CHAPTER EIGHT
*
“Megan,are you sure you want to do this?”’ The principal asks her
“’Yes”’
“’But kikina loves it here,taking her far away to the other part of town,infact outskirts of town wouldn’t do her good. Is there someting wrong,isn’t she doing good in class?Because her grades her good and her teacher says she is a really bright and smart kid,why do you want to move her away Megan?”’
I want to keep her away from her father,i don’t want him to take her away from me when he finds out she is his.
“’I just want to..to..keep her in a safe environment Ma’ám,that is all Can you please sign her transfer forms”Megan asks
The proprietress sighs sadly “’Okay, i’ll tell you what,why don’t you sleep on it this weekend and by Monday if you feel you still want to pull kiki out of the school,then i’ll sign it and arrange her transfer myself”’
“Thank you”Megan says leaving her office
“’You going to leave too?”’Divine meets her at the door
“’No, just kiki’’
“’Look Megan i really don’t understand what happened,why did that man go and report you and why were you so levid with him?Do you know him before?I mean i know what he did was wrong and he kept apologising but it seemed as though you really have something againts him,is there?”’
Megan pauses,the less anyone knows the better “’I just don’t want strangers assuming the worst just because they caught my child in a sad moment and they feel as though they know what’s wrong. Any mother would be upset and i just want to keep my child safe,that is all.See you Monday divine“’ Megan says walking away to meet Kiki who is waiting for her, they enter the car and they go home.
Divine wonders if she should tell her He asked for her address,she bites her lips.He said he wanted to apologize.
“’See you Monday Megan”’ she says instead.
*
“’I did tell you that it wasn’t your business didn’t i?if i were her i would slap you myself..twice for bad behaviour.Can you imagine her state?Poor little monster never knew her daddy and mummy having issues with fam,and maye she and her husband-”
‘’she said Miss not Mrs”’
“’Oh so,they never married.Do you think it was one of those,hit-knock-up situations and just when they were about to hook up legally,he died?How did he die?”
“’we didn’t get that far into the conversation”’ Sean sighs seating next to Zachary rubbing his jaw,he frowns.
“’Do you know any Megan Phillips or have you heard of anyone of that name?”
Zachary thinks for a second shaking his head ‘‘Nope,why?Who is that..some famous somebody?”’
“’No,kiki’s mother”’
Zachary frowns ‘’And i should know her why?”
‘’No stupid! look when she mentioned her name i could swear that name rang a bell but “’ he rubs his temple..”’i can’t place it,the name or the face or the incidence but ...it just so sounds familiar”’
“Look there are a thousand Seans in the country and a few O’’Conners,so maybe you met a Megan Phillip once onpon a time in your earthly existence”’
“’Yeah maybe but the strangest thing is that the name sort of brought this..i don’t know..anger, fear,regret..i don’t know.But there is some lingering-is it biitersweet feeling i can’t shake off.it wasn’t just the name Zack,it was the way the name sounded and with her voice,everything sounded like... shit! i can’t seem to place it”’
“’Dude,maybe it was the accident “’ he says pointing to Sean’s head,a tiny scar lays there
“’Dude, falling down three flight of stairs,really?”’
“’You were out cold for two days and you didn’t remember your name or who your parents were for 24 hours”’
“’And whose fault was that?”
“’You could have said no you know?You took the juiced drinks with two strong pills and you thought you were superman”’ Zachary says shaking his head“’Your parents nearly killed me,i nearly killed me,was super glad you were okay.”
“’Oh well”’ Sean says rubbing his temple again “”Still i remember every damn thing.But i haven’t seem to place where i heard that name from”
“’Does it matter really?”’ Zachary wants to know
“’Nope.But, i messed up,where can i get lovely lilies and maybe something equally nice for the kid. Something worthy of a genuine sorry for almost taking your child away from you and i am a klutz“’ Sean asks his friend
“’Dude,your apology was a enough”
‘’i hurt her feelings man,an apology isn’t.Where can i get?“’
“’You don’t even know where they stay”’
“’Öh,a little chit and chat with one of the teachers,she was really friendly,i think she likes me. Anyways,i got her talking after Miss Megan imprinted her hands on my face and i got the address, easy”
“’isn’t that against the law,to give addresses to total strangers?”
