Chapter 4: Lack of affection
Eliza was furious. Candy's adoption bothered her a lot.
-She mustn't have nicer clothes than mine, a nicer room than mine- she thought.
"Eliza, is everything okay?" asked one of her classmates.
The little girl didn't answer.
"Eliza!"
"Yes, I'm fine," she replied.
"Do you want a cup of tea?"
"No, thank you."
Her classmate looked at her in amazement. Eliza rarely thanked anyone.
"I have to call my brother."
She was on her way to ask permission to make a phone call to a family member when one of the nuns called her to say that her brother had come to visit her.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, shocked.
"I'm worried about you. We are twins, even if they are heterozygous. I felt something here," the boy pointed to his heart, "and I understood that you were not well," brother said softly.
"Thank you, now that you came to visit me it's better."
"You know that you can talk to me about anything, little sister."
"I feel envious of that orphan. I don't even know why." Eliza began to cry.
"It's ridiculous, she's just a stupid orphan," Neal insisted.
"I know, but now she'll have so many beautiful things…"
"Well then, she'll never be like you, little sister. You're beautiful, you have class. All your classmates envy you. And you know our aunt, she says that opulence is for people without grace. Vulgars enriched. So you shouldn't get angry, the orphan will never have more beautiful things than yours. In fact, she'll have insignificant little things."
"Yes, you're right." Eliza hugged her brother tighter.
"But that's not why you hate Candy, is it?" Neal said calmly.
"I don't know, I don't know why I hate that little girl. I took a dislike to her right away."
"Yes, me too, little sister."
Neal thought back to the last time he had seen Candy. The day of her adoption. For the first time he had realized that the girl was beautiful, very beautiful. Because it was the first time he had looked at her seriously, and not with mockery. The boy felt a slight, but pleasant tingling all over his body.
"She has something I'll never have."
"What," Neal asked curiously.
"I don't know. Do you think Aunt Andrew hates us?"
"Why do you ask?"
"She hates us?" Eliza pressed.
"I think so. She definitely can't stand our family, maybe that's why she adopted the orphan. To spite the Leagans. Have you seen those stupid cousins of ours? Happy to have her around. They've never been like this to us."
Sister Claretta had overheard their conversation. She had known the young Leagans since they were little.
"Poor kids," he said softly, but not too much because Tom was nearby and was listening to everything, "they are totally unaffectionate. They can only have a special relationship with each other."
"Sister Claretta, what does unaffectionate mean?" the child asked worriedly.
"Tom, how long have you been there?" the nun asked.
"Quite a while," he answered softly.
"Anaffectionate is a person who has never received love. And when you don't receive love, you don't even know how to give it, even if you feel it for someone. Those who are unaffectionate sometimes fail to recognize a feeling like love and confuse it with something else."
"And she… they are like that," Tom asked weakly
"Yes. They have everything and more, but not the most important thing… the most important love in a child's life, that of their parents. Having everything and having nothing at the same time. Have you seen the difference between the two of them and their cousins?
Tom nodded.
"Mrs. Andrew's grandchildren are different because they have received a lot of love," concluded Sister Claretta.
The boy felt sorry for Eliza, and also for Neal. Tom lived in financial straits, but the love of his family had never been lacking.
"Now go, you still have some work to do. I'll see you later for math class. You did your homework, right?".
Tom bit his lip and walked away. Sister Claretta reluctantly had to tell Neal that time was up and that he had to go back to his boarding school.
Eliza was returning to her room. She was barely holding back tears. She wanted to be with her brother again. The only person she loved. The only person who understood her.
"Eliza?"
The girl turned and saw Tom looking at her strangely. That year the boy discovered he had a weakness for that arrogant, presumptuous, capricious and spoiled girl. Eliza tried to compose herself, she didn't want to appear vulnerable, especially in the eyes of the one she considered a beggar.
"What do you want," the girl said sharply.
Tom came closer. The boy's gaze was unreadable, but there was no anger or malice on his face. He looked at the girl's eyes. They were shinies and red. He brushed a lock of hair away from Eliza's face and gave her a tender kiss on the lips. The girl's cheeks turned purple, while the rest of her face had a surprised expression. Tom's smile was sweet and slightly pleased. The boy loved the effect his presence had on the girl. Eliza's eyes began to water.
"Eliza," Tom said worriedly.
He moved closer, caressed her cheek and murmured something in her ear. This made her blush even more.
"Tom Steven."
The boy turned sharply: "Directress…"
I always thought that Eliza and Neal's behavior was so hateful, because they had not received love. Everything except love. The real, clean and sincere one that Candy received at Pony's Home. I hope the chapter is not too sappy.