Across Continents

Chapter 3 - The Verdict

ANDY

Someone knocks on my door and I could immediately feel my heart pounding.

"Who is it?" I try to keep as calm and composed as possible.

"Andy, it's Nanny Lorry. Your mother told me to to send up your food here. Can I come in?" It was Nanny Lorry, just like my mom told me she'd do. Nanny Lorry has been with is since I was a baby. She's been like a mother figure to me, especially since my mom and dad are both working and my grandparents are too old to handle a baby. Nanny Lorry is from the Philippines. She had a controlling and manipulative drunkard of a husband which was why she decided to leave her children to her mother, pack her bags and move to America to support them. We both felt for each other which is why we grew close to one another. God, I could talk to her about more things than I could with my own mother.

"Yes, you may." I reply and the door gently bursts open revealing Nanny holding a tray filled with various foods. I get up and push the table closer to her for her to be able to put down the heavy tray of food.

I begin to grab the spoon and fork but despite not eating being able to eat anything since lunch, I had no appetite. Nanny Lorry seemed to have noticed this.

"Andy, what's wrong? Why aren't you eating dinner with your family?" She perks.

"Well, Nanny, you see, I did something very wrong." I proceed to tell her about the abandoned shed and how I used it as a dressing room to change out of the 'nun' clothes my family would try to put me in then I tell her about my boyfriend and how he followed me into that abandoned shed and tried to undress and rape me.

"So you were almost raped and it's still your fault?" She exclaims

"It looks that way to everyone since he was my boyfriend after all." I sigh.

"My girl, you've clearly been through a lot. Eat all your food, okay? You need that strength. I'm sure you're just as disappointed about this as your parents are." She sighs back and leaves the premises of my room. I was alone again and it felt scary.

Nanny Lorry came back a while ago to get the dishes and the tray but after that, I was confined to my room, waiting for my parent's verdict. It's almost midnight. I still have school tomorrow and I'm losing hope that our confrontation would happen today but just as I was tucking myself in bed, someone knocks on my door.

"Come in!" I shout and it was Nanny Lorry.

"Andy, your parents asked me to tell you to come down to the living room." She explains and I immediately wear my slippers and head down as fast as I can.

In the living room, everyone is there, seated in their own seats. My mother. My father. My grandmother. Grandfather. Everyone. It's a family affair. And all the eyes are on me. They all know what I've done...

"Sit down." My dad says and I do as he says.

"We are so disappointed in you." My mother opens up. "I honestly cannot believe it. I thought you were our sweet, innocent child but here you are, carelessly giving your purity to that imbecile boy!" She is clearly getting more and more disappointed.

"I told you, cheerleading. No good." Grandfather exclaims, still struggling to speak in English.

"Is that what you've been doing in school with all the late hours you've pulled? Is cheerleading just an excuse so you could make out with that boy. Who knows what you two have already done!" My grandmother adds her two cents into the conversation,

"Grandmother, no! I promise you... it's not like that. This is all just a misunderstanding, and I can expl...." Before I could finish, my mother cuts me off.

"Misunderstanding? The janitor saw YOU. With him. Half naked. Making out. If he saw you later, it scares me what more could he have witnessed." My mother continues to be hysterical.

"Mom. I'm sorry but will you please just let me explain?" I try to make her accept my words but she is clearly being swallowed by her emotions.

"Explain what? What else is there to explain, Andy? Will your explanation change the fact that you've brought disgrace into this family?!" She screams, now with tears in her eyes.

That is when I decide that whatever I say, they will not listen. I have lost their trist which is why I say "yes, it will change things." but only in my head.

"Everybody, calm down!" My father screams. "Andy, we are so disappointed in you." He says but in a calm manner.

"I know, Daddy. I'm sorry. You can ground me or make me do whatever you want. I'll even quit cheer. I'm really sorry. I'll prove it to you." I say with my head down and teaes start flowing down my eyes.

"Honey, your mom and I have already made our decision and we think it's going to be for your own good." He explains and lays down my passport on the coffee table with what-looks-like an airplane ticket.

"Daddy, I don't understand." I say, still not understanding my punishment. Am I going on a vacation or what.

My mother then decides to cut in and explain "You're going to China."

Then my whole world stopped.