CHAPTER VIII

“Okay, I know he would ruin the moment, but…”

“Jerome! Listen to me, this is no time for jokes…”

“I’m I missing something? You look like you want to flee a murder scene.”

“It’s complicated…and this may just end up being a murder scene if Gareth finds out that…”

“Finds out what Cassie? What the fuck is going on?” His voice was significantly raised.

“Your brother is in love with me Jerome…and I don’t think he will appreciate the idea of me being in love with you!”

“And you choose now when we are naked and he is on his way to tell me this? So like you Cassie, perfect timing!”

Cassie has had feelings for Jerome for as long as she can remember. In her late teen years, she falsely told herself that it was just sibling admiration glazed with adolescent hormones. She thought those feelings would just fade away eventually. But, eventually came and her feelings for her brother became even stronger with each day they spent together. Of course, she could not do anything about it. They were siblings. Jerome just played it off.  He had once or twice thought about that attraction, but he was old enough to understand the consequences. Sometimes he played it off a little too much and actually became a little bit cold towards Cassie. Cassie lost and confused sort for solace in the only other sibling she knew. She could tell Gareth stories about this boy who she liked and he liked her back but there was so much damage that would follow their relationship. She did not understand why the boy acted the way he did sometimes and asked Gareth for the male perspective. Gareth would listen and give her advice. He would also seek advice on women from Cassie. He asked for advice on a certain girl. How he had wished she could just take a second look at him in his eyes and she would know. He also asked her if Cassie thought that his erratic and impulsive behavior affected the way he related with girls and if this could be the reason why the mystery girl did not give him a second look.

Over the years Cassie felt emotionally connected to both her brothers. It was so like her to wallow in self-doubt until it exploded on her face or on other people’s faces. Once had run away from school after a few senior girls bullied her because she was of a different race. She had just bottled it in for a whole semester and when the girls had threatened her, she fled. She missed her end tern exams. John and Nancy were furious with her. But they did not want to be too hard on her. Then there was a malaria incident where she did not tell anyone she was sick until she fainted in the back yard and Gareth had to carry her to the hospital. She had been through a lot though, probably more than any other person her age. She had been in and out of therapy sessions for four years just to help her deal with the trauma. She had weird spells that almost always led to a family crisis. This had become the Kaiza’s way of life though. They had accepted it. They had accepted her. They loved her and John and Nancy always emphasized to the boys how it was their duty to protect their sister at all costs.

It’s really undeniable that they would protect her with their lives. One is falling and the other has already fallen in love with her.

“Don’t you think it’s time you tell him the truth?”

“Jerome, don’t even go there, you and I both know Gareth!”

“Yes! He’s going to kill us, but he’ll come around!”

“Jerome!” She snaps.

“My brother and I are not going to be enemies because of our sister! He already hates me for everything else! So you are going to tell h…”

“No!” She interjected. “Well, not now.”

“Cassie, I like you but you are not going to put me in this position!”

Jerome for a second thinks of this situation boiling down to a choice that he has to make. Between blood and love. He immediately pushes the thought to the furthest part of his mind.

“We are telling him…tomorrow, we are telling him!”

She is partially shocked.

“Today, however, you decide what you will tell him, I do not want to deal with this shit!”

Cassie remarkably and surprisingly looked in many ways like Nancy. She had long hair that always seemed in perfect condition. She was a very beautiful lady in all respects. Even the bullying in high school was really because of envy. They were a few of her kind. Her mother countlessly pointed this out to her, perhaps to boost her confidence and positive outlook towards life, especially during those rehab days. She had matured into a fine human being - approachable but sometimes misunderstood. She was smart too and always looked up to Jerome in academics.

“I promise we will tell him tomorrow!”