BONUS: THE BLACK FAMILY

"Mum, where have you and father been? I was worried" ten-year-old Gideon asked his mother, who he had patiently been waiting for.
" I'm sorry honey," His mother said as she pat her son's head.
"Where is dad?" He asked.
"Ah, he is coming"
Just as she said that his father came into the house, with a little girl. She was hiding behind his father.
"Who is she?" Gideon asked his mother.
"She is your new sister" His father replied.
"I don't have a sister" Gideon harshly said.
" Don't be like that, little one" his mother said to him.
Gideon didn't like the way his parents looked at the strange girl with so much love. It angered him.
His parents were hardly home and the few times they were, they always had something to do.
He didn't like not having his parents around, he didn't like being alone in the house. He was someone who craved the love he never got from his parents.
" Where did you get her from?" He asked.
"We saved her a week ago, from a car accident. She had been receiving care from the hospital and was discharged today" His father told him.
"What about her parents?"
"As for her mother, we aren't sure. But her father is dead"
"Yes, and that is why we are going to take care of her as if she were our own" His mother said as she reached out to the girl and carried her.
"That's absurd, apart from her parents, she must have relatives that are looking for her. You can't just take her away from her family" Gideon said.
"No one is looking for her," His father said.
"But..."
" That's enough. Go to your room" His mother harshly said.
Gideon gritted his teeth and glared at the girl in his mother's arms. He then turned around to leave.
He got to his room and slammed the door hard enough for his parents to hear.
" Why do I have to accept that stranger as my sister? She will never be"
...
" Don't you think you were being a little too harsh on him?" His father asked and his mother sighed.
" I know I was. I just don't want him to scare her"
" He is right though. The poor girl's family must be worried sick about her"
" Yes, but there is nothing we can do"
" Maybe we should report this to the police. Who knows, her family must have already filed a missing report"
" No," Mrs. Black said sternly.
" Why not?"
" You can't take her away from me"
" What about her family?"
" I am sure they can manage. I have always wanted to have a daughter. This is God giving me a chance. You know I can't have any more children. So please"
His father's heart panged at the words of his wife.
" But what about her real mother?"
" If she cared about her child then she could have found her by now. This girl has spent a whole week in my care. I already love her as my own"
" Hmph, fine. But if her family came looking for her, then we will give her back. Okay?"
" Definitely" Mrs. Black smiled at her husband and gave the little girl who was now sleeping in her arms, a light peck.
...
Gideon woke up the next day. His mood was a lot brighter than the previous evening.
No, he hadn't forgotten about the girl, he was just happy that at least his parents had returned home.
He had his bath and dressed up like the good boy he was. He ran into the kitchen expecting to see his mother preparing breakfast. But she wasn't there, it looked like the kitchen hadn't even been touched.
The boy shrugged it off with the thought that both his parents were exhausted from the previous night.
And a thought popped in his head.
"Why don't I just surprise mum and dad and prepare them breakfast? Maybe mum will finally be happy with me" And with that Gideon began to bring out to display, the ingredients he was going to use.
He made all the necessary preparations and he cooked with a lot of effort. It was as if he were in a cooking competition.
He served everyone's plate, including the strange girl, but not without a heavy heart.
He looked at the table satisfied with his work.
"Mum will surely give me a compliment today" He happily said to himself.
He ran to his parent's room and knocked a few times, but there was no reply.
He hesitantly turned the knob and opened the door. The room was void of his parents. He frowned.
He left there and went to other places around the house, but he couldn't find them anywhere. Not even the little girl was present. They had probably gone out with her.
Knowing this Gideon felt jealous. His parents hardly took him out, but they took a stranger.
Gideon decided to wait for his parents to come back before he eats. He wanted to eat with his parents and not just by himself.
It was hard for him to stop himself from having a bite of the food. He was really hungry. He put his head on the table and closed his eyes.
...
Gideon heard the front door opening. He had just woken up from sleep. He looked at the little watch on his wrist and saw that he had slept through his hunger for a good three hours.
