Sorry for the delay! Network issue🤧🙏
44- A TRUE ANTITHESIS
"Are you sure you don't want anything?" My dad asked, seated behind his desk. We were currently seated in his study like I had demanded. I didn't want any interruption from Anya or anyone and they had both respected that.
While I was dressed in a simple floral dress, my dad was all dressed up in a complete blue suit, his hair was neatly styled.
I shook my head in response for the upteenth time, stretching myself on the comfortable sofa, opposite him. I glanced at the various artworks which I was pretty sure were very expensive! The entire house must have cost a fortune!
Bobby Pears looked a bit skeptical, but still nodded.
"To be candid, I was surprised when you asked to see me." He started, leaning his back towards his chair. I shrugged.
"Had to. I need answers." I went straight to the point. His eyes widened a bit. Aside that, he didn't show any expression.
"Oka-y?" He drawled. I entwined my fingers on both hands, leaning on his desk.
"I officially met the principal earlier today." I started. Dad nodded for me to continue. "We had a long talk."
"I agree." He said, crossing his fingers as well. "Theresa informed me about your suspension." My eyes shot up to him.
"SHE WHAT?!" He didn't seem ruffled by my outburst.
"She got a call from your school, few hours ago." My dad explained. "Since I requested to always be informed about any recent development, she did inform me."
"What else did she inform you about?" I asked, bitterly.
"No need to be so bitter." He said, playing with the ring on his left 'ring man'. I assumed that was the ring that bonded him together with Anya. I suddenly felt sick.
"Can you stop?" I whispered, gesturing towards his hands. He quickly got the gist, thankfully. However, he sighed.
"At some point Samantha, you're going to have to get used to the fact that I'm married to Anya now." He said. "I miss your mum, every single day! But her memories, Anya and you kids are my present." I sighed. I understood that. I just wasn't ready. I don't know if I'll ever be!
"Anyway," I started. "I did get a suspension due to my standing up against some mean kids at school." Dad nodded, giving me his full attention.
"That isn't the point. I've got a punishment. But I also got to meet the principal. She claimed that wasn't how she had planned to meet me, which got me curious, which got to me ask her quite a number of questions, which caused her to give me quite a number of answers." I ranted.
"Oka-y?" Dad drawled again. I was irked but I managed to surpress it with a forceful sigh.
"She told me you, mum, Caleb's dad, his mum and her older brother, Drew's dad, were all high school friends." I said, looking at him, wary of his response.
"There were three more of them." He said so low, I almost didn't hear.
"What?"
"There were three more." He repeated. "Drew's mum, Crystal and Candice's parents." I gasped.
"Why did you keep it from us?" I asked. Dad pinched the space between his eyes before sitting up.
"It didn't matter then, Sam. As far as your mum and I were concerned, we were never going to return to Portland." He said.
"Why?" I whispered. He sighed.
"I would really love to tell you kids the story together." He paused. "But I guess I can tell you some now." I nodded, almost feeling impatient with his stalling. I understood his position, but right now, I feel like I'm the one who needs this information more.
"Not everyone actually supported my relationship with your mum. She had been bethroted to another guy but she refused him, choosing me instead. You do know that story, right?" He asked.
"Yeah." I mumbled.
"Our friends didn't initially support us for various individual and collective reasons." Dad explained. "Soon, we weren't comfortable being around them. It was then your mum brought up the idea of living in Idaho. It wasn't long before we fell in love with Boise and decided to settle there permanently."
"Until what happened, happened. Then you decided to come back." I said. Dad nodded.
"Why didn't you bring us along?" I asked. His reaction made it obvious I touched a dreaded question. He sucked in a sharp breath.
"I wasn't myself after your mum died, Sam." He stood up from his seat and walked to his window, his back towards me.
"I was a shadow of myself. Believe it or not, God saved me. Just when I was about to end my life, I had met Anya."
"Sure!" I whispered. He either didn't hear me or decided to ignore.
"Everyday, I regret leaving you kids." He rested the side of his head against the window as he turned to look at me. "But I was relapsing. I didn't want you guys to see me like that."
"You were wrong!" I exclaimed, standing up, just as tears flowed down my cheeks. I didn't even care that I was in front of the man whom I despised. "We needed our dad! Relapse or not! We needed you just as you needed us!" I screamed.
With long strides, dad covered the distance between us, pulling me into a hug. I fought and resisted but eventually I relaxed, sobbing into his chest.
"I hate you! I hate you!" I screamed.
"I know." He said, softly, hugging me tightly. "Please forgive me, Sam!"
***
"You guys are so lucky!" Shayne said, stretching himself further on his chair. It was lunch time and my friends had come over to cheer me up in the library. We were all gathered round a table. Lucas and Cecilia had been thoughtful enough to bring along food. Apparently, Shayne and Crystal concluded their presence was enough for me!
I gave Shayne a pointed look.
"You're kidding right?" He returned my look with a dry one.
"No, I'm not!" He said. "You guys don't get to attend boring classes for a whole day. That is enviable." Alex snorted from where she sat, on the table next to ours. Her friends had also come to cheer her up earlier in the day. But it seemed like their lunch was more important now.
We had also managed to not bite each other's ears off. Other than a few civil conversations, after the principal had made us apologize to each other, we pretty much kept away from each other.
"I'm serious!" Shayne said. I had a feeling he was. Who wouldn't be? He had no idea what we were doing in the library. I decided to enlighten him.
