It was still strange to Orla, that Sophia would invite her to her house, and even introduce her to Jackson, a friend of hers who was squatting with her pending the time he'd wrap up his medical primary assignment and go back to Bristol.
Within six minutes of meeting each other, Orla knew that Jackson was a humanitarian doctor who went from state to state to help the people who needed a Doctor but couldn't afford them.
Jackson had taken a liking to Orla and told her he'd like to have a word with her after she was done with her sister.
Orla's smile didn't reach her eyes. Sure the guy didn't know she was married.
Perturbation rose in her chest as she occupied the divan at the entrance of the living room, anticipating Sophia, who had gone to get some wine for them.
Not that she was interested in taking what Sophia offered anyway, she was just keen on finding out why she was invited over. Hoping what she wanted to talk about wasn't about her husband.
She wasn't mentally prepared to handle whatever her sister had to say, but she hoped it wouldn't break her more than she had already been broken.
Sophia soon emerged with two glasses in both hands. She smiled, handing a glass to Orla.
"Welcome to my home," sipping from her glass, she crouched next to Orla.
Jackson picked up his computer and sauntered into the room to avoid interrupting the sisters.
"You must have met Jackson," Sophia said.
Silence pervaded the atmosphere.
Sophia glanced at her sister in an attempt to read her mood before starting. She didn't want to hurt her, but she was afraid that couldn't be undone.
"Yes, I have," Orla muttered, dropping the glass on the table without taking a sip of it.
"And what's your impression of him?"
Stunned, Orla shrugged her shoulders. When did her opinion of her sister's friends start to count? And besides, she just met him and couldn't judge his whole personality with that five minutes of partial bonding.
"I don't know. What does my impression of him have to do with why I got an emergency invitation to rush where?"
"Hmm, we will discuss the reason shortly." Sophia placed her legs on top of each other, her eyes exploring Orla from her head to the golden boots she donned.
She looked very different, barely recognizable. Callan was doing a great job of taking care of her, she presumed.
"Can we get to it now?" Orla demanded, starting to get uncomfortable with Sophia's protracted stares. "The reason I was summoned here, Sophia."
"Orla, how have you been?" She asked like she had just seen her for the first time today.
"Oh, let's scrap that formality. What do you care about how I have been?"
"I do. If I didn't, I wouldn't have you here today." Guilt stung her, so hard she could feel the pain in her marrow. "Callan..." Carefully assessing Orla to be certain she could speak.
"What about Callan?"
Orla tried to keep the beating of her heart in check, but it palpitated erratically. It couldn't be stable, it couldn't, not when Sophia's first word was her husband's name.
"He, Callan, told me about your recurring nightmares. How it disturbs you and how you feel you don't deserve to be happy because you think you did it."
Lowering her gaze to the floor. Like a child, Sophia fiddled with the hem of the blouse she donned and Orla heaved a sigh of relief, it didn't seem like Callan did something immoral with her sister.
Sophia didn't want to look at her sister, it had been too long and she should have spoken out a long time ago. She felt it was late now, but she was restless.
"Did what..." Orla feigned ignorance.
"You think you killed Isla because you were the one with her that day. Your nightmares are about that incident, aren't they?" She asked, studying all her sister's countenances.
Sophia saw Orla's fear gobbling her. From the way her eyelashes dilated when she mentioned Isla. The way she froze on the couch like she did it. It broke Sophia to see Orla like that, it shattered her heart to see Orla suffer for what she never did.
"Why now? Why are you bringing this up?" Orla stared disdainfully at her, shaking her head. "Did you guys have a meeting and want to have a trial now? You think now is the time that I should be jailed, right? You've met with your other sisters and conspired to put me in jail, haven't you?"
She shakily gripped the handle of the couch, beads of sweat falling down her forehead. She was defenseless, helpless. Callan wasn't near, nobody would help her if something inimical awaited her.
"Orla,"
"Don't! I know I didn't do it and you don't have to believe if I did or not. I didn't do it and I don't know what Callan has told you about my nightmares, but..."
"I believe you, Orla!" Sophia cut her short, moving closer to sit beside her.
She held Orla's hands, her knuckles had turned white and cold. Sophia gently rubbed her hands down to calm her nerves.
Confusion almost blinded Orla as she stared at her sister, sweating profusely, eyes crammed with unshed tears.
Sophia looked at her, tears almost dropping from her eyes.
Orla had suffered too much for what she was innocent about, she didn't have to suffer anymore. It was about time she let go of her fears and spoke up, it was time she revealed the secret she had kept inside of her all her life.
