“TELL ME SOMETHING about Noah’s sister.”
Keith raised his head, one eyebrow lifting at the question. He was in the lounge on the second floor of the building, reading a book.
“Someone told me that the woman came here last night and met with you,” said his adoptive father as he sat down on the couch across from him. Keith secretly cursed Poncio. He was sure it was him who told his father about Madelyn coming back to the club.
Keith sighed and rested his arms on his thighs. He also set aside the book he had been reading. “Her name is Madelyn,” he said.
His adoptive father smirked. “Is she the one, Keith?”
He stared at him, confused, then burst out laughing. “Pa, what are you talking about? I barely even know that woman. I’ve only met her twice, and I can already tell she doesn’t like me that much. Hell, the woman herself is annoyingly persistent and stubborn.” And insanely cute, he secretly added in his mind. In the two times they met, he couldn’t count how many times she had frowned at him. And the times he called her by the wrong name? Her reactions were the cutest.
“And speaking of Espenilla’s sister, Poncio mentioned that you were the one who let Madelyn into the club and gave her permission to talk to me. Is that true? Are you trying to set me up again, this time with our member’s sister?” Keith asked in a casual tone.
His father shrugged. “Can’t blame the old man for trying.” Then his expression suddenly turned serious. “Keith, I’m only thinking about what’s best for you. For seven years, you’ve spent your time here in the club. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very proud of you, Keith. You’re number one, you’re unbeatable, and every fighter looks up to you. All your hard work paid off. But I also want you to have a life. Hasn’t it ever crossed your mind to get married? To have a family?”
“Pa, I know you mean well, and I really appreciate it… but settling down and starting a family hasn’t crossed my mind. At least, not yet.”
He sighed at what Keith said and nodded slowly. “I understand, son. I’m just worried you might miss out on the good things in life.” Keith smiled at his words. “But if you ever decide to date someone, please choose Madelyn, okay?”
“Oh, God,” he muttered, making his adoptive father laugh. He adjusted his posture and leaned back. “What is it about Madelyn Espenilla that makes you like her so much for me?”
“I like her, and I think she’ll be good for you,” he said. “I’ll talk to Noah and have him set you two up.”
“Oh, please don’t.” He grimaced and shook his head. “When she first came to the club, she looked like she wanted to beat me up on behalf of her brother. She blamed me for why her brother ended up in the hospital, and she demanded that I pay his hospital bills. Can you imagine that?”
“Now this is interesting.” He smirked. “So, did you pay?”
“What choice do I have? The little she-devil won’t shut up.”
His adoptive father burst out laughing. He also told him about their agreement and what happened last night. The old man seemed thoroughly entertained, laughing nonstop while he spoke. And no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stop himself from smiling too. He wasn’t sure if it was because of his adoptive father’s contagious laughter or because of Madelyn. Probably the latter. God, she was turning him into a confused freak. Without realizing it, he reached for the back of his neck as his smile slowly faded.
“I like her even more for you now,” the old man commented.
He didn’t respond and simply sat there awkwardly. He wanted to change the subject. Talking about her made his skin tingle uncomfortably. Shit. This is not good.
“Excuse me, Keith.” He turned when Damien called his name. “Georgina is downstairs, waiting for you,” he said.
His smile immediately returned. He stood up excitedly from his seat and excused himself from his adoptive father before heading downstairs. Sure enough, Georgina was there. She smiled when she saw him. She was his sister on his mother’s side. She was two years older than him, and even though she was older, the two of them were very close.
“How have you been? I’m glad you decided to visit,” he said after pulling her into a hug.
“I’m fine, Keith. How about you? I bet you’re a millionaire now because of the huge prize money you get from your fights,” she said with a smile.
He laughed. Georgina knew about him being an underground fighter. They had promised each other never to keep secrets. She hadn’t kept anything from him either. When she found out she had chronic leukemia, she didn’t hesitate to tell him. She was diagnosed two years ago, but lately, Georgina had stopped responding to treatments. She said she had already accepted her illness. She didn’t want to spend any more money because, according to her, she didn’t have much time left anyway. It hurt him to accept that, but he had to. Georgina wanted to live life as normally as she could. And he would respect her decision.
They went inside and continued talking in the lounging area. When he asked what she wanted to drink, she said wine. He gave her what she wanted and didn’t argue anymore.
“When are you going to show up at home, Keith?” she asked after a while.
He blinked at her question.
