Then suddenly, just when Sebastien had lost all hope, a metallic click announced the unlocking of the door. Sitting on the floor, Shadee opened the door slightly, still keeping the safety chain on.

‘Ok, start talking.’

Glowing with happiness, Seb edged towards the door on his knees and sat down on the floor as well. He drew a deep breath and started the story he had kept to himself for quite some time:



‘Everything started approximately six weeks ago, on the day of Caleb’s departure for camp with that phone call that interrupted our…umm…fight.’ He threw Shadee a furtive look, but her expression was unreadable ‘I was announced that my father had passed away. I was quite aware that this moment was approaching because my dad was a regular client of Glenwood’s, he was being treated by a friend of mine, so I had quite a good insight into his medical condition. You see, he had developed cirrhosis because of his excessive drinking, that’s what killed him in the end, as expected. With all his mistakes and everything, my father wasn’t, or at least didn’t use to be, a bad person. I haven’t told anyone any of this, but it’s important that I tell you now, it’ll help you understand.

In his young years, my father was a good man and he married my mum out of love. They were both quite poor, but hard working and were leading a decent life in their trailer. Then they had me and continued to lead a happy, fulfilled life until my mother’s schizophrenia set in. There was no sign, no nothing, she just started showing severe symptoms. I think that’s about the same time that my dad started hating me. Having started to show signs of her condition just shortly after my birth, I guess he linked the two together, even though scientifically there was no tie between them. My mother was getting worse by the day and there were many moments when you just couldn’t talk to her, she was insane, she could hear voices, had vivid hallucinations. My father was torn, I don’t think he had ever loved anyone as much as he had loved her and seeing her become something so different from her usual self was too much for him. He wasn’t a strong man and we didn’t have enough money for her to get professional help, so my dad started drinking.’

It was a sad story, Shadee could feel her eyes getting a little wet as this was the first time Sebastien mentioned his family. She had never imagined that he had gone through so much more than what she had already witnessed and known. Even though she had no idea where this story of Sebastien’s background was leading, she kept listening intently to what he had to say.

‘And then, when I was about five and a half, my mum ran away from home during one of her episodes. We knew nothing of her for one whole week and then she was returned to us in a body bag. She had drowned in a river. Due to her condition, everyone assumed she had killed herself; I never doubted that, as she had already made a couple other attempts while she was still home.



Of course, in my father’s eyes, I was the one guilty for her death, I was the one guilty for everything, so he treated me accordingly ever since. The rest is history, you know it. He already hated me, I grew to hate him. But then, after I had left his house, after we had entered college, I kind of thought things over and realised I cared for him, in a weird, twisted and unselfish way I cared for that brute of a father. I don’t think you’ve ever noticed, I tried to hide it so I wouldn’t have to tell you, but I kept calling him ever since. Not to talk him, I was too proud for that and he surely wouldn’t have talked to me, but just to hear his voice and know he was okay. It’s the fact that he loved my mother so much that redeemed him in my eyes. I don’t think there is any person out there who is purely evil, we’re so much more complex than that.’

He paused, staring for a few seconds at the rug in front of the door and Shadee took the opportunity to stand up and open the door properly. There was something in his story, in the tone of his voice that made her do that; the real Sebastien must have still been somewhere inside him.

‘Come inside, it’s getting quite cold out here and your clothes are all wet.’



She held the door open for him, then they both walked upstairs in the bedroom they had once shared. Sebastien changed his clothes in silence, rubbed his hair dry with a fresh towel, then sat down on the floor again, followed by his wife.



‘Like I told you, it wasn’t a surprise that my dad died, but it still hurt. It was a dull feeling of pain because he was the last of my living relatives, I had absolutely no one else related to me, still living…I know it might sound foolish…but it was a very weird feeling. I was in shock the whole day, it made me realise just how important family is in a person’s life. I wanted to come to you, to apologise and make everything ok again, but I wasn’t acting properly, both my mind and my body were on autopilot. I needed time to think. I don’t even know what I thought about, it was just a dire need of solitude.

Anyway, the next day I went to prepare things for his funeral, take a look at the old trailer, things that had to be done. I took my day off from work. But that’s when the situation really got out of control.’

Sebastien buried his face into his hands and rubbed his forehead wearily. Shadee realised just how tired and thin he looked. He could have very well lost a few pounds.

‘My dad had a very badly paid job, that could barely secure him money for his food, let alone all the booze he was throwing down the drain. He started borrowing money from various people. And he borrowed and borrowed and borrowed until the sum rose to quite a big amount. Then he started hiding and stopped going to work; he was simply unable to pay his debts. He lived on the streets because he couldn’t risk being caught by the gang of the mobster he owed money to. Lucky for him, he died only three days after going into hiding. The problem is you don’t mess with these people and leave unscathed. They don’t guide their lives under rules and principles. They don’t care about anything. This is why I, as my father’s only child and living relative, had to pay his debts or else…’ he looked deeply into Shadee’s eyes and the young woman felt a cold shiver go down her spine.



‘They cornered me right after I had buried my father. Their request was simple: pay 100 000 or me and my family would never see the daylight again. My one and only stroke of luck was that Minnie, the mobster’s girlfriend had the hots for me. She followed me home after the gang had left, you saw her that evening: the blond woman in the red dress. She asked me about you, my wife, and I had the brilliance to tell her how much I hated you and how I had only married you for your money; how we were going through a divorce and I was leaving the house that very day with the prospect of taking everything you had, in the near future. It was the best plan I could come up with, as I assume you’ve had no problems after I had left. You weren’t worth being tortured if you didn’t mean anything to me, heck – from my story they would have considered harming you a favour to me.’ Shadee looked away for a few moments in order to give her husband the opportunity to dry his eyes undetected. His story…it all seemed to fit together…but what if he was lying just to save his own skin?

‘I could have told you the truth, it probably would have been easier on your psyche, but I was afraid we both wouldn’t have played our parts well; we would have probably met secretly and I was being watched the whole time. It would have been a critical mistake that would have meant the end… Believe me Shadee, it was the toughest thing I had ever had to do, saying those awful things to you, leaving you on your own. I almost threw all caution out the window the next day, when I found out…’ he drew a deep breath and his face cracked into a heartfelt smile ‘about the baby!’



Shadee took a few moments to study his facial expression, looking into his eyes and searching for the truth. The Sebastein she knew had never been a good liar, she had always been able to read him in a moment and, judging by the look in his eyes, he was telling nothing but the truth…