Turning Tables

The Exiled

A/N: "A single feat of daring can alter the whole conception of what is possible."-Graham Greene

***

Nothing could be more painful than for the love of your life to be taken from you.

I am not talking about myself.

I'm talking about my brother Gabriel.

***

For years, he endured a loveless relationship with Pearl which bore them a beautiful girl name Deborah Jade.

The choice to use my second name was fraught with conflict mostly because Pearl hated me.

But my mother insisted because she thought Deborah looked just like me when she was born.

Pearl was left without a choice but to consent to the wishes of her mother-in-law.

DJ, as everyone called her, was the love of Gabriel's life.

She brought him happiness, a new purpose.

For a while, Pearl thought that their daughter would strengthen their union and make Gab forget about the woman who almost ruined their married life.

It didn't.

Gab was still pining for Angeline.

He may not see her or talk about her but there is a cloud of loneliness that followed him wherever he goes.

Work became his mistress and if it weren't for DJ, he may have chosen to spend his time at the office.

Through a chance encounter, Gab and Angeline met again.

The meeting confirmed what both of them knew.

That through the years of separation, the love they have for each other still holds.

Angeline was ready to leave him again but Gab didn't let her go.

Not this time.

A few weeks later, he told the family of his desire to annul his marriage to Pearl.

The declaration shook an already fragile relationship, driving Pearl to the edge of her sanity.

But Gab stood his ground.

My parents saw the determination in his eyes.

DJ was barely a year old that time.

Pearl gave Gab and everyone a warning.

She told us she would do everything for him not to have custody of DJ.

The threat sent him hurtling to desperation.

He pleaded for her to be fair but it was asking for the same thing he couldn't give her.

Once the annulment was done, Gab never saw his daughter again.

He left to be with Angeline but despite getting what he hoped for, there was a big hole left in his heart--that of his daughter's.

***

Gabriel lived in the outskirts of the city.

The drive took more than an hour and on the way to our destination, Paul and I decided to stop at a McDonald's Drive-Thru where he ordered a BigMac value meal for himself, a chicken burger meal for mine and two large size vanilla milkshakes.

I glanced at him as he was taking the orders and noticed how happy he was.

"What?" he asked as he placed the drinks on the holder.