12/XII. O Cloudy Day (Remastered)

“Lord, thank you so much for this food, for the two children I have here with me at the table who is celebrating their eighth birthday.” Matthew smiled as he opened his eyes.

The butler said grace and thanked the Lord for the blessings that day for their eight birth day.

The feast beyond the long table was not only for their eyes but for their stomachs.

Matthew prepared European and Asian delicacies as he looked and researched through the encyclopedias at the study room.

The luscious cake in the middle of the table appeared to be the most enticing meal of all.

Arthur and Johnny gouged at the broccoli with cheese near the vegetable part of the table while Matthew enjoyed his slice of chicken schnitzel.

Not an hour has passed, and the three ate to their fullest and felt bloated from the amount of festivities that they gobbled up.

From beyond the dining room, Arthur retraced Emily’s steps that day in the mansion with the power of the Oracle.

He was able to see the past hours in the mansion.

Usually, Emily would be at home celebrating with Johnny and dismissing Arthur at their birth day, but today was a bit different.

With his eyes of Oracle, a mist of Emily’s shadow walked through as part of the mansion’s history.

From his mother’s bedroom, he saw the shadow scribbling and writing a letter in a stationary paper.

Tears fell down the shadow’s eyes as she wrote intently and heart-fully on that piece of paper.

He followed the shadow to their bedroom and noticed that the shadow put the stationary white paper in one of the drawers in the night stand near the bedside.

Besides where Johnny would sleep, the shadow knelt and wiped the tears from its eyes and the illusion of the past was gone to the mists.

Matthew and Johnny looked at each other’s eyes observing Arthur from the adjacent dining room. Puzzled by Arthur’s weird eyes, they tried to interrupt what Arthur was doing, but decided not to, since his concentration was off the charts.

Matthew began cleaning the dining table, and Johnny helped him do so.

Arthur drew closer to the nightstand. His steps feeble and slow, he deduced what was on that letter, but he was hesitating looking at it to confirm his deductions.

With his eyes closed and his hands still trying to not unravel the drawer, he only sighed and gave in.

He gently pulled the drawer door, and lifted the piece of paper left there by their mother.

Arthur doesn’t want to read the letter, but he wanted to see the expression of his biological mother when she was writing the letter.

He brought out the power of Oracle once more and closed his eyes as he looked into the past.

In that instance, he saw Emily in her bedroom, crying again and again, and again, tears falling down her cheeks down to the piece of paper while she’s writing her goodbyes.

She only wrote about Johnny, but as she folded and closed the letter, Arthur can hear her whisper, “Arthur, please take care of your brother.”

As Arthur opened his eyes, he was surprised to see himself reflected in the mirror, his eyes contained tears that should have fallen down years ago.

For the first time, he heard Emily call him by his name and it became a heart-breaking point for the angel of mercy.

The feelings and emotions he held back for a long period of time went flooding in, the sound of his mother’s voice calling his name for the first time, and along with the realization that she abandoned them at the same time all hit the child in the midst of euphoria.

He didn’t understand any of the emotions he’s feeling right now – happiness, loneliness, disappointment, distress, and excitement all in one jab.

As he was pulled back to reality, the angel realized the gravity of the situation and the meaning of the letter.

Arthur sensed that Matthew and Johnny knew something was up with Emily, but had no idea that Arthur picked up the white stationary letter that Emily left.

Having her clothes and bags gone the day was not a first occurrence for the Smith household.

She worked as a nurse, during the day, she helped with the injured, their medical aids and many things, and during the night, either she stayed at the hospital rooms for the nurses or she come back home to get her clothes for the next day.

No one knew that she ran away except for Arthur who tried to read the letter.

Matthew began picking up the left over and putting it inside the refrigerator. “Matt, can you… call Dad?” Arthur stepped out of the bedroom with the letter in his hands and went straight to the dining room.

He appeared to be gloomy once more after the festivities has been eaten.

“Sure, just let me put these away first.” Matthew smiled back to the child. Arthur tapped Johnny’s shoulder and the two kids took the dirty dishes to the dishwasher. “Thanks for helping, kids.” He added.

He noticed Arthur’s visible hesitation in discussing about their mother but asking for their father who was not clearly present was a bit odd.

“Art, is there something wrong?” The butler asked, not expecting a real answer, but realizing he asked at the wrong time.

Arthur stood quiet, putting down the dish he just washed and gazing through Matthew’s eyes.

