her not to go out,that he's got something important to discuss with her. Its close to twelve noon and he's yet to emerge from his study.
She poured more drink into her glass, she've been waiting for weeks;just for him to open up and tell her what's up. At first, she thought its got to do with Sasha, but Kemi told her Sasha's alive and well,that had erased the thought of her losing a daughter she cherished though they weren't in talking terms.
The doorbell rang startling her. Whoever the unwanted visitor was! She hissed.
"Hi." A lady greeted as she opened the door.
"Hey.." Barbra wasn't sure she've seen that face before.
"You must be Barbra, aint it?" The Lady grinned.
"I'm Mrs Williams, and how may I help you?"
"Help me? Well..my name is Joyce to start with.."
"So?" Barbra sounded impatient.
"May I come in?"
"come in? I don't who you are yet!" Barbra snapped, the Lady's smile was irritating her.
"The last time I checked, this house belongs to Williams right?" Joyce eyed her.
Barbra heart raced, what was wrong.
"I think you should re-check again, cos this house belongs to The Williams Family,that is;his wife and children" she tried.
"Talking about his wife and children.." Joyce grimaced
"hello..what's going on?" Williams appeared behind Barbra.
"Just some ill-mannered lady.." Barbra stepped back for her husband to have a full view.
"Eeeiiy...I...uhm..Joyce...errm" Williams stuttered wishing he would drop dead.
"So you know her?" Barbra asked disgusted.
"I ...uhm...sweerie...can I have a word with you please." Williams led his wife away.
"Better tell her the whole truth!" Joyce called after him, pulling her bags into the house.
"So who's she?" Barbra fired as soon as they stepped into their bedroom.
"Calm down sweerie..lets talk this over." Williams pleaded looking for the right words.
Barbra exhaled sharply, she just hope its not what she's thinking.
"Baby, you know about 30 years ago, I professed my love for you... and you know that no matter what, I still love you right?" williams took her hands.
"You haven't answered my question!" Barbra said in a fierce whisper.
"I'm sorry Barbra..I...it was a mistake...I never wanted to do that, I won't ever hurt you.." a pause
"It happened during the send-off party I attended few months ago..."
"What happend? You'll save me alot of heartache if you would go straight to the point." Barbra was trembling.
"She's carrying my...my...child." Williams concluded in a low voice.
There was a roar of laughter, Barbra laughed really hard.
"Your Baby? Your child?" she found her voice.
Williams nodded.
Her five fingers circled his face with full force
"Bastar.d!" she muttered.
"You must be very st.upid and shameless."
williams backed away.
"Williams you? You of all people? After all we've been through?" Barbra wailed.
"I knew it! I always knew you would hurt me beyond repair." she wiped her tears.
She grabbed her car keys and started out of the room.
"Barbra please..."
"Don't...don't you try touch me! I'll strangle you!" she wagged a finger at him, before running out of the house.
Joyce rose to her feet as Barbra rushed past her.
"You she-devil! You've got what you want right? Destroy my home right?" Williams yelled at her.
"You didn't remember I'm a 'she-devil' when you were oohhing and aahing under me at your friends's party right?" Joyce shot back, her hand akimbo.
"you can't blackmail me!" Williams growled.
"Blackmail? That's what I just did. That night would forever be memorably aint it? Well I'm here, and you can savour more memorable nights!" Joyce taunted
Williams was speechless.
"You're gonna show me to my room huh? I need to rest my back:" she yawned.
"You came to stay here?"
"Yea..I came to stay- forever! Or are you gonna throw the mother of your unborn child out?" she grimaced.
"You can stay in any room downstairs, don't venture the stairs." Williams replied defeated.
"Please help me with some of my bags." Joyce picked her hand bag, walking towards the direction Williams showed her.
Williams shook his head sorrowfully.
"God where are you? Come to my aid." he raised his palms.
Hissing loudly; Sasha glared at her ringing phone. First it was her mother calling for more than ten times, then its Cassandra disturbing . She rejected the call, she doesn't want to speak with any of them, they should keep to themselves atleast.
Her phone vibrated, a new message icon displayed on the screen.
'Sasha please pick my calls, please
from Cassie.'
she drew a long hiss as cassandra started calling again.
"Hello?" Cassandra quiped gratefully as Sasha picked the call.
