"Uncle Kent is dead." Dwayne enounced in a low tone. "His wife informed me that he was confirmed death late yesterday, he died due to shock which triggered his sickness."
Ciara did not look bothered as she folded her arms across her chest, wearing a straight face. "I know, right?" She replied him dryly.
Dwayne was surprised at his sister's response as he creased his brows. "You know?" He repeated her dry response. "How did you find out about it on your own, they haven't even told anyone about it yet." "I was there when he gave up his breath yesterday's evening, I watched him die." Her voice did not hold any emotion. "Just the two of us in the ward when he had the seizure -just uncle Kent and me."
Dwayne was even more surprised than he was a few seconds ago, he felt like his ears were deceiving him, or he was the one who got the message wrong. "He had a seizure before you? That's not even possible, aunt Amelia said he died because he was alone with no one to help him inject his inhaler." He asked, his brows creased in confusion.
-then his face was suddenly lit in a reminder that she used to be a nurse a few years ago. "How did I forget this so soon?" He uttered, his face softening a bit. "Do you try helping him, since it was once your profession? Ah, I guess he wasn't bond to surv..."
Ciara cut him off, giving him no chance to complete his words. "I did not help!" She stated, matter offact. "I did not move an inch from where I was standing, I watched him die after his nonstop struggle for breath -I mean, why should I help him live?"
Dwayne could swear he heard his sister wrong! How could she watch someone die without lending him a little help, at least, to save his life? "Didn't this act of yours go against your profession as a nurse, Ciara?" He managed to ask him, amidst his shock and speechlessness.
"I'm now a CEO, remember? I run companies and firms!" Ciara uttered, her voice low but stern. "Being a CEO isn't a profession, I don't think it's stated anywhere or included in the law that it is a CEO's legal job to save lives -that's for the health practitioners."
Dwayne chuckled not because his sister's response was funny, but because he was clearly taken aback. That was the least he expected from his sister, he never expected her to be this cold -even towards a dying person.
He pondered over it, over and over again. What happened to his naive and innocent sister? That same lady who would go extreme miles to save a life is now interested in seeing those lives she swore to protect end miserably?
He did not understand how she managed to turn this way but whatever made her this cold, then most of the reasons should be because of him. He did not look after her enough, he had thought she's old enough to look after herself, which only lead to a false result.
"How could you do this, Ciara?" He breathed out, choking on his words. "How could you watch a life end? Did you have no conscience left in you at all? Did you think about the state his family would be in at the moment?"
Ciara laughed hysterically, unable to digest her brother's insight. How can he have such a soft mindset towards someone who wiped his parents in a go without thinking twice about it?
"I'm sorry, Dwayne." She stated simply. "But it was the only right thing I could think of at the moment, if not, I would have chosen otherwise. I mean, this would have been prevented if he had thought the same before murdering our parents."
Dwayne sighed deeply, hanging his face low. Ciara was right! If only his uncles have had the same thinking as his then, their parents would have been alive until that very day.
"I think I need to see the remaining two survivals, uncle Brandon and uncle Ferdinand. Could you please take me to them?" Dwayne asked, his voice was low as he carefully picked his words as if he were afraid of uttering anything bad against anyone -or his sister.
Ciara's lips curled into a small smirk before giving him her response. "Sure. Why not...？"
*******
Brandon and Ferdinand weren't tied to the chairs like they used to at that moment. Gerald had left the house earlier before the siblings' arrival to look after Herzl -it wouldn't be right to have him anywhere around the house.
Immediately they both saw Dwayne and Ciara walking in, they fell on their feet, tugging onto Dwayne's legs afterward. He was surprised at their sudden gesture, he did not expect such from them.
"Dwayne, please..."They uttered simultaneously, their voice in chorus. "We are deeply sorry, we could swear we weren't in our right senses when we did it. It was a huge mistake on our part, can you, at least, find a place in your heart to forgive us?"
It's clear that Dwayne is furious with Ferdinand and Brandon, and it will take a lot for them to win back his trust -which they can't be given the chance to. But even though they've made a horrible mistake, it seems like they're truly remorseful. Those were Dwayne's thought.
"I can't forgive you just like that." Dwayne said, his voice stern. "What you did was inexcusable, but if you're truly sorry, there's one thing you can do to prove it."
Ferdinand and Brandon looked up at him, their eyes full of hope as it glittered brightly -they could only hope he is not so much like Ciara in terms offorgiveness. "What is it?" they asked, almost in unison.
Dwayne's expression softened slightly, but he remained firm. "Ifyou're truly sorry for what you've done, then you must do the right thing. You must turn yourselves in to the authorities and confess to what you've done. You'll be punished, but maybe you can start to make amends. That's the only way I can ever forgive you."
Ferdinand and Brandon looked at each other, their faces full of anguish and trepidation -he is no where better than his sister, can't he just forgive them and let them go?
"Why do we have to?" Brandon hissed out. "What happened to just forgiving and let go?"
"It wouldn't be right to let you off the hook when uncle Kent is already dead!" Ciara butted in, her voice and stare hard. "I'll just accept that as his own way of paying for his crimes, you either do as Dwayne asked of you or I do it my own way!"
They knew that what Dwayne was asking of them was difficult, but on the other hand, they knew that it was the only way to start to make things right. Since Kent is dead, they have no choice but to do as told.
After a long moment of silence, Ferdinand finally spoke, already tired of pleading and asking for forgiveness. "You're right, Dwayne..."He stated plainly, his voice quiet but clear. "We must take responsibility for our actions. We must turn ourselves in and confess to what we've done, it's the only way to begin to make amends."
Brandon nodded slowly, a look of resignation on his face. "You're right." He said. "We must face the consequences of our actions, it's the only way to begin to heal."
Even though they mean none of their words, they have no other choice but to give in...