S.O.S

Chapter Ten - The Dirty Secret

My name is Danny James Winston, I was born 24 years ago in Westernport, Maryland. I live with my mother, my two step siblings and a cousin of mine. Well, at least that's what my mother told me.

Theodora Winston - my mother - was a hooker, that's a fact. She slept around with random men for years until she met Armand. I didn't know the chronology, but that was the day she actually fell for a man, not because he would give her tip for a night stand, but because he actually gave her affection.

After a few months of being together, Tia moved in with Armand in his flat. They never been married to each other until Tia got pregnant. It wasn't a big deal for both of them anyway so they kept the baby.

I was born nine months later. They raised me and treated me well. Things went perfectly fine until I turned 3 and Armand started acting odd. He got home late for a whole week, he didn't gave Tia her money for household supplies. They got into their first massive argument and I peeked from behind the door. I heard what they were arguing about, though I couldn't remember the whole problem, I knew that my father had an affair.

Tia took me out of the flat when Armand was out for work and we returned to her old house with her mom and sister, Judy. They welcomed us to the home, in fact they were happy to meet me. Aunt Judy took a good care of me everytime my mom was out. Truth is, my aunt was unlike her sister. She didn't hook up with random men like my mom always did, which she repeated after the separation.

One day, I was left home with my grandmother when Tia came home crying after a few days of not returning home. I ran to her and hugged her. She held me back in her arms for a few moment before she approached my grandmother and whispered something to her. I could not hear what she was saying but I could see grandma frowned and her lips trembled when she heard it. I asked what happened but none of them replied me.

Day by day, my mom got fatter and fatter and I knew I was going to be a big brother. As a little kid, I didn't think about who the baby came from considering that I hadn't seen my father for a couple of years. I was quite excited to have a baby brother back then, until finally Cody was born. I was happy because I didn't have much to think but being an older brother, but the family concerned about the baby and Tia.

Cody grew up not knowing who her father was. Tia hadn't seen the man either ever since she got pregnant. She told us she could not remember Cody's father's last name, so they decided to give Cody my mom's last name. Though we came from different fathers and we didn't have the same last name, Cody and I got along well enough as young boys.

I was 5 and Cody was one when my aunt Judy declared about her marriage. Grandma and Tia was quite surprised since she had never brought a man to the house. Cody didn't know what marriage was yet, but I knew it was going to be a party. She promised to bring her fiancé to the house the next Friday and we were all excited about that.

The day came when Judy appointed to introduce her husband-to-be to the family. We planned a family dinner with my mom as the cook. We all gathered in the dining room when somebody rang the bell and we were sure enough it was Judy's fiancé.

"Good evening," he greeted.

None of us showed any kind of excitement except me, I jumped off my chair and ran towards him.

"Daddy!"

The situation got intense as my mom turned her back and saw the image before her eyes. It was Armand. My aunt was going to marry my father - which I hadn't figured out yet back then. Tia ordered me and Cody to go to our room immediately.

"But I want to meet Daddy," I cried as she dragged me and Cody away from the dining room.

"Get in the room!" she yelled and pushed Cody and I into our bedroom and locked the door.