WHAT COMES AFTER THE END OF THIS

Chapter 67

Chapter 67

Yrene's PoV

I walk in an announce that I'm back home much to Ross's confusion,
"But you just left!"
"Well, now I'm back."
"Everything okay?"
"Yeah."
"No. Spill."
"I'll talk to you later; there's something I need to tell everyone first, please call them to the living room; I'll join you guys shortly."
"I'm asking again, what is it." He repeats, spacing out every word separately.
"Nothing. You'll get to know in a bit and then I'll talk to you tonight as well." I quickly add, remembering that what I have to say might upset him, "hopefully."
He nods silently, shaking his head and leaving in order to gather everyone.

"Hi, everyone."
Dazed, confused and some rather impatient eyes meet my hesitant ones as I look at them nod.
"There's something I need to tell all of you."
I begin, only for them to grow more confused.
"Yes, we gathered, now please if you could make this quick, Nene, I have a video conference to attend."
"Shut up, Ray!"
"Geez woman! Relax!" He says to his wife, who is cradling her slightly protruding belly.
"So..." I start again hesitantly before Ross grabs my hand in the manner that he knows always gives me courage to say what's on my mind; a trick he had learnt from Jason. I look at him and nod while he continues to rub soothing circles on the back of my palm.
"I've decided to shift to Oxford." I blurt out, only for my parents' eyes to bulge out of their sockets, Ross dropping my hand from the shock, Raymond standing up and Michele looking at me with a scrutinising gaze; studying me.
"What do you mean Yrene? Why?" My mother is the first to speak, in a very calculated tone.
"Well, I, mother, I have decided to finally get help for myself; I've looked into a few programmes and I have decided to enrol myself into one that will not affect my education."
"Not affect your education? How do you expect to complete high school, from Oxford?"
"Yeah... About that... Ummm... I kind of," I hesitate a little, wringing my hands anxiously, "I got into Oxford. The university."
If they were not surprised by my words earlier, judging by their mouths hanging open from their hinges, they are now.
"What?"
"When?"
"How?"
"Why?"
The questions being fired at me from all directions make my head spin at top speed and I have to take a few deep breaths before explaining to them, the secret I had kept hidden for about almost a year and the secret I had only created not four days ago.
"Um... I gave the early bird admission test for Oxford University when it was being taken, I mean I took it quite non seriously but somehow, I got lucky, and got accepted. I got an email from them three weeks ago and I accepted the offer four days ago, at the hospital, so there's no chance in hell I am backing away from this. With my acceptance, I have also emailed them about changing my major from mechanical to bio engineering as well as the slight limitations of the support programme, for my mental health, that I have have enrolled into."
I finish with an overdue sigh and they still have not stopped looking at me as if I have grown two heads.
"Bio engineering?" My mother arches a perfectly plucked eyebrow at me, as if to mock my rebellion against her when I had opted to go into the mechanical engineering field.
"Yes, mother, Bio engineering." I reply in a flat voice and just when I do a sudden flash of recognition passes over Ross, Michele and Raymond's face, their eyes alight with knowledge of having finally understood my reason. Ross is first one to stand up in my support even though I have not asked for anyone's; I don't need it because it's a decision I have made for myself and for Jason.
"I'm with you, sister, for now and for forever. It's a promise."
"Me too." Ray joins in and and I smile at him as he walks over and hugs me.
"Who am I to keep you from growing, then?" Michele walks towards the three of us enveloping me in a warm vanilla scented hug.
"Can someone, anyone, for the love of God, please explain whatever has happened in the span of the past fifteen minutes to me? My daughter has just told me that she is leaving us all to study in arguably the world's most prestigious university, get help for her mental health issues there, that she has also given up her age old dream to have become a mechanical engineer, which by the way, she fought of all us for and moreover, majority of her family is supporting her with this sudden decision?" My father looks at all of us accusingly, one by one, a vein prominent in his forehead due to the stress I have just delivered to him in a silver platter. Luckily Ross takes it from there,
"First things first, I have no damn clue about when she gave that test or accepted that offer but I do know why she has changed her major; her goal in life."
"Cars to enlighten us?"
"Well, mother, bio engineering was Jason's passion since day one but he couldn't pursue it as a career for the same reason you didn't want Yrene to study mechanical engineering; his parent wanted him to go into the business field. Unlike Yrene, he gave up on his real dream in order to be able to take over his father's empire and instead kept biology as his first minor and physics as his second and they let him do that because he was exceptionally smart, like Yrene, who hopefully will also be minoring in mechanics as a separate field and physics as another." As soon as he says this but he looks at me with pleasing eyes and my heart swells with gratitude for my brother who is wanting me to not give up on my own dreams at the same time, "Also, as far as her rehabilitation is concerned, I'm much too glad about that too, she needs help one way or another and it's better to get it herself than to be forced into it; I am happy that she understands the value of her life and the value she holds in ours, that she wants to improve." He looks at me and gives me a proud smile, "Although, I hate you more than anything for going to university before me and for soon having to leave me alone but to say the utmost least, I am so fucking proud of you Yrene Andrea Jones and thank you for proving to me once again that you are the strongest person I know." After Ray and Mishy also congratulating me on getting the admission and telling me how proud they are of me for having taken this step, I finally turn to my parents.

