“Mom,” I called out in a shaky voice as I entered the place I called home. Tears stung my eyes and my lungs constricted. It had been two months since I came here. Gripping the edge of the table, I gasped. “Mom, are you home?”
My gaze darted around the hall restlessly; finally landing at the doorway between the hall and the kitchen. Emma was standing there; a sheer poster of elegance and warmth.
Tears brimmed in her eyes as she stepped into the hall and called out in an uncertain voice, “Miraya?”
My mind veered to the last time we had met. I had said so many harsh words to her; even taunting her for her inability to bear children.
Tears rolled down my cheeks as the words pricked my insides. I had heard that a mother’s love is boundless. Today, I could see it in Emma’s eyes; the sea of endless love and compassion.
Despite the way I had behaved earlier, she didn’t curse or complain. She didn’t even look at me with disdain. All I could see was concern and love in her weak smile.
“Miraya,” she repeated in a pained voice. “I thought I would never see you again. You were so angry when you left last time.”
Her words acted like a trigger and I started sobbing loudly. She pulled me into a and held me; pouring all her warmth into that embrace, “Miraya, hun. Please don’t cry…. I am here for you.” She kept patting my back gently as she continued to console me. “I know that this is hard for you and you don’t want to talk about it. But, if you ever feel like talking about it, I am here. Your father is here. You don’t have to brave the difficulties alone.”
My breath hitched, and my heart clenched. The temptation to pour out my heart to her started nudging me to talk. It was such an irresistible desire that it took every ounce of my willpower to restrain myself and push her away.
She patted my cheeks and walked over to the cabinet, pulling out a piece of paper. Her voice got choked with emotions as she spoke. “We noticed that your condition has worsened after Stella left. So, your father had someone investigate her whereabouts.”
She handed me the piece of paper. “Your father can accompany you to this address if you want.”
I shook my head as I thrust the piece of paper into my pockets. “I… I have to do this alone….”
Her lips pressed into a thin line, but she nodded, anyway. “Will you stay for dinner? Your father wanted to talk to you….”
“I… I have a lot of work, mom. I need to go,” I muttered and decided to leave quickly before my resolve broke.
My steps faltered near the exit and I called out, “I will join you and Dad for dinner.”
Cassius’s suspension had given me a new idea to keep my parents safe. I went to the Restaurant Ibis; a small run-down eatery located on the outskirts of the town. It was infamous for two things; strong liquor and illegal drugs.
I purchased a large dose of Ecstacy and placed some sachets in my father’s drawer when I went for dinner.
At this point, I didn’t even know what I was doing. My foster parents had treated me with so much love and compassion and here I was; trapping them with my sinister plot. Was I saving their lives or destroying them?
I got my answer to that when the special officer I had tipped off turned up at our doorstep.
We had just finished eating the dessert and my father angled his body towards me, the way he did when he wanted to talk to be about something serious.
My heart skipped a beat. I so didn’t want to have this conversation. I didn’t want to weave another maze of lies.
Daniel cleared his throat, his lips pressing into a thin line, “Miraya, what is it that has exactly been bothering you? Why don’t you want to live with us here?” He shifted anxiously and let out a defeated sigh. “We can talk about it, you know.”
The color drained from my face and my eyebrows drew together. What was I supposed to tell him?
Knock! Knock! A sharp rap on the door saved me from having to reply to his question.
Daniel’s gaze lingered on me for a moment. Another sigh left his lips, and he went to open the door. A man dressed in uniform flashed him his id and stated in a dead voice, “Mr. Robinson, I am Mark, from the Special investigation department. I have the warrant to search your house.”
“Pardon?” A deep frown settled on my father’s forehead. “Why would you want to search my house? I have never done anything that is against the law.”
The look on his face was enough to make me realize that I had committed a huge mistake. Honor was more important to Daniel than his life. He wouldn’t be able to bear it if they arrested him for the possession of drugs.
My gaze landed on the calendar, and a crazy idea formed in my mind. There were only two days left for the next new moon. If I was in custody, Andres couldn’t reach me. I would have an opportunity to start over again.
I rose from the chair and walked over to them. “Officer, I have a confession to make.”
“You are?”