She sighed. “I want you to visit, Keith. Especially Mom, she’s hoping you’d come back.”
“You know that I can’t, G,” he said softly.
“‘Can’t?’ Or won’t?”
He didn’t answer her question. Instead, he brought the beer to his lips and took a drink.
“I know you’re angry at Mom for what she did, but no matter what you do, she’s still the one who gave birth to you. Her blood runs in your veins.” She waited for him to speak, but he remained silent. She cleared her throat. “By the way, I told Mom that we’ve been seeing each other and that you’re doing okay.”
That did it. He immediately stood up from his seat. “You told her?! Damn it, G. You promised you wouldn’t say anything!” She flinched in surprise at his raised voice. He secretly cursed under his breath. “I’m sorry,” he said, sitting down again.
His sister sighed and placed her wine glass on the coffee table. “I’m sorry too, Keith for not keeping my promise. I just couldn’t stop myself. Mom’s depressed again, and she’s always looking for you. My illness has made her depression worse, and I hate seeing her suffer. It hurts me to see her in rehabilitation again. I thought maybe she’d feel better if she knew you were okay and that we still see each other and it worked. I don’t hear her crying anymore. In fact, she’s always asking about you now.”
“What else did you tell her?”
“Everything except for the underground thing. I only told her that we still keep in touch and that you’re doing fine. I assured her of that.”
“Did you tell her how you found me?”
She nodded. “Yup, but I twisted it a little. I said I saw you crossing the street and called out to you.”
Five years ago, Georgina followed him to the club. He had confidently gone to the drugstore to buy aspirin, ointment, and bandages for the cuts and bruises on his face. He had no idea his sister saw him crossing the street and followed him home. He was surprised when Poncio knocked on his room and said a woman named Georgina was looking for him. Since then, she had been coming to the club. All the bouncers knew her, including his adoptive father. At first, he wasn’t comfortable with his sister visiting the place, especially when she once saw him fight. He could never forget the fear he saw in her eyes. From then on, he didn’t allow her to visit without texting him first. He never wanted a repeat of that incident when she almost fainted.
“I also told her that you were a scholar and that you graduated from college,” she added.
That wasn’t true either. He did finish college, but he wasn’t a scholar. His adoptive father was the one who paid for his education. When he was finally allowed to step into the fighting ring, he started paying for his own expenses, though his adoptive father still helped with some of his school costs. He was in his third year of college when his foster father finally gave him permission to fight, largely because of his constant persistence. He had trained for two years, but not once was he allowed to fight until then.
“The truth is, she wants to come see you,” his sister said, pulling him back to the present. “She asked me to take her to you, but I refused. I told Mom I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea or if you’d appreciate it.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I won’t appreciate it, G.”
“That’s why I’m asking you now to visit Mom.”
“I’ll visit when I’m ready.” He said.
“When will you be ready?” She asked.
He shrugged at her question. Georgina sighed again. She looked fragile and weary. When she looked at him, he saw tears in her eyes.
“I know it’s Mom’s fault why our family fell apart. I don’t want her to suffer any more than she already has. For seven years, she endured Dad’s indifference.” She wiped the tear that fell from her eye. “I want to stay by her side, but I know it’s impossible. My days are numbered—”
“Don’t say that, G.”
“That’s the truth,” she insisted. “That’s why I want you to be there for her. If Dad won’t do it, I want you to be there for her.”
He remained staring at his sister, his jaw clenched. He wasn’t comfortable with the thought that Georgina’s days were numbered. And he became even more uncomfortable when the image of their mother, alone in the house, suddenly entered his mind. For years, he had known about their father’s callous indifference toward their mom. Georgina had told him. Their father had become distant and cold. He ignored their mother as if she were nothing more than a statue, even though he knew she was suffering from severe depression. Georgina was right—their mother would suffer even more if she were left alone in that house.
He blinked when he felt Georgina’s hand on his shoulder. He hadn’t noticed her stand up. He looked up at her as she gently squeezed his shoulder.
“I’m leaving now, Keith. I hope you think about what I said,” she said softly.
He nodded. Georgina smiled, and before she left, she kissed the top of his head. He ran his hands over his face. He was confused. A much heavier weight settled on his chest, as if an elephant were sitting on it. No matter how hard he tried to breathe, it wouldn’t go away. Everything Georgina said made sense, but he still wasn’t ready to face the person he blamed for everything.
And yet, somehow, he felt a sudden, tender pity for his mom.