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CHAPTER 3: TIMES ARE ACCELERATED – THE REVELATION
Chandler called Monica to let her know, she told him that she would accompany him whether he wanted it or not, and that while he got home she would pack both their bags and call his parents and Rachel to take care of the kids.
Monica also gathered the children together and explained that Helena had gotten much worse and that surely it was time for her to go. Jack and Erika began to cry; they had really grown very attached to Grandma Helena. Monica hugged them, reassured them and told them that in a moment dad would come to go to Las Vegas together and that the grandparents would come to take care of them at home. She also told them to be good children, to listen to their grandparents.
In the meantime, Chandler had called his assistant, told her to cancel all his meetings since he had to travel to Las Vegas because his father had gotten worse, and to get him and Monica two tickets as soon as possible.
When Chandler got home everything was ready, he changed into something more comfortable, hugged the children who were still crying and left for the airport.
Upon arrival they went directly to the Hospital, Monica and Chandler met a devastated Fred, but he told them that thank God they had arrived on time.
Monica and Chandler entered the room, Helena was so skinny…, but she gave them her best smile, Monica kissed her cheek and Helena took her hand tightly and said with a small voice, "I know you will because you love him so much, but I still ask you to take good care of him, he seems very tough, sometimes distant and sarcastic, but it is a pose to hide a cotton candy heart."
Monica smiled at him, "I know, and of course I will."
"Daughter, not only because of my departure, there is something I need to talk to him about and I know he will need you more than ever, it bothers you if you leave us alone for some time. "
"No Helena, how he's going to annoy me…" Monica kissed Helena on the forehead and gave Chandler a smile squeezing her hand tight as she walked past her.
"Son, sit next to me, I need to tell you something. Look, years ago I swore and legally agreed to keep confidentiality on an issue that concerns you and your mother, but I think that at this point my oath and my legal commitment no longer matter, but you do matter and that you know everything "
"Dad, what are you talking about…" Chandler asked with concern, which he could ignore….
"Son, you have a sister…. three years younger than you…"
"What..." Chandler said without understanding what his father was talking about, for a second he thought she was delirious.
"Well, actually, she's a half-sister, she's your mother's daughter and... she doesn't even know whose..."
"Dad, I don't understand, I never saw my mother pregnant and I never knew anything about what you say..."
"Look, we went wrong almost from the beginning, you know we got married because your mother and I were dating when we were two teenagers, but she got pregnant with you, she was 17 years old and I was 19, and our glorious families forced us to get married..." "…. I already knew who I was, but I tried to hide it by going out with the prettiest and sexiest girls, I didn't know how to come out of the closet, I was terrified for the time, for my family, for my friends, but evidently your mother quickly found out, and she had needs that I couldn't meet, just as she couldn't meet mine either."
"After you were born, your mother started dating, she started having affairs, which really didn't matter to me as long as she gave herself enough time to take care of you, because despite the maze we were in, I loved you, you were the sweetest thing that had ever happened to me" Helena continued with tears running down her cheeks.
Chandler was speechless listening to his father.
"When you were two years old or so, that's why you don't remember, one day your mother told me that she was pregnant, that she was three months pregnant and that she obviously didn't know who the father was. I told her that there was no problem, that I would recognize the baby, that way we would keep the comedy before our families, but your mother didn't want to, she really didn't want to have the baby, but at the same time she was afraid of having an abortion and being hurt physically for that"
"Of course this was the subject of big fights between the two, since Nora had decided that she was going to have the baby, but she would immediately give it up for adoption"
"For me doing that was unnecessary madness, neither her family nor mine would understand or accept such a decision, especially when the most logical thing is that everyone believed that it was the product of our marriage"
Chandler was whiter and whiter, his palms were sweating, his stomach was clenching, and he was terrified to see how this story would continue.
Helena continued, she knew she didn't have much time and she wanted Chandler to know everything.
"But Nora had thought of everything, logically the family would inevitably know that she was pregnant, so she decided that, four months before giving birth, she would travel to Boston with the excuse of taking a short narrative course at Harvard, there she would give birth and give the baby up for adoption and then come back saying that the baby had died before delivery, even looking for a credible disease to tell the family."
"I was crazy, I didn't want her to do that, I even offered to raise the baby if she didn't have the will to be a mother to the baby, but she refused, she told me it was her body, her life, and her pregnancy, therefore, I had no say in his decision."
Despite the fact that Helena felt less and less strong, she wanted to finish telling Chandler everything so that she could leave in peace.
"The only thing I could convince her was to give the baby up for open adoption, so she could know about him or her, and maybe she didn't know in those moments if, someday in the future, she might change her mind and want a relationship with that baby"
"She did everything as she wanted, a girl was born who was immediately delivered to her adoptive parents, although she did it with an open adoption, and when she returned from Boston she was devastated before her family for the loss of her"
"Chandler, can you go to the bag that Fred left on the chair and take a blue box out of it..."
Chandler went to the bag and returned with the blue box.
