Open Heart {Under Revision}

Chapter 28- Abstraction

San Diego, Thirteen Years Ago...

He arrived in the middle of night with an official announcement that he had dropped out from college.

That night, a vehement storm raged in our family—something which I had never seen.

I watched Sylvan, encircled by my father, uncle and Daniella. Mom was away again but those three had gripped my cousin in a trap through which escaping in silence was never an option. Nobody knew that my eyes were present too since they trained from balustrade. I was supposed to be in bed, sniffling from pain which father failed to embalm. His promise was as broken as himself. As broken as me. A belt it was for me again for breaking him out of contemplation.

"How dare you!" Shawn hissed, "You stupid pathetic boy! Have you no shame at all?"

Sylvan met eyes of his father, no fear in those hazel depths, "I'm not a boy. I'm old enough to make my own decisions and this is my decision. I'm not going to become doctors like you."

"Then what are you going to do?!" Daniella yelled, "Apart from bringing disgrace to our family?!"

"Our family?" Sylvan's lips curled, "Becoming a doctor is the only way to be successful in life?"

This time, Shawn leaned forward, his fists clenched. Air hitched down my throat. "You are a Turner. And that name means you will become a doctor—dare you to defy it!"

"Oh please!" Sylvan threw his phone on couch angrily, "I'm not running away from earning that whole doctor title. I'm just changing sides. I'll be a researcher."

"And what are you so keen on investigating?" Daniella snapped. But what scared me was my father. I'd never seen him hitting Sylvan...nobody hit him but father wasn't like that then...he was...he...was....

A monster. My mind whispered and I shivered.

"I'll graduate and work in different hospitals—there are millions of trials going on every day. We help patients. I can help patients." Sylvan explained, his voice calm and rehearsed. "I may end up developing a revolutionary drug for all we know."

My father regarded him coolly, "You may? There is no place for 'may' in this family. It's what you must. And right now, you have abandoned everything I'm trying to build here."

"Aunt Marlene's not moving round patients." Sylvan said with levelled gaze, "I don't see you berating her for being a researcher."

"Is it her?" Shawn marched until he was glaring right in Sylvan's face. I noticed my cousin—almost eighteen was taller than both my father and uncle now. And muscular. And so much better. "Marlene's been influencing you? First that Charlotte mews day and night everyday—another mindless creature birthed here and now you?"

"Leave my wife and daughter out of this, Shawn." my father held a hand up, pushing his brother back, "They have nothing to do and I do not have patience to banter. He has dropped out—those special curriculums aren't going to remend again. We have to carry on what we have." he added with distaste, "Are you confident that this is what you want?"

Sylvan raised his chin, "Yes."

"Alright then." my father turned to my aunt, "You son's choice has been made."

Daniella looked at my father...strangely. There was some wordless conversation going on, her eyes trained on him—a reminder of something I didn't know. I haven't seen both of them talking before me much...but down below, it seemed they both knew better than anyone else.