Everybody refrained from responding. Ada turned away. She couldn't tell Nnadia about Louis's death. Even she herself wanted very much to forget it. Kristy didn't want to say anything because she didn't know how to say it. Joey was just as oblivious as Nnadia except she received a breifing from Nic after she regained consciousness.
Nicholas had to speak up. Afterall Ekin and Louis were his brothers. "My brothers are dead. They didn't survive." he said solemnly. He needed and wanted Nnadia to know she had killed her brothers.
Hearing the news she cringed and held fimly onto Leon's hand. At the moment only Leon could give her peace. She had even lost belief with herself. "I'm sorry." She said looking at Nic, Ada, and Kristy.
Leon nodded. "I'm sorry." He also said. "We are sorry."
Nic looked at them and said the first thing that came out of his mouth. "I forgive you." Nic said holding onto Joey. He knew it was for the best not to hold grudges, especially when his brother's held no regret when they died. Ekin still loved Nnadia very much. Louis still loved Ada very much and he also developed a strange affection for Kristy. And not to mention his adoring affection for Joey.
Joey hugged him with gratitude. "Thank you." Joey whispered to Nic for his gracious forgivence..
Nnadia shook her head. "I don't deserve forgiveness. I never knew the outcome would turn out this way and I would have never wanted it this way." She said with a deep sigh.
Joey shook her head, "Our love is unconditional and no matter what you've done I'll always forgive you because you'll always be my sister, the one that has loved me unconditionally for as long as I remember. And I know you were only looking out for us." She cried limping slowly over to Nnadia with Nic's support. She sat besides Nnadia and laid her head on Nnadia's lap.
Kristy nodded "You're my sister and I love you no matter what. Nothing you do including what happened to Louis can get in the way of that." Kristy said with tears. She loved Louis dearly with all her heart but she loved Nnadia too and wanted her sister to know that sisterly bond exceeded all else.
Ada smiled. "I've always trusted you in all that you did." She said. Even though she was upset about Louis's death, she knew she couldn't fully blame Nnadia because she didn't intentionally kill them. She knew it hurt Nnadia more to kill Ekin because Nnadia actually had feelings for him.
Nnadia smiled at her sisters then looked at Leon. "You were my first love even though you weren't my only love. But I want you to know I do love you. Very much so and although things got a little tense with us, I have forgiven you." She said.
Leon picked up her hand to kiss it tenderly. "I love you too." He said.
Nnadia smiled at him. "If there is still any goodness that can come out of all this, I really hope you can all live good,healthy lives." Nnadia said stroking Joey's hair as she looking at Ada and Kristy.
She reached for Joey's face and lifted it up. With a gentle smile she shoved Leon and Joey away as she stood on her bed and climbed onto the window ledge. Everyone gasped and screamed out at the same time.
"Get down!"
"Be Careful!"
"What are you doing?"
"No, don't!"
Nnadia blocked them with her hands. "I can't leave Ekin alone. I'm his wife and I promised to be with him forever." Nnadia said and quickly leaped out the window before anyone could stop her. She fell down with memories of her sisters, Leon, and Ekin flooding her mind.
Even though they forgave her she couldn't live with herself, not after she killed Ekin, a man who loved her with all his heart. Never had a man touched her heart the way he did. Not even Leon. Although she also loved Leon, she knew it was a different kind of love. Many might say it was impossible to love two people but Nnadia did. She loved them both so much but she denied it. Maybe because she never really knew what true love was.
Leon jumped from his wheelchair to catch her but it was too late.
Joey limped to the window but was also too late because her leg was still hurt from the shot Annie gave her that other day she was taken hostage. "NO!!!!!" Joey screamed.
Nic ran to Joey. He looked down and saw Nnadia's bloody body on the concrete floor. She had died hitting the concrete. He closed his eyes at the sight. Kristy hugged Ada crying. Joey walked over to them and the three cried together.
