “You have no clue about anything, do you? There are reasons I do what I do.” Justice rolls his eyes as he asks, “Is that right? Please enlighten me.” “You wouldn’t understand. No one would.” I lowered my eyes so he wouldn't see why, wishing I couldn't see the truth either. He sits there stirring his tea before taking a sip. The room is silent for several long minutes making me wonder what is going through the man's head. Finally, he asks, “Why is that?” “For a long time, I didn't believe it myself but the more I took care of her the more I knew she was indeed different.” He takes three more sips before he encourages me to continue. I didn't know how much of my knowledge he'd use to benefit himself if any at all. So, I was cautious as to how I worded what I knew about my sister and all the strange things that surrounded her birth. “You already knew that she was always fracturing her bones and getting bruises all the time, right?” He shrugs his shoulders as he says, “Young kids do that all the time. It's part of their learning.” By this time, I still haven't taken a sip of the tea in front of me fearing that it's laced with something. Justice, on the other hand, hasn't wavered his eyes from his cup and by the looks of it he's about halfway finished. “That's true, but not like her. Her bones are extremely fragile. I was only able to strengthen them so much by enriching her food with extra calcium and making sure that she stayed away from anything that would hinder the building blocks I've put in place.” “Does she know this?” “Not in detail as I have told you now, but she knows what's important to her health.” Justice closes his eyes and tilts his head to the side as he says, “I really wish I had known sooner.” Fear rushes through my veins knowing his statement could only mean one thing. “What did you do?” This time he looks me in the eyes as he says, “I'm so sorry.” The fear turns to anger that he may have possibly ruined her life forever. My jaw clutches and my fists ball up as I ask one last time, “Where is she!?” He finishes off his tea just before hanging his head while staring into his empty cup and saying, “I wish I could help you there, but I'm afraid that the time for that too has passed.” I stood towering over him as he remained in his chair. From there I lean in close, my lips a mere inch from his ear, my hands firmly set on the table next to his and I whisper. “I’ll be back in two days time.” Before I left, I thought I saw the man shiver at my words. Although it could have been the anger coursing through me shaking the table.