The Other Side

2

Kylo and Kygo are both orphans. Their mom died of sickness 2 years after giving birth to them, as a result of this, they were left behind with their biological dad.

Trying to forget the pain and grief, their dad became a drunkard. He would drink all night and cry, and sometimes, he'd go to the cemetery to visit his wife's grave, there he'd bawl his eyes out crying. Most of the time, he'd get dragged by the police up to their house because of noise complaints from other cemetery visitors.

 Surely, you can say that he loved his wife more than anything else and her death grieved him.

Without their mom, the twins surely didn't get the care and love they need, because instead of spending time with them, their father would drink with his friends or by himself all the time. 

Leaving them both behind to starve, luckily, their concerned neighbors would barge into the twins' house when their father isn't home and take care of them. 

They felt sorry for the twins and took care of them as if they were their own children

At this time, the twins already knew a few words and were already walking, thanks to the people in their neighborhood who consistently took care of them. 

This has been the setting for eight months but sadly, this can't go on anymore, their dad is getting worse by the day, and their neighbors have jobs too.

So one Saturday, just when the sun was a few hours from setting. Their neighbors have decided together to report their father for Child neglect and hand the twins to the authorities.

"Do we really need to do this?" Questions one of their neighbors as they were all walking to the police station.

"Well, it's for the twins' good ." Another one replies in an assuring tone.

They stroll to the police station, all barely prepared, yet they know it's for the good of all. They know that the twins will get better care in the hands of the authorities, rather than just in their own care.

They finally see the station, its doors welcoming them from afar. They take bold steps and got inside, and without any second thought. They go straight to the front desk to file a report.

"How may we help you." The officer at the front desk asks. 

"We're here to file a report for child neglect." They all said. 

"Do you by any chance have any proof of what you're trying to report, ma'am?" The police officer calmly asks as he types on his keyboard.

For the past few months, they've been secretly taking pictures of the twins, hoping it would be enough evidence.

They show the pictures to the police. The police took a look at the pictures and gave them a form to fill up. They fill it up as accurately as they can.

"Thank you for your concern, we'll do as much as we can. Please wait for at least 45 days.

We'll also inform you with any updates." The police say as the twins' neighbors hand the form back.

"Please do." They respond with a slight smile and went on their way home.

They all got home and went on with their daily lives. They were all anxious about their report, but they were all willing to wait for it. Days, weeks, and even a month passed. 

The days were getting colder since winter was about to start, people were already wearing thick and fluffy coats and warm boots. They were all counting the days as they pass. Then one day, winter arrived, the gentle snow fluttered in the wind, and the people had already decorated their homes with colorful decorations and lights. It was freezing outside but the warmth of fireplaces in each home gave cure to that. The holiday spirit was also evident all around the town. Children were singing carols and playing in the snow, while the adults were busy chit-chatting with each other. The twins' neighbors managed to sneak the twins out of their house while their dad was gone. The people of their neighborhood really liked the twins, and the twins thought of the people of their neighborhood as their family too. Surely every one had the joy inside of their hearts.

Amidst of this pleasant and jolly scene, their heads all turned towards the window as the police siren was heard. Fear invaded their hearts, the twins and the children, though, were clueless. Without a second to waste, their neighbors snatched Kylo and Kygo out of the rug near the fireplace, where they were both playing. They hurried to the twins' house. Just when the police arrived they also arrived with the twins wrapped in their arms. They were all covered in sweat from all the running and they were still trying to catch their even though it was winter.

"Are these the twins?" the police ask, "And why are you running?" They continue. 

They all nod and explained the situation, while they were doing so, an unexpected person arrived, the twins' dad showed up out of nowhere. He was a bit shocked to see the police, and the scene he just saw left a puzzle in his mind. Unusually, he was sober this time. He was looking neat, and he also didn't smell like liquor. 

They were all frozen for a second, they didn't expect this! The police though, knew just about what they would do. The police all straightened up and approached the twins' father.

"I'm pretty sure I don't have a complaint this time around, sir." The twins' father said in an upbeat tone with a smile.

"Well I'm sorry to tell you this, Mr. Gotberson, but you do have one right here. It's not really a complaint but rather a report." The officer replied.

The smile on Mr. Gotberson's face immediately faded into a worried expression.

"We received a report a couple weeks ago from your neighbors, Mr. Gotberson, that you aren't taking care of your children well." The officer sternly continued. 

Mr. Gotberson shifted his eyes to his neighbors, and without any words, he spoke through his eyes. His neighbors felt a sense of guilt and conscience, this feeling burdened them so much that they couldn't look at his eyes, so instead, they just bowed their heads down or looked elsewhere.

Mr. Gotberson, on the other hand, felt the same. He knew how bad of a father he was, especially to his young kids! He also felt it so deeply that he, without any hesitation, spoke the truth. 

"Yes officer, I admit it, I wasn't a good father." he lowered his head while saying these words. Tears were starting to gather upon his eyes.

"Mr. Gotberson, you are under arrest for child neglect. You have the right to remain silent, and everything you'll say will be used against you in the court of law. You also have the right to have an attorney." The police said as they put handcuffs on his hands.

He fell silent, everything was going too fast. All the happenings, all the minutes, all the seconds, felt as if they were sped up. He lifted up his eyes and looked at the twins. He could see the twins reaching out to him and mumbling "Dada". Due to this sight, tears clouded his vision as they fell on his cheek. 

