Chapter 52: The Sister

Adani's POV

It was confirmed.

Adonna was my twin sister and she wasn't happy after learning mom had given her up for adoption.

"Don't try to tell me how I should be feeling right now, Adani. She kept you and got rid of me," Adonna said. We were alone at the outdoor pool.

"Believe me, I was angry too, Adonna. But then I understood the circumstances.." I tried to explain but she didn't let me complete my sentence.

"WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES! The circumstances that she had sex and wasn't prepared for the responsibilities?" she angrily shouted.

"That's not fair, you can't put that all on her when our father willingly contributed his sperm."

"Easy for you to say it's unfair, she kept you. You have no idea what it was like growing up with those people. They always kept me arms length and now I understand why. It's because they weren't my parents and I wasn't their child."

"Adonna, I'm sorry."

"No. You don't get to say you're sorry on her behalf and thinks this would just blow over and we'll join hands and sing kumbaya around a freaking fire."

"We can't change what happened. This isn't something you should hold against my.. our mother," I said and mentally slapped myself.

"Stand on the 'my mother', Adani, because she's definitely not mine," she finished and turned away from me. I watched in silence as she walk through the doors.

A few minutes later, Ricardo came to find me.

"How is she taking it?" he asked.

"Not smoothly. She's upset."

"That's understandable."

"We can't change the past though."

"No we can't, but we also can't expect her to jump for joy after finding out she was given up for adoption. She'll feel like she was rejected from the family especially after Miss. Prime kept you."

"It's overwhelming. Someone I considered a best friend is actually my sister."

"Hey, it's going to be okay. Give it time, let her process things. Let your mom explain her actions to her. I'm sure Adonna would understand."

"Okay."

He placed an arm around my neck and guided me inside where a conversation was in the hearing and heating between Adonna, mom and Mrs. Parriston.

"You had no business informing Adani about anything," mom said to Mrs. Parriston.

"I was just trying to help," Mrs. Parriston answered.

"Since when?" mom asked.

"Since we've decided to turn over a new leaf."

"All the leaves on your tree are poisonous. You have no good intentions for my children. You don't even want to see your son get marry to my daughter. You did this to stir up drama!"

"That's enough," Adonna cut in. She shook her head at the two women before walking to the door but I stopped her before she could have leave.

"We need to fix this," I said, hoping she wouldn't refuse, "Just you and mom. You can talk in the guest bedroom I once occupied."

"Adani, I don't want to hear what she has to say. There's nothing she or you can say to make me feel better about this whole situation. I'm leaving."

She walked out the door and I sigh deeply with defeat.

~
"It's not her job to mend anything, it's mine," mom said to me as she approached.

"How, how are you going to mend anything when she doesn't want to talk to you about it?" I questioned with frustration.

"Let's give her some time and space."

"Fine."

_____________

The next morning, I thought that was enough time and space. I wanted to see my sister.

Smoke accompanied me to her apartment. I knocked and waited until she came to the door.

"Adani, what are you doing here?"

"I came to see you. We need to talk. I don't want us to fight or had bad blood between us," I spoke my piece.

"That's a lot of what Adani wants," she started.

"Can we speak like two adults?"

"How about we speak like children, or better yet, babies? Since that was the stage your mother decided to get rid of me."

"She didn't get rid of you. She chose to give you a better life because she knows she wouldn't be able provide for you."

"But she could have for you, right?"

"Because I was sick. Had it been you the one with the illness I had, I would have been adopted."

"Are you serious right now?"

"Get dress, we're going to pay someone a little visit."

"Is it her?"

"Get dress."

~
Within fifteen minutes, we were in my brand new Rolls-Royce Phantom my fiancé gifted me with after accepting his proposal.

Smoke drove us to one of Tim's offices he operated whenever he was in L.A.

"Why are we here?" Adonna asked as the car pulled into a parking space. We exited, looked around and made our way to the entrance of the building.

"Our beef starts with our father. I heard mom's side, although you refused to listen, so let's get Tim's side of things. I have a feeling he'll open up and be honest without interference from his wife."

I pushed the door in and walked up to a front desk receptionist who was just getting off the phone.

"Good morning," she greeted, "How may I be of assistance?"

"We're here to see Mr. Timothy," I said while having no clue of his surname.

"Are you referring to Mr. Crane?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

" Look lady, we're his bastard children and we have zero knowledge of his surname. He's the coward husband of Corrine Parriston so if that's the same Mr. Crane, then please inform him that we're here and we wish to see him immediately," Adonna snapped.

I eyed her alarmingly.

"I'll let him know you're here," the receptionist responded. She quickly picked up her phone and spoke into the receiver after a few seconds, "Right this way, ladies."

~
The receptionist showed us to Tim's office. He stood up as we arrived. Adonna closed the door behind us.

"Good morning," he greeted, "Please have a seat."

"Thank you."

"I must say I wasn't expecting to see the two of you in my office so soon. Alexis informed me of the news only last night and..."

"Why did you walk out on our mother?" I cut right to the chase.

"Oh.. I.. um.."

"And we want your honesty. We at least deserve that," Adonna added in.

"Of course you do," Tim replied. He sat down in his chair looking very uncomfortable and apprehensive.

"Well, to be honest, I was a piece of shit who didn't deserve a good woman like your mother. Many years ago, I was living a life my father wanted. He always said that a white woman was a better catch than a black woman. White women were more submissive, more kind, more desirable, the standard, everything black women weren't. More pressure were added when my elder and even younger brothers upped and married white women," Tim started.

"And that led you right to Corrine," Adonna said with annoyance.

"Yes. At a work function charity, Corrine and her husband attended. They donated to the cause but her husband left the event early. Our paths crossed that evening and we started having an affair. When I learned she was married to one of the most powerful men in the country, I tried to end things but she wasn't ready. Eventually, I disappeared, and returned back home. That was when I met your mom. She was new in the community and she was beautiful.
The first day I laid my eyes on her, she was wearing her hair in an afro. Her mini-skirt showed off her smooth skin, the evening sun was kissing her skin. I was amazed and I got to know her and we started a relationship."

"So what happened?" I asked next.

"Corrine came in search of me and when she learned about Alexis, she wasn't happy. She said she was going to divorce her husband to be with me. That was how much she loved me and wanted to be with me. She even went on to saying that she was force into marrying by her parents. I sympathized with her."

"Then what happened?"

"Your mom and I moved into an apartment together. We were happy. Happiest I've ever been. Then one day she broke the news to me that she was pregnant. I panicked. We were young. The job paid very little, the rent took the majority of our income. Then Corrine showed up one day again, in a brand new car and a case of money. She handed me the keys and she told me 'All this and me can be yours if you choose to leave with me right now and never look back'. I did exactly that. Of course, Corrine didn't leave her husband immediately. She went on to having his children."

"So you left mom in an apartment by herself, with the expenses and your unborn babies, and you went on to have a merry life with a woman who doesn't even want your last name?"

"I'm not proud of what I did."

"Because it's nothing to be proud about. You're a coward! Looking for the easy way out instead of standing up to your responsibilities as a man!" Adonna voice.

"Ladies, I'm sorry. Not a day went by and I didn't think of you and your mom. It ate me up like a cancer."

"As it should! Adani, let's go."

"No, please stay. I want to get to know you two better. What makes you happy, what makes you sad, what is your favorite color?" he questioned.

"Are you fucking kidding me right now, do you think we're in middle school?" Adonna asked him.

"You would have known all these things had you been a father!" I told him next.

"Are you aware you have another sister?" Tim asked.

Adonna and I froze in place.