Sixty five
Staring straight at the eyes of the people was far more difficult than ever. And so, head low, I spoke up. "Given the story my brother just presented, I've been seen guilty by everybody, including myself. Many of you knew me from the very beginning; the new boy Mr Allendro took in as his own. Back then, I was a runaway kid; angry, pained and lonely, seeking for that one person that'll replace family and actually stay. While Mr Stephen did well being family, we all know he didn't stay."
I paused to let the pain in my chest sink in.
"Anyways, the reserved and short tempered person you saw in me was as a result of all that, and I'm deeply sorry. Fast forward to the present, I'm in a life sentence but presently on temporary parole. With the guilt I am afraid I'll live with forever, I will completely agree with whatever judgement you feel should befit me for all I've done. If, for any divine reason, you decide to join the movement, I'll presume you all have seen a potential in me that I haven't."
That was all I had to say. Asides that, there was pin drop silence across the entire span of the gym. My fingers tapped vainly on my thighs and sweat pores opened.
Was Noah's idea feasible? Suppressing my harsh breaths, I shut my eyes and tried to stop thinking. If God found me worth it, He'd step in now.
"Free Jeffrey Thompson," the first voice came.
Gasping, I peeled my eyes open and faced the source of the feminine voice; and there was Jade nodding assuredly to me. It was the look to show she'd heard my mistakes, understood them and believed I needed mercy.
"Free Jeffrey Thompson," a more masculine voice announced from somewhere in the center.
Unbelievably, a nostalgic pound of laughter left my chest while more people affirmed their agreement to the protest. Noah and the others were screaming excitedly across the space; infact, the entire room was a noise shell.
Deep down, there I was wondering if I deserved all this. Tears bathing my eyes, I scanned the number of people who were ready to fight this battle of freedom with me.
In the entire space of my young life, it dawned on me then that there had never been a single lonely moment. Angels in form of people have always been there for me. For that reason, even if this protest was not going to work out, I would be grateful to whoever made me
***
The rest of the day had just been the repetition of that. From gym to gym, fan base to fan base, I'd told the story like it had never been told. Confident, yet humble, fluent yet afraid, successfully pooling together a wide range of people ready to steam up the protest.
While I'd been at the orphanage only a few hours ago, getting the consent of the children had not been much of a task with Mary Ann by my side.
You could hear the childlike shrieks in the large building from a hundred meters away while they yelled my freedom.
Right by my side, there was something Justin said that had gotten to me. "Perhaps forgiving you is going to be more difficult than you'd want it to be. However, I can see you've touched a number of lives. I'm guessing yours deserves to be touched as well." And that had been his indirect agreement to join the protest.
But, skipping to now, that statement of his still played in my head over and over. Noah and I were seated in the silence of the balcony, with nothing but the moonlight washing over us. It had been one busy day and this sort of rest was something we both deserved.
"A toast…" Noah said, his glass of whiskey raised, "…to our brotherhood."
A small smile made my lips twitch, and I soon clinked my glass to his. "To our brotherhood, Noah."
I was not going to trade that for anything else. The lengths we could go side by side was unbelievable. Perhaps, it was the bond that came with unity, or it was the strength that a bad childhood brought later on in life. While we whiled away a few more minutes drinking in silence, he brought up a topic I anticipated.
"What about Dad?" He probed, a dark glower weighing down. "Why do you think he's denying the relationship?"
"I might have done the exact same thing if I were in his shoes," I shrugged in confession. "Imagine being away from your kids for such a long time and stepping into their lives with the tag of a criminal. He might rather I never get to know than actually come to face with it."
With a nod, Noah took in another gulp from his cup.
When it almost felt like he had nothing else to say, he asked. "What are your plans now? Play the pesky Jeffery Thompson until he comes clean?"
A wave of laughter came over us that moment. "It's impressive how well you know me. However, trust me when I say this second try is not going to take long."
"Oh, I trust you, Jones," he smiled shortly.
When I glanced over to look at him, it seemed to me he had something on his mind that was being contemplated upon. "Speak up," I said, something that was more of an invitation than an order.
The smile he gave at first was to appreciate my notice. Afterwards, a nervous sigh came out of its mouth. "I'm thinking of asking Emily to get married to me."
Even before his statement was completed, I'd laughed out loud and into the silence that I almost spilled out the drink I'd taken in. It wasn't a laugh of mockery or amusement; it was happiness, extreme happiness.
"Noah!" I yelled, grinning madly in a way I hadn't done in a pretty long time. "You had this going on behind my back the entire time!"
My brother nervously had his head bowed. However, I could sight the little smile of happiness on his lips. "Sorry I stole her from you." There was a hint of cajole in his tone.
It only helped to increase my laughter. I extended a hand which he shook readily, shaking his head like he was completely embarrassed by the moment. I didn't care, did I?
After sending a pat to his shoulder, I said. "Asides the three kids already here at home, I'm anticipating yours."
"Yours as well," he joked. I saw it as a joke.
"Oh, that's possible if I leave prison, you see. If not, I'm stuck fatherless for life…"
"I've never prayed for anything like I've prayed for your freedom, Jeffery," he said. "I'm counting on God, just like I've always counted on Him since I can remember."
With a nod, I looked up to the sky. If He thought I deserved a second chance, then I hoped He granted it.
As though Noah sensed my thoughts, he rubbed my back to ease my anxiety. Looking back at him, I nodded. "Thank you."