Turning Tables

The Unraveling

A/N: "Mistakes are the portal of discovery."-James Joyce

***

The words floated in my head like a flutter of butterflies.

As Gab recalled the events that happened that fateful New Year's Day in 2015, I willed my mind to concentrate but couldn't.

Not remembering anything was disconcerting and Gab noticed it too.

"Do you want me to continue?" he looked worried and puzzled at the same time.

"Jade?" Paul touched me on the elbow.

"Do you want to talk about this with Jose Cuervo as our witness?" he interjected.

Gab frowned in disapproval but Paul was only trying to make light of a tense situation.

"I'm sorry, guys." I smiled weakly to both of them.

"It's difficult when my mind is not able to put two and two together," I confessed.

"I feel like I'm in a movie theater watching someone else's life unfold in front of me," I explained.

I massaged my temples as the beginnings of a headache made itself known.

"We have Biogesic here," Gab stood up and went to the kitchen.

When he came back, he handed me the tablet and a glass of water.

"I think it's safe to take on an empty stomach,"

I opened the blister pack and took the orange pill.

Normally, I would suck it up and endure the pain but today was an exception.

"Start over," I told Gab as soon as he was seated back in his chair.

He nodded his head.

***

New Year 2015 was the worst time for the Tanchingco's.

"Both the regular New Year and the Chinese lunar year," Gab began.

"The morning you returned to the house, I was in our room when a commotion prompted me to get up and check what was happening."

"I could hear you screaming at the bodyguards and Dada."

"When I got out of the room, I saw that you were being restrained by two heavy set men I don't recognized."

"You looked furious, Jade."

"I approached Dada and demanded to know what was going on but he told me to leave."

"I chose to stay."

"I could tell that you were sick because your eyes were watery, your face and nose were red and you kept coughing."

"I was angered at how Dada was handling the situation." Gab's jaw clenched, as if the memory of that day uncovered a raw emotion he had been hiding for a long time.

"When I tried to come closer, Dada pushed me away and I lost my balance and fell on the floor,"

"It was at that moment when Ma came out of her room,"

"She was shocked to see what was happening but even more astonished to see you, Jade."

"Why?" I asked, curious.

Gab looked at Paul.

"You have been gone for a long time when you chose to be with Althea," was the answer.