"I thought we aint in talking terms!" Sasha fumed.
"Oh pulleease, spare that Tigress!" Cassandra snapped.
"You didn't call to insult me did you?"
"Look! I need to talk to Kemi now!" Cassandra replied.
"And when did my phone number start looking like Kemi's?" Sasha asked irritated.
"Please Sasha just give her the phone lemme speak to her...her phone line aint going through!" Cassandra yelled.
"I'm not giving my phone to her!" Shasha ended the call.
She should go yell at someone else, definitely not Sasha Williams.
She grabbed her phone angrily as it started ringing again.
"Stop pestering me Missy!" she barked into the phone.
"Lady Sassy..." a cool voice began.
"Brother Dee? Is that you?" Sasha asked her temper cooling off
"Yea, hope you're fine?" Dapo didn't sound jovial.
"yeah, you?"
"Not bad..could you please give the phone to Kemi? Please?" Dapo pleaded,
"Yea..hold on." she spoke, running to Kemi's room.
Standing by the dresser, she watched Kemi speak sleepily into the phone.
"Talk to me...I'm all ears..." Kemi said rubbing her eyes.
"What?!" She rose to her feet startling Sasha.
"Oh my God! Dapo are you kidding me or..." Kemi was prancing up and down the room.
"See Dapo, take things easy okay...I'll call you by evening, tell mum to take everything easy, please." Kemi said whilst ending the call, her body trembling.
"Aunty Kay are you alright? Mum-dad? They're alright?" Sasha asked looking concerned.
"Yess....Sasha leave me alone." Kemi replied fighting back tears.
"Buh...what did Dapo say?" Sasha pestered
"Sasha get the heck outta my room!" Kemi screamed at her.
"Buh..you shouldn't transfer your agression on me...its just that I care!" Sasha was at the point of screaming.
"keep your 'care' to yourself! Sasha leave my room!" Kemi yelled tears streaming down her face.
"Buh..."
"Sasha!" Kemi screamed
"Leave at once, I don't wanna talk to you!" she wailed
"Okay fine!" Sasha turned bumping into Tunji.
He looked from his wife to Sasha, his eyes full of questions.
"I didn't do anything to her." Sasha muttered brushing past him.
"It's okay..." Tunji whispered hugging his wife.
"Wanna tell me about it?" He asked when her tears stopped flowing.
"No." she shook her head.
"Sure?"
she nodded
He cuddled her to sleep, he knew better. She'd open up, when the time is due.
**********
Hitting her fist angrily against the wall of her room, Sasha blew with anger. Who does Kemi thinks she is anyway? She's a Williams too but why are they keeping talks from her? Or was it that her father died?
"God forbid." she muttered. She wasn't ready to be an orphan.
She dailled Kenny, rubbing her dreadlocks expectantly.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Ken...whats up?" Sasha tried to sound cheerful.
"i'm good Sassy...missed you..." Kenny chuckled.
"Same here... Kenny how's everybody?"
"Fine." Kenny replied sharply.
"My dad is okay? Kenny are sure?"
"Yea, fine." Keny replied.
There was a long pause.
"Kenny is there something you don't wanna tell me? About my family?" Sasha pestered.
"No...everybody is okay." Kenny almost stuttered.
"Kenny, If you don't tell me the truth, I'd never forgive you!" She threatened.
"Sasha...mum made me promise not to tell you." Kenny said in a whisper
"C'mon tell me." Sasha urged.
"Nooo."
"Okay...fine then." Sasha gave up.
"Sasha please don't hang up..." He pleaded.
"What?"
"Why don't you come over, things aint good atall..."
"Nevermind!" Sasha ended the call.
She hugged her pillow, as sweat trickled down her face.
She'd talk to Tunji, he'd put her in the flight heading to portharcourt the next morning.
Barbra jumped, when she heard the door bell. She glanced at her kids, they were all looking downcast.
"Dad I guess?" Kola rose to his feet.
"With his missy..." Cassandra hissed.
"Sasha? Yipppeee!" Kola screamed flinging himself at Sasha.
"Hey! Don't crush my bones!" Sasha released herself from his hug.
"where is...." her voice trailed off when she saw her mother-looking so pale with buggy eyes and bags surrounding them. Her heart lurched-could it be that her father died?
