LOVE WITH BITTER TEARS
EPISODE 16
He raised the compas-s as high as he could but then he heard the shuffling of feet outside his door. He quic-kly hid the compas-s un-der his be-d, la-id on the be-d and pretended to be asleep. The door slide open and Opha ti-ptoed into the room. She sat on the edge of the be-d…
Opha: “Sammy…”she called his name in a whisper. “Sammy?” she tried again when he did not answer her. He stirred a bit, the right side of his face was swollen and reddish. She had taken with her a bowl of warm water and towel. She di-pped the towel into the bowl and squee-zed out the water, reached out towards his swollen face with it but he flung her hand away. She tried again and the same thing happened.
Sammy: “plea-se stay away from me. What exactly do you want from me now?”
Opha: “I am just trying to help you”
Sammy: “I don’t nee-d your help. So just leave me alone” he said and turned away from her.
Opha: “Hmmmmmm! How can a boy be so stubborn?” she said and sighed again.
Sammy: “You think I don’t know you are the one reporting everything to my dad? You are such a nine tailed fox aunty and I hate you from the bo-ttomof my heart”
Opha: “Hate me as much as you want. This is just a ti-p of the iceberg. Just imagine what his reaction would be when I tell him how you re-adily gave Annie up?”
Sammy: “I did not re-adily give her up, she was snatched away from me” he sat up with a scowl on his face.
Opha: “Who do you think he will believe? He alre-ady knows you as a spoilt little br@t. See I will advise you to just thre-ad carefully and start coming home the time you used to before. Don’t even stay ten minutes late otherwise…” she stood up and stepped back from him. Looked at him for a while, shook her head and left leaving the bowl and its contents behind.
Sammy looked at her retreating figure and cursed her in his mind . “Mum even if you are dead, do you have to just stand by and watch our lives ruined by this usurper? I heard the spirit of dead mothers do fight for their progenies but you, why are you slee-ping so much? God! I am your child, you did say children are your heritage so why do you watch while I am being tormented?”
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Annie, now six years old was just as brilliant and smart as Sammy when he was the same age. Her daddies were so proud of her academic excellence that each time she c@m£ first in her clas-s, they got her a mirage of toys and any other things she wanted. She was indeed a princess living a fairy-tale life. Ever since that fever of hers, they took extra care where she was concerned, taking her to the hospital every month for check-up: they did not want a recurring incidence.
It was the end of third term in The Embas-sy Primary School, her nanny Ewatomi went to pick her up from school. Ewa was a very caring and nice lady of twenty three years. She, like her daddies doted on her and was very attentive to her just like a mother would be. They had to get a nanny for her when she was three years because their jobs bec@m£ more demanding. At first they were afraid to leave her in the care of an outsider because of all the stories they’d heard and re-ad about evil nannies and maids but Ewa who was Ralph’s friend volunteered to help out since she was not so busy. She wanted to do it free but they insisted on paying her.
When they got home, Ewa was so curious to know what her report card stated…
Ewa: “Now that you have eaten Annie love, plea-se can I see your report card now?” she win-ked and contorted her face in order for Annie to take pity on her and show her the card but she just laughed.
Annie: “Ahahahahahaha…see your face like rat $h!t! I will not show you. Never!” she said hiding her card behind her.
Ewa: “Where did you hear rat $h!t from o. this girl you are getting spoilt fa”
Annie: “My aunty in school do say it to anyone who is crying unnecessarily in clas-s”
Ewa: “Okay o but why? Why won’t you show me? I thought we were friends?” she said pretending to be sad.
Annie: “Yes we are friends but I want to show my daddies first. Even I have not opened it yet. Let’s wait for them you hear? Don’t be sad, I will show you after I show them then I will show myself too” her voice was just like that of Alice in Wonderland.
Ewa: “Awwwww! How can you be so sweet?” she said and gathered her into her arms. “How I wish I gave birth to you, then I wouldn’t ask for anything much in this life again but just a comfortable life for you”
Annie: “That reminds me…Who is my mother?” She dis£ngaged from her embr@ce to look at her.
Ewa: “Uhmmmm!” she did not see the question coming.
Annie: “Okay don’t answer that. There is no way you’d know anyway” she said and strutted to the front of the TV to watch cartoon on Nickelodeon station. “Can I watch cartoon now plea-se? Since I will not be going to school anytime soon and I have many days to do my as-signment?”
Ewa: “Yes baby you can” she replied smiling fondly at her.
The heavy hands of sleep was upon her but she refused to suc¢v-mb to it, she clutched her report card in her hands waiting for them to return.
Ewa: “Annie, come let me tuck you in now, it’s almost 9 o’clock and you are supposed to be on be-d latest 8:30. You will show them tomorrow okay?” she said approaching her.
Annie: “No! I will wait for them” just then she heard their car horn outside. “Tada! They are back” she said excitedly.
As soon as Paul had stepped in, he saw Annie running towards him with an envelope in her hand. He stooped down and threw open his arms as she jumped into it.
Paul: “My ever happy daughter” she gave him a pe-ck on the cheek and went over to the Ralph and d!¢kson, embr@ced and pe-cked them one after the other beaming with smiles. “Why aren’t you asleep yet? It’s way past your be-dtime.
Ewa: “She was waiting for you o”
Annie: “See my report card” she extended the envelope to him. He took it and to-re open the seal, unfolded it and “wow” escaped his mouth.
Ralph: “Let me see!” he said and snatched it from him. “Wooooow! Our baby is a genius. You got a double promotion to primary three? Come and give me a bear hvg jooor…” he said and scooped her into his arms spinning her round and round until she could laugh no more.
d!¢kson: “But how can a girl be so smart? She got 100% in all of the subjects except Yoru-ba where she got 95%. Wow! We will go shopping on Saturday. Where would you like to go this time? Shoprite?”
