Jill

I stared at June, then at Jackie and I shook my head in pity. "What is up with these two?" I thought. " You both can be so stressful, you both know that, right?" I asked them both.

June eyed Jackie then hissed at her.

We were all sitting in the dining room the following morning. This was after the whole chaos of the previous day.

June never left the house like she threatened. In fact, she stormed back in almost immediately after she had stormed out.

I am sure she meant to leave, but the poor girl has no other place to go. June had slept on the floor in the sitting room the whole night. She stubbornly refused to sleep in the bedroom we all shared. That was her way of telling Jackie that she wanted nothing to do with her.

This bright and new morning, I had gathered Jackie and her cousin or st together so we could all talk and resolve every and any misunderstanding.

"Good morning June," I said, looking towards June.

" Good morning Jill." She replied.

"Good morning Jackie," I said looking towards Jackie.

"Good morning Jill." She replied.

Jackie's eyes were so swollen from tears and I doubt if she actually had a good night's rest. I could sense her turning and tossing all through the night, even while in my sleep. Maybe I myself did not have a good night's sleep.

How could I really after all the turmoils of that very day,

"I want us all to talk," I said and stared at them both. "So I have thought about it all, and I have concluded that all that has happened is actually due to the fact that we do not communicate much!" I looked at Jackie.

"Jackie, you told me something the day before. You were saying how it was hard to love June...." I could see June whimper on hearing that. " Tell us Jackie what you truly mean...."

A single tear rolled down Jackie's face.

"Yes Jill, I truly said I found it difficult to love June, and it was not because of her in particular but because of the events that took place before she was born. Her parents betrayed my mom, and it subsequently led to my mother's death!" June shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"Jackie," I called.

"Yes."

"And do you think that it is fair to June that she has to bear the grunts of her parents' adventures?" I asked.

Jackie shook her head.

"No Jill, I know I am wrong, but I could not help it." She sobbed silently.

" Jackie."

" Yes."

"How long have you been taking care of June?"

" Ever since she was born."

" Have you ever tried to hurt her?"

" No. Never."

"These feelings that you talk about were persistent all through the while you were taking care of her."

"No Jill. Those feelings usually come and go."

"Hmm." I thought, then scribbled down some words, feeling like a registered therapist.

"So that implies they were triggered by some factors, right?"

There was total silence, nobody had ever thought of this before.

"Yes... I could say..." Jackie stammered.

" So tell us Jackie, what were the times you felt that way?"

Jackie had started to reason.

"Well, I can remember that the first time I had ill feelings for June was when my mother died..... My mother had passed from heart failure prior to all this, when June's mother had not gotten into our lives, she was healthy, or I think she was...." Jackie said, slowly realizing what she had just said.

"Jackie, I am sorry for your mother, but I want you to be sure about what you say. If you are a hundred percent sure that June's parents were the cause of your mother's death, then it's fine."

I said and moved on to the next question.

"June," I called.

"Yes, Jill."

"I told you the day before why it was extremely important for a girl your age to be independent. I am talking about finance, and you blew things up to an incredible proportion. It was as if you never wanted to be independent," I queried.

" It's not that Jill." June was solemn.

"I have not had an easy life, so I do not cope easily with anyone or anything. My only survival technique is to eat, sleep, and watch movies." She said.

" I knew that," I said and scribbled down some more notes. I was truly happy we were all having this conversation.

"Do you want that to change June?" I queried.

June nodded her head sheepishly.

"June, is there anything else you would like to say to Jackie?" I asked.

" A lot actually." She replied to me. "I don't care if you love me or not, but how about father? He is the only family we have left, but you have refused to speak to him." She said. June had turned to Jackie almost immediately and started interrogating her even before I gave her a go-ahead.

"Yes, I agree father hurt you, but he also hurt me too. Anytime I call him, anytime I go to check up on him he always asks about you his daughter. It is a shame though, I have always had to beg literally everyone in my life for affection, but at least you had the love of both your parents." June kept firing hard at her sister.

" I am so sorry June," Jackie said fully in tears. " I had let my grief overwhelm me. " She said with tears pouring down her eyes.

" Jill." She called, turning to me. " Thank you very much for this, for all this, my eyes are opened now."

" How do you mean, I asked?"

Jackie turned to June her sister and held her hands.

"June baby I love you, I have always done so." She pulled the back of June's palm to her lips and kissed it with her eyes closed.

"When your mother died June our father brought you home to me and my mum so we could take care of you. You were so adorable June. A tiny little baby so beautiful, sweet, and precious.

