Chapter 28

Ten years ago I can't keep my leg still, a habit I have when nervous. Mrs Wayne, Andre's Mother, tries to soothe me by running her hand over my head. I am bald, I had to shave it all since it was falling causing split ends. I don't understand why we are here. They were driving by on the streets when Andre recognized me. For the last year, I have been on the streets. I had nowhere to go, no one to trust. "Mrs Black it's a good offer, you should listen to your husband." Mrs Wayne insists. I lift my head to inspect my surroundings, it is a small room that serves as the bedroom, kitchen and living room. The walls are dirty, the floors are chipped off and ammonia stench floats in the air. "You are asking too much of us." Mrs Black says. She is a tall woman, it is hard to tell her age. Her face is pale, with wrinkles that speak more of hardship than age. She tries to talk with her mouth half shut to conceal her missing tooth. "You will be heavy compensated." Andre's mother tries to convince her. Mrs Black shifts uncomfortable, she flickers her eyes to her husband then two her two children. They are seated at the corner with Andre admiring his watch and Italian shoes. The girl looks at me, why does she look like me? The boy too looks like Zac. They were earlier introduced as Catherine and Oliver. "Still, the black name is our net worth." She finally argues. "And how much is your net worth?" Mrs Wayne counters. "Everything." "How about I add some zeros to that everything." "Why do you even want our identity, you have the money you can create a fake one." "Because yours is real and it exists, with the fake identity you create loopholes to be caught." "We will take the offer." Mr Black finally speaks. His voice is composed but bears authority. His wife glances at him. Her eyes are watery, she opens her mouth but decides otherwise not to challenge her husband's decision. She abruptly stands without a second look she dashes out of the room. This catches her children's attention, the immediately stand up too confused. "Don't mind her, she will come around. I know I have made the right decision for my children. They can't live like this." Mr Black states. **** How do they live like this? It is worse than eleven years ago. "May we come in and talk?" Andre requests. "We don't want any more of your cursed money," Catherine speaks. "We are not here for that?" I say. "Then what? Because I am sure you are not here to return our identity." "You still have it." "A fake one. You took our surnames." She states. "Can we get in?" "No." She is adamant. "Please..." Andre begs when he starts to see the nosy suburb neighbours start to stare. "Leave before I call the police." She warns. "Catherine..." I call out her name. "Get the fuck out of here." She yells. I take a step back. I feel Quinn's hand on my shoulder. " Why don't we leave and return later." He suggests. Catherine hears his proposal, "I will appreciate if you never came back here, otherwise..." She says and pulls her brother towards their wrecked house. We give up and get in the car. We sit for a while hoping she will change her mind. "You chose to remain with your name Cara, whereas your brother changed his name to Oliver, why?" I lick my dry lips before I speak, "I couldn't let go of It, I was named after my grandmother. The fact that Catherine had an initial C on her birth certificate made it easier to hold on to it. Additionally, my mother's surname is Black, therefore, the ease of the identity." I say. "So what remained of the black family?" He asks. "They were given a fake surname, Shore. They were to stay away from trouble to avoid any legal processes. They were limited to their hometown not to find themselves in different places where they would be required to present their identity. This would reduce the chances of any questions..." I explain to Quinn. He shakes his head in disbelief. "Unbelievable...wow!" He breaths in and out. Andre gets out of the car to check if Catherine has cooled down. "And you trusted him and his mother? Why would they go to all these lengths to help you?" His last question irks me. So I don't deserve to be helped? "She was my mother's best friend, I am her son's best friend. " I shrug. Quinn's face is full of questions, "Why? What was the goal?" "To get back my family legacy." Why am I telling him all these? "And why are you trying to revenge because those are two different things?" "My parents never got justice for their murders." "But you could have used legitimate ways, the Waynes have the money they could have paid for your lawyers in a lawsuit. They have the means to protect you from anyone in case of a threat." "No one would believe a twelve-year-old, I had no proof, I was too young to understand the charges against my father. It wasn't their idea for my revenge. They only enabled me by providing the people connected to my father, they helped investigate until we narrowed it down to your father." I see his jaw clench. "Whose idea was to manipulate me?" He finally asks. I feel my heart miss a beat. "You would have done the same," I say. "Your father killed my father." I start to feel my anger rising. He holds my stare for a while. "I am sorry." He apologizes. Did Quinn just apologize? Is the world coming to an end? What do you say after someone apologizes for their father killing? Are there books for this? "I hope you find the Justice you seek. It was wrong of you to use me. I could have fallen for you. There's a reason why most great men have fallen because of women." I am still stuck at fallen for me. Is this to mean at one point Quinn ever felt a tinge for me. The revelation comes as a surprise. I am about to ask him if he ever liked me when I see Andre come out with his arms in the air, he is followed by Catherine she has a shotgun. She fires in the air. "Get out of here." She points it at him. I immediately alight to go to Andre's defence. "We are leaving, Catherine," I say. "What a crazy bitch!" Andre says once we are on the road. "She lost her parents, I would have done worse," I state. "It is dusk. The sun is setting." I stare outside. I imagine myself living in the suburbs with a husband, children and having a life like the desperate housewives. I would be the Gabby, no, she was too selfish maybe Susan...I think. Still no, she was a bore with being an overly romantic dreamer. I finally conclude suburbs are not my thing. "Are you imagining living here?" Andre knows me too well. "It is too domesticated for me," I confess. "There's nothing wrong with that, it is conducive for bringing up children," Andre says. "You can still do that in a busy city." I defend. "I agree with Cara." Quinn finally talks. It feels weird to talk about family with him here. Andre glances a Quinn. He wants to talk but stops himself. A prolonged silence ensues before he talks again. " Just to be on the same page we are going back?" He asks. It is already dark and it is an eight-hour drive. "I Just booked a hotel for us, it is near the lake." Quinn turns to me. "And Cara you are staying with me.