But it didn't matter to him, as long as his parents were back, then he could eat as much as he liked.
He ran to welcome them back. He saw his father holding lots of bags. It looked like they went shopping.
His mother followed behind his father with the girl in her arms.
"Good morning mum and dad" Gideon greeted them refusing to acknowledge the girl.
"Ah Gideon, nice to see you," His father said while his mother paid no mind to him.
"Where have you guys been?" He asked them.
"We went to buy clothes for your sister," His father said and Gideon gritted his teeth.
"Did you get any for me?" He asked.
"Don't be silly, you already have enough. Why would you want more?" His mother said and he gulped.
"I prepared breakfast, let's e..." He was cut short by his father.
"We already ate."
Gideon sadly bowed his head. He was trying hard not to cry, while his parents began to remove the clothes from the bags.
The girl noticed a teardrop falling from Gideon's eye. She wanted to console him and walked toward him.
But then she tripped and fell right before him and she began to cry.
"Gideon" His mother yelled with rage and he flinched.
"How could you do that to her?" His mother said as she ran to the girl's rescue.
"I...I did... didn't do anything" He shakingly said.
"I understand that you are not willing to accept her yet, but why do you have to hurt her," his mother said as she pats the little girl's head trying to stop her from crying.
"I really didn't..."
"I am so disappointed in you son," His father said.
" But mum I..."
" Go to your room, I don't have a son like you" His mother carelessly said.
Gideon didn't wait to hear any more from his parents. He ran to his room and cried.
He didn't care if he were a boy, he didn't care that he was ten and almost a man, he didn't care that boys who cried were weak. He let everything out. There was no use holding it in.
...
Weeks passed by and Gideon noticed that his parents were coming home more.
Sadly it wasn't for him. It was for the girl. After what happened that day. He tried his absolute best to stay away from the girl, but it was kind of hard. The girl will always come to him. It was as if she just couldn't get the hint that he didn't like her and didn't want anything to do with her.
His parents hadn't noticed it yet, but their son was growing more and more distant from them.
Gideon would always watch from afar, how his parents paid close attention to the girl. He would always imagine that it was him and not her.
The girl acted weird. It was as if she had some kind of mental issue. But none of that mattered to Gideon, all he wanted was his parent's love, but sadly he wasn't getting any of that.
He was currently laying down in his bed. He had a serious headache and he was feeling too dizzy to get up from his bed.
He wasn't sure how long he had been there, but he woke up in that state. He couldn't move his body, so he just laid there helplessly.
He had hoped that his parents would notice his absence and come to his room to check on him.
But why would they? They never cared about him anyway.
"Master" Gideon heard a voice.
"Oh my God, you are burning up" He felt a warm hand on his forehead.
"Mum?" He muttered with his eyes still closed.
"No, it's not your mum. It's me, Cindy"
"Oh" it was just the cleaning lady who would come once every week.
Cindy got a wet towel and used it to wipe all over his body. She also prepared him some soup, which he drank.
Once he felt better he asked her where his parents were.
"They went out with the young miss" The maiden replied to him.
"Oh," Gideon said and put his head down.
"Don't feel sad, they will come back soon" She tried to console him. She had noticed the awful treatment his parents had been giving him.
She felt pity for the little boy. She couldn't do anything for him, after all, she was just a lowly employee.
" You don't have to stay with me any longer, if you delay more than you already have, I am afraid you wouldn't finish your work in time"
" Nonsense, my work can wait. Right now you are my main priority"
Gideon's heart skipped a beat. ***So kind***, he thought. If only his mother would look at him the same way this young woman did.
Hours flew by and Gideon recovered quickly, although he still felt a little tipsy.
" You are feeling better, aren't you?" Cindy who had just looked up from the book she was reading asked Gideon.
"Yes," He nodded.
"I will go back to work now. Please stay here and rest".
" Thank you," Gideon said.
...
After some time Gideon was hearing a lot of yelling outside his room. He decided to come out and see what was going on.
