A new home

They got to Lopez Mateo at about 5:30pm in the evening. He couldn't help but look around his Father's mansion which was so strange to him now. Emilia opened the car and brought him out with his bag and they both proceeded into the house.

"Welcome home young master," the gardener greeted on sighting them.

"Eden!," a lady in her early forties cried as they walked into the house. She used to be his nanny. She rushed towards him to carry his bag while she ruffled his hairs and Eden smiled.

He stood beside his mother at the foyer waiting for his father. Not long, Emilio walked down the stairs with a lady probably of same age with Emilia. She was carrying a baby in her arms with two little girls running down the stairs happily. Eden wondered who they were.

"I can't remember telling you to keep standing," Emilio slammed as he walked towards them.

"I have better things to attend to instead of sitting around this damn place looking at irritating faces,"Emilia fired

"I take that as an insult Emilia," the woman remarked

"Hold it there bitch! I'm not here for you!" She slammed

"Honey!" The woman yelled, looking at Emilio who ordered her to be calm.

Eden watched silently as they engaged in a word battle. He saw the two little girls staring at him with wide eager eyes. They were still so young but pretty. One of them waved at him and he managed to smile.

"I can't believe I left my son with you for only a year and look what you did to him with your damn boyfriend!" Emilio slammed, walking towards Eden.

"Are you in any way better huh?" Emilia retorted

"How are you boy?" Emilio asked, rubbing Eden's hair. He nodded without smiling.

"Hey, Juliet and Tracy come here to your elder brother.." He motioned at the two girls. They giggled excitedly and ran towards him.

"He's handsome," one of them remarked, touching his hair.

"Why is he injured?" The other one asked touching his wound.

"Ouch!!" Eden cried as she touched his wound.

"Take your filthy hands off my son!" Emilia barked at the girls and they ran away from him in fear.

"You and your son are the filthy ones!" The Lady slammed back

"Emilia what's the meaning of that huh?" You don't try to separate the kids from each other because they are not the cause of your miserable life!" Emilio yelled

"You and your family are the miserable ones, You and all these bastards with you!" She slammed back.

The lady rushed towards her and was about to land a slap on her face when Emilio came in between them.

"Grace, that's enough!" He motioned to her

"Oh come on, I'll make sure I strangle you and that bastard you are carrying in your arms!" Emilia screamed

"Enough Emilia, it's time for you to leave. Get out of my house!" Emilio thundered

"I Was about doing that," she smirked and turned to her son. "I'll come back ok? Take care of yourself and don't you try to mix up with these people.  They're bad people ok?" She said to him.

"Out now, Emilia!!" Emilio yelled and she smirked at him before walking out.

Eden watched as she left. He turned to look at his father and the girls who were looking at him with fear in their bulgy brown eyes. His eyes fell on their mother and his heart skipped as he saw her looking at him with strong contempt.

"Um.. Son, these are your little sisters this is Juliet, and the younger one is  mind Tracy. Don't mind anything your mom just told you ok? Feel free around the house with your siblings.. Least I forget, this is Paulo your baby brother" he said, pointing to the baby in Grace's arms. Eden nodded with a smile.

"Dad!," a boy of about five years old called, walking down the stairs. He wore a purple pyjamas and a white slippers, He wore medicated glasses too due to his poor eye sight.

"Hey Clem, come and say hi to your brother.." Emilio motioned to him but he remained on the stairs staring at everyone.

"Enough of the introductions. Tracy,Julie, to your room now," Grace ordered.

The two girls nodded and rushed up the stairs While their mother followed behind them.

"Cassy, come on, take Eden to his room.." Emilio ordered the nanny and she nodded excitedly.

Eden got to his room with the nanny and she opened the door for him. He saw Clement sitting on the bed writing on a book. He looked up as he saw Eden walked in with the maid.

"What is he doing here?" Clement asked, looking at him with disgust.

"This used to be his room, the master says I should bring him here," the nanny replied

"Hmm," he mumbled and continued with his book.

The nanny dropped Eden's bag in the wardrobe and turned to look at him.

"If you need anything, call me.." She said with a warm smile before walking out.

He looked around the room which was a little strange to him now. The interior decor had been changed and everywhere looked new to him. He looked at clement on the bed who was busy writing and he wondered how he could have such grown siblings under a short period of time. He only wished they could be nice to him just like Julius and Mrs Sergio.

"Hi," he said, sitting on the bed close to clement.

Clement raised up his head to look at him and without a response, he continued with his work. Eden let out a sigh as he laid on the bed watching Clement. He thought of Julius as he rubbed his palm against the locket given to him by him.

Would they ever meet again? He reasoned.

****

Dinner that night was eaten in silence. Eden watched as the whole family ate silently and he wondered if it was customary for them to do so. He could see Juliet and Tracy staring at him at intervals. He smiled at them and they did the same. His eyes met with their mother who was feasting on him contemptuously. His heart skipped and he turned away. He looked at Clement who was busy eating and he didn't seem to be paying attentions to anybody.

After dinner, he went back to his room with Clement who paid little or no attention to him. He tried striking a conversation several times but all to no avail. Just then, the door opened and the two girls walked in excitedly.

"What are you doing here?" Clement frowned as he saw them

"Dad says we could come and say hi to Eden," Juliet answered with excitement while Clement fumed and turned away.

"Hi Eden," Tracy greeted with excitement while jumping on the bed.

"Hi," Eden returned with a smile

"I like your hair" Juliet giggled as she ruffled his hair. He giggled too.

"Mom said you stabbed a man, is it true?" Tracy asked, sitting beside him

Eden kept mute, staring at them.

"He must be a bad man," Juliet said, looking into his eyes and he nodded.

"I want to be a hero like you, stabbing bad guys.." Juliet giggled and Eden laughed.

"She wants to be a policewoman while I want to be a lawyer and together we can put bad people behind bars," Tracy mused

"What do you want to be Eden?" Juliet asked as she played with his hair. He kept mute again thinking about the question. He hadn't thought of his future  or what he wants to become.

"Maybe I would become the bad guy," he joked and they all laughed.

"I'll make sure I place a handcuff on you like this.." Juliet demonstrated as she took hold of his wrist.

"And then bring him to my courtroom, I'll pass a sentence on him and throw him behind bars…" Tracy added

"Yes!!" They both screamed excitedly while Eden laughed. Clement fussed as he got up from the bed.

"You girls should leave now, I wanna sleep!" He barked.

"Hey shut up, you're just jealous that we've got a brother whom we can play with and not you!" Tracy slammed

"Yeah.. I'm glad Eden's not as aloof as you are," Juliet added while he frowned

"Don't worry Eden, we're gonna take care of you ok?" Juliet assured with a smile

The door opened and their mother walked in wearing a long angry face. The kids shrieked and they both got up from the bed.

"What are you both doing here, don't you know you should be in your rooms!" She thundered

"Sorry mama, Dad said we could come say hi.." Juliet said with quivering lips.

"Now out!" She ordered and they both ran out immediately. Eden trembled as he saw the looks on her face. She stared at him for a while with fiercely looking eyes before she turned to leave.

He laid on the bed, wondering how life in here would be like. He thought of Julius again and imagined what he would be up to. What if he doesn't get to see him again.. He thought as fear crept through his tiny minds.