"You...you...you...believe me?" Orla's voice fell low. She turned to her sister, her eyes intently fixed on hers. "You believe me? Why?" Shaking her head, her voice cracked. "Why do you believe me?"
"Orla," Sophia slowly let go of her sister and stood to her feet, turning her back to her sister.
"Sophia, do you know anything about what happened?" Orla stood alongside her sister, heading towards where she stood. "Do you?"
"Orla, I am sorry but I was there when the whole thing happened. You didn't push Isla, I know who did. I was there when it happened, but I have not been able to speak out." She reached for Orla's hands, but she shook off.
"Sophia, you knew all along?" Her voice broke.
How could she know yet she let them wrongly accuse her? How could she be so wicked to her? What had she ever done to her? These thoughts muddied up her mind. She was confused, sad, and angry. She felt betrayed.
She knew her sisters hated her so much, but not to this extent. Not to the extent of knowing that she was innocent of the crime she was accused of and she couldn't speak up all these years.
"Orla see, you can hate me. Yes, I deserve the hatred but I can't live with this anymore and I have to talk about it now."
"Now? Oh now, you say?" Giggling, Orla stepped away from her sister. "Now? What happened to all these years that I have been wrongfully accused, hated, and abused? All these years that I have been tagged a murderer, why didn't you speak up then? Because you hated me so much, it's certain you still do."
"Orla, I am a beast, I know. But I'm ready to make right all my wrongs and that's why I have called you here. We can go over to Dad's house and talk about this."
"Oh spare me that crap! I do not need your validation. I do not care what they think about me anymore."
"Orla, please."
"Go tell your crap to them, I'm going nowhere with you."
"Orla,"
She grabbed her bag from the couch, heading towards the door but halted after she had barely taken two steps.
She had been feeling uneasy since she got into Sophia's house but decided to keep it to herself.
She suddenly felt nauseous, everything around irritated her so much and she felt the need to empty her bowel.
Sophia ran towards her immediately she noticed she was feeling uneasy. "Orla, are you okay?" She asked, grabbing her arms before she fell.
"Let go of me," Orla jerked her hands off her. "Where is the bathroom? I want to throw up," with her hands glued to her mouth, she stared at Sophia.
"That way," Sophia pointed, making way for her to walk through.
Flinging her bag across the living room, Orla raced to the bathroom. There she threw out all she had managed to take in before leaving the house that morning.
Her head started to bang, her eyes drowsy. She held onto the door handle for support. She was breathing hard and was about to throw up again when Sophia waltzed into the bathroom.
She wondered if it was the news she told her that got her like that, but as she neared her, it seemed to be something more.
It surprised her how dull Orla immediately became. Her eyes were bleary, her palm so white.
"I have a Doctor in the house if you need someone to examine you." Sophia bit her lips, trying to put together what could be wrong with her sister.
"I do not need that."
"Orla, you are sick!" Sophia yelled, frustrated Orla kept making things complicated.
"That doesn't change the fact that you are wicked, Sophia!"
"Let's get a Doctor to treat you first and we will come to that." Sophia insisted, calling out to Jackson before Orla could object.
"I do not need your help!" Orla screamed, maintaining her ground. But Sophia forcefully grabbed her, holding her down until Jackson showed up.
"What's going on here?" Jackson asked, stepping in front of the sisters.
"She's sick, she needs to be examined. Please can you check her for me?"
"Sick? She came in fine, what happened to her?"
Orla's gaze softened when Sophia let go of her.
Jackson stepped closer, taking her hand. "What exactly happened?" He asked Sophia, avoiding Orla's bleary eyes.
"She just started throwing up, I don't know what happened."
"Orla, how do you feel?" Jackson asked Orla, but she refused to utter a word.. "She was throwing up?" He looked over to Sophia.
"Yes, she was."
"She looks pale," turning to face Orla, he did a quick examination on her and asked. "When was the last time you had your period?"
Orla's heart raced a million times. She yanked her hand away from Jackson's hand and stared at him.
She had forgotten that she was even supposed to have her period. Could it be that she was...
"No way!" Orla squeaked, trotting out of the living room.
Not now.
"Orla, wait up, Orla." Sophia's voice faded into the air as she ran out of the compound.
It wasn't supposed to be now.
It wouldn't be now. It couldn’t be now.
Hello Everyone,
How are you guys doing?
So Sophia knew about it all these while, but of course couldn't talk because she hates her sister. Such a shame! And what happened to Orla? Oh, I hope it's not what we're thinking!
Don't forget to vote and comment.
Thanks for reading, I love you all.