Leon chuckled crazily as if he went insane. They all looked at him. "I'm truly sorry." He said jumping out of the window also. "Wait for me Nnadia!" he called falling down. His heart and soul belonged to her the day he met her and he didn't want to leave her side. He died next to Nnadia on the concrete floor.
~ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ~
It's been 4 DAYS since Nnadia and Leon died. Nic and Joey had a funeral for Stephen, Nnadia, Ekin, Louis and Leon. They were cremated and put into urns. Frankie was also at the funeral. It was a small one because nobody was really invited since they didn't really have any other friends or family.
Joey held her heart thinking of Stephen. She could no longer cry. Her tears were dried out now and she only hoped her sister, Stephen, Ekin, Louis, and Leon could find happiness in heaven, if there was such a thing.
Nic let out a deep sigh. He never imagined their life would come out to this even though he knew from the very beginning when he was kidnapped that his life would take a huge turn. He gives a wish to send off the spirits of his brother and friend, Stephen. Then looks at Joey with a bittersweet smile of relief across his face.
"How are you doing?" Nic asked her.
"I'm going to be better." She replied trying to think into the future. "And you?"
"I'm going to live better." he replied to let her know he was going to try and live antoher way. Joey nodded and came closer to embrace him. The two stood there hugging for a while until Frankie walked up to them.
Nic turned to Frankie. "Did you find Annie yet?" he asked. Frankie shook his head.
"Don't worry." Joey says to reassure him. "She'll come back to you. I'm sure of it."
Frankie nods. "I'm not going to think about that." He replies taking out a cigarette. "I'll give her the time she needs to think it through." He replied.
Marco came running up to him. 'Hey let's go we got another case." He told him. Frankie nodded. "Okay let's go." He said running off. "Bye." He says to Joey and Nic.
They waved bye to him and Joey holds one of Nic's hands smiling. She didn't chose Nic, Stephen did. If it was up to her she would have never decided. She realized that she couldn't describe love, but knew its powers were able to drive people to extreme lengths. Stephen sacrificed his life for her. Leon died with Nnadia. Ekin forgave Nnadia. Even Ada and Kristy were willing to sacrifice themselves so the other could be happy with Louis.
~ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ~
Marco and Frankie arrive at a drug deal but before Frankie could prepare his gun, Marco held a gun to his head. "What the hell are you doing?" Frankie shouts as he notices the drug dealers surrounding them.
"Killing you." Marco responds. 'I've been waiting for this day forever." he said kicking Frankie to the floor then shooting him.
Suddenly Annie comes rushing towards them, shoving Marcos and the drug dealers. "FRANKIE!" she screams. "Frankie, answer me!" she yells.
Frankie is struggling to breathe. "I'm sorry I can't take care of you." he replies and closes his eyes not breathing.
Marco laughs hysterical and pulls Annie up. "Now you belong to me!" he said harshly.
She pushed him away and grabs his gun to shot herself. "I don't belong to anyone. I'm going with Frankie!" she yelled then pulled the trigger.
Nothing happened. The gun wasn't loaded. Annie looked at Marco strangely then Frankie suddenly jumps up with a grin. Annie gives him a surprised expression. "I thought... I thought you..." she stuttered unable to finish what she was saying as tears of joys streaked down her face.
Marco and the drug dealers who were all police officers jumped and laughed. Annie looked at them then at Frankie. "You tricked me!" She yelled pushing him away.
"It wasn't me. I didn't even know what Marco was planning until you came running out." Frankie said pulling her back.
Marco nodded. "Yup, I planned it all. Who told you to be so stubborn when I tried to convince you to go back to him a few days ago. If you could kill yourself to be with him then why don't you just live happily with him. People need to look forward not backwards." Marco said with a grin as he led Annie back to Frankie.
Annie pouted and hit Marco on the shoulders as she continued to push Frankie away. "I'm not letting you go so easily now." Frankie said smiling.
