Beloved

[Axel: thirty-years old; slave employee]

"Mom?" I stop from my tracks seeing my mother outside my company building, looking like she's been waiting for me to come out. "Why didn't you call me?" I frown, check my phone and found three missed calls from her. "Sorry."

"It's alright." She hands me a glossy, lengthwise paper which looks like tickets for some grand luncheon or something. "It's privilege tickets for Beloved. You can bring Jessie with you."

"Beloved?" I parrot glancing at the tickets and to my mother back and forth.

"I've been there. It's..." She swallows hard and smiles tightly. "Breathtaking." She says as if for the lack of words before shouldering her bag. "Well, I'm only here for that. You should go Axel. So that you can finally understand everything."

“Wait, mom!" I wave the tickets at her but she didn't give a backward glance anymore, hopping into her car and drives away.

The hell is even Beloved? I get into my car, open the overhead lights and read the ticket.

Beloved, a three-day art exhibit by Annalouie Webber. My hand trembles in shock and nervousness. Why would mom give me this? She said so I could finally understand? Understand what? I pull my phone out and dial my mother's number. It connects right away after the first ring.

"Why do you think I need to go there? We don't have anything to do with the Webber anymore!"

"I just want you to forgive Annalouie, Axel."

"Forgive him?" I exclaim. "How about him? Aren't you going to tell him that as well? Besides, I've moved on! I don't want to see him ever again!"

"Have you really, Axel? Moved on?" When I don't answer, mom continues. "You never did. We never did. I still love Louise and I know even if you wouldn't tell me, you care for Annalouie even a little bit. Don't you long to return to the Webber?”

"I dont!" I firmly and quickly answer. "I already have my own life, mom. I never wished to be in that situation again."

"Your life as a Chemist? That's not a life, Axel! That's your way of escaping reality. You've been promoted too early too quickly. That means you're working your a$s off because you have nothing else to do with your life!"

"Think whatever you want. You might be true, my job is my life. So what? And who cares?"

"Well, I do!" Mom exclaims helplessly before I hear her sniffing at the other line. "I missed you, son. You've been cold and away for years. If I won't come to you, you wouldn't remember me at all.”

“I'm sorry." I solemnly say, guilt and remorse has my heart beating fast. “I'll visit you once my schedule permits."

"Don't bother if you don't feel like coming. Just visit the exhibit."

"I'll try."

"Today's the last day. They'll be extending until ten tonight. You still have time. He won't be there, Axel. Don't worry."

Mom must know that I dreaded seeing Annalouie again even though I can't voice it out. I sigh and look at the tickets again. It's going to be three hours of drive there and it's already seven. Sighing again, I toss the tickets to the passenger's seat and crank up my engine.

"Jessie can't come. She's out of town. She'll come back tomorrow."

"Thank you, son."

Ending the call, I reverse and take the road back to the Webber mansion. But since I'm only going to Annalouie's gallery, it'll save me thirty minutes before the exhibit ends. I speed up but not too fast that I'd be tailed by the coppers, trying to catch the time.

I arrive forty minutes before ten. Most of the crowd has left. Only the crew and a few people mingle around. I start looking at the paintings. It's the first time I've seen Annalouie's painting aside from his drawings when we were still children. Are they abstract?

I step into the middle of the room where the largest painting was set up in a makeshift stage. I think this must be the highlight of the event. When I look at the label, it's indeed named as Beloved. I stare at it, study it and conclude I've seen it in the past. It's a replica of the painting Dr. Spencer showed to us after her session with Annalouie.

Why did dad and mom cry... I gasp and take a step back as if the painting has an invisible force that pushes me away. Oh, my God! No wonder I couldn't understand this the first time. It's not abstract. It just looks like it because it is a child's perspective during a scene of the crime.

I look away and catch my breath. That was such a morbid painting. Blood! Lots of it! The black color I saw the last time was actually an obstructed shadow of a man. The light from the lamp isn't enough to reveal his face but the woman lying on the bed is so clear and heart wrenching.

She's obviously dead but she has her eyes wide open, looking straight to the one that saw the scene. To the one who saw the scene? I pant again. Annalouie saw this? So does this mean, this is Anna, Annalouie's mother? He saw his mom being massacred? Was this how she died?

If Annalouie witnessed it, then maybe this is the reason why his life has been in danger ever since as to what the bodyguard told me in the past. Did the f*cker try to kill him as well? Anger and fear meld inside my chest, it makes me want to rip throats. I never ask whether the culprit has been ceased.

