The special night has arrived. The people in our town joined us in our celebration. After seven years, our castle has come to life. Bands were playing, and many were dancing.
High-ranking officials and some of our business partners attended the event. I was busy shaking hands with all of them, which took me two hours, while my brother was busy sampling all kinds of foods. He doesn't have friends, but he enjoys his own company and listening to the songs.
The most elegant and beautiful person to arrive was Jane. She arrived in the middle of the celebration, and everyone witnessed her grand entrance.
"Thank you for coming, Jane," I said to her as I kissed her soft hand.
"We promised each other that we would meet after seven years, William. I missed you so much."
"How has your life been?"
"Im doing well. Do you have a cellphone now?" She asked while showing her phone.
"Actually, it's my first time holding a cellphone." I proudly raise the black touch screen phone.
"Now we can contact each other."
"You must have Facebook and Instagram."
"Come, let's talk in a quiet place. Let's do what we used to do when we were young," I asked after she finished her dessert.
"I have many stories to tell," she said, smiling at me.
While holding her hand, I introduced her to my brother.
"Enzo, this is Jane."
"Nice to meet you, Ms. Jane."
"Enzo, we're going to the library. If you need anything, don't forget to knock. Just let Uncle Larry know that I'm in the library. He's currently busy talking to the honorees."
"Sure, brother."
We left the ongoing party and enjoyed the serene atmosphere that the books offered. No sound from the party entered the sound proof library. Its a nostalgic feeling. Time flies quickly. It was like we have just met yesterday.
"Jane, how are you?" I asked while we are sitting in a couch.
"My father and mother passed away last year during their trip to the Philippines."
"I'm sorry to hear that. How did you cope?"
"I cried every night in my room. I don't know how I managed to overcome the pain. All I know is that one day, I woke up and the pain was gone. I had no more tears to shed. My heart felt lighter. I spent my days and nights reading books. My best friend Catherine became my assistant. She managed our shipping business, and for a year, it has been stable and improving."
"How about you, William? I heard that your father and mother passed away," she asked me, holding both of my hands.
"My father died during his trip to America. He was supposed to arrange our vacation there. Then my mother lost her sanity and took her own life. It was postpartum depression."
"I'm sorry to hear that. How did you manage to survive?"
"I needed to stay alive for my brother. To be honest, there were times when I wanted to die. There were days when I wished to end my own life. But when I heard my brother crying in the middle of the night, I realized that he was the one in pain, not me. He never got to feel the embrace of our mother and father. I found the beauty of life in his smile. He became my reason to live. Enzo is a good brother, despite his silliness. I became a father and a mother to him. I forgot to grieve because of my responsibilities, because of the daily duties."
"Tell me more, William. I'm listening," she said, patting my back.
"Time flies so fast. It has been seven years. I can still remember the sleepless nights when Ms. Susan and I would carefully prepare and feed my brother with milk. Bathing him and comforting him when he cried."
"I miss my mother and father, Jane. I miss them so much."
"I miss my parents too, William." Jane hugged me, and both of us cried hard. It was the first time I felt this kind of warmth, being with someone who truly understood my feeling.
"Jane, I know this is not the right time to ask you, but I want to marry someone whom I can rely on. I believe you're the right person. You've never left my mind since we met here. I really love you."
"William, I love you too."
We were about to kiss when a knock interrupted us.
"Sorry to disturb you, bro. Let's take a selfie."
"Are you drunk, Enzo?"
"Smile, Jane and Big Bro!" He take a picture of us while smiling the best he could.
"I'm not drunk, bro."
"Thank you very much for the love. I really love you, bro. I'm sorry if I am a big responsibility to you." He was crying like a baby while holding the cellphone.
"Who gave you my gift? And the alcohol?"
"Our beloved uncle Larry. He said since it's my birthday, I can drink."
"Jane, please take care of my bro."
Those were his last words before he vomited inside the library. He slept on the couch while embracing the new phone.
Jane and I laughed hard and continued what had been paused.
"I want to marry you, Jane! Will you be my forever?"
"Yes, I do," she replied.
The wedding commenced two weeks after the proposal. We didn't invite many guests, only my uncle and his friend, Enzo, Mr. Eric, Ms. Susan, on her side is her best friend, and her mother's sister, Aunt Mathilde.
The wedding was simple but meaningful. The Mayor of the town was the one who officiated our wedding.
After the marriage, we decided to have our honeymoon in America. I trusted my uncle Larry to take care of Enzo. Enzo didn't want to come with us since he was enjoying the Mobile Legends game. He preferred staying inside his room for eight hours playing, and he didn't want to be disturbed.
Before Jane and I left our hometown, we visited the graves of my father and mother. We sought their blessings for our marriage.
As we listened to the sound of the wind, I distinctly heard a whisper saying, "Don't give up. Be strong and courageous."
Those words resonated in my heart and brought a renewed sense of strength to me.
YOU ARE READING
Uncharted Paradise
General FictionWilliam's world was shaken when he discovered that his uncle Larry, who had declared him dead, had orchestrated a cruel deception: his wife Jane was not who she claimed to be; the truth about his half-brother; and his uncle's different perspective o...
