CHAPTER 11

"Hey sis, welcome back."

"Thanks. How's this place?"

"Same old, same old"

"Lol, okay."

She stepped into their home, a place she hadn't been in for so long. She almost felt like a visitor in somebody else's home. Pictures on the wall tell the story of what used to be a happy family, now she wasn't sure if they were a family anymore.

"Have you learnt how to hack yet?"

"Of course not, Ryan. I'm learning programming, and I am not a pro yet either. Why are you interested anyway?"

"I want to hack someone's phone. Just for a little while then get out of it."

"Are you cheating on Becca? I will kill you if you are."

"We actually broke up a few months ago."

"What!? Why!?"

"Long story. I need to hack someone's phone and find out the truth, so will you help me or not?"

"Sorry bro, can't help you."

"Okay cool."

She watched her brother walk away and wondered what had happened between him and Becky. She would have to find out later, now she was hungry.

He left his sister and went to the room they shared. He looked at her luggage and wondered when she got all those clothes, she surely didn't leave with them. He had hoped she would help him, but it seemed he would have to use his last resort. Her brother.

Meanwhile...

They got back home, the last place they both wanted to be. It was a depressing house, big and empty. Even the house-help who had been there since they were kids had left. It was worrisome, but they had no option but to bear with the situation. They were part of a broken family now, like in the sitcoms they used to watch on E!.

"I hate this place. Why couldn't we stay at the hostel for sem break?"

"Because it's semester break, Rin. We only have three weeks till school again. I don't want to be here either, but the hostel isn't safe during this time. It's full of unruly kids."

"Of course it is.." he said under his breath. "Where did Sylvia go? How come she's not around?"

"Would you stick around if you were her?"

"Fair point."

They had just gotten settled in and were fixing lunch when their father came back home.

"I thought he didn't live here anymore?"

"You and me both"

They watched him come into the house, and go straight upstairs without acknowledging them. They both stood there, stunned. So much for a father who loves his family. They went back to their food and served it when it was ready.

He watched them eat and watch TV from the stairs, something their mother would never have allowed had she been present. They sat with their backs to him, so he couldn't tell if they were actually enjoying what they were watching or just had the TV on so he couldn't hear what they were saying. They looked so happy laughing and teasing each other, he could almost tell what they were talking about. Or rather, who. He loved his kids, and the fact that they were twins and had grown into young adults without losing their bond was amazing to him. He lost contact with his twin brother for a long while, he couldn't even remember when they had last spoken. Maybe he should call up Oliver and ask how they are, it had been long. He took one last look at his children before going back upstairs for his phone.

They heard him go back upstairs, turned around and watched him go back up. They were confused as to why he wouldn't speak to them. Was it guilt or pride? Or he just didn't want to? It hurt that he was just ignoring them and acting like they weren't even there. They wanted to know his side of the story, to understand him and bring him and their mother back together. They wanted their family whole again, but it seemed like he wasn't interested.

"What do you think goes on in his mind when he looks at us, Aula? Do we remind him of mum? Is that why he doesn't want to talk to us?"

"I don't know Rin. You'd think after not seeing us for 4 months he would want to spend some time with us or at least know where his tuition is going? What if one of us had gotten a retake?"

"I almost did by the way. I survived narrowly."

"You passed on the line, what else is new?"

"ha. Ha. Very funny."

"Let's wait for mum to get back, maybe she'll have a solution for us. Or him."

"Hello?"

"Hey Oliver, it's Oscar."

"Child of my mother, what made you remember me?"

"I need your help. Are you in the country?"

"No, I am returning next week for Shelly's semester break. Why?"

"Isn't Shelly at Makerere?"

"Yes, she is."

"the twins are there too, and they returned today."

"Is that so? I must have mixed up the dates then. I'll be returning over the weekend. Something you needed?"

"Yeah, I need my brother."

"We will talk next week then."

"Okay, I will be waiting for your call."

"Okay, brother."

He felt much better after hanging up, he didn't expect to hear his daughter's voice from the doorway.

"Who was that Dad?"

"Paula, how long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough. Who was that?"

He thought of his answer. He knew he would have to tread carefully with her. Anything he said would be used against him if it came out wrong.

"Your uncle. My brother."

"You never told us you had a brother." she looked at him through narrowed eyes. He could literally see the little question marks hanging above her head.

"We haven't spoken in a while actually. That's why I want to see him. I think we should invite his family over for lunch. Would you want to know your cousins?"

"Sure dad. I just came to ask if you wanted something to eat. Mum is back and she wants all of us at one table."

"Your mother wants to eat at the same table as me?"

"Yeah. Rin and I think you're both acting weird." She raised her index finger and her thumb with a tiny space in between them "And we're this close to moving out."

He watched Paula leave his room, shocked.

There's no way this ends well.