<><><> FEBRUARY <><><>
Alexander and Tadeus meet at a karaoke bar to eat, drink, and sing. — You seem nervous — Animal comments.
— I didn't make good decisions the last time I was at karaoke — Tadeus says with a smile, raising his eyebrows, barely visible behind his hair, to emphasize his expression.
— Really? — Alexander says with a curious smile — Don't make me ask.
— I don't remember anything — Tadeus replies.
— Please, answer me at least once — Alexander says.
— I don't remember anything, I swear! — Tadeus laughs and takes a sip of water. Alexander grins, leaning back in the cubicle's armchair. A waiter brings the drinks: a bottle of vodka in an ice bucket and a couple of hamburgers.
— It's ballad night. What's your favorite song? — Alexander asks — We can ask them to add it to the list.
— I'm not good at singing, I'm warning you! — Tadeus replies and heads to the bar to request his song.
The rest of the night, they both danced, sang off-key romantic ballads, and drank liquor until they finished the bottle. Tadeus feels extremely dizzy and trips over one of the chairs by the bar. — Are you okay? — Alexander asks, grabbing him by the waist to prevent him from falling face-first to the floor.
Tadeus turns to look at him, and their faces get a little too close. — How can you stay on your feet? I think I've had enough — he says.
Alexander laughs at this and takes Tadeus' face in his hands with the intention to kiss him, but instead, the man tilts his face to vomit on the floor.
<><><> A couple of days later <><><>
Tadeus meets with Gustaph for lunch. As he sometimes does, the senator finishes the word games on the back page of the newspaper while Tadeus finishes eating. — Any progress? — he asks — Your father's patience is wearing thin.
— I don't think I'm anywhere near gaining his trust if I cannot know that he's a narco — Tadeus replies — I thought we agreed this plan is a waste of time.
— Do you think I just love seeing you? I'm on this because I have debts to pay — Gustaph says — This must work or it'd be as if I'm not paying back what I owe to your father.
— Why do you owe money to someone like him? — Tadeus comments — Didn't you grow up with a silver spoon in your mouth like all the other public servants who've been scratching their balls all day in the Senate offices for eighty years?
Gustaph refuses to argue and simply continues with the crossword puzzles.
When he gets home, Tadeus calls his sister — How was your day? — he asks.
— The same every day but… — She utters — Now I have someone behind me at every minute. Sometimes I feel like it'd be scarier to be outside by myself.
— I'm sorry for all of this. — Tadeus says.
— Is that Edwin? — Yenedith asks, hearing the television. Tadeus decides to turn up the volume.
Then they see an interview with Edwin Singer on television about the banishing of his wife and son twenty years ago. The man shows himself hurt and speaks with words of hope — He really is a great liar indeed — Tadeus states.
— This reminds me that we have to go and give our statements. Especially you, since you were already born when it all happened — Yenedith says.
— See you there — her brother replies. After this, the young woman enters the public establishment to complete this task. The questions focus on her childhood and things her mother might have told her about what happened.
— I just thought he didn't exist. I didn't know about him until he picked me up off the street one day — Yenedith answers.
— He picked you up, you say? — the prosecutor asks.
— Yes, it was unexpected. Some men approached me and said they needed to talk to me — Yenedith explains — At first I hesitated, but they knew my name, so I went with them — She affirms. The lump in her throat grows heavier.
The prosecutor asks her a few more questions, guides her through providing a buccal DNA sample, and lets her go. Yenedith walks toward the stairs of the house to go to her room when she is interrupted by Edwin. — I assure you I will do everything possible to clear your mother's name. You have to understand that I was in a desperate situation and never wanted to hurt you. — Okay — Yenedith replies without any emotion.
— I wish we could have done more for her. But your brother didn't accept our help at the time. That's why your father resorted to violent methods to get you back — Elena says.
— Excuse me? — Yenedith says.
— We didn't know what story Edith had told you to keep you away, with no intention of knowing about your own father — Elena replies.
— No, repeat what you said, Elena. How is it that my brother didn't accept his help?
— Your father called him a couple of years ago when he got his phone number. He thought it would be better instead of approaching him suddenly — Elena says — Despite his attempts to help with your mother's clinic expenses, he asked us never to get close.
— Even so, I wanted to reach out to you, thinking that you have the right to know me and to know about everything I plan to leave you as an inheritance — Edwin comments.
At that moment, Yenedith's eyes fill with tears as she tries to deny what she's hearing — I think I need to talk to Tadeus.
— Of course, dear — Elena says.
<><><>
That same day, after attending the citation for the interrogation, Tadeus returns to his apartment, somewhat disappointed at not having run into his sister. After crossing the door threshold, he decides to call out to her, but to his surprise, he sees her standing in the middle of the living room. — Yenedith! — He approaches and hugs her — Do you have keys to this place? — he asks as they break the embrace, but she seems bewildered. Her composed expression does little to hold back the tears.
— All this time I wondered what my father was like, and now it turns out he was alive in the same city all this time — Yenedith says.
— What do you come to this for? — Tadeus asks.
— You're a liar! — his sister shoves him — All this time enjoying trips and luxuries while I'm stuck locked up in that house surrounded by strangers!
— Nothing is what it seems, Yenedith — Tadeus says, moving closer to try and calm her down, but she backs away.
— Oh, and you know everything? — she asks, looking around — Why did you refuse his help?
— What?
— I know he called you two years ago asking about me and our mother, Tadeus — Yenedith says, her voice drowning with emotion — If only Mom had had that surgery...
— She'd never have accepted dirty money!
— She'd have been saved! — Yenedith cries — She'd be cursing us and hating us, but she'd be alive — she says, bursting into tears. Tadeus feels a tightness in his chest and a knot in his throat, but he tries to keep his composure. He hugs his sister, who cries for several seconds with her chin resting on his shoulder until she says — Why does everything have to be your way? You took away her chance to live, you took it away.