With his shaky legs, he left his room and followed the noise to where it was coming from.
It was just at the front of the room his parents had assigned to the girl. Cindy was on her knees pleading for her job.
Gideon listened in the corner, to what his mother was saying.
" How dare you? Do you look down on my daughter?" His mother yelled.
" I am sorry ma'am, but I do not know what I did wrong," Cindy said.
" You have cleaned everywhere in this house, but my daughter's room is still a mess. Do you think she is undeserving of your service?"
It had just hit Cindy, The young girl's room. It was so messy, with toys and clothes scattered all over the floor.
Time had already run out and seeing how the room was, it was discouraging for her to clean, and if she would start from there she wouldn't be able to finish the whole house. So she decided to clean the girl's room last, but then it slipped her mind.
"I am so sorry, I had forgotten about it. Please forgive me"
"Stand up and never appear in front of me again"
Cindy sighed. She just wouldn't listen, if Mr. Black was here then maybe she wouldn't have to lose her job seeing as he was easier to talk to.
"It's not her fault mum" Gideon came out of his hiding spot.
"Are you taking sides with her?" His mother asked.
"No, she was taking care of me because I wasn't feeling well"
"Stop lying, you don't have to defend her," his mother said.
"I am not lying, I have no reason to"
Mrs. Black noticed that her son's gaze and voice were a lot colder than they used to.
"You rather take her side. I am your mother. Go away now, I didn't raise a son like you"
If it were before it would have hurt, but now his mind was fully prepared for whatever she would give to him.
"You didn't raise me" The harsh words left Gideon's mouth.
Mrs. Black's eyes widened. She was shocked, but then she recovered from her shock and slapped him on the face.
He fell from the impact plus the dizzy feeling he had.
"You can't even stand when I hit you, you are weak. How will you protect your sister when the time comes" Gideon gritted his teeth. Again with that girl? he thought.
"Master" Cindy got up from her knees and went to help Gideon up.
"I feel sorry for you because you fail to realize what kind of son you have. If I were him, I would have run from here long ago. I will leave here and never return if that is what you truly want" Cindy said to Mrs. Black before turning around to leave with Gideon.
She walked him back to his room.
" Those things you said, you didn't have to," Gideon said.
" It's the truth. Do me a favor young master and stay strong. You won't live under these conditions forever" Cindy said as she gave Gideon a peck on his forehead.
The same peck he had watched his mother give the girl several times.
He didn't know why but her words seemed to break him and he let out a tear.
" Do not cry, everything will be over soon" she said as she wiped his tears away.
" I guess this is goodbye," Gideon said and Cindy sadly smiled.
" Goodbye"
...
The Blacks were having dinner together and this time Gideon was joining them. He was never invited, so he wondered why this time was different.
Everyone ate their food except Gideon who had barely touched his.
" Your mother told me what you did today," His father said.
"..." Gideon said nothing.
" We both have decided to take you to a boarding school, it's what's best for you," his father said.
" What's best for me or what's best for the two of you?"
" Watch your mouth Gideon" His mother yelled at him as she banged her hand on the table, causing the little girl to jump.
Gideon stood up from his chair, ready to leave.
"Where are you going?" His father asked.
"I am not hungry," Gideon said as he continued walking away.
"You see what I was talking about, how insolent can h..." He heard his mother's complaining as he left.
...
It was now the morning of the day, he would be leaving for his boarding school. He was in his room crying, After that night he hadn't appeared in front of his parents anymore, in hopes that they would change their minds, but they didn't.
" Brother" Gideon heard a small voice and he looked up.
" What are you doing here?" He asked the girl. " I came to see brother," she said.
" Don't call me that" he harshly said.
" Liana will miss brother" So that was her name, he thought. Even after so long, he still didn't know what to call her.
Deep in his trance, the little girl reached for his face to wipe his tears away and strangely, he leaned into her touch.
Little did he know that would be the beginning of their sibling bond.