"Mum...I..." she swallowed.
"Come." Barbra opened her arms.
Without hestation, Sasha ran to her giving her the tightest hug she could.
"Mum are you okay? Dad? What happened?" she looked her mother all over.
"Everybody Is fine." Barbra smiled, she've always prayed for a day her daughter would talk to her in a caring tone.
"Everybody aint fine! Your father..." Cassandra started angrily.
"our father." Dapo corrected.
"Not my father! I disowned him long ago, the only reason why I'm still here is cos I've nowhere to stay!" Cassandra retorted.
"Cassie calm down..." Sasha tried to be polite.
"Stop asking me to calm down! You aint better yourself!" Cassandra shot at her.
"just tell me whats going on, ...then we can eat each others heads later." Sasha scoffed.
Everybody fell silent, nobody expected sasha to be so calm.
"How did you come back?" Dapo asked.
"Uncle Tee Jay paid for my ticket cos I was threatening fire if I don't get to know whats happening back home...so are you gonna tell me whats up now?" Sasha asked.
Her jaw fell when her mother relayed the story to her amidst tears, what came over her father? Was all she could ask herself.
She adjusted her sitting position, trying her best to swallow the curse word about to escape her mouth.
"Where's he and his Joyce?"
"another shopping spree!" Cassandra replied tending her mother.
"Wonderful!" was all Sasha could mutter.
Dapo marvelled at her reaction, he was expecting an outburst, but she was looking so calm- not the Sasha he knew, could it be that Lagos changed her?
A knock interrupted his thoughts.
"It must be them!" Kola whispered.
"I'll get the door" Sasha jumped up.
"Sasha!" Barbra called, but she was already at the door.
"Hi dad..."
Williams almost fainted, how did she get back? He had pleaded with everyone not to let Sasha know...
"Suprised to see me? Hmm" she paved way for them to get in.
"So this is it ehn? Just the best way to pay her back after all she've done for you?" her voice shook as she spoke.
"Sasha do you realise you're talking to your father? Talk to me with respect!" Williams thundered
"Well respect is reciprocal." she grimaced.
"Joyce take those things in." williams said walking briskly to his room.
"Let me have them." Sasha collected the paper bags from Joyce walking off to her mother's bedroom.
"Hey! Who do you think you are? You can't do such!" Joyce protested.
"I'm Sasha Williams"
"Oh you! I've heard about your devilish acts!" Joyce sneered
"You just heard? Wait till you see...seeing ofcourse is believing." Sasha walked off.
"Sasha..." Barbra ran after her daughter, that girl would land her in trouble.
Dapo rose to his feet, as he and his siblings followed their mother.
"Sweerie did you see that?" Joyce cried
"See what? Joyce You caused it all! My family is going apart cos of you!" Williams whined.
"Whatever!" Joyce walked off
"Come with me, I need some massage" She called over her shoulders.
*********u*
Kemi shook her head in pains and fear as she clasped her phone to her ear...
"aunty Kay gu'day to you!" Sasha greeted from the other end
"Sasha are you outta your mind? Don't you know you're making things worse? Dad called me to say you're making trouble...Sasha after all I told you, you still won't drop your thugish attitude?" Kemi rattled, like she's reading from a book.
"so you're supporting dad?" Sasha asked.
"I'm not, but for the love of our mother, lets take things easy, till when that Mgbeke gives birth." Kemi pleaded
"Wait? no way! I want that weenie out of my father's house!" Sasha snapped.
"Listen, Sasha, we're gonna do a DNA test...."
"I don't believe that crap! She should get outta the house before the roof comes crumbling down on her!" Sasha yelled.
"Sasha don't yell at me!"
"I just did! Auntie Kay, you're his first child for crying out loud! Stop acting like some slowpoke and speak out for your mother- our mother!" Sasha wailed
"You just called me a slowpoke?"
"Get off my line!" Sasha snapped.
"Sasha? Hello?..." the line went dead.
"I'm in trouble...." Kemi sobbed throwing her over her head.
"God please help me..." she wailed.
"Are you gonna talk to me now?" Sasha asked, sitting down opposite her father in his study.
"Leave me alone."
"Leave you alone? No way! I deserve to know what I, my mother and siblings did to deserve such evil treatment from you." Sasha said in a quite voice.
