Purple Romance

''That boy… leave him for your sister'' Mrs. Emelia Abdul said resolutely as they sat across each other in the hall of her mother's house.

''Is he an object?'' Paula asked.

''What?''

''You told me to leave him, so I asked if Andy was just an object to you and Mali? Why should I leave him for her when she was the one who abandoned and left him in the first place?''

''You seem to have come prepared but let me remind you. You owe your sister this. You can't be this indifferent with her when you are the one to cause our family to break''

''Mother, did I really cause this family to break? Haven't I paid enough? You didn't even take care of me for the most part of my life. You and Mali have been living your life, well and ignoring the fact that I exist. Why is it that I always have to sacrifice for the family when no one has ever done that for me?''

Paula looked at them and chuckled. She felt it was funny that it took her this long to finally realise how selfish those two were. It all started when her father passed away. It was so sudden that it broke the family apart or maybe rather it broke only her apart from the family because she was the outcast among them.

At the age of 8 when her father passed away, her mother had sent her over to her paternal grandparents, not wanting to see her because she caused the death of their father, her husband. She had been with her paternal grandparents till she finished high school and they passed away after she entered college. Till now, they never concerned themselves with her. they never bothered about how she was living, who she associated with. They just allowed her to do whatever she wanted.

''Did you know…?'' Paula asked them, ''that, this is the first time in the last 13 years you called me home to this house since father passed away? And it's actually because you want to remind me of how sinful I am and how I am supposed to keep doing whatever you wanted. Mother, you weren't even there when I had my first period. You weren't there when I first entered junior high school and high school. You were never there for any special events in my school. You only sent me money''

''I still made sure you didn't lack anything. Don't act as if I abandoned you without giving you money. Did you think you were able to attend international schools because of your grandparents? It was because of my money and connections''

''But, I worked hard to stay there. I wasn't born smart like my sister, so I had to do extra of what everyone else was doing. I had to read extra hard, I had to sleep few hours so I can catch up with everyone else. I did all that hoping that you would at least be willing to see me when I worked so hard to be at the top but, it was my wishful thoughts because even when I came out first in my final exams, you still weren't there. but, her… you never missed anything that concerned her. our schools were just a wall away yet each time you would bring her to school and even when you see me waiting anxiously at the door, you would still act as if you didn't know me''

''All these years, you have totally ignored me. You only call to check on me when your guilt plays you on but even when I knew you were not sincere, I till appreciated it because you are my mother, my family. But, now, I realise that only I still saw you as my family. Only I was holding on to something that wasn't even there in the first place. Do you know how hard it is to live life hoping that at least the one person that you seek approval from would look your way and tell you well done?''

''Why are you giving me a long speech when I just asked you to do something simple? Leave Andy, he can only belong to your sister''

''No!!! I can't. in fact, I won't do that, because Andy is a human being and he is my boyfriend''

''Are you proud announcing that you are sleeping with your sister's ex-boyfriend? Aren't you ashamed to be even near him? he and your sister have a history, if anything should continue, then it should be between them. she had loved him for more than ten years''

''If she loved him that much, then why did she leave him? I never knew they were together. If you and her weren't so cruel enough to cut me off and included me in your life, then I would have known who Andy was and I would have avoided him but now, I want you to know something. Even if I knew who Andy was, I would have still loved him any ways because he is a good man''

''Paula, you and Andy just started dating a week ago. I'm sure you two haven't gone far yet, right? You can still leave him since you haven't done anything intimate with him'' Mali said.

''Then, I guess I will just sleep with him. If it takes our intimacy for you to give up, then I would sleep with him. Listen to me, I am not leaving Andy and that is final. Do whatever you want, I trust Andy''

Paula stood up and Mali held her hand stopping her as she said, ''are you sure you can be able to handle him? Andy is ten years older than you, there is so much age gap between you. Your tastes and preferences are different and will always crash. As you get closer to him, you will realise that there are certain things that you will feel different about that he might find comfortable with. I know Andy and you very well. Andy isn't a man you can handle. You might see him as ordinary but his family, his past. Those are things that a pure girl like you might not be able to accept''

''Are you saying that based on experienced? Then, let me also say this based on my experience being with him. Andy, no matter what he does, where he is from and where he is going, he will never hurt me. he loves and respects me. moreover, I only believe what I see, so don't project what you couldn't handle in your youth on to me. I am not leaving Andy''

''Then, are you confident that he will still look at you now that I am back? I am his first love and if it took him ten years to get over me, oh, right. he didn't get over me. he simply picked something similar to me. a fake. We look alike and he might be confused. Are you confident that he won't take me back now that I am back?''

''If he does, then he never belonged to me. I don't need a man who would think twice or hesitate when it comes to choosing me. Let's see who he chooses, big sister'' Paula flunked her hand away and picked her bag and left the place.

''Why is she so unreasonable. Doesn't she know that we are trying to stop her from getting hurt?'' Mrs. Emelia pointed at the door.

Mali sat down and looked towards the door as her mind replayed what Paula said to her. Was she really projecting what she felt in her youth unto Paula? Mali shook her head. she was resolute.

''What are you going to do now? It seems Paula is serious this time''

''What I want, I always get. It doesn't matter how I get it. what matters is that I have it in the end'' Mali said and stood up, ''mom, I need to go somewhere and meet someone''

''Oh, be careful on the road''

'Yes, mom. Take care'' Mali picked her bag and left.

….

Leslie walked into Andy's villa and saw the latter sitting quietly on the sofa and he went over.

''Andy, can you tell me what the hell is going on? While I was on my way here, I received a call from sister Godiva. Is Paula really Mali's younger sister?''

Andy nodded his head calmly and chuckled, ''turns out the woman I love is the younger sister of the woman he dumped me. how ironic!!!''

''Wait, let me get this straight. You met Mali yesterday at the hotel after I left with the directors. Mali actually came there herself. Then, later the following morning, you and Paula went to meet her before sister Godiva intercepted and revealed everything to you. then, it means neither Paula nor Mali knows that they are all in love with the same man? Whoa, this isn't a drama or series, how did things get so twisted like this?''

''Leslie, someone is bound to get hurt. But the last person I want to hurt with my past is Paula''

''But, she is bound to know and if you are not the one to tell her, she would be hurt if someone else does that before you''

''How do I tell her? Where do I start? This is wrong from all perspective''