«««««Nonso»»»»»
Immediately I dropped Abel at the lodge, I drove straight to my house.
I wonder what was so weird that Cynthia had to call urgently.
I won't be surprised if it turns out that Mom faked her marriage with Dad. It would be the best news of the century.
The gateman opened the gate and I drove in. I parked in the garage and decided to scan the environment first before I got down, just in case.
Mom was talking with some woman who was not looking happy at all.
From her choice of clothing to her accessories, the woman was looking really wealthy. She's probably one of Mom's numerous friends.
The woman entered a white Benz that was parked neatly in the compound and drove towards the gate.
As she passed my car, she turned to my direction, removed her huge sunglasses and grinned softly at me before driving off.
From what I saw, that woman was very beautiful and endowed, she seemed nice too. I wonder why Mom wouldn't learn from people like this.
I came out of my car and proceeded to enter the house.
"Ohh! Nonso you are here." Cynthia chimed as she ran towards me.
I turned to her and smiled, "Yes I am and you better have a good reason for calling me over." I said and resumed walking.
"Did you see her?" She gasped as she ran to meet up with my pace.
"Who? You mean that beautiful woman that just drove off?" I asked with a grin.
"Yes. She's the one." She replied hurriedly.
"Yes I did." I shrugged.
"So I heard her discussing with Mom and Dad." She tucked her lips and gave me a small nod.
I chuckled, "You and your ears again huh?" I raised a brow.
She lowered her voice like she wants to share with me a deadly plan,"No I think she might be..." She was interrupted.
"Nonso." I heard my Dad bellow. I turned to see him standing on the balcony with his hands on the rails and a not too friendly expression.
"Good afternoon Dad." I greeted with a toothy grin.
"I didn't know you were coming over today." I stated.
"Yes it was..." As I was about to tell him why I was really here, Cynthia tapped me furiously from behind; I figured she didn't actually want me to say the truth, "I just came to get some documents for my file." I lied.
"Well that's good. Do meet me in my room." He said and turned his back to leave.
"Okay Dad." I replied.
"Thanks for not backstabbing me." Cynthia blurted immediately.
I immediately turned with a confounded expression, "What's wrong? Why do you seem... unhappy?" I queried.
"I don't like that woman." She spat sternly.
"What's your deal with that woman?" I asked again.
"Nonso!" I heard a too familiar voice yell my name again.
"Dad?" I turned and he was still at the balcony.
I thought he left.
"Now." He stated and turned again to leave.
"We'll catch up later okay." I said hurriedly to Cynthia as I rushed to my father's room.
The door creaked open as I stepped inside the room. Dad was at his study table staring at something on the table.
"Dad is everything okay?" I asked as I dragged a chair close to his and sat.
"We are about to find out." He said as he closed the file he was looking at.
I furrowed my brows and stared at him, "What are you talking about? Who was that woman that seemed to heighten the tension in this house?."
"Do you know that woman?" He questioned.
"If I did I certainly won't be asking you about her." I retorted.
He bowed his head and muttered something inaudibly before turning to me, "Nonso my son, I want you to know that I love you and all the decisions I took was all for your safety and happiness."
Huh! What is he talking about? He's sounding like one of those grandpas in the movies that plans their death wish long before they actually die.
"You lost me there Dad. What is going on?" I gestured with my palms confusedly.
He cleared his throat and began. "That woman you saw is the reason why..."
"Daniel!!"
I turned to see Mother standing by the door with arms akimbo fuming heavily.
"You can't just come in here without permission." Dad spat obviously irritated.
"Why? I'm your wife!" She rolled her eyes and hissed loudly.
"Out." He ordered.
She sighed defeatedly, "I'm sorry. I just need to talk to you right now, it's really important." She eyed me dangerously as she referred to him.
For a moment it was as if they were discussing with their eyes, "I'll be back son." Dad said as he left.
Something is going on in this house and I will definitely find out what that thing is.
I shuffled through the papers on Dad's reading table but I didn't find anything worth of my time so I tiptoed to the door and gently placed my ears on the door.
"Do you really want to do this?" I heard mother ask.
"He will find out anyways. They all will." Dad said calmly.
"Have you thought about the repercussions? How much this information will cost us?" She striked again.
"But.."
"She will go back to the shell she crawled out from. I will not allow her to ruin the peace of this home and you as my husband should understand this more than anyone else. All the houses. All the money. Think about it before spilling to your son." With that the discussion stopped and I heard footsteps.
I scurried back to the chair I was sitting on and sat timidly.
Dad walked in almost immediately and sat at his study table and stared blankly.
"So about the woman..." I tried sparking up a discussion.
"She's just a family friend. I and her father were business partners so she was just here for business." He deadpanned.
"You sure?" I raised a brow at him.
"Do you think I will lie to you?"
