Chapter 96
1193 Words
Chapter 96
Jake’s POV
“Do you know what Jade mean?” I've been working around that name as well. “The name keeps popping up. Maybe you knew someone with that name.”
“I thought so too, but I'm not so sure I do. I've never met anyone with that name, for last twenty-seven years.”
“Why are you so sure about twenty-seven years, but not before that?”
I take a breath to really tell my story that many people think as a made-up anecdote that a mom would tell a son. But this is real. “When I was five, I got into an accident. I was in a coma for a month. I couldn’t remember anything after I woke up. I didn’t even remember myself. I only know things I was told about my life before that wasn’t much either. Everything about me just changed. Things that I liked, or disliked, they changed. Doctor said it was because of a trauma to my head, and that it could heal. I've ate medication for about ten years, nothing worked.”
“Then ask your parents. Maybe they can help you remember if there was a Jade.” I've thought of it before, but every time I mention that incident, especially mom bawl her eyes out. She cried so much, for days. I fear asking her things about the past. But I think she would want to help if she knows it’s connected to Stella’s murder.
“You're right. I should at least do that.” I stood up from the table. “Maybe I should go see mom. I haven’t had the courage to go to them ever since Stella—” I sit back. I suddenly don’t feel enough strength in myself to really support the mission. I'm exhausted just thinking about it.
“I can go with you if you want.” She clutches onto my hand, and when I look at her she gives my her most promising smile. I feel half as exhausted as before. but it’s still a bad ratio.
“I would like that,” I try to return back her smile. "Yeah, please do that. I can't face them alone.”
**
She hugged me for so long I never remember me hugging. I know she must have shed a tear or two, but if I react to that, it will just escalate to more severe emotional episode. So, I keep it at as minimal level as possible. “Mom, I want to ask you something.” She pulls back signalling me to get inside.
After she hugged Emily and we were in the living room of their suite and settled on the sofa, she added. “What were you asking?”
“By any chance, do you know someone named Jade?” I bluntly added.
“Jade?” I saw a little tremble of her life, a flicker of her eyes and a stutter of her words. I was scared she would react this way.
“It’s important. This name keeps popping up. I just wanna know if it is connected to me in any way.” she is still so quiet. “Probably someone we knew.”
“Yeah,” she seems to be contemplating after one word fell out of her lips. “But it wasn’t someone we knew, it was you.”
“Me?” wait what???
“Yeah!” she giggles like it’s a funny story. Her giggle seems to be plastic. “I wanted to name you Jade, I wanted you to have a part of my mother’s name, Jaden. But your father said it was too girly for a man and wanted Jake, on his father’s name Jacob. We argued quiet a lot and I named you Jade. But then we changed it back to Jake again. When people started calling you Jaden around the neighborhood, we get it changed.”
“I was Jade? For how long.”
“Before you started kindergarten. It was still hard for us to call you Jake for some time. You won't remember it when we called you, after your accident you always remembered yourself as Jake. So, it got simpler. We thought it was better that way and never mentioned it to you.”
“I keep getting these deliveries for some Jade and that is me? seriously?” this person seems to know a little too much about me. it makes me feel suffocated, caged, kidnapped, like those nightmares. “How many people know I was Jade?”
“Not many. Our family wasn’t that up in the business for people to know our family. I was also working anonymously back then and you know your father and I didn’t have any siblings.” So that’s again a dead end? “Your dad did have a secretary who was quite mingled with you, Ms. Rose, yes. She loved you.”
“Maybe she told someone? Because things are getting more serious than a mere prank.”
“That’s not possible for Rose. She passed away, it’s been years now.”
“Any family she has left?”
“I have no idea.”
“Alright. That’s what I wanted to know.” I stood up hugging her once more. This time more like a goodbye. “Where is dad?”
“He’s meeting someone.”
“I see you later then.” I walked myself to the door but turned once more. “Mom, can I see my birth certificate?”
“No,” she began to shake as I asked. “I've lost it.” she smiles so fake, I'm embarrassed I'm making her so uncomfortable when she’s already so distressed. “We are going back tomorrow.”
“Back to New York?”
“Yeah. It’s better if we leave here. Your father isn’t feeling too well, it’s better that we go and focus on our work.”
“What about Jerry?”
“He wants to be here. he is going to work for the restaurant’s opening next month.”
“He still wants to do that?”
“Stella wanted it. he’s been busy setting it up. I think you should meet up with him, he’s feeling lonely and depressed and he not focusing on moving on. I'm scared he will lose himself.” She cried again and now’s the time I've realized how much I've messed up. I've been blaming others and protecting myself, but I never began to think about how he must be feeling. He’s lost his everything.
“I be with him, mom, don’t worry.”
“Stella was excited about the new themed restaurant. She was working for it a lot. He can’t let it all go to waste.”
“Mom, please take care of dad and yourself. I know he is still upset with me, I won't see him until I find out the killer. And I'll be with Jerry so don’t think about it.”
“Alright, I wouldn’t ever force you.”
“Thanks. I'll go now. I'll call you tomorrow.”
- Writer