Annie stuck out her tongue and refused to look at him. She was happy inside and really wanted to be with him. She just didn't have the courage because of her past but today's event helped her realize how much she wanted to besides him. Marco was right all along.
Marco watched them in happiness. He finally realized that if you love someone you should let them go. But don't let them go expecting them to come back. That would be selfish ad love was unconditional. When you love someone unconditionally, you let them go and you let yourself go. That way maybe both of you could find happiness.
~ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ~
Nic returned to Las Vegas Boulevard to take care of business. He sells everything he and his brother's owned; the casinos, strip clubs, bars, nightclubs and other businesses. Jerry helps him with everything. They donate a large portion to charity but keep enough to live off for the rest of their lives.
"Here." Nic said handing Jerry a large some of money.
"What's all that for?" Jerry asked.
"Take it." Nic says shoving it in his hands. "Go start a new life and don't get into all this mess anymore." Nic advised.
Jerry chuckled. "I've been friends with your brothers since forever and I'm not about to let you go that easily either." He said.
"What do you mean?" Nic asked.
"I'm sticking with you. I got no other friends or family." He said chuckling with certainty.
Nic nodded and chuckled as he threw an arm around Jerry. "Let's go." Nic said.
~ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ~
ONE MONTH LATER... Joey, Nic and Jerry picked up Kristy and Ada. Kristy was fully recovered but Ada was still paralyzed from the waist down. A miracle was needed for Ada to recover. Ada told the doctors she didn't believe in miracles, only herself, so she would work hard on her road to recovery.
"How are you doing?" Joey asked poking her head into Kristy's hospital room.
"Good." Kristy replies as she gets ready to leave.
"Why aren't you taking anything?" Joey asked noticing Kristy's baggage is empty.
"I don't want anything." Kristy responded.
Joey nodded and they went into Ada's room. Ada smiled as she saw them enter. "Do you want us to help you with anything?" Joey asked.
Ada looked around the hospital room and then across the hall at Kristy's hospital room. "I don't need anything." Ada said after taking a deep breath.
"Okay let's go." Joey said helping Ada in her wheel chair. Kristy came over to help also and the three halted in shock as they saw a woman standing in front of them.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted to apologize." Annie said nervously.
The sisters looked at each other. Ada smiled. "There's nothing you need to apologize for." Ada said and took Joey and Kristy's hand. "We don't blame you." she added.
Joey and Kristy felt Ada's warm hands. It was as if she wanted them to forgive and forget. They knew it was the only thing to do if they wanted to move on.
"I forgave you when I pulled you out of the car." Kristy said.
"I forgave you when you took me hostage." Joey said. "Even Nnadia didn't blame you because she never wanted to kill you." Joey added.
"Thank you." Annie cried in tears because they accepted her and still cared about her after everything her father did. Even Nnadia didn't plot to kill her and this meant a lot to her. They all smiled with each other.
"One last round at the mall?" Ada asked excitedly with whatever enthusiasm left in her.
"SURE!" they all shouted eagerly as if they were teenagers and would go to the mall together even though Simon never liked it but allowed it because it made Annie happy.
~ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ~
THE NEXT DAY... they drove to the funeral home where they collected the five urns with the ashes of Ekin, Louis, Leon, Nadia, and Stephen. Then they set out for the airport. At the airport they bumped into Frankie and Marco who were arresting Steven Ma. Ada, Kristy, and Joey stared at him for a moment. Neither one of them spoke to each other.
"Bitch!" Steven suddenly said.
"Shut up fool!" Frankie said whacking Steven on the head.
"What's he in for?" Nic asked thinking he looked familiar but didn't realize he was part of the ploy that made Ekin fall harder for Nnadia because he played the role of the abusive boyfriend she had.
"He's on many charges of accounting scandals, murder, and rape." Marco said whacking Steven again. "He tried to run off on a flight today." Marco informed them.
The sisters smiled thinking there was still hope in the world now that Steven was arrested too. For all the crimes he committed it was time he paid for it.
