PITIFUL CALEB [I]

Isabel hit the brakes as the traffic light turned red. She took a look at Evie who was trying her best not to show her trembling hands. They had been robbed and Evie was almost assaulted all because she had refused to let go of her pride and take help from Mike and one of Evie's friends.

She had hit the assaulter with her shoe until he had fallen unconscious to the ground and they had driven away immediately. She knew it would have been much worse if there had been more than one attacker. She just didn't understand how humans could be so vile. How could someone try to defile a young innocent girl?

The sound of a car horn behind her alerted her that the light had turned green and she started moving. She noticed her own hands were quivering and it was probably because of the man she had beaten up earlier. She hoped that he didn't die as she didn't want to become a murderer but she hoped the police would find him there with his gun and knife and every other evidence proving he was a thief. People like that and like David needed to rot in jail.

She made the last turn and stopped in front of a house that her GPS had shown as her destination. It was a big bungalow with a beautiful front lawn and a large gate. That was the only features she could see with her car's front light as it was almost midnight.

She confirmed from Evie that it was the right house before proceeding to ring the doorbell. She knew the best option was to call the owner through the phone but Evie was already traumatised and she didn't want to trouble her. She just hoped that she would let them in this night.

The gate slid open and she drove in and it slid shot. As she walked out of the car she saw a girl who seemed like she was the same age with Mike holding a controller. She was standing outside the bungalow in her nightgown and her sleep mask raised to her forehead. She went to hug Evie as soon as she came out of the car.

Isabel cursed herself inwardly as she carried Caleb out of the car. She had chosen pride before safety and it didn't just affect her but also Evie, Caleb and now this girl. She locked her car and followed as the girl who Evie introduced as Victoria led them into the house.

***** ***** *****

"Caleb Carlos! What do you think you're doing?"

Caleb froze at the unexpected sound of his sister. He had been doing the very thing she had asked him not to - get his hands wet. He wanted to help out in the daily chores since they moved in with Victoria but Evie would hear none of it. She had insisted that until his hands were completely healed, he wouldn't do any chore. Especially the ones that had to do with water.

But Caleb wanted to help her out and he was sure his hands were healed as they had returned to their normal size and color. Except from the reddish black spots scattered across his hands. And therefore he felt he was perfectly fit to work.

Keeping his back to her, he put the dish he was holding back into the sink and wiped his hands with a dry towel. Even though he tried to remain calm on the outside, his mind raced. Evie wasn't supposed to come in until after thirty minutes.

"You're back early. What happened?" Caleb asked as he turned to face her.

"Caleb, didn't I tell you not to do anything? All you just have to do is wait for me and you can't even do that?" Evie scolded.

"Evie, I'm sorry." Caleb lowered his head and raised his eyes as he looked at Evie through his lashes. "I don't mean to anger you. I just want to help. You and Aunt Isabel work so hard that you barely have time for yourselves. You barely have time for yourself."

"Look, Caleb. I get it that you want to help me but you're only going to make things harder for me if you continue to act on your own incentive. Do you want to make things harder for me?"

"No." Caleb said as he drew small circles with his toes.

"Then listen to me and do nothing. For now."

"But what about you? You aren't even preparing for your college entrance exams. Tori reads everyday but you're are either cleaning or washing or cooking or you're working part-time at the gas station." Caleb stifled a sob as he tried to swallow the tears that were threatening to roll down his cheeks. "In the night, you put your legs in cold water whenever you're studying but it doesn't help much as you still fall asleep at the end. Because you are overworking yourself." Caleb said as he finally let the tears run down his cheeks. He wiped his nose and continued.

"A brother should be the one taking care of his sister, not the other way round. I should be doing..." Caleb stopped abruptly when Evie bent over to hug him. She said nothing as she wrapped him in a bear hug until he stopped crying.

Even though the hug wasn't the solution he was looking for, it made him feel all his problems had disappeared. Right at that time all he thought about was how to bring his sister the warmth, care and protection she had given him all the years.

***** ***** *****

Mike watched as Joanna paced about the room anxiously. He rubbed his temples as his head ached slightly. Everything had happened so suddenly. He was in his room rejoicing over the fact that Eloisa and David were away when he heard his mother scream. He had rushed in to help her and she had insisted on getting a rest first.

After she had rested and had time to recollect, she announced that she had regained her memories. It felt like a dream when Joanna hugged him and expressed how much she had missed him and how she felt her life was meaningless after David took him away. He was glad that she finally remembered everything but he had no idea what to do. David had been deceiving her and once he found out she knows everything, he would take a drastic measure.

But that was the least of their problems. Joanna had remembered the siblings and didn't know what to do as she had wronged them when they were only trying to help her. He had suggested going to apologise to them but she doubted they would ever forgive her.

And even if they did, she couldn't bring them home without a reasonable excuse or David would get suspicious. If she wanted them to be safe, she needed to keep them away from David. Especially Michael. But she had no way of doing so.

Even though David had vandalised some of her properties a few years after their separation, she had let it go without informing the police. And although Isabel had claimed that he instigated her kidnapping, she had no evidence now. And she couldn't wait until he did something before she would act.

Isabel had tried to convince her of his evil intentions before. If there was anyone who could have something to use against him, it would be her. She picked up her phone and dialed after number. They agreed to meet and discuss in a secluded place.

She urged Mike and Ruth not to tell anyone about their discussion and they promised. Before the only people she had ever trusted were Ruth and Isabel but as she looked at Mike, she beamed with pride. She had hated that David took Mike away when he left her and she felt he would raise him to be a terrible person. But Mike had actually turned out to be trustworthy, sensible and different. Maybe it was because David was a better father than he had been a husband or maybe Mike just had developed good qualities on his own. Whatever the case, she was very proud of him.