Chapter Thirty-Six

The breaking news dropped on Bianca's phone: Esther, Joe's former girlfriend, was in the psychiatric hospital following the torture given to her to narrate the story of Joe's house being burnt down. Bianca pleaded to Joe and her father that they should go and visit her at the psychiatric hospital, to which they agreed, but Joe had mixed feelings about the suggestion given. Later, he agreed.

The trip to the psychiatrist was almost a two-hour journey. Finally, by the time they got there, the atmosphere was serene, surrounded by trees. Joe got out of the car, followed by Bianca and then her adoptive father.

They went to the reception together. The reception was built in a rectangular shape, with seats placed on both walls opposite each other, allowing a space for people to walk through in the middle. When Bianca walked in, a fair woman with flowing hair and a chubby body sat down and ponderously stared at her. They sat on the left flank where the seat was located and requested from an old, bearded man who was sitting down on the receptionist chair that they wanted to see a person named Esther, who was admitted to the hospital three days ago. The fair woman was surprised to hear the name;

"Oh, are you JK?" she asked, pointing at Joe.

"Yeah, oh, sorry, ma. I didn't recognise your face in time," Joe pleaded, then turned to Bianca and said, "This is Esther's mother."

Bianca greeted her cautiously and gently threw her face away to avoid an unnecessary stare.

"Sorry, Bianca, right?" she said, looking at Bianca.

Bianca examined her face, wondering if it resembled a familiar face that she had forgotten about. How did she know my name? Bianca pondered.

"Yes," replied Bianca.

"Oh, my daughter, how are you," she said, getting to her feet and trying to embrace Bianca. Bianca surreptitiously adjusted her sitting position, indicating to the woman that she wasn't ready to receive an embrace from a stranger.

"I am not a stranger," she observed, standing erect, "I am your blood mother."

They were surprised at her statement. Bianca couldn't quite figure out what she meant by "blood mother." Her adoptive father looked at Bianca in a surprised manner.

"I am your blood mother. If you think I am lying, let me narrate everything to you," she said, staring at the obsessed Bianca. "I and your deceased father lived in Tiana, a popularly known G.R.A.; did he tell you?"

Bianca was stunned. "Yes, I lived in Tiana during my childhood days."

"Your father worked as a car dealer at Auto Fill, right?" she laughed.

"Of course," Bianca responded.

"Nice. Did he ever tell you about your mother?"

"Yes," she answered.

"Good of him," she said. "Did he tell you that we are both divorced?"

"Yes, ma, but please stop referring to yourself as 'we,'," Bianca warned timidly.

"I'm sorry, my daughter. I know that you are trying to be security conscious, which I adore. Did he ever show a picture of your mother to you?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Nice," the woman said, "your dad is dark, why are you fair? Have you ever imagined where you inherited that complexion from?"

"Yeah, I think from my mom."

"Nice, look at my face, am I not fair?" she asked.

Bianca smiled.

"When I smile, do you notice that I also have a dimple like yours?"

"Yeah," Bianca said, with tears dripping from her eyes.

"After this, we can go get some medical checks to confirm our identity."

"Alright ma."

"But please bear in mind that Esther is your half-sister."

Bianca didn't answer a word back to her.

Just then, Esther was brought in by a female doctor. Immediately, Esther sighted Bianca, Joe, and her mother. She smiled.

"Welcome everyone; I am very grateful that you came to visit me," Esther began speaking, captivating everyone with how well she composed her words and how Esther recognised them without any of the hand gestures that a mad person displays.

"Thank you," they all echoed.

"Bianca," she said.

The female doctor who held Esther's hands released her and stared at her, fascinated with what she observed from Esther.

"Mum," Esther called, staring at her mother, "I called you to witness what I want to say now."

Her mother indicated a go-ahead with a nod.

"I am very sorry for all the evil I have perpetrated, especially towards Joe and Bianca. Bianca, please forgive all the evil words I've said to you in the past; please forgive me," Esther said, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Bianca became emotional.

