Crystal Visions.

He was the highwayman...

Ella's POV: 

Just when I thought I could go to sleep without any disturbance or any disco music from below. I heard an argument, and now  I've just woken up to the sound of my father almost 'chastising' my older brother and my mother having her say. '' If anybody has one bit of decency around here for me they'd know that being disturbed in the middle of a deep sleep is classed as a punishment with no evidence to back it up.'' I say to myself. I turn on my lamp, and rest my hand against my alarm clock, it's now 3AM  I must have dozed off around eleven...I fold over my sheets, climb out of bed. It's a little warm, so I choose to not throw anything over my white mini jumpsuit, I don't plan on going downstairs so I won't need to cover up. As I enter out of my room, I can hear the conversation a little clearly.  

'' How could you have said that to her?! Aaron you're mother and I raised you to own up to your mistakes, and try to make them right and then make sure not to do them again!''  My dad's not yelling but his voice is raised.   

'' I was Scared! Dad I didn't know what to do, I was so wrapped up in myself I wasn't ready to be a father I was only twenty five I was just frightened!.''  

'' Well so was I when you're mother told me that she was expecting you, but I didn't throw five grand at her and tell her abort. I was scared, I was Praying to god that this wasn't happening. But I knew that I needed to grow up and take responsibility for what I had done.''  

'' I know! You've told me a hundred times!''  

'' Because I didn't want you or your brothers to make the same mistake!'' no reply after Dad raises his voice back at Aaron. I sit on the floor outside my door, I rest my head against it and I feel the whole house sit still after my dad's bold but true statement.  

'' The one thing that could break your mother and I, is watching all or either of you six kids making the same mistakes that we made in our youth and adolescence. And watch you guys grow through the same self-inflicted pain we brought upon ourselves by being completely idiotic on our choice of substances. Or go through any pain that we've gone through. We thought that we had done enough to protect you.'' he adds. 

'' Dad you have. It's my mistake, not yours--'' 

'' But it bears a burden on our shoulders, especially mine. I didn't want to hear you get another father's daughter pregnant without his permission or without any knowledge of the two of you. Even worse hear you throw money at her, and leave her and not contact her for a few years and ignore such a precious little life.'' 

'' I know Dad, I know. And my consequence is I lost the woman I loved the most, and now I have a two year old daughter who doesn't even know who I am. And after what happened with Nadine, may never know who I am.'' Aaron's sentence drifts off.  

I hear footsteps. My mother reaches the top of the stairs, she looks tired and as if she's been crying a little. '' Ella what are you doing awake sweetie?'' she ask softly, '' I couldn't stay asleep, I could hear everything.''. 

She rolls her eyes, she comes over and sits beside me, I move over a little to make room for her. Mom sits beside me, she hugs me, I then lay down my head on her lap as she combs her fingers through my hair.  '' Your brother's just made a mistake that your father and I were hoping, would never be made by you and your sisters and older brothers.'' she says referring to Aaron and Nadine. 

Mom doesn't know that I know, so it's best to make it known to her that I know. '' I know about it all. Aaron told me about Nadine a month ago heard she was coming to the states.'' Mom winces at me, I can't tell if she's smiling or a little confused.  

'' I know everything mom, you'd be surprised what kind of stuff us kids talk about amongst each other. I'm not involved but Aaron trusts me, for reasons I don't understand...Maybe it's because I don't like gossip or any of that stuff. But mom he really loved her, and I could see the hurt and the guilt in his eyes when he told me that he forced his own girlfriend to abort their child--.'' 

'' But she didn't. And I don't know what to say, I'm not angry at her neither is your father. And we're not angry at Aaron we're just trying to see how we can make it all right, you know.'' she sighs softly.  

'' She's a beautiful singer, Aaron owns every album she's ever recorded and I put them all on my Ipod. She writes all her songs, she's amazing.''  

'' You understand Arabic?''   

'' Yeah Aaron taught me when he came back from Lebanon.'' I see her eyes widen with surprise. Yeah I have a number of hidden talents from my parents, that I choose to keep to myself.   

I notice she's holding onto something in her hand, I open her hand up and see a photo. She hands it to me as I sit up properly and stretch my legs out. The photograph is of a little girl maybe two or three, shoulder length slightly curly light brown hair, beautiful yellow undertoned skin, long eyelashes, Nadine's nose (her real one), Nadine's big smile, but Aaron's beautiful gray-bluey eyes. I smile and chuckle, so this is my beautiful little niece. Holy crap I'm an Aunty! and Mom is...a Grandmother Wow, it's like christmas for me!  

'' So this is Elissa, your niece. And our Grandbaby.'' my mother replies.  

'' Wow, she looks exactly like Nadine but with Aaron's eyes.In fact in some strange way, something about her smile reminds me of dad.'' Genetics, I thought they were simple...but things can go waaaay back apparently.   

Mom chuckles softly, '' she's so adorable isn't she.'' I hear the cluckiness in my mothers voice. She may have stopped after the twins...Then I came along out of nowhere, univinted. But she is the biggest sucker for a baby! if she sees one on the plane, she'll ditch me and go over to that mother and the baby, if it's crying she sing it a lullaby to go to sleep. What about me! I have to deal with business people talking on their phones, and I suffer from jetlag, I'd love a lullaby during my sleep on an airplane. I caught her a couple of days ago saying that so many woman are having babies, '' I would just adore another baby'' I felt my pulse expand and I was gonna say something but...too easy. 

Aunty Lori comes up and sees us sitting down and admiring the only piece of evidence that Nadine didn't abort in our hands. '' Can I see?'' I hand the photo over to Aunty Lori. She smiles gigantically '' Oh my goodness what a precious little girl. She has his eyes, but she must look like the mother.'' Oh she has no idea!     

We then hear footsteps coming up the stairs. Oh great, why doesn't everybody just come up and do their disco dancing for Dave up here and I'll just slumber outside. But it's just Dad and Aaron, Aaron gives me a wink and goes into the guest bedroom he's staying in without saying anything to Mom, or Aunty Lori.  

'' It's all right Stevie, he said he'll take care of things in his own hands okay. We just, we have to trust him and try to support him in what he wants to do. But I did tell him, that he needs to meet that little girl.'' He sets eyes on me, Dad helps me stand up '' I'm sorry if you were woken up hon, I'll tell you what why don't we cancel tomorrow's lesson with Persi?'' A day off learning hell yeah!  

My mom shoots him a sharp look '' Lindsey no, I mean--'' she's about to tell my dad the reasons why Education is so important for the youth of my generation. He calms her down and puts his hands on her cheeks, and kisses her '' I'm sure one day off, won't hurt her a bit okay. Besides I would truent sometime'' he gives me the same wink that Aaron gave me.  

I kiss Mom, dad and Aunty Lori goodnight. I hop back into bed, I don't go to sleep straight away so I read a book that mom gave me, Oscar Wilde wrote some fascinating fairy tales and my mom gave it to me for my birthday. I love Oscar Wilde, I love how he can turn something so tragic and dark into something so beautiful...Kind of like my mom but I'm not being a kiss up. :) 

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