He wanted to directly tell him what he saw through the Eyes of Oracle, he opened his mouth, but it seemed that he cannot form comprehensive words to explain what he just felt.

“I…” Arthur trailed off and faced the wall in the kitchen away from the curious eyes of Johnny and Matthew.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BOYS!” A shout from the hallway echoed at the empty and barren mansion, it reached the kitchen next to the dining room, and the voice immediately lifted up the spirits of the twin.

Surprised and shocked, the three peeked out from the dining room onto the staircase down the lobby of the mansion.

“Dad!” Johnny came running out of the kitchen to meet his father.

Arthur slowly held his emotions as he glanced from the second floor, Johnny embracing their father on the staircase.

He lifted him up and hugged the boy, and it’s only natural for a father to miss his boys.

He was away for almost two years without much face time with his children.

Arthur grew cold of the dismissal from his mother and the absence of his father, but seeing him face to face melted the ice and for the first time in two years, he smiled heartily.

“I’ve got a present for you two.” Johnny’s eyes glowed far more as Edward pulled out papers from his coat-pocket.

“Muwah!” He kissed Johnny’s cheeks as he laid out the papers down to the carpeted second floor.

“You seemed happy, father. What’s that?” Arthur curiously shuffled next to Johnny, hiding his awkwardness to his own father.

He stepped out of the dining room and met his father at the hallways and glanced at the papers he just gave to Johnny.

Johnny grabbed one of the envelopes and the plastic rear side showed, “UK Airline.” He read.

“We’re moving to London!” His eyes glimmered as he showed the tickets to the twins.

Expecting the same enthusiasm from the two, he was met with disappointment and more of an appalled reaction.

“Moving, sir? That’s… great? Isn’t it, kids?” The silence of the two while Matthew tried to hop on his Master’s enthusiastic spirit made it more unbearable for everyone to speak their mind.

The two kids stayed silent and unmoving, both were shocked with this announcement. With their life on the line, and their work as the LAPD consultants, the move would mean everything would change.

The twins opened their mouths, but hesitated to voice out their concerns.

“Kids?” Edward expected a warmer reception of the news.

“But… what about our school? And… our friends?” Johnny broke the silence, and Arthur just stared blankly at the envelopes.

Though they were secret informants and consultants of the Special Crimes Division, the two became greatly acquainted and close with everyone in the department, especially the Chief Superintendent Paul.

From Greg, who has two children, one of which was their classmate on the first grade, to Gale, who remained single but cared for her parents at home, to Wilson, Greg’s partner who got reassigned to filing and records, who has two kids as well.

And James, who is a playboy, and continued to be a playboy despite many crimes involving passion, love, and jealousy.

From Chase, who lead an isolated life assisting the Division for their techy needs, friendly, yet creepy at times, to Thirteen, who is confused of being a girl or a lesbian most of the times, and to their newly recruited Scott, who stayed quiet seeing the two kids undercover at times that they stake out a suspect.

They’ve grown close the gang and solved almost a hundred cases –some piping hot and some cold, from across the states.

“Don’t worry, you can also have good friends in London, and you can always talk or reach your friends here. I’m gonna set-up an internet and landline for you to… you know, talk to them when you missed them, right?” He’s doing his absolute best to convince the two to move with him to London.

Arthur gulped and looked down in disappointment.

“But it’s different, Dad. It’s always different face to face.” Johnny reasoned out.

Face to face, that’s what they lacked in their relationship, he may be at phone once or twice a week checking up on the kids, but his touch, his hugs, his words, his face, that’s what they needed the most growing up.

“Art? What about you, my child, can you tell me… do you have the same thoughts with Johnny?” Edward inquired earnestly.

Arthur simply nodded and stayed silent. He looked away from Edward’s eyes and deeply sighed.

“I’m sure it’s scary at first, but, don’t you think this would be a new adventure, opportunity to know new people?” Edward attempted to convince the twins once more.

His smile and great expectations were met with disappointment.

“It doesn’t matter what we say. It’s still your call, father.” Arthur grabbed Johnny’s hands in protest and dragged him to the bedroom and shut the door.

“Art…” Edward scrambled his way up the staircase, and frivolously gathered the tickets back to his coat pocket and knocked on the bedroom door. “Art, please open the door, I…” He sighed and continued, “I really want to talk, please.”