“’i was a good charmer, besides i was honest,i wanted to do something nice for her because i offended her and the Teacher sympathized with me”Sean says..”’so are you going to tell me or not”’
“’fine,give me a pen and paper,look,whatever that woman’s issues is or are,you don’t want to get sucked in,so drop the flowers and whatever and leave okay?”
“’Fine’’
*
The next day,Sean drives to the florist shop and gets a banquet of white lilies,a box of chocolate and a barbie doll,then he changes his mind.Kiki seemed smart, maybe he should get her something smart.
He goes into an electronic shop “’Do you have tabs for kids,smart kids?”’
“’Sure,we have a Samsung tab for kids.it is educational,can access the internet,it is restricted so kids don’t venture into sites that are unhealthy for them,but it has stories,it has maths,infact the whole shebangs”’
“Interesting!Can it call?”’ Sean was curious
“’No,you can’t make calls with it but they can draw on it,write on it.It has a clean/write slim board that they can use and ...this is just a perfect gift for your kid i am sure he or she would love it,boy or girl?How old?”’ the man asks packing up the gift
Sean laughs shaking his head “”No not my kid,but she is a smart one. Erm,i think five years old,no maybe four.. i dont know.Her name is Kiki na”’
“’wow!! Such a lovely
name,well ...thank you for shopping with us,you have a voucher,you can scratch and win”’
“’oh really?”’ Sean does so ...””oh nice a tiara?”’ he says “’and a bracelet”’ he smiles
“’well little girls love to be princesses am sure she would love that,would you want me to customise her bracelet..princess kikina?”The man asked
“well!!’’Sean blowss out air. He had no idea if he would be received warmly much less them accepting his gifts..”kikina is fine””
“’okay that would be an extra 1 thousand”’
“’Really?This was just a tactics to get more money out of me right?”’
“”i don’t know what you are talking about,besides,imagine the girl’s face with the new presents.She would be thrilled,really thrilled”’
“’i give it you man,you gat skills,let me have it” Sean says
“”if you insist” the man says hiding a smile,Sean shakes his head smiling
Another twenty minutes he is parked infront of their house,it is mid afternoon.He gets out of the car,walks up to their door and rings the bell.
Bracing himself for the worst.
*
“’I wonder who is there,are you expecting more guests?”’Megan calls from the kitchen
‘’No,everyone is here,but i’ll open the door and check”’ Tonia says getting up and dropping the tray of large pies Megan had given her from the oven.
They were having a day with some of their friends from the book club she and Megan signed up with, they meet once every month on a Saturday and each person gets to host,Megan was hosting this saturday while everyone comes with something. Megan was baking pastries and cake,Tonia brought drinks and another brought casseroles,pasta etc. They were almost twenty in Megan’s not so big apartment,but they had shifted the table and adjusted the chairs to accommodate everyone. They read,they joked,they played cards and monopoly and they talked about books.
Tonia wonders who is at the door knowing everyone is accounted for,she sees Kikina jumping and clapping when one of the ladies got her answer,they both high-fived as Kiki squeals in delight,Tonia is laughing as she turns to open the door,her jaw drops to the ground.
“’Oh my God Sean O’çonner!!!”’ she chokes
Sean raises up his head when the door opens expecting to see Megan but he sees someone else instead and she happens to know who he is..
Strange! And he doesn’t know her either.
“’I am sorry, do i know you and how do you know my name?’’ he says puzzled,he looks around, this was the house and the number that Teacher Divine gave him,but who was this lady and how come she knows him,something wasn’t adding up.. he frowns..”’how did you know my name?”’
