𝟑𝟎 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐥

~~ 85. ~~

"I will give you room," Jerry said when he saw the staring contest between Demilade and his father and he left them, walking past Demilade.

Demilade quietly entered the room and he moved closer to the man with just a distance between them. All the while, the man's eyes never left him. He was still peering at him with his glassy wide eyes.

"It's really... It's you." He whimpered.

Demilade could see his body shaking and he was a bit unstable with the way he stood. So he was forced to say. "Please sit."

"No no. I'm... alright." Mr. Lawrence disagreed.

"Your body is saying otherwise. Just sit please." He said with a stern voice. The man reluctantly nodded his head.

He watched the man bend down gently and slowly to sit on the armchair he had stood up from. Then he also took a seat in front of him.

He watched the man, face void of emotions. He wasn't the familiar man that he recognized on the news. He wasn't the popular, talk of the town, award-winning lawyer that he remembered. The man before him is like another part of him. He was so wilted, and fragile and looked older than he was supposed to be.

He kept staring at him with a facial expression that read shock and regret.

But that was it - Regret.

Regret for everything, he guessed.

But was it going to change anything? Will it correct all that had happened? Will it make up for all the heartbreak and pain and disappointment?

He doesn't think so. It didn't change what he did or what happened.

They both sat in uncomfortable silence for a while. Mr. Lawrence finally found his voice and he spoke up.

"Demilade... Oluwademilade son... I am sorry. I am truly sorry." He begged with his sorry face. His eyes were already swelling with tears that would fall at any second.

Regret and guilt washed over Mr. Lawrence for everything. It was so hard for him to sit comfortably and look his eldest child in the eyes.

Here was the son he had rejected. He had abandoned him and refused to take responsibility. He had forgotten about his existence. His thoughts never crossed his mind for a day until the incident. He had fathered him but denied him despite he knew deep down him then that Jolaoluwa wasn't lying and that he was truly his child.

He never wanted anything to do with Jolaoluwa. He had hoped someday someone else will accept him as a son and become a parent to him because he was contented with the children he have with the wife he loved. He also has a family to keep. He knew his wife was threatened just by the existence of Jolaoluwa and when her son came into the picture, it almost ruined his marriage. He wasn't ready to destroy the relationship with both their family, disgrace his parents and he also love his wife. Deep down he never wanted to ruin the good name that his family had been keeping. He had a perfect life, a perfect family, and a perfect reputation as the next judge of the family of judges. He was ready to taint that name as having an illegitimate child. So he had to make a choice. He had left his duty as a father and abandoned his own child.

Now he had turned out better than he could ever imagine.

Without him.

Here was his son, all grown up. He was already a man. Wealthy, successful, accomplished, and happy.

Without him.

With heartbreak and pain.

Just Jolaoluwa.