"The adoptive family for years sent your mother letters telling her about the child's progress, they had named her Elizabeth and they also sent her photos of her" …. "Nora discarded them, she never opened them and because of her position I never answer them, but I tried to rescue as many as possible, they are there in the box"
"When your mother and I separated, I didn't know more about these people or if they kept trying to contact Nora. But I doubt it, we both left that house when we got divorced and your mother went with you to your grandfather's house, and I honestly don't think she informed those people of her new address."
For the first time Chandler spoke: "but dad, why didn't either of you tell me anything before... why didn't you even?"
"Son, when we got divorced, Nora's fool wanted us to sign a confidentiality clause, neither could Nora tell anyone about my sexuality nor could I tell anyone, not even you, that she had had a daughter who had been given up for adoption, that clause had penalties in case of being violated"
"But at this point, neither the oath I swore to your mother nor the signing of that clause make sense to me…. I want you to know the whole truth… you can look for your sister or not … I understand that it is not easy…. but whatever you decide is fine with me… just before leaving I felt obliged to tell you everything…"
"Now, son, I feel exhausted, I ask you to tell Fred to come…. Ah…. the box is yours, do with it what you want…. but I want you to always know that I loved you and I love you, and I'm sorry I was forced to keep quiet."
Chandler got out of bed with the box in his trembling hand, he approached his father and he take her hand "thank you dad for breaking the oath, I'm shocked with the revelation, but that's logical, I also want you to know that I love you too, and for the time we weren't together wasn't because I didn't love you, I was just angry and…you know I'm stubborn. I'm sorry that because of my stubbornness we have wasted so much time to be together. I repeat, I love you…" He bent down and kissed his father on the forehead.
When he left the room his face was white, he told Fred that his father wanted to see him, he handed Monica the box, Monica asked him "What is this? … what's the matter…? "
"Love please save it, …. after I tell you …. Now I just need to be alone for a while…. I need to think and understand…" And he went down the corridor with the intention of going out into the hospital garden.
Half an hour later a doctor ran into the room, and moments later Fred came out crying, the girls from the Club, who were also in the hospital, began to cry as well as Monica who, to top it off, didn't know where Chandler had gone.
A couple of minutes later Chandler appeared and seeing everyone crying froze in the hallway.
Monica got up, put the blue box on the seat and ran for a big hug, Chandler put his head on Monica's shoulder and began to cry.
When everyone managed to calm down a bit, Fred said that he would go to prepare the funeral, Chandler told him that he would go with him, but Fred looked at the box in Monica's hands and looked into Chandler's eyes and said "It's not necessary, it's better that you go to rest, it has been a hard day for you", and he put his hand in the blue box it was evident that he knew its contents.
When they got to the hotel room Chandler collapsed on the bed, Monica set the blue box on the dresser and lay down next to Chandler holding her hand tightly.
After a long time, Chandler, his voice cracking, told her what the father had revealed and what was in the box.
Monica was transfixed. That night neither of them could sleep.
After the funeral Fred asked Chandler if he could stay until the next day, since they will meet with the lawyer so they can sign the paperwork and he can have access to Helena's accounts.
Chandler told him that yes, there was no problem, although at that moment the only thing on his mind was the revelation of his father.
They returned to the hotel, they were exhausted and Chandler for the first time was encouraged to open the blue box. There were many letters, some in unopened envelopes, and many photos of a girl who looked uncannily like Nora.
They was reading all the letters, Monica with her order tried to have them read by consecutive date, they didn't say much, just Elizabeth's progress, that she had her first tooth, that she had started to walk, that she had said mom, all accompanied by photos, there was a space of time, perhaps the adoptive parents were getting discouraged from informing when they did not receive a response from the mother, even so, more sporadically they sent her a photo of the first day in kindergarten and the last era of the beginning in the first degree.
The letters covered Elisabeth's first six years, after that there was nothing else. Evidently after Nora's divorce and her move, she didn't give them her new address and she lost all contact.
When they were done looking at the contents of the blue box they lay down next to each other, Monica stroking Chandler's hand.
Chandler couldn't understand how his mother could have done something like that, and needless to say, Monica even less...
Monica had always thought that Nora had never matured emotionally, she was always looking for something new or better, she didn't know if her mother-in-law had really loved any man the way she loves Chandler, but until now she had always been sure that she really loved Chandler, and that her lack of attention was due to her immaturity, but not due to a lack of love, but now, knowing what she had done with Elizabeth, she began to doubt if she ever really loved Chandler.
Monica was quiet next to him, she didn't make comments or ask him questions, she knew that when something hurt him he didn't like to talk, and she respected his moments.
Chandler was physically and mentally exhausted, he hadn't said a word, his eyes were closed and when he opened them he just looked at the ceiling from the bed. At night they ordered something light from room service and went to bed, but Monica felt Chandler tossing and turning without being able to sleep, and she was worried since it was the second night without sleep.
Monica got up, Chandler looked at her with a surprised face, but she took her robe and called room service and ordered two cups of hot milk with honey, then went back to bed, told Chandler to turn on his stomach and began to massage him, not as she used to, but very gently, caressing his back and neck. It was the first time Chandler had received a massage from Monica since that first experience, but this time she had really been gentle and relaxing.
When the milk arrived, they each took their cup, and then returned to bed, they both hugged each other and went to sleep peacefully.
