FAMILY - PART ONE

“AELLA I NEED TO TALK TO YOU.” SOL SAID LOOKING AT AELLA.

“YES. SURE.” AELLA REPLIED SITTING BACK ON HER CHAIR.

“IN PRIVATE.” SOL ADDED LOOKING AT AX. AX THEN LOOKED AT AELLA.

“THERE IS NOTHING LIKE IN PRIVATE HERE SOL. HE IS MY FAMILY AND HE HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO KNOW ABOUT EVERYTHING.”

“BUT...”

“NO. I SHOULD LEAVE.” AX SAID AS SOL WAS ADDING TO HER PREVIOUS STATEMENT.

“WAIT! AX!” AELLA SHOUTED LOOKING AT SOL WHEN AX STARTED TO LEAVE THE PLACE.

“THERE IS NO NEED TO BACK OFF NOW. YOU ARE READY FOR THIS.” AELLA SAID AND NODDED AT HIM. HE LOOKED AT SOL AND CAME BACK TO HIS SEAT.

“SO...TELL ME WHAT IS IT...?” AELLA INQUIRED.

“DO YOU REMEMBER ANYTHING FROM THE TIME WHEN WE HAD THE ISSUE WITH THE LIASONS...?”

AELLA NODDED.

“HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE PROMISED TO EACH OTHER AT THAT TIME...?” SOL ASKED AELLA WITH A FLAT FACE.

“I REMEBMER EVERYTHING.” AELLA ANSWERED FOLLOWING SOL’S GAZE AND SETTING HER EYES ON THE CASE AND LETTING OUT A SIGH.

“DON’T WORRY SOL. I’M NOT OBSESSED WITH ANY OF THE TECHNOLOGY. BUT I HAVE TO DO IT SO THAT WE CAN GET SOME HELP FROM HIS RECORDS. AND MOREOVER I DON’T WANT TO LOSE ANY OF YOU.”

AELLA SAID LOOKING AT SOL AND AX.

“I KNOW THAT YOU NEED A NEW CARDIAC TRANSPLANT SOL.” AELLA SAID LOOKING AT SOL. SOL GOT NUMB AS SHE HEARD HER WORDS.

“HOW...HOW DID YOU KNOW THIS...?” SOL ASKED AELLA WHO’S EYES WERE MISTY.

“WHAT? DID YOU THOUGHT THAT IF YOU DON’T TELL ME...I WON’T BE ABLE TO FIND OUT...?” AELLA SAID PUTTING HER HEAD ON ONE SIDE, ABOVE HER SHOULDER.

“I...I...” SOL STAMERRED.

“WHAT SOL...?”

“I DIDN’T WANT TO GET YOU WORRIED OVER THIS.”

“WHAT ARE YOU SAYING...?”

“I DIDN’T TELL YOU BECAUSE YOU ALREADY ARE GOING THROUGH A LOT. AND I JUST WANTED TO SOLVE THIS ON MY OWN.” SOL SAID LOOKING AT AELLA AND TURNING HER GAZE TO THE SCREEN.

AELLA SCOFFED. AX LOOKED AT HER AND THEN AT SOL. HE WAS CONFUSED AND WORRIED AT THE SAME TIME.

“I JUST WANTED...”

“WHATEVER SOL BUT I DIDN’T EXPECT THIS FROM YOU. AND HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE...?” AELLA SAID STANDING UP FROM HER CHAIR.

“THREE WEEKS.” SOL SAID WITHOUT MAKING AN EYE CONTACT WITH AELLA.

“ONE WEEK.” AELLA SAID SLAMMING HER HAND ON THE TABLE AND LEAVING THE BASMENT FURIOUSLY. AX STOOD UP BY THE SUDDEN AGRESSIVE REACTION OF AELLA. HE DID NOTHING BUT STOOD THERE LOOKING AT SOL WHO WAS ALSO IN ANGER. HE MOVED CLOSE TO HER AND TURNED HER TOWARD HIM...AND HUGGED HER. SHE DID NOTHING BUT STOOD THERE. HER HEART WAS BEATING SO FAST THAT AX WAS ABLE TO FEEL THAT AGAINST HIS CHEST. HE PATTED ON HER HEAD AND RUBBED HIS BACK TO COMFORT HER.

“I DON’T KNOW ABOUT ANYTHING IN DETAIL. BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD US BEFORE.” HE SAID PARTING FROM THE HUG AND CUPPING HER FACE IN HIS HANDS.

“WOULD IT HAVE CHANGED ANYTHING...?”

“MAYBE NOT.” HE SAID.

