{Dure's P.O.V}
"How's he?" I asked the nurse who just finished injecting a liquid into his drip. I knew for a fact that it wasn't poison. She was one of the Henia family nurses.
"He's stable for now but he's still under monitoring". She replied as simply as she could. Then with a little bow, she walked out of the room, leaving me alone with my unconscious father who has been having a serious battle with his lungs and blood pressure.
I stared blankly at his unconscious body, the only thing that could be heard from the room was the heartrate machine. His face was extremely pale under the oxygen mask, seeming just like yesterday when he slumped from an heart attack. That happened six months ago.
I took his cold hand into mine and rubbed my palms against his just to create heat by friction so his hand could be warm at least. He might be the most terrible man on Earth but one thing is for sure, he's my father and nothing can change that fact.
"Are you still here with your father?" I didn't need anybody to remind me that was mum's voice.
I nodded, gently dropping father's hand to his side as it was before. Mum walked towards me, stood beside me, her elbow resting on my shoulder and her perfume grabbing me by the nose. I tried so hard not to cough but couldn't hold it in any longer and coughed twice.
"Your father would be fine, hopefully. Afterall, he did this to himself. Smoking Tobacco and drinking highly densed alcoholic drinks. What did you expect to come out of it?" Mum said so casually even though I knew she was saying the truth.
"You do know this is a parable for you son". She said to me, nudging me by the sides to get me to look at her.
"What?"
"Your father's state is trying to tell you to reduce your intake of alcoholic drinks. Whether you like it or not, it has a toll on your body". She said it like it was more obvious that the things we were currently seeing.
"I only take Alcohol when I'm troubled". I defended.
"I hear you son. I hear you". Mum said as she turned around towards the door.
"There'll be a family dinner tonight. All Henias must attend. Either through marriage or through birth. All Henias". Mum said before walking out the door.
I understood what she was trying to say. She was trying to tell me to bring my wife and children and currently, Tina and I weren't in good terms. Let's not even go into why we aren't in good terms.
I picked my phone and dialed Ameed. A bodyguard who has served me faithfully all these years alongside Lorenzo.
"Yes boss". His voice came on.
"Tell my wife that there will be a family dinner tonight. Tell her to get the kids and herself ready. I'll just come to pick them up and I don't want to be delayed". I passed the information, then hung up, not interested in what he was going to say next.
My hands raked through my hair nervously as I stood to my feet and walked out of father's room, shutting the door behind me.
I walked to the kitchen to help myself to a glass of water. I was feeling dizzy for no known cause but I tried my best to keep my head high as I walked straight to the kitchen.
"So mum, what happened while I was absent?" I heard the voice loud and clear. It sounded incredibly familiar. But I shrugged it off, it wouldn't be who I was thinking it was.
There was no sound from the kitchen for a while.
"Mum, you've asked me this severally. I said I'm fine. I'm healthy. See" the person spoke again and the closer I got to the kitchen the clearer the voice. My mind told me who it was but my heart denied it, until my eyes confirmed it and I almost stumbled backwards.
Phillips.
He was in a loose stripped shirt, his hair was plaited into cornrows, he was holding a cup, resting on the kitchen island with his legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles while mother seemed to be supervising the maids that were preparing the dinner.
I watched as they laughed heartily at what mother had just said which wasn't very audible. At first, the dizziness tripled.
What was he doing here?
Why was he here?
I thought we had a deal.
Different thoughts kept crawling through my mind, my head banging, my sight becoming blurry while I held the kitchen door for support.
"Dure?... My goodness, are you alright?" I heard mother say, her flip flops slapping the ground as she moved towards me. I shaked my head and tried to stand up straight.
"I'm fine. I just need water". I tried to speak out when she was close enough, taking me by my hand and helping me into the kitchen.
"Are you all deaf? My son needs water!" Mother shouted as she helped me towards the kitchen chair.
"I'm also your son too, mother" Phillips jealous tone could be heard even through my dizziness.
A glass of juice was handed to me. Mother, in her rage, slapped the glass off her hand, allowing the glass to shatter as she yelled "Are you born daft or are you taking lessons?! He needs water not juice, you animal!" Mum yelled at the maid angrily who's face I couldn't really see because my eyesight was getting blurry.
"Mum, she's deaf". I heard Phillips say.
If only he knew that his voice alone were enough to knock me out from anger.
A glass of water came, and I gulped it all down in a rush, like my life depended on it. I gave the empty glass to the maid who brought it and she curtsied a little before leaving.
"MUMMY!!!" Another scream was heard. The screeching voice of Shivaniqa. Again, I could hear her flip flops slapping the ground as it seemed like she was leaving the kitchen, leaving the rest of us in the kitchen.
Thankfully, I was getting better. I was still a little bit tipsy but good. I could see things clearly again.
"You seem like you have a lot to say to me, brother". Phillips said, dropping the cup he had just drank from on the island.
Seeing him alone was enough to rush adrenaline into my system. I rose up, roughly took his arm and dragged him to the back of the kitchen.
"Easy bro. I don't want you to feel tipsy again". He said as he snatched his hand from my grip.
"I thought we had a deal" I growled at Phillips.