"To Joe, I am really sorry for what I have done to you. James Brin and I planned on burning your house. I am sorry; it was mere jealousy that made me cooperate with James Brin to burn your house. Oh, God forgive me, it was just jealousy—nothing else—that drove me to burn down a fine building Joe had spent money on," she sobbed.

"Stop crying, my daughter," her mother consoled her.

"Mom, leave me. Let me cry. I know how much sorrow I have caused this married couple because of jealousy and hatred. Please allow me to cry."

"I know how James Brin and I planned on killing Bianca's best friend, Mary."

"What?" Bianca's adoptive father thundered, standing up on his feet in rage.

Bianca rushed to her father and held him gently, saying, "Dad, please take it easy. She is confessing."

"Sir, I am worthy of death. Kill me," Esther called out.

"You were wicked, Esther," her mother said, "to murder your half-sister's friend for what reason?"

"What!" Esther exclaimed, "Bianca is my half-sister? God! I was deceived, and my hatred for my sister was uncalled for. Mom, you are also a murderer because you hid all these things from me. You never told me that I had a half-sister. You lied to me, telling me that I was the only child to come from you. Why, mom, why did you hide all this from me?"

Bianca's heart melted like candle wax that was being heated up with heat. Tears began to fall from both Esther's mother and Bianca. Bianca's adopted father was still burning with controlled rage. He picked up his cell phone and began dialling the police number in a coded manner.

"I would show you the pain that it takes to train a child up to the university level, just for your infernal and cruel heart filled with evil spirits and the devil himself to slaughter her. Don't worry, you will join your colleague in the grave." Bianca's father yelled out in rage after making the call.

"Sir, in fact, kill me. I don't deserve to live. The slain blood in my hands calls for me. I really want to beg for forgiveness when I see them in the spirit world. Death, where are you? Take me from this dreary world," Esther said this with tears and bitter agony.

A feeling of self-pity came over everyone in the reception; they knew that her conscience could no longer permit her to keep it a secret.

"But why didn't you say all this to the police, so your case might have been finalised? Why did you keep it to yourself?"

"The police were not the people to tell. I needed to tell the victims nearby or the victims themselves. The police might not give me a chance to tell them," Esther answered in a croaky voice.

Just then, a police van drove in. Three policemen came down from the car and walked straight down to the reception. Bianca wailed even more when she saw the police officials. The police officials looked in her direction; perhaps they thought she was the culprit. But it was Bianca's adopted father's hand that pointed out the culprit to the official. A police officer went straight to Esther. He brought out the handcuffs from his back pocket.

"God! Please, sir, don't handcuff her. I am begging you, come and take me. It was all my fault. I never told her the truth. I am the suspect. Take me; I need to be tried for the neglect of my children. It is not her fault!" Esther's mother screamed.

"Madam, please remain calm," the police officer said.

Suddenly, Esther started behaving in a weird manner. She went straight for the flower vase located near her mother and flung it carelessly. It almost hit the other two police officers if not for their timely dodge. The police officer holding the handcuff quickly grabbed Esther by her hands, trying with all his power to handcuff her, but Esther shook vehemently, biting the police officer's skin and tearing out the skin on his wrist and munching it. She laughed, still munching his flesh with joy. She then walked to her mother's face, using her finger to draw on it. Then he pushed her to the floor, and she fell awkwardly.

The female doctor told all of them to leave the reception quickly because she had gone insane again and nothing now could calm her down.

********************************

It was declared that Esther was really insane. Joe, Bianca, and her adopted father took Esther's mother to the hospital. She had lost consciousness following the incident that happened to her. When she was taken to the hospital, they said she had gone into a coma following a shock to her brain. Bianca requested a DNA test be conducted to know if, truly, it was her biological mother.

The DNA was done, and it was true that the woman was her real blood mother. Bianca wept uncontrollably. Nobody could actually decipher the reason for her mourning. Perhaps she cried because she discovered her real mother and saw her in a tragic situation.

They consoled her; it wasn't easy for her to stop crying, and her adopted father started weeping alongside her. Joe, with a misty eye, tried encouraging and consoling them, but all his efforts were to no avail.

The End.