"Are you leaving now?" Frankie asked noticing their bags.
They all nodded. "Wish you all luck and happiness." He said.
"Thank you." they all said softly.
Marco and Frankie continued to lead Steven to the police car. The sisters, Nic and Jerry continued to the gate their flight was departing where they would return to China, the one and only home they knew before all this chaos started for all of them. Even though many people would say China was a third world country, that didn't matter to them. Technology was just another evil in the world that they didn't need to live a happy life.
DAYS LATER IN CHINA, FUZHOU PROVINCE...
Kristy, Ada, and Joey lead Nic and Jerry to walk upon the old path they used to take to and from school reminiscing on their childhood days. Ada is still in her wheel chair being pushed by Joey. Nic is standing next to Joey smiling with them. While Jerry is helping them carry things.
Ada notices an elderly couple walking along the path. Their faces are solemn, wrinkled, and feeble but Ada immediately recognizes them. "Ma me! Ba Be!" Ada says pointing at them. Kristy and Joey look at each other confused. They stare at the elderly couple but cannot make out who it is because they were too young to remember.
The elderly couple looks at them confused. "Who are you?" they ask.
"I'm, Sui-Fun. This is Kung-Ru and Cho-Yee." Ada tells them. The elderly couple pauses. Slowly an elated smiled of relief and tears of joy come from their face. Everyone is overwhelmed with tears of joy.
Joey hugs Nic saying, "Nnadia kept her promise. We're all home."
Ada nods. 'Maybe life can start over again." She said hugging her parents.
Kristy looks up into the heavens and lets out a deep sigh, "Thank you." she says thinking of Nnadia.
The three sisters each held onto Nnadia's urn and looked at each other. They spun around throwing Nnadia's ashes around their homeland. "You're free." They giggled watching the ashes float around by the movement of the wind.
Nic also returned to his home looking for his parents except he found out they passed away years ago. He did find a couple of uncles and aunts from both sides of his family. They told him about how his parents had searched and waited many years for him and his brother's. They also introduced him to his younger brother that immigrated to the United States with an uncle 10 years ago searching for there whereabouts.
Jerry looked at Nicholas. "I never knew all these years I was living with the brothers I was looking for." he said with astonishment that life could be so deceptive.
Nic nodded patting Jerry's shoulder's firmly. "All these years I saw you as a brother. I never knew you were my real brother." he said pulling Jerry in for a hug.
Jerry cried tears of joy. All these years he had actually lost hope. He never knew that he actually found them and was even able to become sworn brothers with his real brothers! That day Jerry and Nicholas buried the ashes of Ekin and Louis besides their parents.
~ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ~
After 16 months, Ada was able to walk on clutches. After putting a lot of effort she was finally able to walk again.
A year later Nic and Joey were married in China. After Nic and Joey's wedding, Ada married a simple tofu store owner and Kristy married a chicken farmer. Jerry also married a nice girl from the country.
They all lived a peaceful simple life in the country and slowly found that happiness was not as hard to grasp as they originally thought. Wars, hatred, crimes, violence and theft exist everywhere in the world but that didn't matter because no matter where you are in the world, there's no place like home.
~ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ~
How far would you go for love?
What would you do for revenge?
How much would you do for lust?
Does your desire control your mind?
When will enough actually be enough?
Why would you care about your enemy?
Can you keep a promise that goes against all your morals?
NOW ask yourself this is any of it worth it? Where do you go after death? Does it matter?
As humans we go through a lot of stress everyday and sometimes we can't think positively about the world we live in but we should remember that life wasn't meant to be complicated. Life was made to be simple and sometimes with everything around us we lose the way to simplicity.
Wealth, Power, Violence, Lust, Passion, and sometimes even Love misdirects us into complex paths throughout our lives. Find your way to simplicity and I hope you'll find your way home to a "Happier" life, meaning you are content with yourself and the world around you.
~ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ~
Copyright © Nov. 2, 2003
IiI Sorrow IiI
All rights reserved.