"Forgive me." He mumbled beneath his breath as he was being taken away. 

He was so afraid, he thought about how the twins would live without him. Though he couldn't bring himself to ask, for he felt unfit to do so. 

He got into the police car, and the last sight of the twins he saw was them being taken away, too. 

"Goodbye, Kylo and Kygo" he said in his head as he drooped his head down and cried. The car left and soon, he was gone. 

On the other hand, the police and the head of the orphanage they'll live at talked to the people of their neighborhood. 

"They'll get a better home, somewhere not far from here. There they'll get taken care of and you wouldn't need to look after them too." The police assured them. 

"This is the head mistress of the orphanage they'll be staying at, Ms. Hollon." The police introduced her to the people of the neighborhood. 

She smiled and promised to take good care of Kylo and Kygo. 

They all nodded and smiled. They all said farewell, and hugged each other tightly, some of them couldn't hold back the tears and cried. They handed Kylo and Kygo over to the head mistress of the orphanage. She carried Kygo in her arms and held Kylo in the other, while she walked towards another car. She sat with them at the back of the car, though they just met each other, she knew the twins were going to be around for quite some time. 

The car drives to another town while the radio plays a few songs and one went like "Don't wanna know the other side, of a world without you. Don't wanna know what it's like to live without you~" 

Coincedentally, the police car and the car that the twins were in, played the same song in the radio. For Mr. Gotberson it was a heartbreaking song, but the twins were occupied looking out the window and were fascinated by the view as they have never travelled in their whole life. 

The ride ended for the three of them, when it was nearly sundown. They got off their cars, not knowing what would happen next, but one thing they know is that this was the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. 

The three of them spent the night with different surroundings, Mr. Gotberson at jail and the twins in the orphanage. 

It was new for the twins to sleep with other kids, because they were used to just be with themselves. So, they slept a little late than when they would usually doze off. Nevertheless, they fell asleep and a new day greeted them. They woke up to the sound of the morning alarm of the orphanage, but they were too shy to go with the other kids. 

All the other kids assembled themselves at the table, they all sat down, but two seats were empty. The head mistress raised her eyebrows and counted again, only then did she remember the twins. She made her way to the hallway to the kids' bedroom. She opened the door, and in front of her were the twins, staring blankly at the walls. She approached them with a smile, and helped them up. The three of them went straight to the table, they sat down and they all went ahead to have breakfast. 

After this, the kids did their daily chores assigned to them, well, Kygo and Kylo didn't have chores, so they just sat down at the couch, the head mistress then passed by them. 

"What are you two doing in there?" She said with a smile as she crouched down to the twins. 

The twins were silent, they were too timid to answer. 

"Hmm, I guess you two don't have anything to do, and so do I. Shall we take a tour?" She said, extending both her hands. 

The twins hesitantly took her hands, and so they went on a walk around the orphanage.

They walked around, and subconsciously, Kygo blurted out "dada" as he saw a random man passing by while they were outside. 

"Do you miss your dad?" The head mistress asked. 

And they both nod in return. 

"Well, maybe you'll see him a few years soon. For now, you gotta stay here, understood?" 

The twins were yet again silent.

"Let's go back inside okay? It's starting to snow already." She invites. 

They all go back inside, and they went on with some games, they eventually made friends with some kids, but for them, no one compares to each other. They stared out the window, watching the gentle snow flutter and the cars that pass.

The days went by fast, and they adjusted to the lifestyle already, they were both growing up too. 

The orphanage they lived in was pretty spacious, though small, as a result of the lack of children and staff.

Old wooden floors that would creak each time you'd step on it. Paint chipping off from some areas of the walls. Dust and webs lurking in the corners. The furniture wasn't new either. The only things that were new were the silverware, or at least they're one of the few things that still have their shine. Antique vases on most room corners, that would get you in a lot of trouble if broken.

Every night you'd hear the rats chasing each other on the ceiling, but everyone doesn't seem to mind. A fireplace for the chilly winter, in front of a large rug, worn out by the everyday steps through time. The furniture stood out the most in terms of "atique-ness" , as the kids would call it. Most of the furniture with parts of wood or made out of wood were already not sturdy enough to hold heavy objects. So the headmistress would send the unused dishes, spoons, and all the other stuff to the dark, spooky basement, not all kids have the guts to go there, yet Kylo doesn't seem fazed by it.

The exterior doesn't differ that much from the interior. Long, uncut grasses sway gently in the breeze. Various plants and shrubs were also scattered on the lawn and backyard. Two trees stand tall in the backyard, where the children would usually chase each other and play. The birds chirping was mostly what you would hear aside from the giggles and the passing cars.

The backyard had a rusty, old swing set. The kids love it when they play here, in contrary to that, the head mistress didn't like it when they play there, because they always return with bruises and scratches from too much playing.

The head mistress was getting old, just like everything else. She'd always complain that her back is aching, and every part of her body, too. Nevertheless, she loved Kylo and Kygo, in fact, the other kids would say that they were her favorites. She would sometimes jokingly say that they were her sons in her past life, and she'd always give them the best in most aspects. She made them feel the love they long for. In exchange for that, the two boys would always say "She'd always have a special place in our heart"

The children in the orphanage grow less and less as the years pass, some of them get old enough to go out on their own or get adopted. So it was old news that the orphanage would close soon.

Overall the orphanage looked sad and neglected. A ton of rich people and investors have taken interest in shutting it down or buying the whole property, but none of them were that successful in their goals, yet.