EPISODE 19
He raised the compass as high as
he could but then he heard the
shuffling of feet outside his door.
He quickly hid the compass under
his bed, laid on the bed and
pretended to be asleep. The door slide open and Ophelia tiptoed
into the room. She sat on the
edge of the bed… Ophelia: “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 dipped the towel into
the bowl and squeezed 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: “Please stay away from
me. What exactly do you want
from me now?” Ophelia: “I am just trying to help
you” Sammy: “I don’t need your help.
So just leave me alone” he said
and turned away from her. Ophelia: “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 bottom of my
heart” Ophelia: “Hate me as much as you
want. This is just a tip of the
iceberg. Just imagine what his
reaction would be when I tell him
how you readily gave Annie up?” Sammy: “I did not readily give her
up, she was snatched away from
me” he sat up with a scowl on his
face. Ophelia: “Who do you think he
will believe? He already knows
you as a spoilt little brat. See I will
advise you to just thread 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
sleeping so much? God! I am your
child, you did say children are
your heritage so why do you
watch while I am being tormented?” === 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 came first in her class, 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
Embassy 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
became 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
read 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, please can I see your
report card now?” she winked
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 shit! I will not
show you. Never!” she said
hiding her card behind her. Ewa: “Where did you hear rat shit
from o. this girl you are getting
spoilt fa” Annie: “My aunty in school do say
it to anyone who is crying
unnecessarily in class” 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 disengaged
from her embrace 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 please? Since I will not be going
to school anytime soon and I
have many days to do my
assignment?” Ewa: “Yes baby you can” she
replied smiling fondly at her. The heavy hands of sleep was
upon her but she refused to
succumb 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
bed 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 peck on the cheek
and went over to the Ralph and
Dickson, embraced and pecked
them one after the other beaming
with smiles. “Why aren’t you asleep yet? It’s way past your
bedtime. Ewa: “She was waiting for you o” Annie: “See my report card” she
extended the envelope to him. He
took it and tore 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
hug jooor…” he said and scooped her into his arms spinning her
round and round until she could
laugh no more. Dickson: “But how can a girl be so
smart? She got 100% in all of the
subjects except Yoruba 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 embarrassed 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” === Richard 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 Ophelia was asleep, he sneaked into
Sammie’s room to talk to him. Richard: “Sammy wake up” he
tapped him on the shoulder.
Sammy jerked 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 sex toy if
I were to be your son?” he said
drowsily looking distraught. Richard: “Sammy what are you
talking about?” he shook him
vigorously. Sammy: “Sir? Sir?” he was jerked
awake at last. Richard: “Who is turning you to
sex toy and where did you even
hear that word from?” Sammy: “I read it from a novel. It’s
nothing dad” he said and tried to
go back to sleep but his dad
stopped him. Richard: “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 Richard: 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.
.
.
Could that be end of the
road for Ophelia? Will Richard
believe Sammy?
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