STEP 4: Go from Unnoticed to Family

One of the things I regret the moment I realized that I’m dead, was I never got the chance to hear and feel how my biological parents love me. Well, I never even had the chance to meet them in person, as they had abandoned me as an infant. I know somehow that they loved me, for Pete’s sake they wouldn’t have let me live if they didn’t right. Oh gosh, who am I trying to convince?
I was taken in by a couple who were fairly rich. But being adopted by a rich couple wasn’t really a fairytale. You see I was abused, not sexually, but physically. I wouldn’t call it discipline because discipline wouldn’t go as far as making you go to school with bruises, and cuts, let’s not forget the mental, and emotional scars.
Maybe dying is a good thing – yeah, it is, because now I no longer have to put up with all the beating, and torture. I’m a free man. But every time I look at my friends, no, they’re my family.
“You know, we look like the nannies of those three midgets,” I quoted pointing at Jeanny, Illian and Mil, making them laugh.
“I don’t actually know what’s in their heads, they’re so synchronized,” Daera said wondering.
“Synchronized in making our heads hurt,” Kaye butts in.
“Well, that’s partly true,” Daera agreed hesitantly.
“Partly?” I asked outraged by her answer. “Are you crazy?!”
“Guys, you’re supposed to be nannies right?” Mae reminded, deciding to join the fray. “You’re charges are already gone.”
“Illian is mine!” I immediately claimed before running to close the gap between me and the three: Jeanny, Illian and Mil.
“I’ll take Mil, she’s far better than Jeanny,” Daera followed.
“Okay, you left the worst with me,” Kaye sarcastically remarked before chuckling.
The moment I caught up with the three, they have their arms on each other’s shoulders as they walk down the stairs, with wide smiles on their faces. They act so immature, but I’m proud to say that I’m friends with this immature kids.
“Kiddies, please behave or nanny will get mad,” I told them in my fake nanny voice.
“You sure did use the word nanny,” Mae pointed out, making me turn around and the three to stop.
I smiled at Mae as I hear murmurs coming from Illian, Jeanny and Mil.
“Funny how I can see the top of your heads,” Mae jokingly inserted as Kaye and Daera caught up. “The three of you are so small.”
“We know, there’s no need to point that one out,” Daera uttered as she stood beside me.
The three who had a mini discussion, suddenly went and stood before us as they suddenly announced, “The three of us are triplets.”
It all started that day, when Jeanny, Illian and Mil formally announced their relation with each other. We named Mae as our mother since she’s the tallest, Daera was the first born, then me, followed by Eros and Clarck, we made them twins because they’re really inseparable, Kaye was next, and then the triplets: Illian, Mil, and Jeanny. Mae, Daera, Eris, Eros, Clarck, Kaye, Illian, Mil and Jeanny, we dubbed ourselves as a family and we even named ourselves as simply “Grace”.
The truth is I’m actually the youngest but why was I placed as the Second in our family? Simple, because among us I think and act several years ahead of my age. Maybe it’s because of my past or maybe….
Yeah, they’re the family who made me complete, they’re the people who made me realize that family is indeed worth protecting, even when that very same family is the reason why you’re crumbling.
One thing I hate the most even back in high school, Dance Practices. It sends you to heaven and leaves you in hell.
“Dae,” I whispered enough just for the two of us to hear, while walking towards the gates of our university.
“What?” she asked, as she spares me a glance.
“If Eros and Clarck are our brothers, then what’s our relation with Reiss?” I asked curiously. Well, the people included in our supposed to be family, are actually those that are with us frequently, meaning with the amount of time Reiss spends with us, more or less he would’ve landed himself a place in our tree.
Daera, the way she is, suddenly called everyone’s attention. “Guys, Eri asked what is our relationship with Reiss? The four of us are siblings so what’s he to us?”
My thoughts were like, best friend, childhood friend and sorts, because I may be am enjoying his company but I don’t want him as a part of our family. I want him as a friend, acquaintance, stuffed toy that we can hug and all sorts but I don’t want him as my brother, because this dysfunctional family that we have may have been nothing to them but I ‘m taking this seriously.
“Neighbor!” Eros suggested as he laughs.
“He’s also our sibling,” Clarck answered quietly.
“Yeah,” Daera agreed. “He’s our adopted brother.”
Despite the disappointment of how it turned out I smiled and agreed, Daera’s older and younger siblings are supposed to follow the older ones.
“He’s our adopted brother found lying on the side walk!” I added, making all of us laugh except Reiss.
“If that’s how it is, then I’ll just leave,” Reiss threatened.
“It’s just a joke silly,” Daera uttered.
“So he’s our adopted brother then,” I stated to confirm.
“Yeah,” Daera answered. “Adopted brother found in dog’s poo.”
“Hey! Can it be just brother?” Reiss demanded. “Brother without anything added to it.”
“Okay,” I replied in a sing song manner. “Welcome to the family bro.”
Soon our dysfunctional eleven-man family broke. We didn’t go on our separate ways, we just drifted apart we still retain our name as “Grace” but the bond has grown weak. I try to repair the thread but it’s beyond saving, the only thing that keeps it still is how I cling onto it or else I’ll lose my mind. Despite that I learned that Daera, Eros, Clarck and Reiss will never leave me, they’ll stay by my side for eternity. Is it really eternity? I’m gone now; will they keep my memory forever? No one knows.
I glanced at Eros, Daera and Reiss, taking in every single feature they have. I want to cross the other side but at the same time I want to stay. I want to stay with them and enjoy living with this family: Daera as my older sister, Eros as my older brother, Clarck as the silent brother, and Reiss as the other brother.