Episode 15
TOO HARD TO LET GO
I went to the hospital two days later to pick the DNA results, but I didn’t open it there. I wasn’t ready for the heartbreak.
When I got home that night, my mother sat me down in the living room.Seemed Deborah was busy in the kitchen.
“Why I came, is because I knew you will never make out time to come and answer me if I had called. The thing is. I want to know your plans”. She said.
“Plans about what?”. I asked.
“About the other girl”.
“Lucy?”. I asked
“Yes. When are we going to meet her family to talk about dissolving the marriage proper, or are you comfortable with being married to two women?, at this your young age?”. She asked.
“Mama, don’t worry, I’m working on something”. I replied.
“Please, whatever you’re working on, you have to work it fast. There is no time oo. the earlier, the better”. She concluded.
After I have had my bath, taken my dinner, and was ready to sleep, I brought out the envelope, and opened it with trembling hand.
As I went through its content, a loud scream escaped me, and the paper fell down from my hand.I cupped my mouth shut, when I remembered that Deborah was in the bathroom.
“Honey, what is it?”. She opened the door immediately, and asked..
“Oh!, It’s nothing”.I replied, calmly.
She looked at me suspiciously, then at the paper, lying facedown at the foot of the bed.
“What is in that piece of paper?”. She asked, and started coming closer. She picked it up, but before she could take a look, I snatched it from her hand.
“What is that?”. She asked, angrily.
“This is just a doctor’s report, I mean, office report”. I said, as I folded it into my hand.
We gazed at each other for a while, before she sighed, and went back into the bathroom.
I heaved a sigh, and laid on the bed. I opened the result again, and read it carefully, I wasn’t expecting a positive results, I only did the test to satisfy curiosity. Now, that it turned out to be like this, what am I going to do?. I asked myself.
It wouldn’t have been a difficult decision for me, because though, I was angry with Lucy, but a part of me still yearns for her. But they were the two of them now, and I do not wish to hurt the second person involved… she has been too good.
After two days, of contemplating in my heart, I decided to let go of Lucy..afterall, she caused it all.
After work, that evening, I drove down to Lucy’s. She was out, cooking on a charcoal pot, while the baby sat on a heap of sand, behind her.
She was surprised to see me drive in, so she continued stirring her food absentmindedly, watching as I parked a distance away, and got down.
“Good evening.This one you came to see us?”. She asked, as soon as I aproached them.
I dusted a bench, in front of me, and sat down before I replied.
“I’m here to know why you have decided to ruin my life,”. I answered.
“I’m really sorry, Douglas, I feel bad”. She began to sob.
“Tell me the truth, for once in your life. Were you really r@ped or you just want to play victim”. I asked.
She let the spoon fall noisily into the pot, went to where the child sat, and placed her palm on the child’s head.
“”I swear on my daughter’s!….” She began, but before she could complete her statement, I rushed, and snatched the baby away from her.
“Enough!, don’t place any curse on my daughter”. I said.
“Your daughter?”. She asked.
“Yes, she is my daughter”. I replied.
She stood up, and faced me.
“You mean, Annabelle is your daughter?”. She repeated.
“Yes, I did a DNA test on her. She is mine”. I replied.
She went, and sat down again, tears streaming down her cheeks. I sat back too, with the child on my lap.
“Why did you have to wait this long to tell me this. Why didn’t you tell me when it happened?”. I asked, after a long silence.
‘”I was scared you’re going to find out the truth about me and him, which was contrary to what I told you”. She replied.
“So why did you leave?, why did you not stay back and explain everything to me after that pregnancy test?”. I asked.
“It’s because, everything was complicated. I cannot tell who owns the pregnancy”. She replied.
“If you had stayed back, things would not have taken this turn”. I lamented.
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking straight”. She lamented
“A lot have gone wrong since you left”. I said.
“What happened?”. She asked, amidst tears.
“I remarried”. I announced.
She paused for a moment, then let out a loud cry, that pierced through my heart.
The baby started crying too, and struggling to go down. I put her down, and watched her crawled to her mother. She stood in front of her and, holding onto her knees for a support, she stretched out one hand in an successful attempt to touch her face, probably to wipe the tears from her eyes.
I stood up to leave.
“It’s a pity everything has to end this way. But don’t worry, I will never forget my daughter”. I said, trying hard to fight back my own tears. After that I hurried back to the car.
When I got in, I released the tears I have been fighting back all along. I allowed it to flow freely, as I watched Lucy wiping her face, with the daughter on her lap.
I knew of a certainty, it would be impossible to live happily without the only woman I have ever loved.
ยฉ Joy Ifunanya
