A Gray Place Between Black And White

Chapter 3

Karina's POV

From a distance, I saw two people hugging a few metres away from the plum tree, as I inched closer I made out Carmela and Drew. "Drew!" I shouted excitedly, Carmela motioned to Drew to turn around since in my excitement i forgot Drew can't hear me shout his name,I ran the few metres towards him engulfing him in a bear hug, his scent was a mixture of vanilla and cologne. "Oh wow, if i knew i would get such a royal welcome from you two, i would have come sooner" he said in between chuckles after we broke the hug, Carmela and I both laughed. "We weren't expecting you back until next week what changed?" I asked. Drew is an automotive mechanic, he works at the biggest garage in town; Pamper Your Ride. He was excellent and confident at his job and was one of the best employees, he was awarded a 3-week long contract by a garage in New York and as you can see, we've missed him...a lot. "Thanks to Mr. Skillful here, we completed three days earlier" he said pointing to himself. 
"That's great news Drew" I said.
Drew can read lips and he's very good at it. We only sign with him when there are other people around who are not family or friends, when we talk too fast or when we speak in Spanish. Although we talk a bit slower than normal when addressing Drew, we don't speak as one would to a little child, Drew really hates that. "Well I hope you got extra cash" Carmela said with a wink. Drew laughed, "yeah I did"
"Well shall we?" I motioned to the plum tree. Ever since we became friends, we would meet at the park on days when we weren't visiting, we would sit beneath the plum tree and talk about life and things that bothered us. We sat down on the grass and got comfortable. "So Drew, how did you know we were gonna be here?" I asked.
"I was actually coming over to your place when I spotted Carmela and decided to give her a little surprise, you should have seen her go into Vandamme mode when I covered her eyes from behind. If I didn't have quick reflexes, I would be nursing a broken arm by now" he said chuckling. I laughed hard at Carmela. "It's not my fault he decided to be a creep" she said pouting. "Señorita Vandamme, ever ready to break bones" I teased. "Oh shut up Rina" she said playfully. "So what's that something you need to tell me, am still voting you got laid."
"Wait, what?!" Drew said in a panicked tone more like a feeling of hurt. Carmy and I looked at each other quizzically.
"Is everything alright Drew?" Carmy asked. Drew scratched his hair, "umm...everything's fine, I just uh...didn't expect that."
"Carmela's just messing around as always. I don't know what's in for her if I happen to get laid"
"Oh Rina, you should know, I get to hear all the juicy details" she said wiggling her eyebrows.
"How did I end up with a pervert as my best friend?" I said shaking my head
"Says the world's most pervert girl" Carmela likes to tease...a lot
"Says the galaxy's most pervert girl" I shot back.
**throat clears**
"In as much as I miss you girls bickering, I would really like to hear what Karina has for us."
"Eager much Drew." Carmela replied.
"Well, my dad's best friend is coming back to town after 17 years and he's coming with his son." I said the word son with so much venom in my tone.
"Ermm...Karina you might break your knuckles." Drew said pointing to my right hand. I hadn't noticed I had clenched my fist so hard.
"Rina, are you uncomfortable with them coming back?" Carmela was clearly worried. "No am not. Mr. Nicholas is a very kind man and he loves me just as my dad, my problem is his son, Raymond"  His name tasted like bile in my mouth.
"You hate him don't you?" Drew asked, ever the observant one.
"More than you can imagine guys. When they left town I was six. I was both happy and sad, happy that I never had to set my eyes on that monster again and sad that I wouldn't get anymore chocolate milkshakes from Mr. Nicholas. Dad did hear from him once in a while but they lost contact five years ago and today dad got a package from him with a letter stating his arrival. I didn't even see what else was in the box, I had an argument with dad and walked away. He says I should get over my issues with Raymond and be friends with him this time around but he can't expect me to just stop hating the guy. Both fathers know we both hate each other." I ended
"Wow you never told us this Rina" Carmela said as she held my hand.
"I'm sorry for not telling you guys, I thought they would never come back to town so I deemed it unnecessary to tell you guys since it happened when I was six. You guys have told me everything and it's unfair on my part."