"No Dad. Definitely not but is that why you called me here? To tell me about your business partners?" I queried with knitted brows.
"You can go." He ordered sternly.
Asking further questions would be a very stupid move so I gently got up.
"Errmm... Okay." I stuttered a reply and headed towards the door.
"When will you start your exams?" He questioned as I was about leaving.
"In like 3 weeks from now." I replied.
"Don't come back to this house till your school closes for the semester." He stated.
Wadafak!!!
"Dad are you telling me that I shouldn't come..."
"You heard me loud and clear son. If you need money or anything I'm just a call away." He said and rubbed his stubble.
I just stood fixedly on that spot bewildered and angry.
Why would he ask me not to come home? My own house for that matter!!
"You should get going now." He stated
"I have to talk to Cynthia." I gritted me teeth.
He took slow steps towards me and stood few inches away from me. I looked him in the eyes as he stared at me, his eyes held no mercy but anger and rage. "Don't thwart my order." He spew in my face and I clenched my fist tighter.
He's so intimidating. He can eat his house for all I care.
"Yes Dad." I replied and left the room.
«««««Soma»»»»»
I leaned on the wall and slowly closed my eyes. If the human mind had a mouth of it's own then mine would have had hunchback from being loquacious.
With the way things are happening so fast, my head may soon explode from this much brooding and brainstorming any time soon.
I seriously need a time out.
Somto walked into the waiting room and began looking around. It's very much obvious that she is looking for me.
I leaned harder on the wall and prayed fervently that I turn invisible.
"Will mum be okay?" She asked as she dropped the nylon she was holding and stared at me.
I didn't bother to blink. I just kept my eyes shut.
She began tugging my knee, "Please talk to me." she said.
If only she knew how much her presence here irritates me.
"Sister I know you are angry with me but please tell me what the doctor said." Her tone increased an octave higher and she continued tugging at my knee.
I opened one of my eyes, "If you dare touch me again. I swear, Mum won't be the only one lying on the hospital bed." I warned and shut my eyes.
So mum is in this hospital all because of this idiot that calls herself my sister.
She had a heart attack and she has been in coma for 3 whole days now.
Let me explain further.
Three days ago while I was brooding over what Nonso did to me, I got a call from my mum.
Turns out that Somto my sister is pregnant. Yes you heard me clearly! Pregnant!. And she was bent on aborting the poor foetus even when the doctor told her that it would damage her womb and she may never be able to concieve again.
I don't know how the doctor did it but she got mum's phone number and told her to talk my sister out of her decision of aborting the child.
So after many interrogations, Somto confessed that this was going to be her 5th abortion.
Can you believe that!! Where was I when all this was happening?
Anyways, mum slumped while she was chasing her but that was after she called me to tell me about all these and now she's in here.
At the moment my mind is totally blank. I don't know what to do or think.
I ask my self again, Where was I when Somto was making these decisions?
Why would she even think of having sex at her age? She's just 15.
I was supposed to be a role model to her and advice her against such preposterous actions but NO!
I was too busy with my life that I forgot about my responsibilities.
Guess what? I am also to blame for this.
"Miss Soma." I opened my eyes and the doctor was looming over me.
"Yes Doctor." I answered and stood up.
"Please do see me in my office." She said and left.
*********
I unlocked the door and went straight to the kitchen to keep the groceries I got from the market.
"Let me help you." Somto offered and I totally ignored her presence.
The doctor said that my mother was under close observations so they won't allow anyone to see her at least not until tomorrow so I had to leave and since then Somto has been following me around like a meek cat and I've been ignoring.
Its not as if I don't know what to say to her but I'm afraid of what I will say because whenever I'm angry I choose to keep quiet so as not to regret my words later.
"I can't handle this. Why won't you talk to me?" She yelled and I continued arranging the groceries in the refrigerator.
"It's not like I committed a huge crime." She was behind me now, spitting out rubbish. "If you want to shout at me just do it. If you want to beat me then beat me and stop ignoring me." She ranted on and I began humming a nursery rhyme.
She's just as irritating as her words. I don't hate my sister but at the moment I'm just turned off and bitter.
I folded the nylon bag I used neatly and kept it behind the fridge before proceeding to the living room to lock the door.
If she's expecting me to argue with her, then she's far from dreaming.
"So this is how you want to play?." She queried as she sat on the couch. "Fine! No problem. I don't need your help anyways, I have never needed them and I will never need them." She yelled.
Ouch!
Even though her words hit a nerve I kept quiet still, swallowing all her vomit as I busied myself with washing the dirty plates piled up in the sink.
"You have never cared for me anyways. No one has." She said with a very high tone.
'That's not true' I replied internally.
"All you care about is being the perfect daughter and receiving all the praises and attention."
Now she's really stepping on my toes.
