CHAPTER 10

SAN DIEGO WAS ALWAYS A BLESSING TO ME. Being around family was a treasure every body needed to embrace. This is were my family reined and although I was always away from them, I always felt a magnetic force of attraction pulling me back to this place.

It's where I belonged.

"Older sister, you've been away for a very long time, what have you brought for us??" Erika asked. She was smiling and seemed happy to be around me. I loved her so much.

Last time I saw her she occupied the space in both my hands yet now she was a fully grown girl. She was running on her feet and had a little sister too who's name I couldn't remember.

"Isn't my face enough for homage?" I asked and got her to blush. She covered buried her face in her hands and shied away.

I giggled and followed after her to what seemed like paradise.

I could see the beach and it was such a beautiful and magnificent sight. The waves were hitting the sand to and fro, over and over again and it was exquisite.

I lost myself looking at it and if I'd give a thousand dollars to relive this view everyday, I wouldn't hesitate to do so.

I loved the peace that came with the waves hitting the shore and the noise that followed when the water crushed upon rocks. The sand glittered beneath the blazing sun and the tiny coloured rocks looked like marbles spread all over the floor. A few dragon flies were flying all over the place and I imagined them as butterflies. This would be a perfect piece of art for Adam.

I quickly took my phone out and took a picture. I was going to show it to him later and maybe he'd love to produce art from it.

I looked at the pine trees swaying in the breeze and at this point, I had entirely fallen in love with this place. All this was just so calming and relaxing making me realise I'd find the solace I was hunting for. I smiled as I continued to take pictures of everything.

The vast collection of fishing boats and men cleaning them was a beautiful sight. Several kids were swimming and jumping into the water, splashing it over one another and making admirable scenes which I couldn't stop drooling after. I envied them.

My aunt Louisa looked at me and gestured for me to put my phone away. I ignored her and continued with it. When with her, stubbornness was what I was.

Besides, the people here seemed to be very good.

Since I came, no one shrieked upon seeing me nor asked for an autograph. As insane as it sounds, that was a huge relief.

Being the centre of attention had its advantages and disadvantages. It made you a diamond but you had to forget about privacy and that, wasn't where I wanted to be.

Despite the fact that my life was always on display, I loved my personal space.

"So what made you come back?" aunt Louisa asked and I took my shades off.

"That's quite some beach you have. You don't wanna share??"

"Why share something with someone who isn't interested?" she asked and the grin on my face faded. I knew exactly what she was getting at but I wasn't ready for a fight.

"So....Erika....when are you taking me to see the beach?" I jump-started another conversation.

Talking about my past with my aunt was pointless. She made me feel responsible for her behaviour towards me and I didn't like it. She was a coward. Instead of staying next to me and facing her misdeeds, she was against me and yet she was eating off of the plate I offered her everyday.

Pity woman!

"Do you want to go right now?" she asked.

"Oh yes please...." I smiled and began taking my cloths off.

I removed everything until I remained with a my bra and underwear.

"Have you no shame? Going about the beach naked like that???" she confronted me and I looked at myself. Maybe I had forgotten to put on underwear?

"Excuse me but how exactly am I supposed to swim in jeans? Isn't this how people dress when they go to a beach?" I asked folding my cloths and leaving them aside.

"Maybe in the city where you live but over hear people still maintain their cultural heritage and you don't find a girl parading naked in front of a whole people of which most of them are boys. If you want, do that in the city....not here ....I don't want you spoiling my kids....", she angrily threw the bottle she was carrying down and headed for the door. This was enough. I had tolerated her for years but not anymore. I matched behind her and followed after her outside the house through the back door.

"Louisa.... let's end it here and now! Confess and apologize for your sin...."

"Apologize? am sorry but please come again. Which sin am I apologizing for??"

"Don't act like you don't know. In the middle of the airport....that day...I still remember.....you snatched me from my mother and brought me to this place. You stole me and hence forth I never saw her again because of you. As devious as that was, you had me cast in a porn movie at 16. Are you a human???"

"Watch how you talk to me young lady.....behave yourself....don't forget you're in my house..." she pointed at me and it caused me to get angry at her her even more. She wasn't showing any remorse for her actions. The coldness of her soul was evident right in her eyes and the bitterness of it has spread through her entire body.