Annie: “No! I don’t want anything this time…” she looked down.
Paul: “Hey! Is anything wrong? How can our Annie not want anything after getting a double promotion?” he said worriedly.
Annie: “I want to know my mum. Everyone in school has a mum and dad but I only have three daddies and no mum. I want a mum too” she said choking on tears.
The four of them exchanged confused looks. That was the first time she ever asked about her mum.
Ralph: “Sweetheart!”
Annie: “Is my mother dead? If she is dead then one of you should get married so I can have a mum. Aunty Ewa is a good person, why can’t one of you marry her?” she said looking from one embarras-sed adult to another.
Paul: “Don’t worry, you will know your mum soon okay? I just hope she really is alive and not relenting in her search for her daughter”
Richa-rd could no longer bear the tension between him and his son. The wound on his face had healed remarkably fast but the one in his heart remained fresh. At night when he thought Opha was asleep, he sneaked into Sammie’s room to talk to him.
Richa-rd : “Sammy wake up” he tapped him on the shoulder. Sammy j£rked up in his sleep thinking it was his step mum.
Sammy: “What is it this time? Why won’t you let me rest? Would you have turned me to your S-x toy if I were to be your son?” he said drowsily looking distraught.
Richa-rd : “Sammy what are you talking about?” he shook him vigorously.
Sammy: “Sir? Sir?” he was j£rked awake at last.
Richa-rd : “Who is turning you to S-x toy and where did you even hear that word from?”
Sammy: “I re-ad it from a novel. It’s nothing dad” he said and tried to go back to sleep but his dad st©pped him.
Richa-rd : “Come on talk to me. You did look terrific while saying that a while ago. What is happening?” he asked persuasively.
Sammy: Daddy, I say never mind. I was day-dreaming
Richa-rd : This is unusual. Where did you hear that from? Something is fishy. Talk to me Sam. I’m your father.
Sammy: “Hmm… It’s…it’s…aunty” he started to weep.
Richa-rd : “What are you talking about son? You are saying my wife m©l£stsyou S-xually?”
Sammy: “Yes dad she does and she told me not to tell you otherwise she’d put the blame of Annie’s disappearance on me and make all my friends in school abandon me”
Richa-rd : “Shut up boy!” he roared. “Do you even know what you are talking about?”
Sammy: “But I am really saying the truth dad. She is a monster, she even sleeps with women” as soon as he had said this, his dad stood up and landed him another sl@p across the face which landed him on his back on the be-d. Opha, who had been standing by the door unsp©tted by the two ran into the room and helped Sammy up.
Sammy: “I said don’t t©uçh me, what p@rt of don’t t©uçh me do you not un-derstand?” he said in between sobs.
Opha: “Why did you sl@p him like that Richie?” she feigned annoyance.
Richa-rd : “If only you heard all the things this stupid boy said about you, you wouldn’t be there by his side”
Opha: “Really? What did he say I did?”
Richa-rd : “He said you are a child m©l£ster, that you have been having int£rç0rs£with him. He also said you are a lesbian. Can you imagine that kind of utterance? I really can’t have him continue disrespecting you like this, I have to discipline him”
Opha: “He said all those? Wow!” she used her left hand to cover her mouth and pretended to be really short of words.
Richa-rd : “Yes! Can you see now? This boy has been s£nt from the pit of hell to torment my life”
Opha: “plea-se calm down okay? The most important thing is you not believing him. Just imagine how it would have been if you did believe him. Let’s forgive him okay? He is just being delusional and naïve. He hates me and he lets that cloud his s-en-se of judgement but its fine. I am not taking any offence. I have gotten used to his taunts and disrespect anyway”
Richa-rd : “Can you hear that dumbas-s? She is even pleading on your behalf. A woman who has been here to take care of you ever since your mum died. How can you level such grave accusations at her?”
Sammy: “Daddy I cannot believe you can be this easy to pla-y. How did mum ever get to live with you for so many years? You are a coward, I will say it again, you are indeed a weakling” he said and made to walk away but his dad drew him back furiously and started hitting him with his fist. Opha tried to st©p him but he was unst©ppable. “Dad…dad” he kept calling as he kept
dealing him b!ows upon b!ows.
Richa-rd : “Inshort, this will not do” he said breathlessly. “Now be on your knees, I have to leave scars on your b©dy so next time you think it’s okay to insult me or my wife, the scar will deter you. Sammy knelt down obe-diently as the pains from his dad’s b!ows seeped into his inner being. “Now close your eyes” he ordered as he looked around for something he could use on him. He saw his belt lying on the floor and picked it up. He flogged him mercilessly with the belt not minding the boy’s plea-s and the blood that stained his white singlet. Sammy rolled on the floor as the lashes to-re his skin. Opha could not hold it anymore, she went and covered Sammy and two lashes landed on her too. Richa-rd threw the belt away and walked briskly out of the room.
Opha: “Are you okay Sammy?” she asked trying to get him to stand up.
Sammy: “When you do this, people might actually start thinking you really love me” he said weakly as he staggered to his feet, went over to his wardrobe, pu-ll-ed out a shi-t and put it on.
Opha: “Where do you think you are going to by this time? It is 1a.m for Chrissake!” she said when he started walking out.
Sammy: “Don’t even try st©pping me, except you want to see me dead” he said and kept walking. Opha ran to their room.
Opha: “Richie, he is leaving the house” she said but he ignored her. “Richie can’t you hear me? I said Sammy is leaving the house by this time”
Richa-rd : “Let him leave. He has nowhere to go to so he will be back. Don’t disturb me plea-se” She shook her head and ran back to the sitting room but he was gone. She ran out of the gate but couldn’t sight him still.
To be continued…