Haunted Nights, Chapter 29
by SIPort

 

“ To tell the truth? A game? Simone, what are you talking about?”

Eve looked at her daughter. There was such anger in Simone’s eyes, it frightened her. Eve reached out to hold her daughter’s hand, but Simone withdrew.


” Let’s talk.” Simone sat on the bench, back stiff as a board. The demeanor of a 4-star general. “ Aren’t you wondering where I’ve been, Mom?”


” Yes, Honey. I’ve been worried sick about you.”

“ Because you LOVE me so much.”


” Yes, Baby, I love you. With all my heart. Simone, I..I don’t like your tone. You seem angry with me. What did I do to make you so mad?”


” Let me tell you a story, Mom. When I left Harmony, I did some traveling, and I wound up in Chile.”


” Yes, I know. You sent us those wonderful gifts. WE were all so happy to get them. Including Whitney.”


” Yeah. Well, while I was in Chile, I met this man. He was kind. He was sweet. We had an instant connection.”


” Is this about a man? Did you fall in love? Did it end badly? Is that why you want to come home?”


” You think this is about some broken romance?” Simone rolled her eyes.


” Simone, tell me what it is.”

“ He was an older gentleman. He wanted me to get my life together. He gave me a job and got me enrolled in college. “


” Honey, that sounds wonderful.”

“ He’s writing a book. I’m helping him. “

” That must be interesting.”


” One night, I was going through a box of pictures. Organizing them. And, guess what I found?”

Eve shrugged her shoulders.


” I found the picture of you, as a little girl.”


” Me? I…I don’t understand.”


” Neither did I. Especially when I turned over the picture and saw the writing – My darling daughter and her pony, Shelby.”

Eve looked like she was going to pass out.


” Did I hit a NERVE, Mother?”, Simone asked.

” Well, um, no.  I..I..”

” Mother, please understand that the words you say right now will determine the future of our relationship. If I even THINK that you are uttering anymore LIES to me, I’ll wash my hands of you.”

  ” Simone..”, Eve pleaded.

” So, it’s true. It really is true. You know I couldn’t believe it. I sat there, staring at the picture. I went back and forth. It is you. It isn’t you. It has to be a mistake. I mean, there’s NO WAY that you could be that little girl.”


” You know, maybe it wasn’t..”


” STOP! Don’t utter the words, Mother. I told you. No more lies. I have a question. And, you better answer it. IS Warren Johnston your father? Yes or No.”


Eve stared at her daughter for the longest time, then looked down as she responded. “ Yes.”

Eve looked up to see Simone shaking her head.


” Yes? Is that ALL you have to say, is YES? YES, Simone, Warren Johnston is my father. YES, Simone, I lied to you EVERY DAMN DAY of your life. YES, Simone, I denied you a relationship with your grandparents. YES, Simone, I did put myself out there as THE perfect mother, but I failed to tell you a few things. Like I used to drink. Like I used to do drugs. Like I used to be a singer in sleazy night clubs. Like I dropped out of Radcliffe. Like I found myself  UNMARRIED and PREGNANT when I was no older than you are now. But, all YOU could say is YES.”

  “ Simone..”

” I can’t believe I held you as the ULTIMATE role model. You were the beginning and the end of what I thought being a woman was all about..did you know that? You were everything I dreamed of being…and now, I know it’s all a lie.” Simone had tears in her eyes.

 ” Simone…”

” Liar. L-I-A-R. That is ALL you are. Do you know how it feels to know that one of two people you’re taught since birth  would ALWAYS be truthful with you, is a liar. I’ll tell you how it feels. It sucks. It absolutely sucks. It’s like waking up, and knowing that the sky is blue, it suddenly turned purple, with no explanation. All the things I thought I could count on, are gone.And, what’s there to replace it? Nothing.”

 ” Baby, I’m so sorry.”

” Sorry. Yeah, you’re sorry alright. Does Daddy have A CLUE? Any at all?”


” No.”


” I…I thought I could deal with you. I thought,  as long as you gave me the truth, I could take it. I was wrong. Because the more I look at your face, the sicker it makes me. The angrier I get. I hate you. I hate you. I HATE YOU.” Simone reaches out to pound that into Eve, and out of nowhere, Julian appears.


” Eve, are you alright?”

Simone was startled by the sight of Julian Crane, and as her mind processed it, a light bulb went off.


” Oh my God. YOU. YOU’RE him. You’re the rich White man who dropped his seed and didn’t stop.”

 Julian looked at Simone. “ What?”

” Oh don’t play stupid with me.” Simone turned back to Eve. “ Admit it. Admit that THIS asshole got your pregnant and left you.” Eve was in shock. “ Yeah, HE told me EVERYTHING.”

” Oh…my…God….”, Eve muttered.

” You know what? I can see it on your face that I put 2 and 2 together and have come up with Julian Crane. Tell me…where IS my sibling? Did you throw him or her in the garbage ?”

” Stop it, Simone. You don’t understand…”

 ” I know I have a sibling that’s older than Whitney. And since I didn’t grow up with such sibling, I can only conclude that he/she was ‘inconvenient’ for you, and you couldn’t be bothered. What a cold bitch you are, MOTHER.”

” Stop it. You stop talking to your mother like that.”

 ” Unless you’re willing to admit being the Baby Daddy, you don’t have SHIT to say to me. Did you help her get rid of the kid? Both of you went on with your lives, and the kid got thrown away?”

” Simone..”

” Julian Crane….of all people. I know that Daddy doesn’t know THAT. I know it, because Julian would be DEAD if he did. You and Julian Crane?”

Julian looks at Eve, dumbstruck as to what to say.


” Simone…yes, Julian is the father of my oldest child. No, I didn’t give him away.”


” Him…I have a brother?”


” Had a brother.”


” Had? He died?”

“ Yes and no.”


” What the hell does that mean – yes and no.”

” For a long time, I believed my son died just a few hours after he was born. Then, about a year ago, I began to suspect differently…and, just recently, Julian and I got the truth confirmed.”


” Which is?”


” That our son was kidnapped at birth.”


” Kidnapped? You have to be kidding.”


” No. “


” By whom?”


” My father.”, Julian spoke up.

” Your father?”

” He’s an unrepentant racist who never wanted Black blood to soil the Cranes. In addition, he wanted me to marry Ivy, because it was a great business deal. Get rid of your mother and our son, and he knew I was a coward. I would fall in line, which, sad to say, I did. I’m looking for our son now.”

Simone stared at Eve and Julian. “ I’m sick of looking at you. Can’t take anymore. I’m outta here.” Simone started towards the elevator.

Eve began to walk after Simone, who turned back.


” HE loves you, ya know? He dreams about that last night together all the time. He’s old. If YOU want some forgiveness, Mother, then you best be about doling out some yourself.”

Simone ran and got on the elevator just before the door closed.

Eve cried in Julian’s arms. “ Oh Julian, it’s all over.”


Chapter 30
 Chapter 28
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