NEVERFOUND LAND

CHAPTER 3

I arrived at the airport early in the morning, but it took me almost a day to reach home because of the extensive layovers and having to get to the outskirts from the airport. The sweet warm sunrays were touching my eyes through the cab's semi-opened window.

I returned to the same streets and homes, to the same people who now owed me so many answers. On each side, the houses were separated by yards large enough to accommodate farm animals. All houses were almost the same size though with different personalized exteriors. My father believed that to have the same look as anyone in the neighborhood was akin to wearing the same dress to a ballroom dance. The exterior design was my father's idea and the interior my mother's. The French windows of our two-story house were peeking through the green like mischievous eyes through a long fringe. The house looked almost as if it was natural as it blended into the green garden by the ivy clambering up its side. The skin of grayish red bricks looked scorched by the sun. The garden sloped steeply down toward the house, presenting it in its entire splendor. The house was beautifully symmetrical— two wings stretching to each side, reaching out to touch the fences. I opened the tall black gate and walked up to the door, dragging my luggage behind me. The smell of the fresh roses from my garden reached my nose, welcoming me home. Different kinds of roses were available in our garden and we had a few mango trees too, one of which was fully grown.

I raised my hand to knock at the door, but I stopped. I took a deep breath and forced myself to hit the doorbell. I heard the footsteps of someone running to get the door. It opened slowly and my mother's warm, loving face was revealed. Her huge smile slowly turned into a frown. It seemed like she was happy to see me but wasn't happy too. My father came jogging to the door after her to welcome me back; he was still in his nightwear.

"We got a call from your university this morning. They were upset with your behavior," my mom spoke, holding my shoulder. My father took the luggage from me and held me close to him with his other arm. I forced a smile at them while I felt like bombarding them with all my questions. I never felt so fidgety. And then my father suddenly asked while we walked to the living room, "Why such restlessness, son?"

"Because, you guys only told me half the truth." I replied bluntly and slumped on the edge of the sofa, staring blankly at the carpeted floor.

My mother froze while filling a glass of water. She put it back on the table and stood up straight with her hands folded behind her back, and at that time I wished I could read their minds. When I looked into her eyes, her left eye twitched, which meant she was hiding something from me. I then shifted my gaze to my father and he looked away.

"What is it that you are hiding? Am I a super being? Am I a magician? Or am I a genie? I ignore my powers, act as normal as I can and then every time something new comes up! Now people come and tell me who I am, that means I don't know myself! I never got a normal childhood because of your overprotection. I was never free to do what I wanted because I was taught to be careful, to never to reveal my powers unless the case was extreme. I did everything you asked me to, but I never asked why!" I blabbered all at once.

My father took a deep breath and pulled me in his arms, rested my head on his chest convincingly and rubbed my back to make me calm. He slowly replied, "We wanted to tell you everything but we never knew the right time. You know how much we love you."

I pushed him away and got off the sofa while shouting at his face, "Is now not the right time?"

My mother was at the brink of tears when I walked toward her to ask her the same. She held up her hand and ran upstairs to the bedroom with a hand over her mouth, taking deep breaths. My father glowered angrily at me and followed her upstairs. This was the first time he looked at me that way; maybe I should've been polite. I heard their bedroom door slam close with a loud bang.