I bit the inside of my lip to draw blood as I held myself from slapping her.
She hissed loudly and beat her chest, "I also want to be noticed, I also want to be cheered for and if it will make you and mum happy, I will remove this thing."
I chuckled. From the way she's talking one would easily read that she has no thinking faculty.
Why would she want to jeopardize her future by making herself barren for Christ sake?
The deed has already been done and there's no going back.
I cleaned my hands with a rag and turned to her, "Sometimes you talk like a fool and I ask myself if you even think before you open your mouth to talk. You want to abort the baby right? You are free, go ahead and abort it. You have been doing it before so I see no reason why this time should be an exemption." I deadpanned and turned back to the plates.
She began sobbing and the more I hear her whimpering is the more I want to dash her head on this sink.
Why crying over spilt milk?
"Get out!" I ordered sternly but she remained there, still sobbing loudly. "I said get the hell out of here!!" I yelled, fully aware that the neighborhood is already aware of our bickering.
"I won't! I won't!! What will you do?" She shouted with teary eyes as she stood up to me fearlessly.
I chuckled lightly as my whole body began to vibrate, I clenched my fist tightly, "Don't dare me Somto. Get out of this kitchen." I said slowly.
"And I said I won't. Kill me!! I said kill me!!" She shouted and I launched at her.
I dragged her hair and dashed her head against the wall and she screamed in pain. "Get out of this house you ingrate!"
"Is that the worse you can do? Go on! Take the knife and slit my throat maybe then you would be satisfied." She shouted louder as I could see blood dripping from her temple.
She wants to see the devil in me? That's exactly what I will show her.
I fumed uncontrollably as I dragged her by her hair again and flung her across the kitchen floor. I sat on her tummy and punched her face hard. "After all mom have done. This is how you pay her back." I slammed her head again against the wall and she yelled in pain.
"Everthig mom does is all for your sake. I'm just a burden to her while you get all the love and attention." She spat.
I slapped her over and over again as blood began gushing out of her mouth, "That's not true. Mom loves the both of us." I said.
She succeeded in pushing me off her and I landed with my butt, "Then give me one reason to believe you! She wasn't at any of my graduations, she never helps me with my homework, she never praises me even when Dad was alive he favors you more than me. Everything was and is still about you, I don't receive the kind of love and attention that you receive." She wiped off the blood on the side of her mouth with her palm, "Now I went outside to search for love and attention and I found it and let me tell you that I don't regret it one bit." She yelled.
I laughed hysterically and shook my head pathetically, "Look at you. Look at what you are doing to yourself. You thought of yourself so low and now it's affecting your mental health. Tell me one thing that you asked of me and I didn't do, tell me one thing that you begged me for and I didn't give you.
I care for you and I love you as I should so right now you are just looking for excuses to compensate for that thing in your tummy and let me tell you that it isn't working. Where is the so called love that you found outside? Where is he now? If he truly loves you then why isn't he here to bear this cause? After everything I told you. After all the warnings, you still went on to do your bidding like I was wasting my precious time. You are nothing but a waste!" I spat without remorse.
I sniffed and studied her. Her head was buried on her laps and she was crying, "Just pray that nothing happens to mum. Just pray that she doesn't die because if anything should happen to her, I will have your head and that's a promise." I finished as I wiped away the tears that has welled up in my eyes.
She lifted her head to reveal her sullen face, "I'm scared and I don't know what to do." She whispered quietly.
I crawled to where she was sitting she laid her head on my lap. I used the hem of my blouse to wipe away the blood streaming out of her open wound.
This is one reason why I hate been angry. She may have committed murder but she's still my sister and I love her.
I sniffed quietly and wiped away the tears already streaming down my face.
Even though she acting tough, I know that deep down she's pained and bitter. She just realized her mistakes too late and it was probably due to lack of proper guidance.
Maybe she was right after all. I got all the attention and she was just sidetracked.
"Who is he?" I asked as I gritted my teeth.
She raised her head to look at me, "Huh?"
"What's his name?" I asked again.
"Dubem." She replied.
I got up and helped her up too, "Clean up yourself. We are going to see him." I deadpanned.
"But..."
"Do you need help or not?" I asked and she obliged.
It's not too late to show her that she's actually important to her family.
####
I'm so so sorry for the late update. I have some things going on at the moment that I can't say publicly but I'm honestly sorry.
I made this chapter longer to compensate for lost time.
Hope you enjoyed it.
What do you think about Somto?
I actually think that situation like hers is rampant especially in families that do have favorite child and the rest are just... there.
In a family, love should be shared equally so as to avoid similar cases and if you are a victim of this, my advice to you is that you should just do you and not try to get attention or anything of sort because what is yours would surely come to you.
Please vote and comment and recommend... Please I really want to get to 1k views 😥.