I continue roaming around, most of the paintings are the faces of those I saw in Annalouie's sketchbook. Faces that were covered in black crayons. Although right now, instead of black crayon, they're covered vivid red, blood on their throat and another shadowed figure. There's also a huge tree and, again, the shadowed man.

There's a teddy bear that's covered in blood as well. A long, dark and eerie hallway. A wall? A closet. This is such a gothic themed exhibit. It's making my heart ache. I look around when the crew starts wrapping things up. I approach one who's taking the painting of the bloody teddy bear.

“Excuse me, where are you taking them? Are they sold?"

"No, sir. The exhibit right now is just for free viewing and aren't for sale. We will put them back to the studio where they've been stored all this time."

"All this time?"

"These paintings aren't new. They've been stored in Mr. Webber's private room for years."

"Oh." I nod and thank her before I continue looking around.

It seems that explains why the freak became a freak. He must be in trauma for years. Years, yet, he kept it in. He didn't tell anyone and endured it by himself. He must've a lot of nightmares in the past. I swallow hard. And to think I've been so mean towards him all those years. Well, to my defense, I was a child myself.

Curious, I secretly follow the crew upstairs as they haul everything up into this so called private room. Using the stairs, we arrive at the work station where easels align in rows. This must be where he holds his Art class. Moving to the side, I sneakily venture towards the room where they're stacking the paintings from downstairs.

I wait until all of them go down again to haul more paintings before stepping into the room. There are a lot of easels covered with white cloth, looking mysterious and eerie. I glance over my shoulder, see if anyone's around and flip the cloth open when I'm all alone. Only to fall to my a$s when I look at my own portrait.

Jesus! Why am I here? I look around me again and investigate further when the crew hasn't returned. Below the portrait is the label Beloved's Scowl. Beloved? Flipping another cloth up, this one has the label Beloved's Shocked Face. Opening another again, this time it's labeled Beloved's Angry Face.

Beloved's Grimace. Beloved's Scared Face. Beloved's Passion. Beloved's Tears. Every cloth I open twists my gut and tightens my chest. Why am I here, Annalouie? Why label me as beloved? Wasn't your mother your beloved? I pause and think. Wait. The time when he's still in trauma, I appeared in his life.

Did Annalouie make me the substitute of his mother? Shouldn't it supposed to be Kylie? My heart flutters and funny things are happening inside me right now I can't understand. The last cloth I open is blank, halting me on my tracks. The label below says, Beloved's Laughter.

I groan and slap a hand to my mouth when I start sobbing like crazy. He's catalogued all my expressions all this time. No wonder the freak kept staring at me. He's never seen me laugh? There's another easel I haven't opened but echoes of the crew's voices are approaching. Flipping the cloth up, I sneak a quick peek at it.

This one isn't my portrait but it's labeled Goodbye Beloved. It's a scene in a spacious room where people are standing with their backs facing front. A couple of man and woman stand at the center like they're... I step back. Oh, my God! He went to my wedding with Jessie? I stumble out of the room but in my haste, hit an easel which drops to the floor.

My eyes widen. I'm sure this is the abstract tattoo I saw in Annalouie's back. I pull and turn it upside down. It's me again although I look much younger on this picture, green grass surrounding my face. It has the label Beloved Sleeping. The hell! He tattooed me on his back upside down? And me when I was a kid to that matter!

Returning the canvas up the easel, I hastily leave the room and meet the crew at the stairs. They stop in shock at my presence, looking at each other. Before they can report me to security, I hurriedly walk past them and leave the building. That f*cker! Why didn't he tell me anything? Yeah, right! Like I also tell him anything about how I felt.

Besides, even if we confessed our love to each other, what would we do back then? We're brothers in the name and eyes of law. I get into my car and catch my breath. I cry and laugh at the same time. Oh, no! We're not brothers now. Not anymore! Oh, god! We have our chance now.

Cranking up the engine, I step on the gas and speed towards the Webber's mansion. It's a bit late so traffic is light. When I arrive at the mansion, I'm not given entrance right away. It's been years after all that I'm not part of this family. Although once they let me in, I jump out of my car and race upstairs to Annalouie's bedroom.

Frantic, I didn't knock and just push the door wide, finding Annalouie in the middle of his room. I gasp at what he's doing. He's standing on a stool while tying a noose attached to the ceiling. He tugs at it as if testing the strength. Jesus! I rush forward, slam into his body and we fall down the floor with a heavy thud.

***This work has been signed with NovelToon, and piracy such as reprinting without permission is strictly prohibited.***

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***