I was in Kelvin's stratum when I woke. I think I had slept for about one hour. As I tried to gain my witfulness I heard my father's voice as he approached from a stand to the room. I prepared myself to stand firm and face them and let them realize what they had taken away from us and make sure they feel heartbroken and verratened like I felt.
It turned out that's my father had an affair with Kelvin's mother and that's how kelvin was born. My mother knew the truth and ran away with my brother leaving me behind. I was still young. Kelvin's dad died of heart attack years after Kelvin was born but the cause of heart attack was never revealed to the public domain.
"You have to listen to me Mercy", my dad broke the whist between me and him.
"I have listened to your prevaricates my whole life and now I feel languid", At least now I know why mum left.
"I was protecting you sweetheart", he begged as he watched me stand up and walk past him.
"Haha, then the results of your protection happened to be incest, imagine sleeping with my own blood brother. Does that sound like protection to you? I am sorry", I said and left.
"I ran away after that and began to look for my mother but trust me it wasn't easy. All my life I had hated my mother for leaving while the scoundrel was with me all these time, hugging me every day and telling me how much he loved me."
"But it was too late", I could see tears building in her eyes and covering them with darkness.
"What do you mean by it was already too late?" I asked sympathetically as I wiped her tears with my fingers and kissing her on the chick.
"By the time I found my mother, my brother was long gone", Mercy continued as she stood up and walked to stand against one of the large windows facing the flower garden on the back of my house. I lacked the words to make her feel better though deep down me I felt her anger, heartbreak, rue and remorse. I wished my grandmother would pay me a visit from the dead and the whisper to my ears her encouraging words that all will be well. That could at least help me out.
"Suicide! She shouted. My brother killed himself for love. He loved the wrong person."
"Why so?" I asked though it came out so fast that I wished I had manners and sympathy in me to hug her and make her feel important and loved.
"His girlfriend cheated on him with one of my brother's female lecturer's. And that killed him." She couldn't control her tears anymore, the more she tried to wipe them the more they came out. I wanted to help but I didn't know how. I stood up and handed her a piece if handkerchief then gave her a very tight hug. She accepted it with warm welcome. We stayed in that position swallowing that sympathy sensation mixed with love feeling for some minutes not wanting to let go.
"All will be well dear", I said as I let her go and sat on the bed. A ghost of silence roamed the room for the next few seconds.
If I kiss her, she will kiss me back passionately and that will lead to love making which will be like taking advantage of her state. I didn't want that.
"What happened to your mum?" I broke the silence again.
"My mother was newly married with a daughter. That's how I met Linn my step sister."
How can that be possible? I wondered.
"My mother never told me but when I thought about it, my mother and Linn's father started seeing each other before my mother left. Linn is my step sister, same mother different fathers." she said worling around the place like a childless pregnant woman.
"Whaaat?" I jumped with my heart beating and whirling like the drums in a Kamba traditional dance. I couldn't neither believe it nor trust myself. Was I cursed? One hour ago, I was about to make love to Linn, few minutes after I sleep with Mercy, her step sister! I tried to make myself feel better convincing myself that it wasn't a sin. And by the way I had heard stories about men who marry sisters. I told myself. So it wasn't a sin.
I moved toward her to sympathize with her, hug her to make her feel cared and kiss her if possible to make sure she knew I understood how she felt and I will always be there for her? Will I? Or was I just fighting against my inner feelings of desiring sisters? Did I even desire Linn? I asked myself again and again, stranded at a junction of a dilemma, the worst was I could feel Tasha in my head making fun of me and laughing at me making the complicated situation a trilemma.
"I am so sorry for what you went through Mercy, I want you to know that I'll always be there for you. You can always talk to me", I told her kissing her on the lips.
"I think I'll take that shower now", she said smiling and pulling me into the bathroom.
"The pleasure is all mine", I said as I followed her lead admiring her behind.
The bath was long but sweet. Full of jokes and teasing each other. We didn't care whether our friends were still waiting or not but because we could hear the music sound, we knew they were still waiting. She walked out of the bathroom before me only to find her standing in front of my closet confused and with a very different mood and look. She was angry and I knew why. I had an explanation to make and may be it won't be easy but I had to.
Next to my closet was another closet with a tag on the door written my wife. I had put it there as a surprise for Tasha before she left.
"So you have just made love to me inside your wife's bedroom?" She asked trying to control her anger and tears from her eyes.