No wonder the words coming from her were gross.

"Watch my mouth?? Are you joking with me? And which house do you claim that is yours? You're feeding off of the money I send you every month. I am basically the head sponsor of this house. You would be rotting if not for me...so I want you to apologize to me right now!!!" I yelled at her. All my respect had vanished and I didn't have even an ounce of reverence for her.

Was I doing the right thing? Why yes it was.

I was only seven when my mother left. I don't know what happened but she was supposed to be taking me along. However when we got to the airport, she had a heated argument with her sister Louisa and it ended withe being snatched from my mom. Since then, I never saw my mother again. Everyday I longed and yearned for her. Hoping that maybe she would come out of the blue to see her beautiful girl. hoping that she would want to see me but unfortunately she never did.

I spent my life besides my aunt who then had me enrolled in an acting school.

'If you want to live here, you make money and contribute to the bill!' was all she said to me on that day.

I remember it very well.

At thirteen, I had my first movie debut and that's when I thankfully met Adam. I managed to get the role and that was when my career began.

When I turned 16, my aunt suggested I take my career to the next level. She said with the bodies going on in my body, I had become attractive and needed to start acting on adult movies.

I had no idea what she meant until she brought me to a man's office who had pictures of naked girls all over his walls.

It instantly hit me that I was going to be like them and water on their faces.

They were so cheap and evil. How could they even in the slightest think I would do that?

I matched out to find my own way and feet. That was the last I saw of my aunt.

"Little girl, you've grown up and know exactly just how to speak haven't you?" she asked in a very cool tone and I knew she was using her hypnotic charm on me.

After she got my attention, she walked out on me to what seemed to be her bedroom. I wasn't familiar with the house as it had been modified in a lot of ways. It seemed different from when I left it and a lot of improvement had been done.

I walked to the living room and Erika came back rushing to me.

"Older sister when are we leaving? Don't you wanna swim anymore??" she asked a bit worried. I completely forgot that we had to go swim. This talking with my aunt caused my blood to boil and brought to remembrance all the things that I buried away.

"We...we will go a little later, I promise", I kissed her head and got her smiling. She was already in her spongebob bikini too and it amused me knowing her favourite cartoon was the same as mine when I was her age.

"You like SpongeBob??" I asked while putting my shirt back on.

"No...I like Squidward...." she grinned and I got shocked. "Really? that's strange....."

"He has a good sense of humour..." she laughed and I looked at her before caressing her face and pulling my pants through. I fastened them and sat back down. What did such a little girl know about humour?

"Oh well...as for me..I've always loved Patri---"

"Eleanor...." my aunt called and I looked at her. A collection of white papers rained on me the moment I turned to face her. She sneered with n disgusted and demeaning look.

My words must've angered her enough I knew that very well. I wasn't pleased either. Talking about our past over and over again was painful. I wanted us to move on and make amends for our relationship.

"That...is all the cheques you have been writing to me.....I issued not a single one!!" she replied and her words came as a thorn in my flesh.

"Wh-what???" I asked in surprise. o bent down and picked them one by one to confirm her words and it was true. She never issued any one of them. Then who was running the household if not her? I know she didn't have a job to do....her husband left her, then what the source of their money.

"I agree I did you an injustice. But let's get one thing clear here and now! I guess you're grown up to make your own decisions....now you decide. On that day, your mother was ready to make her fullproof plan come alive. She spent her life as a stripper in New York and got pregnant. She gave birth to the baby because she couldn't afford an abortion at that time...."

"You are lying! My mother was a shopkeeper. She had a shop here....down town....she seller all sorts of candy, sweets and chocolates...",

"That was when she wasn't busy at night or if her schedule wasn't tight...."

"OhMyGoodness..." I had my hand on my chest and a pricking sensation became strong. My cheeks flushed with hot blood and I started trembling. I lost strength in my legs and became weak falling to the ground, hitting my head against the wooden table in the middle of the room. I tasted bitterness in my mouth like I had been told to chew down an aloevera leaf.

Tears streamed down my face and everything became so blurred. My thoughts, my senses, everything. I didn't know what was and what wasn't anymore.

One thing was for certain, I shouldn't have come here.