He banged on the door trying to force his way in.

“I never locked it.” A small voice whispered from beyond the door, and as soon as he heard it, Edward twisted the knob of the door and entered the twin’s territory.

“Kids…” He approached the king-sized bed where the two sat.

“The reason why I want us to move to London is because, there, I get to see you more often. The reason why I was always away was because our centre of operations is in London.” He presented his argument so weakly.

Still, that was what the twin wanted the most, to be able to meet their father face to face, every morning, or at least most times of the week.

“You want us there to have a complete family?” Arthur asked knowing fully what the answer was.

Even if the move happen, the family would still be broken since Emily abandoned them already.

“Of course, I want us all there.” He replied, hoping it would get the message through, not knowing he’s too late on his earnest desire.

“Isn’t that a bit too late?” Johnny took the oath of silence this time, and now Arthur rained in his questions.

Johnny stayed silent the whole time, he wanted what Edward wanted- a whole and complete family, but moving would be sacrificing the good things that they have right now here in Los Angeles.

“Art, I know I’ve been absent this whole time, but I want to redeem myself, and I want us to be a whole family.” He reached out his hands to the twins.

“I desire the normal lifestyle, me eating breakfast that your mom cooked, and you two going to school every day, that kind of stuff.” He continued.

“Too late.” Edward just doesn’t understand where Arthur was coming from, too late?

He’s only eight years old, there’s plenty of time to be a father, but not to be a husband. Arthur handed a folded letter from his back pocket to Edward.

“What’s…this?” Arthur passed the responsibility of reading Emily’s letter to Edward.

It was originally intended for Johnny, and only for him, but Arthur wanted to greet his mother early that morning on their birthday, he didn’t expect to meet an empty room.

He unfolded the letter, it was the second time he saw his beautiful wife’s handwriting after writing their vows.

He knew her handwriting so well, he studied it and of course, the personality of his wife. It was addressed to Johnny, and of course, he read it loud and clear.

“Dear Johnny,

I’m sorry my son, I have to leave you for a while. I do not know if I will ever meet you again in this life, but I can only hope that I do, and once that time has come, I hope you can forgive me for leaving you. You are with your brother, a kind-hearted boy, a true angel, and your father, who only cared for you at the bottom of his heart, and with Matthew, who faithfully served the household since he was a child.

I will be missing you, I love you my son.

Lovingly yours,

Emily, your mom.”

His hand dropped the letter and all the colours of his face disappeared in mere seconds.

She only left a letter for the youngest, Johnny, and none to everyone else, and she signed it as if she doesn’t want Johnny to forget that she’s his mom, and her name, Emily.

“What’s…” Johnny jumped out of bed and approached his dad, picking up the letter from the floor.

“When did you-?” His eyes trailed from Johnny, who grabbed the letter from the floor, to Arthur, who handed him the letter.

“This morning. Just this morning.” His answer devastated Edward more, his knee gave out, he thought, when they move to London, they’ll be altogether, totally different from his experience with his father in the household.

He worked hard for the last eight years, even though he inherited the position from his father, he still had to prove his worth to his colleagues who were all big names in the intelligence industry.

“Where did mom go?” Johnny broke down faster than Edward and the room just became a whole bubble of silence from the three of them - speechless of what happened.

Not one of them could not fathom and understand why Emily abandoned the family.

There were the kidnappings, the trespassers, the threats in their lives, but they always survived, Arthur, or rather, Michael was always there to protect all of them.

“Matthew, did you know about this?” That was the next logical question to take, but-

“No, sir, I was busy preparing for the birthday of the two, I assumed that Miss Emily took her garments to the hospital like she always does.” He answered hearing Edward read the letter in front of the twins.

“Regardless, I want all of you there with me in London.” There’s no time to think right now, but all he can do is to relocate.

“Dad, what about mom?” Johnny looked up to his father, seeking answers for the reason why they were abandoned.

“I’ll find her and convince her to come with us. Ho’s that sound?” He tried to lift their spirits up, never giving up on the last minute.

“The ticket says that the plane will take off the next day, four o’clock in the afternoon.” Arthur remembered the time stamp on the plane ticket’s information.

“Yes, we will be moving in two days.” He repeated the information of the ticket to the kids.

“Can we say goodbye to our friends?” Johnny asked, knowing full well that they can’t protest against the desire of their father to move to London.

“Sure, I can setup a good bye party?”

