The promise is real

It had been twenty-four years since she'd last seen it, but the place looked exactly the same.

The first 16 years of Regina's life she wishes were a blur. She hardly had any friends and was never allowed out during the day. Her parents homeschooled her and kept her away from family. She didn't even know her grandparents were alive nor had any idea how big of a family she had.

Regina believed her father was an orphan, her mother an only child who's parents tragically died in a car accident. She believed this until she snuck to the local library and ran into a girl that resembled her father so much she couldn't look away. They both were in the art section and reached for the same abstract drawing illustration.

Mary looked like Regina's father, same striking blue eyes, strong cleft chin, perfect button nose and awkwardly tiny ears. Her skin was beautifully sun kissed unlike her fathers paleness nor did she have his jet black hair but the resemblance was undeniable. Simultaneously they both locked eyes while touching their chins as if to say "We have the same chin". Each motioned to the others ears and burst out in laughter.

Mary sized up Regina almost in shock of how pale she was, and could not help but stare at her jet black hair and matching clothes, eye makeup and nail polish, even her eyes seemed to be of same darkness. Regina knew she was staring and immediately felt ashamed of what she looked like. Regina looked around and noticed she stood out from all the others in the library.

They found a table at the far end of the library thumbing through he illustrations but not seeing. Regina broke the silence asking Mary her name. Theirs eyes remained locked as Mary stated that they just had to be related and proceeded to tell her the family story she has heard for her 17 years of life.

Regina could hardly believe what she was hearing yet had no doubt it was her father Mary was talking about.

Mary started her tale with excitement, telling Regina her father was going to be over joyed and she hoped her grandparents would be as well.

With joy in her tone Mary went on to tell Regina,

"Ever since I could remember my father would talk about his twin brother. He would tell such tales of their younger years. And all the jokes they would play on teachers because no one could tell them apart. With love he would tell us how they did everything together until they started junior high. His face would take on such sadness and his voice crack how Robert ruined everything. He would go on and on praising grandfather and granny on how they were raised by HIS promises. Telling how they knew no there way until Robert joined the youth gathering. You see Roberts parents made him join because he was a troubled boy. He slowly infiltrated my dear brothers mind and introduced him to the evil of this world.Grandfather tried his best and granny prayed day and night but the lure of evil won. My dear brother started to question everything we were ever taught and went against HIS word. He started dressing different and stopped coming to service, he would back talk grandfather and granny and deny them any parental input. They tried to punish and scold but he went against. I tried to tell him he was ruining the family and of he really believed in what he was worshiping them he ought to explain himself. When he began chanting spells, lighting different color candles and outwardly worshiping the very being that rules earth, I knew he was lost".

Both girls promised to meet the end of that week and work on a plan to reunite the family.

Regina rushed home, her mind was moving quicker then her feet. She was hurt that she was denied family and that her parents lied to her her entire life. She wondered how she could look them in the face. What gave her peace was knowing she was not the strange one, not the different one not the outsider she always felt like, it was her parents that were strange.

Regina would never disrespect her parents, she knew they were in charge and she was to obey the rules of the house. She never felt comfortable and longed for what she imagined to be. When she was around ten years old she inwardly started questioning what she was being taught. How could the being they worship require such sacrifice and rituals that made her feel terrible? When she wondered out loud to her mother why people looked different at the grocery store and more why they looked at her funny is when she no longer was allowed to accompany her mom.

Before Regina was to meet up with Mary she knew she needed to talk to her parents. She knew no there way except to blurt it out. Her mother immediately began checking and rechecking the doors and windows then lit just about every candle in the house, her father was chanting incoherently. They began. chanting and dancing in circles around Regina. When they started to pound on her chest is when she shouted HIS word is real, HIS promises are real. Her father stopped and looked as if he was being shook and ordered her to silence. Regina continued to state HE was going to save her. Both her parents seemed to get darker and bodily threw her out of the house.

Regina did not know who HE was but realized just the mention of HIM gave her power. As soon as she saw Mary she asked who HE was, Mary pulled from her purse a beautifully bound leather book with golden stitched lettering that looked so worn it would be illegible. Mary slid it over to Regina and told her all her answers are within HIS words.

Regina never looked back, she spent the next twenty-four years in HIS promises that her family would be reunited.

She knew she was answered when she got the e-mail from a neighbor that searched her out. The e-mail was from a neighbor that lived down the street from her parents, she informed Regina what hospital her parents were taken to due to a terrible house fire and that she has been visiting them in burn unit. the e-mail went on to state that her father has requested that the grandfather

come as quickly as possible.

Regina was over joyed to tell her grandfather, granny and uncle about the request. The entire family rejoiced as the the grandfather's last time at his podium was to announce that his wayward son knows HIM.

Mary accompanied Regina as she went to make sure the house was indeed burnt to the ground. She was pleased to see it was. They both decided to go to the library where they first met. They were working on a short novel together about their family in hopes to inspire others. They first went to the art illustrations to gather ideas then to the table at the far end to rejoice. Everything looked the same and that's all that mattered.