"It's alright Karina, but then what did that guy do to make you hate him so much?" Drew asked and I gulped, I got tensed whenever I got that flashback.
"Well, if you guys could remember, the first time we played twenty questions, Drew asked me what was something that wasn't too scary that I was scared of and I said swimming"
"Yeah. I had even offered to teach you several times but you always said no and you never watch Carmela and I swim"
"Well that's because I have aquaphobia. Any source of water causes an excessive  amount of anxiety in me and can eventually lead to a panic attack. When my mum died, I was the one who found her...afloat in the swimming pool, I was just four and the incident affected me a lot. I kept getting nightmares and a strong aversion to water. At age five, I got diagnosed with aquaphobia and I started psychotherapy. I was doing quite okay till Raymond did what he did when I was six. I got a relapse and started the therapy from scratch. Now that I'm older and I've gone through therapy for a few years, I can deal with my aquaphobia better than when I was younger. Unfortunately for me, I can't seem to overcome it but since I can use and be around water without panicking am okay. I just panic a bit when I see water bodies like the lake, river, sea, swimming pool or even a bathtub or water in a sink. I don't get close to them, I don't look at pictures of them and I don't think about them."
"I'm tongue tied Rina, you never told me the cause of your mum's death. I'm so sorry about everything you've been through."
Carmela said whilst wiping her cheeks. Drew proceeded to give me a comforting hug, he wasn't too good at expressing certain emotions.
"What was it Raymond did when you were six that made you get a relapse?" Drew asked softly and with caution, he knew it was a touchy subject.
"...and that's what made me end up hating him so much. I did sort of take a revenge on him a week after I was discharged from the hospital. I found out something about him and used it for my revenge, they moved a few weeks later. I found out he was..."
"You know you shouldn't have done that right? I know what he did was horrible but am sure there is an explanation for that. Maybe if you guys talk about it, you would understand where you both went wrong and apologize to each other. That way you don't need to hate each other anymore. Two wrongs do not make a right Karina."
"No Drew" I said shaking my head, "it will never happen. My dad and Mr. Nicholas do not know Raymond is the one who did that to me and also that I was the one who let out Raymond's secret. We are the only ones who know this and I will never forgive him for what he did." I said, tears cascading my cheeks. I wiped them off harshly, I hated crying, it made me feel weak and helpless but I was such a crybaby.
"Am so sorry Karina, I didn't mean to make you cry...I just...shit, please stop crying. I don't want hatred to destroy you Karina that's why I said that"
Drew was clearly unhappy he had made me cry, he looked guilty.
"Maybe we should continue this discussion another time. The air is thick with strong emotions right now, but Rina I agree with Drew, hatred is not a good thing and not for a beautiful soul like yours. I know it's not easy but the past is in the past, please give this a thought and let go. We aren't asking you to make the guy your best friend, you already have us, just have a talk with him sometime when he's back and settle this feud once and for all. We care about you Rina."
"I know you guys care about me but I didn't expect to hear this. How do you expect me to forgive such a horrible person, there's nothing to justify what he did to me" I realised I was raising my voice and my friends looked guilty,sad and hurt.
"I want to be alone...please" I said softly
"Karina we are sorry if we offended you but if you give it much thought you will understand our point. And we can't just leave you here by yourself when it's already a few minutes past six and the park is empty, and definitely not in this state" Drew was worried, he hated it whenever I said I wanted to be alone just as much as Carmela.
"Rina, at least let us walk you home." Carmela chipped in.
"Fine then." We walked in silence to my house each one with their own thoughts.

***
I stood at the front door and watched as my friends made their way home in opposite directions; Carmela lived three houses away from mine and Drew two streets before ours.
I was emotionally drained, I needed music and sleep. I left a note for my dad in the kitchen telling him I won't be having dinner. I had a quick shower, plugged in my earphones and drifted into sleep cuddling my teddy bear.