My father pats the spot next to him on the sofa, indicating for me to sit beside him on the clever clad cushions.
"Why did you the give the test without informing us?"
"It was done in a very non serious manner, as I said, I didn't even expect to get it but bless my stars, I did."
"How? You were in freshmen year when you gave the test, surely they cannot accepts such young students."
"Wow, father, I must say: you have a lot of confidence in my abilities," I reply with a hint of disappointment in my venom laced tone, "but in order for me to answer your question, I'd like to ask one of my own: What would you do if a student from freshmen year was able to achieve above average marks on a test made for people much older than myself, preferably senior or junior year?"
When he doesn't respond and chooses to smile at me instead, I continue, "Yes, exactly, that's what I thought. Not to mention when they asked for my achievements, I did send them recordings of the plays I acted in, my megathalon medals, debates certificates, dance choreographies etsectra. And now here I am also having already sent them the news of my final scores and promotion. As far as my mental health help is concerned it was something I decided for myself in the hospital at the suggestion of a nurse and for changing my major, Ross has given a very detailed explanation. Sometimes, one has to become selfless in order for someone else to have their dreams fulfilled, and father, I am doing just that; accept with a sense of caring for myself as well."
I finish off with a  polite smile which is mirrored by my grey haired father but is still the complete opposite of my black haired mother's frown which is deepening still.

"Okay. But how do you wish to live there? All alone."
To answer my dear mother, I fish out the tiny key from my handbag and show it to her; it's the spare key to Jason's penthouse apartment, the same one he had closed my fingers around a day before I last saw him. I hold it up and show it to her but she has no clue of what it is,

"It's the key to Jason's apartment; he left it to me before he went back. He wanted me to live with him during the summer and wanted me to have my own key. So here it is, and to answer your question, this is where I'll be living."
Her face softens and she attempts to give me a forced smile,
"Well," she closes her hands one around the other formally, nodding in my direction, "if that's what you want, then I do not see how we can stop you since you are as stubborn as your father, more so even but I am not very convinced about having you live on your own for so long."
"Indeed, mother, I am just as stubborn and nothing can stop me hence, I have not asked for your permission and much rather, have told you instead." I look around the room, at the mixture of proud, convinced and my mother's unconvinced face, not caring if my words had sounded harsh.

"Fine, then, when do you leave?"
"Semester starts in mid September so I'll leave around then. If you don't mind I'll want Ross to come with me and see me off as well as help me settle in, is that okay?"
"It's fine by me, and I am the main person whose opinion should be considered." Ross takes me into a side hug as soon as he says this and my parents approve as well.

"Now that this is all settled I'll be heading to my room."
I bid everyone adieu as Ross follows me up the stairs and to my door.
"We still need to tal, you know?"
"Ugh" I groan in annoyance before admitting him inside.