Tonia swallows “’i- i erm”” she stutters
“’Uncle!!!!!!!”’ Kiki squeals jumping from the chair and rushing to the door, she is grinning from ear to ear and she is breathing hard from jumping ’’ Did you bring the flowers,is that for mummy?”she asks dropping her voice as though trying to whisper and pointing to the bag he held
Sean smiles when he sees her,he bends to her level, he is nodding
“’hmmhum! White lilies,just like you told me and something else,do you think she would forgive me for being...bad to her?’’ he asks
Kiki bends her head to the side as though thinking,folds one hand to her side and then taps her small jaw with her index finger with another hand..”’Well if you apologise from the heart and show her you are really sorry,she will.Mummy forgives me alot when i am bad when i am trully sorry and i tell her i won’t do it again, i promise too”’ she says..”’oh,what are those?’’ she points to the others in the bag“’doesn’t look like just white lilies”’
“’well,they are-“’
“’Tonia,Kiki,who is at the door?”’ Megan calls coming out of the kitchen with the last tray of samosa
Tonia is still dumbstruck...:”It’s ..its erm..Kiki’s..erm...”’ she trails off moving away from the door so Megan sees,
Megan freezes for a second when she sees who was there,then anger replaces her shocked expression,her eyes turning to daggers ready to throw knives
“’Mummy,he brought you white lilies,he is really sorry, can he stay?Pleaseeeee!!”’ kiki begs
“’Hello Megan Phillips“’ Sean says straightening up.
“GET OUT, NOW!!!!’’’Megan breaths
*
He wouldn’t move, why did he come here, how did he know where we stay.
Oh God,why did he come here,why are you letting the devil to come and take the only think most important in my life..
Why did he come back to town Lord, why did Sean O’çonner come back to town and why is he showing up in my face and now my house?
Why the hell was Sean here?
Megan is staring at the door...”’what the hell do you want?Get out! leave now. Please i beg you”’ She says dropping the tray. Everyone turns to look at her then at the door,some even standing to peer outside
Tonia looks around...”’Erm Megan”’ she began
“’Look, i am so sorry Megan and if you give me a chance i’ll tell you how sorry i am. Look i messed up i know, i just want to apologise, please”’
“’I don’t need your apologises,it’s a couple of years late for that”’
Sean frowns ,there is was again, that feeling that she is saying one thing and meaning another
“’what?”’
Tonia coughs “’Erm..Megan,guests..are waiting.”’ Tonia says indicating the curious stares
“’i don’t want him here””
“’Look i bought you some flowers and-“’
“’i don’t care what you brought, i just want you to leave, leave us alone is that hard for you to understand?”’ she snaps
“’Mummy,he said he is sorry,he really did get you white lilies,they are your favourite,please let Uncle stay please,he is my friend and i don’t have friends please mummy, i promsie to keep him out of trouble””
Kiki clasps her hands together
“’let the young man stay Megan,he looks harmless besides whatever he did i am sure he is sorry”’ a woman gets up walking towards the door,touching kiki’s cheeks and smiling at Sean
“’You have no idea what he has done”’ Megan states,her flashing
“”well,i am sure it’s not so bad..besides to forgive is divine,it’s not nice to turn away someone who came bearing gifts and an apology Megan”’ The woman continues
“”i don’t need it i just want him out of my house and away from my daughter “’ Megan walks towards the door,holding kiki and trying to tug her in,Tonia moves away but the lady doesn’t
“’come on Meg,there is no harm in him staying,really,he seems sorry”” another lady joins in, soon half the room, was pleading on his behalf
“You-you all don’t understand”’ she sounded hurt
‘’Talking helps”’ the first lady says..””Come in young man,she won’t bite”’ She tells Sean, Sean doesn’t move,he is staring at Megan. It was her house, not theirs,so she should have the final say, not them,he really was sorry.