"the deed is done already... You can't go on blaming me." Williams faced her squarely.
"Oh really? You're making it sound like you deserve an award for a good job done." she sneered.
"My wife-your mother has forgiven me, your siblings too, but you're just hyping the whole issue...should I kill my self?" Williams complained.
"I rather be an orphan than have a shameless father!" she grimaced
It came as a flash, it landed thunderously on her face.
"Let me warn you! Mind the language you use at me! I am your father, you have no right to question what I do!" He growled.
Sasha wiped blood from the corner of her lips, clenching her fist tightly she fought back tears. It's close midnight, not a good time to get beaten up.
"yea..you're right.." she spat out blood.
"I believe you're gonna make a choice...soon." she quivered tasting her blood.
"A choice? A choice of what?" Williams cringed at the sight of her blood
"When the time come you'd know." she swallowed.
"I used to think we could sought this out like...like... sane individuals...I never knew my father wasn't human."
"You can hit me as much as you can." she eyed his clenched fists.
"Its your time now,...cos you're the head..."
"You did this cos you wanted to 'belong' right? It's sad you don't know how shameful it is. Have you ever imagined the news..."
she mimicked a reporter
"....Mr Williams-the CEO of Imarculate Nigeria Limited, throws his wife and kids out cos of his pregnant Mistress Joyce..."
"And peoples reactions would be like...'oh..I thought he was a saint', 'he isn't a christian afterall' 'he did it cos he's rich'...common dad...you're damn wicked!"
"I'm not throwing my wife out!" Williams muttered feeling guilty
"Stop talking thrash! What wife are you talking about? The woman you betrayed??" Sasha yelled.
"I've ever told how much I hate you before?" she checked her voice.
"I started hating you right from the day you bundled me to Lagos, and I'm hating you more for the pain you're causing my mother"
She fell silent, her fingers tapping on the table furiously.
"I pray for the day, you'll fall, and desperately need my help! I tell you, I'll watch you suffer with relish!" she whispered fiercely.
"But..nothing should happen to my mother, cos I'd kill you with my bare hands."
she spat some blood on the table before walking off.
Williams stared at the bloody saliva...he shivered goose pimples covering his body.
*************
Sasha held the door knob, deciding whether to go in or not. She could hear Joyce singing loudly reminding her so much of Folake. She released the door knob rubbing her chin, it still hurts after her father's slap, she nearly swore that her jaw was dislocated.
"Doing what?" Dapo held her from behind.
"Oh..hey.."
"a penny for your thought.." he laughed.
"Mum is in?"
"Dunno.." she replied, waving at Cassandra who was standing like a ghost.
"Mum?"
they filed into the room.
Barbra looked up at them, smiling her best.
"Rearranging your wardrobe?" Cassandra asked sitting on a stool.
"Yea...putting my clothes into my bags." Barbra replied picking up a dress from the floor.
"why packing'em into bags?" Sasha asked as her mother zipped up the bags.
No reply.
"Mum?"
Barbra looked up, her eyes stained with tears.
"Mum don't start crying again." Dapo chided.
"I'm leaving." Barbra announced in a croaky voice.
"Leaving? Don't get you.." Cassandra frowned.
"you see...." Barbra sat on her bed.
"I've never imagined myself sharing my husband with someone else. We both can't have him, she can have him, but I'm nt staying anylonger." Barbra wiped her face with her dress.
"No mum...you can't do this to us...we'll talk to dad." Sasha said with desperation
"I don't want him to hit you again.....you're not used to it." Barbra patted her.
"Mum..."
"I saw it last night..I heard everything." Barbra smiled sadly.
"If you truly love me, let me go." Barbra wept hugging her children.
"Mum...I...what happened?" Kola stuttered running into the room.
"mum, we can't stay here without you..mum please." sasha wailed.
"Where is mum going to?" Kola asked confused.
"Mum you're leaving daddy?"
"I'm leaving for my good, I don't want to have a heart attack ." Barbra sniffed.
"then we're coming with you" Cassandra sobbed.
"No, stay in your father's house. You're still schooling. When I get an apartment, I let you know okay?" Barbra said amidst tears.
"But mum..." Dapo sniffed.
"Dapo please, tori Olohun...don't try to stop me this time again."
Barbra pleaded.
TBC AT 8PM
