A REASON TO LIVE

        "I am glad you made it through that haemorrhage and I am glad you came back."  Dr Adriana said to Faith who was seated with Ethan facing her. 

      Faith smiled.  "I was told that you stopped by, I appreciate it."

      Dr Adriana's wave was dismissive.  "That's part of my job." 

       "Still, I appreciate it." 

       "Did you get any scoldings from Dr Ingrid?" 

       "She was one of the doctors that treated me, she was ever so kind." 

         "I knew she wouldn't have the mind to scold you. She was too grateful that you were alive at all." 

      Faith didn't know that a lot of people were scared that she would die. She hadn't felt this way before.  "I'm sorry if I scared you all." 

        "I'm just glad that you could believe us now and not argue with us about your health." Dr Adriana took out her pad.  "We would start hypnotherapy sooner. It seems some of your memories have been locked away, that's why you have dreams." 

        Faith has not been hypnotized before and she didn't know how it was but it made her heart skip and she glanced over at Ethan who nodded slightly. The doctor saw her uneasiness. 

      "Relax, it won't hurt." 

   Except that the memories might hurt, Faith thought. 

     "Maybe, we should go through a few more questions to get you ready." 

       Faith who was tired of fighting nodded her head. Ethan held her hand and squeezed her to reassure her that she was going to be fine. The doctor flipped through the pad. 

      "Uhm...Dr…?" Faith stuttered. 

     Dr Adriana looked up at her.  "Are you alright? You don't want to answer questions?" 

       "No, no, not that. I ju...I just feel I should let you know that my brother is not in Spain." 

      Adriana smiled.  "I know." Her strategy had worked. Apart from the fact that she had grown to like Faith, she had gone to that hospital partly to gain Faith's trust.  "Don't worry, I understand." She reached over and rubbed Faith's hand.  "It would be alright very soon." 

        Faith nodded. She believed it would be. She wanted to get out of that cage she was trapped in, the cage of the past that doesn't allow her to move on, that cage that always makes her uncertain, she had found a reason to come out of there. She glanced at Ethan.  A reason she would climb any mountain for. 

       "I think we should start afresh again," Dr Adriana said. "What is the name of this your brother?" 

        "His name was Joshua Prescott before he left home but now, he goes by Douglas Foster." 

        "Douglas Foster," Dr Adriana repeated and scribbled down something on the pad.   "So where is he now?" 

        "Here." 

    The doctor looked at Faith. She has not given a precise answer. Faith noticed. 

        "Here, I mean Los Angeles, Hollywood." 

    Dr Adriana wrote down something that Faith didn't think was just, Los Angeles, Hollywood.  "Family?" Faith shook her head.  "What's your relationship with your brother?" 

        "My relationship with him?" A lump knotted in her throat because she didn't even know her relationship with him.  "I don't know." 

      "You said your mom left when you were kids." Faith nodded.  "Did it get you closer to your brother?" 

        "I remembered he took care of me and protected me." 

        "Protected you from what?" 

        "From a lot of things, bullies in school, other kids, my father." 

         "Your father," Dr Adriana said. It wasn't a question. She stared steadily at Faith. 

          "My father was a religious fanatic or should I say, extremist. He gave us the iron hand." 

          "So your brother..." 

         "He took some beatings for me when our mom left." 

          "And he left when you were fifteen?" 

           "Yes." 

           "Did he give any reason?" 

           "He... He felt I betrayed him." 

            "How?" 

            "He is gay and our father was a religious extremist. You can put two and two together and arrive at the answer." 

        "Faith, I can't put two and two together, I wasn't there. Please tell me what happened." 

        "He came out to me. I was confused but I never said anything to my dad." 

        "So he thought you ratted him out?"  

     Faith nodded before she answered.   "I never said anything to our father he just found out somehow, but I don't know how." 

      Dr Adriana scribbled down some things on her pad and looked at Faith again.  "Did you tell him that you weren't the one?" 

       "I didn't even know his reason for leaving at first. I stayed angry with him for years and I didn't know he was angrier at me." 

       "Have you met him here?" 

        "Couple of times, but he doesn't want to have anything to do with me. He doesn't even want to see me." 

