What is Family? Novel – This morning, I get to know that our real sister was swapped with someone else at the time of her birth. “I got a call today from the police station informing me, we have a sister and that her DNA matched with dad’s.”, I said to my other four brothers. “What???” “Are you serious?” “A sister!!” “We have another sister?” I took in their reactions silently. The only one who didn’t react is Lina. She looked shocked but didn’t say anything. “So did you bring her home?”, this time it was Ace. “I did. She’s fourteen years old and she looks exactly like mom and her eyes are like dad.”. They all froze in their places, probably trying to process the information. “How’s that possible? Does that mean…” By now, Everyone’s looking at Angelina, the sister we raised for fifteen years. Will we choose our real sister Arianna or Angelina?
Arianna “Arianna! Come down this instant.”, yelled my mother. I hurriedly went down, leaving the make-up , that I was applying to cover a bruise on my cheek. “Yes, mom.” She was at the bottom of the stairs, holding her black shoes in her hands. That is when I remember that I forgot to polish her shoes. “I clearly remember telling you to polish my black shoes. But I see you have not completed that task.”, she says glaring at me. I cast my eyes down, scared to look in her eyes when she is angry. “I’m sorry mom. P-Please forgive me.”, I stutter, with my voice giving away my fear. I am terrified to even think about the punishment I’m going to get in the evening. “Come here, bimbo!”, my mom yells at me. My father takes his belt and steps behind my back.
By now I’m trembling like a leaf. My back is already sore from a beating two days ago. He lands his belt harshly on my back and I scream due to the extreme pain. My knees buckle and I fall on the ground. “P-Please I-I’m sorry. I-I w-won’t repeat i-it.”, I beg my dad and mom to stop this torture. He keeps hitting me and after some time I start seeing black dots. — I wake up after a few hours and find myself in the living room, lying on the ground, with drops of my blood on the floor around me. My back aches like inferno as if someone is pressing hundreds of needles on my skin. Every part of my body hurts. I remember last night’s events and tears flow down my cheeks. Why do my parents hurt me? Why do they look satisfied seeing me in pain? I decided long ago that once I turn 18, I’m going to leave this house and find a separate place to live.
But the problem is I’m not allowed to do any part time job and I don’t have money to start fresh. I just wish to walk out of this inferno. With all these thoughts, I reach school and as usual, attend my classes. — In the middle of the third hour, I’m called to the Principal’s office. I was scared. I reached the Principal’s office and knocked on his door. I heard a come in and walked into his office. There was a police officer sitting on one of the two chairs in front of the Principal. “Arianna, come sit down.”, the Principal said looking at me with pity. What is he pitying me for? “Arianna, this is officer Robert Smith and officer, this is Arianna Jenson.”, the Pricipal made the introductions. Why was there a police officer and why I’m being introduced to him? “Miss Jenson, I’m sorry to say this but your parents were arrested for dope dealing this morning.
They were caught red handed, supplying drugs to minors and on further probing, they were charged for bigger cases of dope dealing. So, I would like you to come with me to the station so that I can ask a few questions and decide where you’ll be staying.”, the officer told me with a kind expression. What!!!! My parents are arrested for dope dealing? For some reason, I don’t feel bad knowing they are arrested. I feel relieved. Does that make me a bad person? But where will I go now. Will I end up in foster care? “Miss Jenson, shall we leave?”, officer Robert breaks me out of my thoughts. I nod and stand up. I greet my Principal and walk out of the school with officer Robert. He leads me to his car and I hop in. “First we’ll be going to your house and collect all your things and head to the station. Is it alright?”, he asks me while driving, probably to my house.
“Yes.”, I answer. — The car ride to the station was filled with silence. The officer didn’t ask any questions and neither did I. After a few minutes of driving, we reached the police station. “So, Miss Jenson, I’m going to ask you a few questions and I want you to answer them honestly.”, the officer states, sitting in his chair, asking me to take the chair opposite to him. “Yes”. “Did you know that your parents were dealing drugs?” “No” “Did you find any suspicious activities or people at your house anytime?” “No” He sighed and continued. “Were you treated well by them?” I didn’t expect that question. What should I tell him? Should I tell him the truth? No, I can’t afford to tell him the truth. “Miss Jenson?”, the officer’s voice brought me out of my thoughts. “Y-Yes”, I stuttered. The officer eyed me suspiciously, but didn’t ask anything further.
