Loving the Surrogate

Happy birthday (2)

The night was chilly. Jose suddenly had the urge to go back inside to get another jacket. The one he is wearing is way too thin for this kind of weather. But going back in meant that Hanna might hear him and that was something he did not want to happen. Not tonight. He continued on walking the streets and, further away, Jo could figure a group of young people clustered in the alley he was taking on his way to Georgie's. Jo could now hear them talking and laughing now, he kept his hoodie and his gaze low. One of the boys recognized him from school.

"Oi, Summers! I didn't see your lovely sister with you." The boy yelled. He kept on walking and kept his gaze still low.

"You are deaf now, huh?" Another one said. Jo sensed trouble if he ever slowed down. He did not want any trouble. Hanna would flip if he came home with a black eye.

"Your sister, let me see, I liked that b***h. She should date me and I can show her some loving." They broke into a laugh. Clearly, these guys are under the influence of alcohol or something else. He jogged and walked. Georgie is waiting.

"Her name is Sarah or Hannaor Vanna, right? Might as well pay her a visit and give her some fun. Bet she is a virgin, boys." That was the last straw for Jo. He can take any form of bullying, but not his sister. Nobody is allowed to disrespect her except me, Jo thought. With that thought in mind, he turned and clenched his fists. Fighting them would prove to be futile because there were three, but he did not care. He swung his fists and everything went by so fast and then he blacked out after giving and receiving blows.

Hanna was putting dishes back into the cupboards when the glass she was holding fell and broke. The sound of glass shattering sent shrills down her spine. You know what they say about twins? They feel it when something bad happens to the other twin. Out of instinct, she went to check on Jose. He could probably be snoring like a bear now, but it won't hurt to double check. And they say that shattered glass is a bad omen.

"Jo, do you need anything?" No answer. She tried again. Knock, knock. Knock.

"You alright there? I know I'm being extra but you know me.. Had to check anyway." There was nothing. No shuffles or groaning or even a complaint, Jo would yell at her and demand to be left alone in his bedroom. Her anxiety grew.

"That's it Jo, I'm going in." They had a house rule since they were little that Jo would not lock his doors in case his asthma kicked in and giving his meds would be difficult. She went in and realized that the bed was empty and the only window was left open. The air was chilly. Not good for Jose. But why did he leave it open? She checked the bathroom they share. Nothing.

"Where are you, Jo? What are you up to?''

Hanna felt a mix of emotions. Disappointment first, that she had been lied to and fear of what might happen to her brother out there. She cannot just wait for him to go home,can she? What if something happens to him in the middle of somewhere and nobody finds him? She remembered her best friend Dylan. She is the police chief's daughter, she can ask for help to look for Jo.

Sounds like a plan. Dylan answered her phone call in a flash and she heard her cheeky voice.

"Sup, Han? Missed your pretty best friend,huh?''

"Dy, Jo is missing."

"Whoa, chill out. He's just probably getting drunk or getting booze for tomorrow. You know you are of legal age tomorrow, right? He's eighteen, almost. "

"I just hope that's the case, but it's freezing cold outside and you know that's not good for him. What if..."

"Okay, I'll ask dad to put your mind at ease ,or better yet, let's go to the station and if that brother of yours is just out having some fun, you owe me Chinese take out and drinks too."

Hanna smiled. "Thanks Dy, and yes, we'll get Chinese after. Promise." Dylan was always a life saver.

"Get dressed, be there in five minutes." Dylan ended the call and she got dressed. She also took with her Jo's jackets.

A few minutes more and Dylan drove and pulled over into their driveway when her phone rang.

"Yes, this Hanna Summers.. No.. what? I'll be there. Thank you." She looked at Dylan with a fear-stricken ,pale white face. " Your dad just called. Jose is at the station."

It only took less than five minutes to get to the police station, but for Hanna, it felt like an eternity, almost like travelling a thousand light years into a different multiverse. She was anxious and fidgety on the car seat. Dylan finally broke the uncomfortable silence as they looked for a parking space. She parked hers next to her Dad's personal car.

"Han, I know it's stupid of me to ask if you are fine, clearly you are not." Dylan gave her a hug and continued to comfort her. "Dad will not be biased about this, but I will see what I can do ,okay?'' Hanna knew chief Billy Yates since she was little. He was a regular police officer then, but everybody knew that he was a just and righteous man, which earned him the chief position a few years after and kept the peace and order of their town.

The officer on duty was a young man who seemed too young to be in the force.

"Good evening, I am here for Jose Summers. He came in just a couple of minutes, I was told ,sir."

"Hanna, your brother is still in the station clinic." It was Chief Yates. Hanna and Dylan turned towards the man.

"Dad, whatever happened, I am sure it's none of Jose's fault." The man just smiled at his daughter, who looked exactly like his female version.exact spitting image.

"Honey, I know they are your friends, but please stay out of this. Jose was involved in a beating incident down Tierra street."

"But what on earth was he doing there?" Hanna had no idea. That was three blocks away from their house and she knew for a fact that none of his brother's friends lived in that neighborhood.