"Ouch. Here I thought that you were gonna hug me tightly that I've been gone for a really long time. Not for once did I think you'll growl at me the first time we meet in Sixteen years". He said, holding his chest like he was in pain, his loose shirt, falling off his shoulder, revealing how tanned his skin has become.
"We had a fucking deal, Phillips!" I repeated, this time, pushing him angrily that he hit the glass door with a loud bang. His smile suddenly disappeared, replaced with a look of anger which I knew he's been keeping in all along.
"I just came back home to see my family after sixteen years of being away, so what the fuck is your problem?!... Besides, The deal never stated till when I should stay away". He replied, his eyes darting arrows at me but I couldn't care less.
"I hope you leave as soon as you came and keep your mouth shut!" I warned him.
"You're not the one to tell me when to come and when to go. Until father is better, I'm not going anywhere!" He replied me, the viens in his neck almost popping out. He walked out on me, after aggressively bumping my shoulder with his shoulder.
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It was time for the family dinner. I waited for my family at the base of the stairway as the car went round the water fountain and came to a halt in front of the stairway.
Lisa and Molly jumped out as soon as the car came to halt and ran to hug me. I squatted waiting for the two too give me a big hug but I was more shocked when they ran past me like they didn't even see me. I stood up and traced where they were going to and I wasn't shocked anymore to see them running towards their Aunty Welma. My youngest sister, Welma, was my children favorite. She was just nineteen years old and had just graduated from her high school.
She usually came for visits and anytime she came she would spoil my kids. But the spoiling almost came to an end when she found out that Nora wasn't their mother. Instead of her to cut away from my kids once and for all, she decided to cut away from me. For the past three years now, she has completely ignored me, pretended I don't exist even while still being the favorite aunty of my kids.
I smiled, trying to cover up my embarrassment that my children just chose their aunty over me and faced my wife, who's face looks swollen like she had been crying.
My heart melted when I saw her while she faked a smile at me. Actually, I should be angry and disappointed in her, for not trusting me after all the years we've been together and all we've been through. I mean, we've been married for 13 years now and she still believes I will have another extra marital affair like I had with Nora and so she doesn't want to have another baby for me. After trying to explain severally that I love her and her alone, I just got tired of explaining. All I asked for was her trust again. Afterall, she saw everything I did to Nora because of her. Is that too much to ask for?
When she was one step away from me, i couldn't help but touch her swollen face.
"You've been crying?" I asked her.
She smiled and carefully shaked her head. I noticed she didn't want to talk here, so I pulled her along with me until we got to the garden where no one was.
"Tell me, my love. What's wrong?" I asked her, hoping she'd open up to me.
She kept silent and broke into another round of tears.
"Tina, speak up. What's going on? Why are you crying? Say something!" I nudged her, shaking her gently and begging her to tell me.
She looked at me with teary red eyes. "Haven't you ever felt guilty for all that you did to Nora? Haven't you for once hated yourself for that? She did nothing wrong. She might be proud, bossy and even annoying but she was innocent. Every night when I close my eyes, I see her pointing accusing fingers at me... Dureee, how will I be able to face others when they look at me, their eyes telling me, I'm a traitor. How will I explain to them that I did what I did for love? How will I even be able to stand for myself when I know deep down they're right..." I couldn't take it anymore, I pulled her in for a hug as her voice got lost into my shoulders.
I didn't like seeing her like this. My heart hurts just holding her like this. I've never seen her cry this hard since we were married.
"I saw Nora's children today... They looked so much like her, both were a year younger than Molly. I didn't realize how insensitive it was to scold them like that until their guardian showed up. If what happened didn't happen, could she have been there with her kids in person?... This was not the future I had in mind for us. I wanted our children to be the best of friends that we were. But now... " She trailed off as she cried into my shoulders.
The image flashed before my eyes, when I payed a nurse in the psychiatric hospital to snatch Nora's kids from her and give them to Nanny. I know it could have been cruel but that was the only way to make sure the children are safe and are not seen by the crazy Queen who would stop at nothing to see the decendants of Queen Tamara dead.
I didn't know what words to use and comfort her, I just kept rubbing her back gently.
"I'll help you check on her in the prison and see how I can work out her release". I tried to assure her.
"Don't bother. I went yesterday to visit and was told that she died four years ago, due to lack of care and molestation". Someone's voice cut in.
Gently, Tina and I unwrapped ourselves and looked at the person who just talked now. It was Phillips, who had been watching us from the glass of the garden.
"What...did...you...say?" Tina asked, like she dreaded to even say it but wanted to know anyway.
"Princess Eleanora Andrews, passed away four years ago! She's dead, Dure. And it's all your fault" Phillips said, pointing accusing fingers at me.
That was enough to scatter my alignment. I could feel myself panting for breathe and I felt my breathe cut off when I saw Welma looking at me from behind the glass too.
That look of hate has never felt so threatening. She was crying, hating me all the way.
I asked them to take good care of her. How could she have died?! No! Phillips is a bloody liar. She can't be dead. I must confirm it! I said to myself, moving towards the door but I couldn't get to the door, because suddenly, all became dark.