The Unwanteds - Stitches in time - Those 10 years

Chapter 14 - Hidden truths

"Let's move on," Thisbe said softly. "I want to see our parents"
Fifer nodded and Aaron got up too. 

"I'll head back to my office then," Alex said before kissing Thisbe and Fifer and hugging Aaron, "Don't take it to heart" Alex whispered softly to Aaron then gave a stern look to the girls. 

"Why can't you come with us?" Fifer asked.

"Fife....You know I don't come with you guys....it's just hard for me." Alex managed

"They are our parents too, it's hard for all of us, that's why we should go together," Thisbe concluded.

"Girls, it's harder for him. You don't know what it was like for him," Aaron stated. Thisbe rolled her eyes at him, clearly she had lost all respect for him. Although both of them were weary of Aaron ever since they found out, they wanted to see their parents. They both decided to go with Aaron just this once, but only because for some weird reason Alex wasn't coming with them. They bade Alex good-bye and moseyed along to the other side of the graveyard. Thisbe thought back to the past years, she realized Alex never came with them for as long as she could remember. Except once. The first and last time. He went alone, sometimes, but not with them. She mustered up her courage to ask Aaron, who was the same sweet person he had always been around her, but she saw him in a new light now.

"Why won't Alex come with us, he leaves us every year?" she asked timidly.

Aaron thought about it. During the first year of the day of remembrance Alex did come. But, it affected him on a different level. His parents had pushed him aside, they hated him. Obviously the twins asked their brothers about their parents. So, when Aaron tried to say some good things about them,  Alex just felt the pain even more. After that year Aaron could see, how much his brother was hurting. So, he offered to take the twins to their parents graves alone from the next year. As hard as it was to manage the girls alone, seeing his brother suffering was much worse. From then onward, Alex didn't join them during their visit. 

*

The trio arrived at the graveyard. They stood in front of their parents'graves and knelt before them. After a moment of silence Aaron started.

"When we were younger, Alex was very creative. He always made up games with things around the house. He drew any chance he got, and I've seen him try to dance before. He was caught about three or four times since he was a child. When we were about 6 years old, it was the first time he was caught. Ever since then, all of us knew he would be Unwanted. But I had a clean slate. Of course I did all the things he did, but I was almost never caught."

"Almost?" Fifer asked surprised. He smiled, and tried to brush the hair out of her eyes, she flinched and moved away knocking his hand off. He smiled sadly and answered.

"Almost. Once I was caught drawing, in the mud outside. Our father thought, I was Alex. He had never mixed us up before. But lucky for me he did. Alex could have spoken up, he could have told them that it was me, that he was standing in the corner doing his chores. But he didn't. He thought he was already an Unwanted, one more infraction was not going to do anything for him. But for me, with no infractions, it would mean the end. So he took the blame. "

"Yup, that sounds like Alex," Thisbe agreed then gestured for him to continue.

"Yes well, ever since we were six, our parents neglected him, well mentally at least. They barely showed him any love, it was like he didn't exist. Meanwhile, I was their joy. They were very proud of me, and I felt so guilty. But Alex, endured all of that. For me. When Alex was named an Unwanted, he didn't even try to run. Our parents practically handed him over. It was horrible seeing that. Once,  after he took control of Artime, he tried to reconnect with them. He saw our father, here actually at the graveyard. Alex came to visit Mr Today, and when he saw our father, Alex tried to talk to him. But our father ran away, disgusted to see him, and also scared. Very scared."

"Scared of who?" Fifer asked

"Me. I was the high priest. I was very mad at Alex, and wanted to end him at the time. Our father, didn't dare to oppose the high priest and talk to Alex, nor did he want to. He told me he was absolutely disgusted to have seen his 'useless, Unwanted, unloved son' But, I do know that our father really loved Alex before his infractions. He was very kind to both of us. Afterwards, he just pretended he only had one son. He practically disowned Alex. I know our father hated Alex after that, but our mother, there was something different about her. She was kind and helpful to both of us. Of course she didn't show Alex any affection when he was conscious, but I've seen her stroking his hair once. Maybe, I'm not sure. Because during the day of the purge she was horrible! She made him take off his shoes before he was purged so that I would have an extra set, so he was barefoot! And when she saw me looking at Alex worriedly after he was declared Unwanted, she told me to cut it out. She told me that I was an only child! That I didn't have a brother. That I should be happy that he was nearly gone. She told me she was proud of me, and the next time I saw her, was when I was up on a stage speaking as a high priest. At that time, she was pregnant with both of you." Aaron stopped with that. He knew it was a little too much information, but it kind of just spilled out. He wanted them to understand how horrible their parents were to Alex, and why it was difficult for him to visit them. What they did to him was not okay, Aaron could not imagine growing up like that, knowing your parents didn't love you, knowing you were going to die. 
Thisbe and Fifer couldn't imagine being separated from each other, sent to their death! They soaked up the information like a sponge. 

"Poor Alex," Fifer said sadly.

"Yeah, it must have been so hard for him. Poor Lani, Poor Samheed, Poor everyone who had to go through that! And....Poor you..."

Fifer looked at her, like she was crazy for a second, then nodded in agreement. But Aaron was still shocked with disbelief. "Me?" 

"Yeah, even though you were so evil when you grew up, having to go through the purge and be separated from Alex, and seeing how badly he was treated compared to you, must have been....a lot. Not as much as what Alex went through, but still, a lot."

"Yeah it was," Aaron replied softly. " It's nice that you thought about me....everyone just notices what he went through and kind of overlooks me. Even though I didn't suffer as much as him, I still suffered.." he added meekly. "Alright, let's get going, it's getting chilly" 

"Yes, I want to see Alex," Thisbe said strongly.

"and give him a big hug," Fifer added sweetly.