“’Megan...let it be for now”” Tonia says
“’Please mummy” Kiki says tugging her hand
It felt as though everyone ganged up against her, if she kept at it,it would ruin the mood of everyone else, despite her being ruined. she blinks back tears threatening to fall...”’Fine whatever! kiki..go wash your hands and come have a pie”’
If he has to stay, he wasn’t coming close to her daughter. she walks away into the kitchen,she heard kiki squeal in excitement as she storms back into the kitchen in anger.
*
Megan ignores him throughout,yet it seemed everyone seemed to like him,especially Kiki,no matter how much she tried to separate them,they still found away to either sit with each other,or he says something and she laughs at the corner of the room.
The flower and a bag of items he brought was on the table, she had ignored it when he gave it to her,Tonia had taken it, thanking him for being generous.
There were done with the discussion class and everyone seemed to be having fun but her,well how could she, she was in thesame room with the boy turned man who denied fathering her child after college and four years later his daughter is seating next to him and he has not the darnest idea and all she wanted to do is use her heel on his head to tell him how angry she is, for the suffering and pain she went through alone but she couldn’t.
ARGH!!
He would never know about kiki, never!.
They were playing “’tell the act’’Megan declined to play and let the others do so,to distract herself and not tempted to fling empty trays at him,she goes to the kitchen telling Tonia to keep her eye out on kiki and Sean and make sure they aren’t alone.
As she leaves,Sean was pressed ‘’Hey Kiki,do you happen to know where i can visit the little boys?”’ she giggles
“We don’t have little boys here, just little girls”” Kiki giggles
“’oh right,silly me,well can you point it to me?”’
“’i’ll show you”’ she takes his hand and leads him to the toilet and then stands away.. “’Mummy says to always flush”’
“’mummy is very...precise””
“”if you mean correct? Yes”’
Sean smiles and gets into the toilet,he comes out later to head back out to the palour,he stops when he hears voices,it felt as though people was arguing,when he gets closer,it is Megan and the lady who happened to know him. He almost forgot,he should ask her how she knew him, or was it just a coincidence?
*
‘’i don’t care Tonia,i don’t.I can’t have him here nor close to her,what if by some mere intuition he finds out about her?’’
“’that kiki is his child?He can’t,and the way you are acting is making people ask questions. Look, i think you should just tell him, he keeps showing up Meg, it should mean God is giving you a chance to say it so all wrongs can be righted”’
“’Never i will ever tell Sean O’Conner that Kiki-“’
“’Tell me what?”Sean says pushing the door open...”’what about Kiki?What don’t you want to tell me?”’ he frowns,
Tonia and Megan turn quickly in shock, Megan quickly composes herself ”’it’s not enough that you report people,now you eavesdrops on their conversations too?’’ Megan says but her lips wavers.
Oh God tell me he didn’t hear! She bites her lips
“’i am sorry,i was passing from the toilet but why were you both talking about kiki and me?’’
Tonia stares at Megan, who shakes her head telling her to be quiet, Tonia is talking...”’That kiki is –“
“’A princess!!!’’ Kiki bursts into the room...”’Mummy see,Uncle bought me a tiara and a bracelet, and i will be a Cinderella”’ she shows her mother the items “’And a phone...wheeeee!! i never had those,thank you Uncle”’ she hugs Sean’s legs, he pulls her and smiles
“’No, just kiki, but princess Kiki”’ he says helping her wear the bracelet and puts the tiara on her head
“’Give it back Kiki”’ Megan says
“’Megan,let the her have a little peace of happiness please.Look i had no right to meddle or report and i am sorry,why are you making it difficult to do that?Why do i have a feeling that you hate me from long ago and not just now?What is it?” Sean asks
“’Because i do”’
“’Wow! okay why...or tell me what i did that was so bad to have you treat an apologetic man with distain,i doubt it’s more than the social services case”’
Tonia and Megan’s eyes rests on Kiki for a second and then back at him.
Tonia looks at Megan, pleading with her eyes that she tels him,
Kiki is playing,She is happy with her gifts
“Well?”’ Sean asks “’Are you going to tell me what all this is about, why do you hate me?”’
‘’Because –“’ Megan began
*
TO BE CONT.