“No. We will tell them our good byes by ourselves.” Arthur insisted.

The twins did not want a grand celebration for their move. It was not something to celebrate. Separation from close friends means that they won’t be seeing them for a while.

It was truly a devastating day for the twins on their eight birth date.

Edward began to trace the carbon print of Emily as soon as he heard the demands of his children.

The two retreated back to their mini library for comfort while Matthew prepared the things for the move.

“Art, can you tell me more about Adam and Eve’s story?” Johnny begged the sweet angel.

“Come here.” Arthur invited him to sit down and he opened the Holy Bible to continue his story.

-------------------- // --------------------

“My son…” Adam and Eve gloried the third time this eon for another son, Seth, whose name which meant, “God compensated.”

He might be a replacement for Abel, but he was still a blessing from the Lord.

“How’s Eve?” Michael visited the two moments past after Seth was born.

“At bliss, I am too. T’was a long time since we have lost Abel, and Cain was banished from the face of the Earth.” Adam went out their tent and gathered twigs and sparked a fire warming the tent and nearby creatures.

“I know that you still miss your child.” Michael can’t hide the fact that he can hear Adam’s heart, his desires, and every malicious thought he may have.

He could not look Adam in his eyes, but the angel can tell that Adam and Eve recovered from what happened with Abel.

There were still some lingering desires, but now that Seth was born, they became more accepting and open of what happened.

“I know. I just…” He sighed deeply. “I know that Cain killed Abel, but time has passed, this heart still aches, but I want to know if Cain is doing well these days. He’s still my son.” He continued to wander with his thoughts.

“I’ll look after him, don’t worry.” A clone of Michael’s body quickly disappeared in the shadows and headed for the south-western region.

“I just wished that that was just a nightmare.” Adam expressed his regret over the murder of his youngest.

“He’s happy in paradise, there’s no need to work, and he always talks to the Light.” Michael told Adam what Abel does in the Paradise. Just to reassure the doting father, “Really?” His expression appeared to be less stressed.

“Really.”

Meanwhile, the other double located Cain in the nearby cave south-western from the plains and-

SFX: Flap, flap, flap, flap

Michael landed softly in the soft muddy floor at the opening of the cave. Cain came running out of the cave, expecting a bird landed on his trap on the opening, only to be surprised at the sight of Michael.

“What the hell are you doing here?” His irritated attitude was understandable. Michael was the one who marked Cain of his curse.

“I just want to see if you’re okay.”

“Okay? Seriously?” It’s already been seven years that Cain had wandered off of the face of the earth facing his eternal punishment for murdering Abel.

“I’m just glad you are still alive.” Cain scoffed at the sight of Michael, “Alive? You call this living?” He snarled at Michael’s earnest statement.

Being alone, trapped in an eternal punishment, and being hunted by the most dangerous animals out in the wild.

“Maybe not living, but seeing that you are alive takes a load off of my heart.” His eyes lingered as he looked beyond Cain at the darkness of the cave, bones of the animals that he hunted by himself.

“You learned to hunt.” He smiled for a while before turning back to Cain.

“What do you think? I’ve been abandoned by the Light, by my parents, by the world. If I want to survive, I need to learn these things.” He grumbled about his way of living after being banished with the curse of death.

“Did you feel remorse after you’ve given punishment - after killing your own brother?” Michael stared at Cain blankly as if talking to a wall, but tried to maintain his dominance within his boundary.

“I regretted doing it, because, if I hadn’t done it, I wouldn’t be in this situation.” He scowled to the angel, remorse was never on the table, he only regretted the sin because of the punishment, not because it was evil, not because he killed his own brother, but because he was in a predicament that he doesn’t want.

Michael sighed in disbelief. There’s much more evil on Earth than disobedience. “You deserve this. I regret seeking you out and I regret seeing you are alive.” He answered the prideful little brat.

“Then go! GO AHEAD AND KILL ME! It wouldn’t matter anyway, cause what I have been living is a lie.” Cain shouted at the top his lungs, daring the angel to strike his heart, and pounding on his chest like he’s an alpha gorilla.

“It’s not a lie, it’s a punishment, and you will not die until someone loved you truly, selfless from within their hearts. That someone will kill you the day you love that one back. That’s my additional curse for you.” Michael stood tall in his conviction.

He looked straight into the eyes of Cain and exhibited wrath for the second time.

“You! I HATE-“