Part 15

“Mom was ill for weeks. But she’s got better since last week, that’s why we’re throwing this thanksgiving. Besides, we have one more thing to be thankful for,” Nina explained, hurriedly when Elisa was seated on Nina’s bed. She was embarrassed that she swooned moments ago when she saw Ben’s mother, though it was a good thing, as they left her and Nina to talk it out.

Elisa’s head was spinning. Being back in the familiar house, staring back at Nina, who looks so much like him, being within the same vicinity of him and his family that was almost hers, did that to her. She thought that she was stronger than this.

“Don’t you want to know what another reason for us to be thankful for is?” Nina asked, smiling from ear to ear. Elisa gulped. Somehow her heart was beating so fast. She shrugged.

“Sure, why not,” she forced a genuine smile to form on her lips.

“Well, it’s a happy news for me, and it makes me start hoping again,” Nina said, fidgeting with the small towel in her hands. “But then, I know I shouldn’t say that because, well, after all it’s not my life to, well, you know,” she was now pacing back and forth in her room as she said it, not looking Elisa in her eyes at all.

“I don’t quite know how to break this to you, as, you know, I should not meddle, and mom told me to keep it a secret because he would want to tell you himself,” and now she was stammering.

“Nina, what is it?” Elisa said, cutting to the chase. Her anticipation is killing her and she wished that Nina would just spit it out.

“Wait, he? Did you say that by mistake or you really meant that your mom is male?” Elisa queried, which Nina responded by laughing out loud.

“Gosh, no, sis. Of course my mom is female and of course I did not say that wrongly,” Nina seemed to be contemplating for a while still pacing. She seemed to be considering a lot of things, which cause Elisa’s heart to pound harder and harder in her chest.

Frustrated, Elisa takes a deep breath and said, “For goodness’s sake, Nina,”

Finally Nina stopped her pacing, sat in front of her on the bed and looked straight into her eyes.

“Promise me you won’t freak out?”

“Ok,”

“Do you promise?”

“Yes, sure. Come on, just tell me,” Elisa urged, impatient. All sorts of possibilities flashed through her mind. What might it be?

“And don’t tell mom I told you,” Nina added in a stern warning.

“OK, yes, I won’t.”

“Sis..... My brother has remembered everything...”

Elisa’s mouth went agape. 

To be continued...