The next morning Chandler had a clearer head, after breakfast they went to his father's lawyer's office and he signed all the required documentation and received the necessary documentation to be able to operate on the bank accounts.
When they finished the process and on the street they said goodbye to Fred, Chandler thanked him for everything he had done and all the care he had given to Helena, to which Fred replied that he couldn't do anything else for her. being that he loved. They agreed to talk to each other in the future, although deep down they both knew that this would be difficult since the only thing that united them was Helena and she was no longer there.
Back on Long Island, the children hugged their father tight, they knew he would be very sad.
After a while, Monica asked the children to distract their father by telling him what they had done those days.
On Saturday afternoon his friends came to offer their condolences to Chandler, they knew they would find him sad, although it was an expected end, but they noticed him quieter than they might have thought, as if annoyed, with an angry expression. At one point he even yelled at Jack for some silly prank, which made everyone look at him in surprise since he never, ever yelled at his children. Chandler noticed and called Jack, apologized for yelling at him and hugged him and fixed his hair.
Jack smiled at him "it's fine dad, I know it's because you're sad, you didn't do it on purpose" everyone smiled at Jack's mature answer
Monica hadn't told her friends about Elizabeth's appearance, she considered it Chandler's private matter and only he could tell his friends when he was ready.
But Chandler's anguish was such that he felt the need to share with his friends, actually his chosen family, the news of him, thinking maybe let her out, share her with them, his anguish and anger would calm down a bit.
When the older ones were left alone, since the kids went to watch television, Chandler told them the news.
"Dad on his deathbed revealed to me that I have a half-sister, her name is Elizabeth, she is three years younger than me, my mother gave her up for adoption when she was born and completely ignored her and forced my father to sign an agreement of confidentiality so that he would never tell me" that is how cold and cruel he described the facts.
Everyone was perplexed
Her friends knew Nora, they knew she was sexy, flirtatious, a weather vane in her romantic life, but they would never think of her as a woman who would abandon her daughter...
Ross asked, "Dude, did you talk to your mom?"
"No, not yet, I'm so angry, disappointed with her, I know she'll give me excuses that I can never understand and even less forgive" "Abandoning a child...how is that possible...well, because it surprises me, she also abandoned me in the boarding school"
"When I was a stupid young man, you remember, I didn't want to have children and I blamed my father's behavior towards me for this phobia, but now I realize that he always tried to contact me, it was I who avoided him, instead my mother she disappeared for weeks or months without a call, while I was locked up in a boarding school where I spent many Thanksgiving, Christmas, many birthdays alone …. and she suddenly appeared all glamorous saying how much she loved me…. And now I realize that the one who really abandoned me was not dad but her"
Phoebe asked him: are you going to look for your sister?
"I don't know yet Phebe, I need time to think, to calm down a bit before talking to mom, and then I'll see how I go on"
When Rachel and Phoebe were alone in the kitchen for a moment, they asked Monica what she thought and how Chandler was doing.
"Look, I'm worried about Chandler, I convinced him to go to the doctor on Monday, since the day Helena died, after she told him about his sister, he's slept badly, he's sad, depressed, angry, I'm afraid it will affect his health, not only was it hard watching his father die from that shitty disease, … but now he's coming to find out that her mother is... I really don't know how to define her."
On Monday Chandler and Monica went to the doctor, Chandler explained about his father's illness that had progressed rapidly for the last 6 months, and about the revelation his father made to him moments before he died. Monica told the doctor that Chandler is usually a happy, funny, good-natured man, but after his father's death and finding out that he had a half-sister, he is sad, depressed, at times angry, and does not sleep good.
The doctor checked him, did some analysis, took an electrocardiogram and ordered a couple of studies …. detected that he had a little high blood pressure, so he recommended restricting salt, but I also advise him to go to therapy:
"Look, Mr. Bing, although sadness and depression are normal for them to be part of the symptoms caused by grief over the death of one of the parents, in your case, to that grief was added knowing a painful action carried out by his mother, and not being able to channel and resolve that anger is the most dangerous thing for his physical and mental health. I'm going to prescribe a mild sedative to sleep, but that doesn't mean he skips going to therapy, I assure you it will help."
Chandler was reluctant to go to therapy, he had gone during his childhood and adolescence, and he did not like to talk about his feelings with a stranger, but Monica with great patience and care ended up convincing him.
"Love, your previous experiences with a therapist were during your childhood and adolescence, your rebellion at that time refused to accept that you needed it, but now it is different, your pain on the one hand and your anger on the other, can affect your health, they are also affecting your character, your mood, and that will end up affecting our children and our family, you have to seek help, get yourself together and take care of your health for the good of all"
Chandler ended up giving in.
Monica remembered that the mother of one of Erica's schoolmates had told Monica a few months ago that her father had gone through an episode of depression, and he had seen a therapist who had helped him improve.
With this conversation in mind, she called Cynthia who gave her the therapist's information.
Fortunately, Dr. Burton, was a man in his 50s, a good listener, asked the right questions, also some casual comment that was sometimes a bit sarcastic, all of which made Chandler feel comfortable, and he began to open up a little, little by little.