After some time, a social worker, who introduced herself as Stella, came and talked to me about how I’m going to have to wait at the station until my DNA is ran across the system to find any close relatives. Not being able to take all the stress and due to the exhaustion of last night’s punishment, I doze off on the couch in officer Robert’s cabin. After some hours, I am woken up by the social worker, Stella. “Your DNA doesn’t match with Maria and David, Arianna.”, this time it was officer Robert who answered my question. WHAT! “I don’t understand. What are you saying? How is it possible? They are my parents.”, I argued. They are my parents, right? They are the ones who raised me. Technically, no. But theoretically, yes. Then what are these people even talking about. “Maria and David adopted you. Well, that’s what they said and we are going to go with that for now.”, officer said. “With the answers you gave, I presume you never knew about this. Well, they said they adopted you from an orphanage. But when we ran your DNA through the system, we found your family.
We are surprised you belong to such an influential family but are living in this condition with people like them. We’ll try to dig more information about it.”, officer Robert explained me. “Everything will be fine, dear. Well, we’ll go contact your father and inform him about you.”, Stella told me with a kind expression. After a few painful minutes, Stella walked in with officer Robert on her tail. “Good news! We couldn’t reach your father but your older brother is ready to take you in.”, Stella chirped. “Older brother?”, I asked. “Yes, your older brother, Vincent Marino.”, officer Robert answered. I have an older brother? How many more surprises am I in for! I remember officer Robert telling me they are an influential family. So they must be rich. Then why did they leave me in an orphanage? Didn’t they want me? After two hours, the door of the cabin was opened by officer Robert and it looked like he was welcoming someone inside. “Please, this way Mr.Marino.”, he held the door open waiting for the other person to enter the cabin. Then, walked in a guy, tall and muscular, but not buff, probably in his mid twenties, wearing a royal blue expensive suit , with a cold and stoic expression on his face. He had a cold, dangerous and authoritative aura around him. Officer Robert gave him some papers and he signed them. He then looked at me and said, “Let’s go.” The way people looked scared of him, it is clear that he’s not a person to be messed with.
From the experience I got living with my parents, I can say that if I follow all their orders, I’ll be safe from punishment. So, I’m going to do exactly that. I looked at his direction, but didn’t look in his eyes. I am scared, he emits a dangerous and authoritative aura. “I am Vincent Marino, your oldest brother.”, he says. Oldest? There are more? “It is manners to introduce yourself after some one has done with theirs.”, he stated with same cold, emotionless voice. That’s when I realised I didn’t introduce myself. “I-I am A-Arianna J-Jenson.”, I stuttered. I don’t want to get hurt. “Arianna”, I flinched hearing his deep voice. “Y-Yes”, I answered timidly. “Let’s go.”, he said with the same cold eyes and stoic expression. I followed him out of the police station and saw a limo, probably belonging to him. One of the bodyguards walked fast and held the door open. The man walked to the door and looked at me. I immediately stopped and looked down, not being able to look into his cold eyes.
Did I do something wrong? Why did he stop all of a sudden? Will he leave me here? Did he not like me? Most of all, he scares me. No, he terrifies me. “Get in the car, Arianna.”, he stated with an emotionless, deep voice. I followed him out of the police station and saw a limo, probably belonging to him. One of the bodyguards walked fast and held the door open. The man walked to the door and looked at me. I immediately stopped and looked down, not being able to look into his cold eyes. Did I do something wrong? Why did he stop all of a sudden? Will he leave me here? Did he not like me? Most of all, he scares me. No, he terrifies me. “Get in the car, Arianna.”, he stated with an emotionless, deep voice. We walked towards a jet with initials MA. He boarded the plane, followed by me. “Take your seat.”, Vincent’s voice brought me out of my staring session. Then we heard an announcement to fasten our seat belts. I was struggling with the seat belt as I’ve never been on a plane.
Then I saw two hands come in my view and fasten my seat belt. I know it is Vincent. “T-Thank you.”, I thanked him and he just nodded. He then sat on his seat and fastened his own seat belt. I am excited. This is my first time on a flight. The plane took off and it was a weird feeling. I was scared but excited. As the plane was in the air, I stared outside the window. It was a great feeling being on the plane, so high in the air. “This is your first time on a plane.”, Vincent’s voice brought me out of my excitement. He was staring at me all this time. I was embarrassed. I looked at my lap and nodded. Just then the air hostess from before appeared.
“Good evening sir, mam. Can I get you anything to eat or drink?”, she asked in a soft tone and she was looking down, not making eye contact with either of us. Weird! “No. Arianna?”, Vincent asked. “N-No. T-Thank you.”, I answered. “Y-Yes sir, mam”, she stuttered and went away. She looked pretty scared. After the flight landed in New York, we got in a limo and drove to his home, probably. After a an hour of driving, I saw a huge black gate. The gates opened and we drove in. There were trees on both sides. Then came a huge fountain and what seemed like garden. Then came into view a huge mansion. It looked like a palace. It was beautiful. The car stopped and Vincent got out and held the door open for me. I got out of the car and stared at the mansion before me. “Welcome home.”