“I am Miraya. Mr. Robinson here thinks that I am his daughter because he legally adopted me.” I snorted and shrugged. “What do you think, officer? I am already twenty-two. It is only right that I live freely.”
“She can’t possibly know that she is twenty-two.” Daniel threw a warning glare at me. “She lost her memories in an accident and….”
The officer raised his hands and snapped, “I am not here to settle the squabbles you have. I am here to investigate the illegal possession of Ecstacy.”
“Ecstacy? What is that?” I asked, giving him my best innocent look.
“It is a grade three drugs that causes severe addiction. Possession of the drug is punishable with imprisonment of seven years.”
Seven years, that was good. By the time I was out, Andres would have forgotten all about me. I just had to make sure that I was the one being getting caught now.
“What does this drug look like, officer?” I asked, giving him a curious look.
“It is a white crystalline powder. Sometimes it can be even in the form of pills.”
“I think I have seen this somewhere.” I pinched the bridge of my nose as if thinking deeply.
“What are you saying, Miraya?” Emma said in a concerned voice, wrapping her arms around my shoulder. “Don’t mind my daughter, officer. She has been unwell lately.”
The officer frowned. “Unwell?”
“She has been facing some issues….” Daniel said, shifting a bit uncomfortably.
“You are a doctor, Mr. Robinson. I am sure you can give a more definitive answer.”
Daniel massaged the back of his neck; his gaze drifting towards mine. “She is going through a phase after breaking up with her boyfriend. She is probably depressed too.”
My breath hitched as I caught his expression. It must have been so difficult for him to say that out aloud.
Dad, why did you save me? Wouldn’t it have been better to let me die that day? Then, things wouldn’t be so complicated.
A long, deep sigh left my lips. It was what it was. I could do nothing about the past. But, I could try to save my future; our future.
I extracted myself from Emma’s grip and walked over to the cabinet I had kept the drugs. Pulling out a packet, I showed it to the Officer, “Were you talking about this?”
His eyes widened, and he grabbed the packet from my hand. Ripping the tip of the packet, he sniffed the powder. His expression hardened, and he glared at Daniel. “What do you have to say now, Mr. Robinson?”
“My answer remains the same, officer. I have never done anything illegal in my life.”
“Dad! I can’t believe that you are still feigning innocence!” I walked over to Daniel and held his hand. “He has already found the evidence; shouldn’t you confess now?”
Daniel’s eyebrows furrowed momentarily before his eyes widened. He patted my hand in consolation and sighed, “My daughter is right. It seems like I have been caught red-handed.”
My lips curved in a sad smile. Even after everything I had done, Daniel was willing to take the blame for me. It was difficult to say whether I was cursed or blessed.
As expected, the officer found the sudden change in his behavior suspicious. It didn’t take him long to put two and two together. His scrutinizing gaze bore into mine as he spoke. “You are the one who kept the drugs in the cabinet, right?”
I staggered and pretended to stutter, “W… why would I do that?”
“Then how did you find it so easily?”
“I… I… I saw my father put it there.”
“Miraya is telling the truth, officer. I was the one who put the packets in the drawer.”
The officer ignored Daniel’s words completely and took a step towards me, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, “You were the one who visited Ibis; isn’t it?”
“No… I don’t even know what that is… I… I was planning to have dinner with my parents. Why would I visit a restaurant?”
“Enough!” His booming voice resounded in the hall. “Enough of your lies, Miraya Robinson. If you don’t confess now, I will make sure you regret it!”
I pretended to break down with fear and stuttered, “I… I was feeling like shit after the breakup. So, I went for a drink at the restaurant. There, I saw some people taking this white powder. Out of curiosity, I tried it.” I smiled at him and drew closer, “This is like a magical powder, Officer. It made all my pain vanish.”
“Oh Miraya,” Emma’s shaking voice sounded in my ears. I didn’t respond to her; keeping my gaze fixed on the officer. I answered the rest of his questions calculatively; giving him half-truths.
In the end, the officer was convinced and took me into his custody. He drove me to the local prison and locked me up in a solitary cell for further investigation.
Though I was trapped in a small room, I felt free; free from the dread and apprehension that had been haunting me since the beginning of the second term.