"I'm back...what are you still doing here?"
"You have no right to ask me such question, I'm in my husband's house." Joyce cried.
"You should leave now, he isn't your husband"
"I'm going no where! He is my husband." Joyce cried again.
"No Joyce, you've enjoyed enough, go back to where you belong." the girl replied backing Joyce.
"I belong here, I have a girl child for my husband." Joyce muttered trying to view the face of the speaker.
"That child isn't his, you should save yourself the shame by leaving now." the gril continued.
"No way! Who are you?" Joyce screamed hugging her baby.
"who else if not me? Its Sasha Williams." the girl turned to face her.
Joyce woke up with a start. She ran to the cot where her new baby lay, she picked it up with trembling hands and hugged it tightly like it was her last.
The little one protested the tight hug by releasing an ear piercing cry.
"Shush..." Joyce rocked it gently, her body stil trembling.
Another evil dream? She feared for her child, for her life. Was the dream real or its as a result of ther thoughts?
She knew it, she was losing fast. Her days in the Williams home was numbered.
She feared the shame she would feel if the truth's discovered. That's where her love for material things had landed her, ' a pot of hot shame'. She should have known better and left before thing became this difficult. Her only saving grace would be if Willaims didn't do any test atall, which is like wishing for a blue moon.
She clasped her hands together in prayers, though she knew God would never answer such prayers.
Williams inhaled and exhaled sharply; as he perched on a chair, watching his daughter chatting with Tunji- he could swear that she was a changed person, her smile was so genuine, her eyes glinted as she spoke. But she was delibrately keeping him out her circle, she hardly glanced his way and carefully changed each topic that might involve him. Could it be that she still held a lot of things against him?- he mused. All he got from her was a 'thank you for been there' and a tight hug he wished would last forever.
She laughed as Tunji pulled her cheeks playfully, her collar bones shooting out- she's lost so much weight.
The question doctor Krishna asked him came ringing like a bell in his head.
"was she emotionally abused as a little girl?"
that was not possible cos he made sure all his kids got all they wanted. He treated Sasha as a special child, letting her have her way in all things, in what way did he err?
"Did you hear what this naughty girl said?" Tunji asked catching his attention.
"Its the truth nah! You need to see those images, it was funny." Sasha quickly said.
"What image?" her father asked.
"She said at a point the doctor and the nurses looked like aliens with large ears and all." Tunji laughed.
"Oh" Williams forced a smile, though he didn't find anything funny in their discussion. There was a lot on his mind,-his company; he's spent a lot already on the trips and medical bills, his family- oh yes he's still got Joyce to tackle.
He caught Sasha starring at him, perhaps she was expecting him to laugh or say something; slowly she lowered her eyes her face losing its brightness.
He sighed, what was he to say? He racked his brain.
"I can see you're having a good time with your family" a nurse strolled in carrying a tray.
"I've been expecting you for ages." Sasha looked up happily.
"expecting me or your medications?" the nurse teased, turning to exchange pleasantaries with Williams and Tunji.
"I'd miss you when I leave." Sasha murmured as she downed a glass of water after taking taking drugs of different shapes and sizes.
"I'm missing you already." the nurse smiled taking the glass from her.
"Even still, I'm happy you're strong now." she added searching for something in her pocket.
"Our deal?" Sasha stretched forth her right hand expectantly.
"You know we shouldn't do this." the nurse complianed as she placed a small plastic container whose label was carefully stripped off, in Sasha's outstretched palm.
"Yea...you say that everyday" Sasha rolled her eyes.
"I'll be back with your food." the nurse strolled out of the room.
"Whats that?" Williams asked as Sasha examined the small plastic container.
"Ice-cream." she replied giving him the look that says 'what else does it look like'.
"She bribes me with this each time I take my pills, just so I won't throw up" Sasha smiled at Tunji
"Against the doctors rule," she snapped her fingers.
"Maybe its bad for your health." Tunji frowned.
"Well... I've had it for days now, and I'm still alive." she made a face.
She fumbled with the lid.
"My nails hurt, who'd help open it?"
"Here, let me help you." Williams said rather too quickly. He had to make himself count to her, he loved her.
"Thank you." she collected the open plastic from him, looking surprised.
"Hmmm" she smelt it.
"Uh la la, vanilla...this lady wanna drive me crazy." she smiled dipping her finger into it.
Williams laughed alone, she looked cute. The memories- when she was still below seven, how she'd dance and sing each time she ate. How she poured a large tin of Milk and cocoa on the floor, emptied a bottle of water on it in an attempt to make 'ice-cream', how she ran to him with tears mouthing the words 'daaadddy...my ice-cream did not do...it did not stay one place...'.