"You will have to ask him that personally. He will be done shortly. The boy got bruises and concussions but, there is nothing to worry about regarding his condition now. You have more serious things to worry about now. One of the boys named Dudley Morris was badly hurt. Parents came in to file attempted homicide against your brother." He said it matter-of-factly, maybe because he is used to these kind of scenarios where you go head to head with a detainees' family and lay to them the legal consequences your relative has gotten into. Dylan excused herself because her father instructed her to wait in his office, he asked his daughter sternly. The chief was not happy. She was not supposed to be out past ten but was obviously out because her best friend and his brother were in distress and would be grounded for the next weeks to come. Hanna felt bad about this but decided that it was nothing compared to what she'd have to deal with. She will apologize to Dylan and Chief Yates later.

"Sir, I'd like to speak to my brother."

She was led to a holding cell that was almost as big as Jo's bedroom except for the fact that it only had a bench drilled into the wall. Jose was sitting there, gasping for breath. Good thing she came in prepared. Hanna handed her his inhalant and the hoodie she brought for him. All this dust and anxiety triggered his asthma. She waited until the medicine did its job of ailing his weak lungs for air. Jo didn't even bother to look at her. It's how she knows he is guilty of something, but she's gotta ask Jo his side of the story. To give him the chance to explain himself. Because that is the way they were raised by their deceased parents. Democratically. There are some things that we cannot tell strangers, let alone a police officer, but we can openly discuss with the people we trust and love.

"I messed up, huh?" Jo said.

"Jo, you have to talk to me." He was still silent and in the dim of the light, it was impossible to see Jo's expression. She continued " I thought you were sleeping, but here we are."

Hanna wanted to scream at him and tell him that he was being a total jerk and look at what he did and on the eve of their birthday! It was supposed to be a peaceful night for them had he been really 'asleep'. But lashing out at him would do nothing. It wouldn't change the fact that he was behind bars now. She knew Jo for all their lives and that wouldn't do a thing. So she chose to be rational.

"I'll be outside with Dylan.I understand if you are not ready to talk about what happened. She drove me here. If you wanna talk, you can ask the duty officer to ask for me." As she turned to leave she heard Jo speak. Finally. Her strategy always works.

"I went to Georgie Woods' place, that's why I am out."

" Hang on, Georgie Woods. The weed guy?" Hanna returned to the cell.

"Yes.'' Jo said.

Hanna was confused. "What on earth are you gonna do there?" This guy had the word 'trouble' written all over his face. Why would Jose want to do anything with him? Why would Jo want to meet this guy in the dead of the night and sneak out? She had too many questions in mind, so she didn't know what to ask first. Her brain refuses to think that her sweet brother is acquainted with this Georgie guy. Hanna did not have to ask Jo again.

"You wanna know why I lied about going to bed and sneaking out, right? You want answers." Jo finally broke his silence.

"Yes."

"I was supposed to deliver some goods for Georgie." By goods Hanna knew it was weed. Her brother deals weed! Oh my God.

"What? I think I heard you wrong." Denial kicks in now.

"It was a one-time offer, Han. I needed the money, it pays well."

"Who are you? You don't need the money, you want it. That's different, Jo. I feel like I don't know you anymore. Your moral compass is intact and we were raised well by our parents. How can you do this?"

Jo stood up, his back towards Hanna. None of this makes sense to her. None at all.

"Because I wanted to make something for you. I want you to be happy for once in your life! If I had the money, maybe you could stop babysitting me. You will see that I can manage on my own. I am tired of being dependent on you, a freeloader. Believe me, my intentions were pure but the deed wasn't. It's the only way to earn cash fast. I would understand if you let me rot here , but that guy insulted you, so I fought back. No one disrespects you like that. I won't let them." She walked away trying to hold back tears. Her emotions were up to the brim. She went to Chief Yates' office instead.

The chief was preoccupied with piling paperwork on his desk and Dylan was watching something on her phone when she came in. Both stopped what they were doing . Dylan stood and hugged her when she saw her face and knew she was crying.

"Need anything? Coffee or juice?" When she let her go.

"I am fine, Dy. Um, I need to speak with your dad." Hanna took the empty seat in front of the chief's desk.

"What are we looking at here, sir? What are the charges Jose is facing?" Chief Yates put his pen down and removed his eye glasses.

"He is charged with attempted murder and the family demands he shoulder the expenses in the hospital and the medication to follow."

Hanna butted in. "Jo said they started it and besides, it was one to three. The picture here clearly shows that it is what it is, sir."

"Hanna, that doesn't matter. He is in critical condition and the two others testified that Jo attacked them first."

This cannot be happening right now. She tried pinching her arms so as to bring her back to reality, but that did not do the trick. She is still here in the chief's office.

"Is it bailable?" You know the term 'frozen still, hard as rock'? That s*t happened when Chief Billy Yates dropped the bomb like how Hiroshima went down.

He said "Yes, five thousand dollars."

Hanna found herself sitting limply on a sidewalk bench not too far from the station. Trying to process her thoughts, her logic and rationale and also where to get that money. Her savings won't barely scratch the tip of the bail money and even if she waits her whole life, she wont be able to raise that amount. This is the problem with being poor. No matter what, if she needed to move mountains or sell an organ for Jose, she would do it. She can't let him stay there for a long time. Staying there meant it was hazardous for his health and she couldn't survive the idea of leaving him miserable for something he did out of love for her sister. The mere thought of it hurts her heart.

What a way to celebrate their birthday. She gathered her purse and crossed the street, when she heard tires screeching, a lady shouting something , her body hitting something hard and cold and a blurry vision of two people. Then it went black. She dreamt of cakes and birthday gifts and Jose smiling and they were both singing "happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you!"