"Trust me Shayne, classes are way better!" I said. "We've been here all day, attending to students who somehow never seem to find the book they need. We also have to make sure no one sneaks out with the library books. The number of nerds in this school who do not wear glasses are huge, I assure you! All the same, never look down on a librarian. They deserve accolades!"
"Still-" Shayne started, but I cut him.
"Plus we still had to take our various tests scheduled for today." Shayne's eyes went wide.
"I do not envy you guys, AT ALL!" He chuckled. "Give me a suspension on a test free day, thanks!" Crystal rolled her eyes.
"Enough about you!" She commanded. "How're you, Sam?" I looked at her warily. This was the third time she was asking me this question.
"I'm good, Crys. What's up?" She shrugged. Checking to see if Alex was listening, she leaned towards me to whisper.
"Good. Shayne's birthday is this Saturday."
"Wow-" I said, before she shushed me.
"It would be a grand opportunity to explore Caleb's room!"
"What?!" I exclaimed, successfully gaining the attention of everyone.
"Great!" Crystal deadpanned.
"Are you kidding me?!" I asked, lowering my voice into a whisper. However, I did notice Alex's imaginary rabbit ears, standing up. It wasn't her fault, my exclamation was pretty loud.
"What are you guys talking about?" Lucas asked, reaching out to a fry on my plate. I swatted his hand away. He gave a sheepish grin before suddenly pouting.
"Go get yours!" I shooed. I noticed Shayne and Cecilia seemed to be in a conversation of their own. Somehow, the way they communed didn't sit down well with me.
I admit I was a bit attracted to Shayne. Oh, who was I kidding?! I was pretty much attracted to him. But I also knew it was dangerous for me. I've felt attraction once, it didn't end well!
Still, I felt my stomach turn unpleasantly at the sight of those two whispering. I recognized the feeling and immediately began to fight it. No, no, no! I couldn't be jealous! Jealousy never ended well!
"Sam!" Crystal's voice, thankfully brought me back to my senses. "What are you thinking about?"
"I don't think I want to do that, Crys." I said. She nodded.
"I know. But how else would you know if he has another camera watching you somewhere?" I thought about her question.
According to Shayne, neither him nor Carlos was close to Caleb. None of them could know if Caleb was watching me on another device. Although, I had ransaked my car and my entire house in search anything that looked so much as a camera eye, but found nothing. Still, the thought of Caleb watching me often gave me the creeps.
"What if he catches us?" I asked in a whisper, just as I noticed Lucas look up from his phone to stare at us. He had definitely heard us!
"I think you know what you'd do, Sam." Crystal said, pointedly.
"I honestly don't think what you're planning is a great idea." Lucas said, frowning. I nodded briefly, agreeing with him. Crystal huffed but said nothing.
I hated the idea of meddling in someone's privacy. But Caleb was meddling in mine! Still, I didn't have the nerve to do it. My conscience wouldn't let me. Somehow, I felt God wouldn't like it.
I didn't know what to do with Caleb for now. But I trusted God for wisdom. I would pray about it.
Suddenly, I felt light. Finally, I could pray without feeling such huge bitterness against my dad. God forgives our trespasses and he expects us to forgive others too.
Yesterday, I had forgiven my dad. Maybe not totally, but at least we had started somewhere. I had felt so light, I had wanted to scream!
I had opened up to him about how I bitter I felt when he left. How I vowed to never forgive him. He was very remorseful but it wasn't really about him. I was also tired of harboring all the hate in me. I was tired of feeling disgusted by his presence even when I was starting to understand why he left us. No reason he had made sense; yet every reason he had made sense.
A true antithesis!
I knew dad was very glad when I agreed to take the step to forgive him. He had also been carrying around guilt, hating himself. I couldn't imagine how he felt when Theresa had taken the bold step to forgive him. Melody, bless her pure heart, never harbored the slightest hate towards him.
Only Cory was left now!
That would be a very difficult thing, because mine had been too.
But I was a bit hopeful.
A/N:
Hey guys!!!
This chapter seemed a bit intense!
I talked a bit about forgiveness in this chapter. Having the spirit of forgiveness is one of the best things that can happen to one.
We offend God a lot of times and yet he forgives us. How much more our fellow humans?
Also, forgiveness gives one a sense of peace and strength! You feel strong as an overcomer and peace as a love being.
Forgiveness may not be easy, I know! There was a point in my life where someone hurt me so bad, I almost thought I could never forgive that person.
And I really couldn't, on my own!
So guess what I did? I prayed!
I prayed to the God who knows how to forgive the vilest of sinners. HE TAUGHT ME HOW TO FORGIVE!🙌
Usually, because of how deep someone has hurt us, we may find it difficult to get over the pain IMMEDIATELY, but I assure you, immediately we take a step to forgive, we've acknowledged forgiveness! With God's grace and help, we'll heal completely! Yes, COMPLETELY. Jesus heals us completely! It might take a long while before we finally let go and totally bask in this healing, but one day, we'd look back at that painful moment and smile at how we're overcomers in Christ!
You won't probably forget, most definitely you wouldn't forget the painful moment. But the pain wouldn't consume you wherever you go! Now, that is victory! Jesus can give you that and much more; He'll save your soul!
He did it for me! He'll do it for you. Just let him!
The character Sam is developing on all sides. Like I said, there will be rollercoasters. But I hope at the end of the day, Sam's life will touch us in at least, one area of our lives.
NEXT UPDATE WILL BE NEXT WEEK SATURDAY, 6PM, GMT!
God bless you all!!!🙏🙏🙏❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Shirley!!!