SHE LOOKED AT HIM TAKING HIS HANDS OFF HER FACE AND TURNED TOWARD HER SCREEN AND STARTED WORKING ON HER GIVEN PROJECT OF BACIS MODEL. AX JUST STOOD THERE...WATCHING HER FACE...HOLDING ANGER AND GUILT. THEN HE MOVED TOWARD THE DOOR AND STOPPED AT THE DOORSTEP.

“SOL...?” HE SAID. SHE DIDN’T REPLY.

“I HOPE YOU KNOW THAT IT'S OUR HOME.”

SAYING THIS HE LEFT HER ALONE WITH HER ANGER AND FRUSTRATION.

“FINALLY SHE HAVE TAKEN THEM DOWN.THEIR LAB WAS COMPLETELY GONE. NOTHING WAS LEFT. NOT EVEN A BIT OF INFORMATION.” AURTHER SAID LOOKING AT THE SCREEN.

“HMM... IMPRESSIVE.” SAID ONE OF HIS MASTERS FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SCREEN. AUTHERE NODDED.

“WHAT WAS HER NAME...?”

“AELLA MASTER.” AURTHER REPLIED WHEN THE OTHER MAN ASKED HIM ABOUT HER.

“I HOPE THAT WE WILL MEET HER SOON.” SAYING THIS THE SCREEN WENT BLANK AND AURTHER LEFT HIS INVISIBLE ROOM AND ENTERED BACK TO HIS OFFICE.

HE SAT BACK IN HIS CHAIR AND LOOKED AT A PICTURE OF HIM AND AELLA. ALL THE MEMORIES CAME BACK TO HIS MIND. HOW HE RAISED HER AND MADE HER DO ALL THESE TERRIBLE THINGS. HOW HE TURNED HER INTO A LIVING WAR MACHINE. HE WAS NOT HAVING ANY KIND EMOTIONS TOWARD HER...BUT SOMEHOW HEFELT GUILT WHENEVER HE SAW HER IN FRONT OF HIM.

AELLA WAS SITTING ON A BENCH IN THE GARDEN WHEN SOL CAME TO HER IN EVENING. AELLA KNEW THAT IT WAS HER BUT SAID NOTHING BUT SAT STRAIGHT.

“WHY ARE YOU OUTSIDE...?” IT’S GONNA COLD AND DARK.” SOL SAID SITTING NEXT TO HER ON THE BENCH. AELLA SAID NOTHING BUT KEPT SILENT. SOL KNEW THAT SHE WAS NOT GONNA TALK TO HER.

“I KNOW YOU ARE ANGRY WITH ME. I’M SORRY THAT DIDN’T TELL YOU. BUT YOU WERE SO BUSY AND OCCUPIED WITH OTHER THINGS THAT I FELT LIKE IT WILL BE A BURDEN FOR YOU IF I TELL YOU. I DIDN’T MEAN TO HURT YOU OR MAKE YOU ANGRY. BUT AT THE SAME TIME I DIDN’T WANTED TO GET YOU WORRIED ABOUT ME.” SOL SAID KNOWING THAT AELLA WAS LISTENING TO HER. THEN SHE STOOD UP AND STARTED TO WALK AWAY FROM AELLA.

“HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT AFTER ALL THESE YEARS...?” AELLA SAID MAKING SOL’S FEET STOP. SOL TURNED TO FACE AELLA.

“DID YOU FORGET...?” AELLA ASKED HER. SOL LOOKED AT AELLA WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING.

“WE ARE FAMILY.”

TEARS STARTED TO FALL OFF SOL’S EYES WHEN AELLA SAID THAT. THESE WERE THE SAME WORDS SAID BY AX WHEN HE LEFT HER ALONE IN THE BASEMENT.

AELLA STARTED MOVING TOWARD SOL.

“DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH YOU MEAN TO ME. HOW CAN YOU RISK YOUR LIFE LIKE THIS...? WHAT IF I WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN TO THIS...? WERE YOU GONNA LEAVE ME AND AX LIKE THIS...?” AELLA CONFUSED HER WITH ALL SORT OF QUESTION.

“DO YOU KNOW WHAT AX TOLD ME SOME DAYS BEFORE...?” AELLA ASKED SOL LOOKING AT HER WET EYES.

“HE TOLD ME THAT HE NEVER FELT THAT HE DOES NOT HAVE A MOTHER. YOU KNOW WHY...? BECAUSE HE THINKS OF YOU AS HIS MOTHER.” AELLA SAID KNOWING WHAT IT MEANT TO SOL AND HOW IT CAN TURN INTO A BAD IDEA TO TELL HER SO.

“I’M HIS MOTHER...?”