We loved you from the very first day and forgave your parents for betraying us, but somewhere along the line my mother got sick, and she passed out. I became so bitter that I had to blame someone for her death. I have to blame you and our father.

June baby, you were not the cause of my mother's death or even so, our father. I am such a shameful and selfish person for putting that blame as big as that on you." Jackie began sobbing again.

" I am so sorry June." She sobbed some more.

A single tear rolled down June's eyes.

"I am sorry too. For being such a brat. A jobless sister and....."

"No June, do not say that. If I ever tell you to work, it is because I want to see you grow into a strong and independent lady, it is not because I see you as a burden, I promise."

" Really?" June asked, crying.

" Yes, baby."

" Can I hug you?" June asked, tears filling her eyes and I myself was so moved by the scene .

"Oh come here, darling." Jackie stood up from her seat, pulling June to herself. They both ended up in a warm embrace.

"Let's see Dad please Jackie...."

"No problem, my dearest sister."

They were still in each other's embrace and I sat there feeling left out.

"Okay, so I guess my work here is done!" I said, finally closing my notes.

" Come here silly." Both June and Jackie pulled me close to themselves, and we all ended in a warm heartfelt embrace.

"I love you June."

"I love you, Jackie," I said, feeling a huge relief in my mind at last.

*****

JACKIE

"I have never been here before," I said to June the very instant we got to the main building.

"Me neither," June replied, and I stared intently at her.

"Ha ha just kidding." She said, laughing.

" Not funny though," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Yeah, it is whatever." June snapped back.

June and I held each other closely and climbed the short stairs landing on the porch together.

My father's house had nothing to write home about. It was an ancient house and at first, I thought nobody lived there.

I stood and looked back at the compound, yellow tree leaves were scattered all over. The leaves had obviously fallen from this huge tree close by right there by the side of the huge magnificent but dirty compound. "Has this man never cleaned up before?" I thought to myself.

" Hey, Jack!" June Jolted me out of my thoughts.

" Are you ready for this?" She asked.

Fear filled my mind.

" I think I am," I muttered. "It is not like one could ever be fully ready, you know." I could feel cold shivers run through the entirety of my body.

June stepped close to me and held my hands again.

"We'll be fine." She said, then with one push, she opened the door.

"Oh wow." I thought. "I looked into the apartment and saw....well there was nothing much to see there. It was just a really, really big empty hall.

The hall was so dusty that I choked. I could see it led to many other rooms, their doors were easily visible from where I stood.

"Father!" June ran to a weak sickly man laying on a mat. The elderly man stood up from where he lay and June gave him a heart-warming hug. She did not mind his sickly state.

"I have missed you so much dad," June said, teary.

"How have you been Dad?" She asked, June was already in tears.

" You left me." Was all he could mutter.

" No Dad, I never really left. Dad, I am so sorry I took too long to come see you." June said crying.

" You look so ill, Dad. How about your medication? Where is Nurse Lily? Did Nurse Lily leave you? How dare she??" June was crying heavily now.

" Do not cry. Please do not cry." The elderly man tapped June's back.

I stood where I was, tears filling my eyes. I walked slowly, taking one step at a time towards my father.

I could hardly recognize him, I was so sure that he could not recognize me too.

"Father," I called, tears pouring down my eyes.

"Father," I called again. I stared at the man who was a shadow of his former self.

"Who is this?" He asked in a shaky voice. "Who is this child?" He asked June, pointing directly at me.

"Jackie dad," June said, still crying.

"My daughter?" He asked.

"Yes Daddy, this is Jackie." June smiled weakly at me, tears filled her eyes. Her whole face was swollen from all her wailings... I have seen June sad before but I have never seen her this sad. I have seen her cry before, but I have never seen her cry like this before. This was the worst I had ever seen her, and it was horrifying, to say the least.

She looked so beaten down, so helpless.

I was now directly in front of my father. He held my hands and pulled me closer to himself.

"Child. Jackie, my child....." He attempted to stand up to his feet, but I stopped him.

"No dad," I called, holding him back down. " You will hurt yourself. "

I gave him a hug and could not stop myself from all those tears.

"I have missed you too much Dad." I cried with so much bitterness.

All these years, I have been a fool." I said, crying more heavily.

"I am so sorry child for everything."

"There is absolutely nothing to be sorry about." I whimpered.

" No child, I am so sorry for everything."

" You have done nothing Dad, and everything that has happened in the past a long time ago......"