"Hey guys, it's okay. Everyone in my house knows that mum and uncle Ron are an item. It's not news. I just want to know more about when they were young." I blurted out. I am sure Mum would kill me if she found out that I revealed her secrets to outsiders but I was past caring. I had this need to know and it superseded any common sense.
"What?!" Slyvester couldn't keep to his seat this time around. "Cat, what nonsense are you spurting? It's your mother we are talking about here." He reproached me. I rolled my eyes at him and turned to grannie. "Grannie, please. I just want to know how dad and mum ended up together when it is clear they don't love each other. Or was there a time they were in love with each other?" I asked expectantly.
Sylvester and his grandpa had ignored the TV since and were focused on me now. Slyvester carried a shock ridden look while the old man looked puzzled and excited at the same time. "Just how much do you know young lad?" the old man asked.
"I know that Mum and Uncle Ron have been cheating on Dad before I was born. I know that Uncle Ron's wife died in childbirth and that she was Mum's best friend." I replied.
"What about your Dad? What do you know about him?" Grannie asked. "You know he is Bi too?" I asked excitedly.
"Oh your Dad is not Bisexual. He is gay."
"What did you mean by that? If he is gay, how come I and Daniel are here?" I asked, feeling confused.
"Their marriage is arranged and they had you through artificial insemination." "Lies!" I shouted, confused but also suddenly angry. How could she say such a thing?
Grannie and the old creepy man just chuckled at my outburst, making me more upset. "Oh, don't get it wrong. Your brother was made the normal way. Your dad was drugged and raped by your mum in a futile attempt at getting hooked to him no matter what." I just stared at her in shock. Mum raped dad? "Why?" I blurted out.
"He was the son of the richest farmer around and his family were the only one who knew he was gay. Helen's parents were having issues and they set her up to go snatch Daniel, your father. She drugged him during her 17th birthday party and accused him of rape. In those days, all you had to do was take a girl's virginity. Once you do, you have to marry her. Daniel's father forced him to engage her but she later discovered she was pregnant. After the marriage, she was asked to sign an undertaking that she would never reveal to anybody that Daniel was gay, she would never try to divorce him and she would have more kids for him. In exchange, she is allowed to have secret lovers."
Grannie paused to take a breather. Her tea had gone cold so she eyed Slyvester and he quickly stood up to dispose of it. She took that time to rest. Siyvester was soon back and after he made her another cup of tea, she took her time sipping while I was burning with impatience, praying for her to continue but not daring to say so.
At last, she felt rested enough and signed softly before adjusting herself in her seat. "Your uncle Ron and Helen were childhood lovers but Ron is from the wrong side of the track." "What does that mean?" I asked, confused.
"She meant he was poor." Slyvester rolled his eyes at me.
"Oh! I see." was all I could say.
"After Your mum got engaged to your dad, Ron got really annoyed and slept with Riley's mum who was Helen's best friend. They both claimed it was an accident since Ron was drunk when it happened. But who doesn't know that Ava was having a secret crush on Ron? The rumor then was that she must have replicated Helen's move by drugging Ron. There was this big fight between Ava and Helen and they were presumed enemies until Ava was diagnosed with cancer. Somehow, they reconciled and in Ava's will, she made Helen her children's guardian and insisted that she should take Ron back because Ron never loved her for even a day."
"Wow! Just wow!" was all I kept saying in my head with my eyes widened for as far as they could go. Mum raped Dad to help her family, got pregnant and signed a prenuptial that ties her to him even though they have no sexual relationship. So if I get what this old woman was saying, Dad and Mum only slept together once and that was because he was drugged. To cap it all, I am a product of IVF?
IVF?! What the hell?!
"Are you sure of what you are saying Ma'am?" I asked with a quivering voice. No matter how I looked at it, I couldn't make a head and tail of the things I had just heard. In fact, I wished I didn't know. You know when they say ignorance is bliss? I just got to know the literal meaning of that phrase. I was artificially made?! No shit!
Grannie was going to start talking again but I was done digging into the past. I didn't want to hear more so I stood up and headed for the door
"Thanks but I have to go. " I threw over my head before dashing outside. "I think you traumatized her." I heard the creepy old man chuckle. Even though I wanted to go back in there and wipe that smirk off his ugly face, I couldn't. I kept going until I got outside and inside my car. Just as I was about to start the car, Slyvester came running after me and tried to stop me. I could see his mouth moving and he was waving at me to come out but I started the car anyway and reversed while he stopped running and watched me back out of his street into the one that would take me out of that neighborhood.
I drove for a very long time after leaving the town. Slyvester called several times but later gave up after calling for about 20 times with no reply from me. Towards evening, Uncle Liam started calling but I ignored him too.
Earlier, I had found my way back home but couldn't bring myself to enter so I turned back and headed for the dirt road that led to all the smaller farms in the area. I had parked my car under the shadow of a large tree I stumbled on and spent the whole evening crying and masturbating repeatedly. I have never felt so dirty, abnormal, impure and incomplete in my life. That was the day I started feeling damaged.