        "What does he do here?" 

         "I think he runs a production company." 

        "Leaving the house at such tender age, how did he manage to make it?" the doctor asked rhetorically. 

        Douglas turned off his car and sat there looking at the deluxe building in front of him. He took the box from the driver's seat and went out of the car.  When he got to the entrance of the building, a young maid in a black maid dress opened the door for him and he went in. The living room was still as he has left it, immaculate. 

      "He is in the club room," the maid said to him. 

        "Can I see him for a moment?" 

     The maid looked uncertain but smiled and nodded. She left his presence, her heels hitting the polished wood floor.  Douglas looked around the living room. It was a vast one with enormous chandeliers hanging at the centre, festive drapes adorned the large windows and leather couches seating in a semi-circle in front of the TV set, a large screen plasma TV and home theatres. A rug with a drawing of a leopard was at the centre of where the couches formed a semi-circle. 

      The dining table was underneath the fancy wooden staircase. A large spruce table and chairs, and a flower vase with artificial fruits at the centre of the table. 

The fireplace was located adjacent to a door that led to the kitchen and pictures of the house owner hung above the mantel, a man in his late forties or early fifties. In some of those pictures, Douglas was present. 

      It was not Douglas' first time coming to the house. He had practically grown there, but each time he comes he likes to take in every detail and he never stopped looking at the pictures of him and the older man. He went and sat down on one of the couches and waited. 

       In a few minutes, the man came down the stairs. He was in a white robe that spoke of elegance and class. 

      "Look who we have here. My love, the sexiest of them all," the man bellowed as he descended the stairs. 

      Douglas stood up and remained standing until the older man came down.  He looked handsome even at his age, tall and lean and with not a thread of grey on his hair. He was still as hot as he had been ten years ago. When the man walked toward Douglas, Douglas brought out his hand for a shake. 

      The man looked at his outstretched hand derisively.  "What is this?" he asked and took Douglas in his arms. "Come here."  He hugged Douglas so tight but Douglas didn't hug him back. He pulled away and gestured for him to a seat.  "You are still uptight. You have not yet found a reason to smile." 

        "I have every reason to smile now," Douglas replied as he was taking a seat. 

       The man sat down adjacent to him.  "They didn't serve you drink?" He turned to call a staff. 

        "Happy birthday," Douglas said immediately.  "That is what I came to wish you." 

         "If you will only come here once a year and put up so much attitude, why don't you stop coming?" 

        "I am not putting up so much attitude." 

     The man eyed him.  "I was having fun up there and it was all laughter and fun..." 

        "Do you mean you were having an orgy?" 

         "Call it whatever you wish to, but that's fun for me." 

         "You have not changed over the years." 

           "Neither have you," the man said and stood up.  "I will get us a drink." 

        Douglas watched him as he went towards the kitchen. He relaxed on the chair and brought his gift in front of him. The man returned with a bottle and two glasses. 

         "So, what's so sinful about an orgy? Huh?" 

         "I am not judging you, but you never really loved anyone do you?" 

       The man poured the drinks into the glasses and handed him one before he replied.  "I am bi, I can love both genders." 

        "You know that's not what I mean." 

        "I told you I loved you but you chose not to see the truth in it and you have refused to move on from what you saw that night. I kept it from you because I loved you, I wasn't willing to lose you." 

       "If you really love someone that person would be enough for you." 

        "What name do you go with now? Michael? James? Adrian? Or have you gone back to Joshua?" 

        "My name is Douglas Foster." 

      The man smiled.  "At least you keep my last name." 

       "That's because everything I have is credited to you." 

         "Don't say that you worked hard yourself, you have always been a hard worker. Douglas, you have to move on from the past..." 

          "I found love now," Douglas interjected. Foster looked at him.  "He is a great guy, perfect and handsome." 

        "No one is perfect. That is why happiness seems far away from you. You are searching for perfection." 

        "Even if he is not perfect, he is near perfection." 

        "I will like to see your guy." 

      Douglas handed him the box.   "Here t his is your birthday present." 

       Foster beamed and took the box from him.  "You have a good heart though."  Foster took the box. 

       "I am just being grateful."