Or was it how she danced the day he bought her a live chicken? He had to catch it on tape.
He shook his head slowly, his lips still curved in a smile. What ever severed his relationship with his daughter? She came as a miracle when they least expected, the gap between she and Cassandra could testify to that. She was everybody's favourite, a beauty to behold when her dreads started to form. But things changed before she clocked ten, the little-smiling-cutie disappeared to give way to the always frowning girl, who would snap and snarl at any given instance.
He need to change things again, he wants his pretty daughter back, but first Joyce must be tackled.
Kenny followed his mother with his eyes as she walked past him aimlessly to and fro the kitchen, he quickly looked away each time she caught him staring. He had decided earlier to keep to himself, he wouldn't eat; he always replied their conversations with either a nod or shaking his head. Normally, his parents would all go begging and petting him, but this time around they seemed to care less.
He forced himself to concentrate on the TV as his mother walked back to the living room, she was all dressed for an outing. She dropped a duffel bag few metres away from him, perched on a sofa and began to touch-up her make-up; smacking her lips noisily.
Kenny looked at his mother, then the duffel bag; he wanted to ask her what's up, but his pride as a pampered child won't let him. Soon his father walked into the living room going straight to the Tv stand to pick his car keys.
Kenny quickly glanced at the wall clock to be sure if it wasn't past 9pm already.
"Honey are you set?" Jide clinked the keys.
"Yea , we need to hurry up." Ashley gave him the duffel bag while she picked her hand bag.
"Where are you going by this time?" Kenny asked breaking his rule.
No reply. Next he heard the door bang behind him, they were leaving.
He gasped in fear of the unknown.
"Dad?... Mummy..." he ran after them to the garage.
"What?" Jide retorted standing by the car.
"Where are you going to?"
"We're leaving the house for you." Ashley replied.
"What for?" Kenny looked confused.
"Well...I and my beautiful wife can't stay under the same roof with an angry little man." Jide replied.
"We're gonna book a room in a hotel till we're able to get an apartment, then we'd come to pack our things."
"but... What have I done?" Kenny asked fear clearly written all over his face.
"I thought you're no longer in talking terms with everybody? Your name is on the papers of this property, so we're leaving your house for you." Ashley queried
"Mummy please nah...I'm your only child o" he pleaded.
"Only child ke? What makes you think my wife can't give me more kids if I want? " Jide feigned annoyance.
Ashley smiled secretly, her husband was a genius.
"Daddy please nah...I promise I won't do it again..mum please help me beg daddy...you can't leave me all alone, you're all I've got." Kenny was on his knees.
"Honey please..."
"Ehn ehn! Don't even start, I'm leaving this house o, and you must leave with me." Jide threatened.
"Honey please...he's already begging." Ashley managed to retain the laughter bubbling up her throat.
"Okay...so no more keeping malice, no more anger, no more tantrums, and no more hunger strike?" Jide ruled out.
Kenny quickly nodded.
"I'm a new person already, I promise to be a good son.".
"fine then, but you have to prove that. firstly...I want you to go eat up your dinner." Jide ordered.
"Thank you daddy-mummy." Kenny scrambled to his feet taking the duffel bag from them.
"We're winning." Ashley whispered as she watched her son scampered into the main building.
"I told you...we need not pet him, give it to him the hard way and he'll bend." Jide laughed hugging his excited wife- who was worried over her son's 'changed attitude'.
"Maybe you should tell us the reason behind the 'attitude' ". Jide said as they both watched kenny down his food as fast as he could.
"I wanna go back to India...to Sasha" Kenny replied washing his hands
"Honey we should tell him?" Ashley nudged her husband.
"Tell me what?" Kenny asked wiping his palms.
"Sasha would be in town this weekend. I spoke with her father this evening" Jide replied.
"uhm?" Kenny held his breathe.
"Yes o...my niece would be in town this weekend- alive!" Ashley replied.
"Somebody please don't wake me up from this dream." Kenny shut his eyes.
"Wake up jor!" Jide slapped him playfully.
Kenny didn't know whether to laugh or cry, whether to jump or stand, whether to run or roll all over the floor. The news wasn't expected that way, so his very own Sasha would be in town very soon?
"You know what dad? I love you so much!" he hugged his father as tight as he could.
"Hey little man ease up the hug! Don't get soapy all over me" Jide protested amidst laughter.
"ehn...so you won't hug and love me abi?" Ashley asked jealously.
"mum your own love is special..." Kenny gave her the best hug he could offer.
TBC AT 10PM
