I KILLED MY FATHER
Episode 9
The charade had began to fade away , seems like the death of Cassidy opened my mother’s blind eyes , she began to notice the change in dad, he kept more late nights. Six months after her demise mum was a shell of herself , she spent her days alone crying , at night it was “To your tenths o ye Israel.” We just go to the dinning to eat , most times I avoided my dad , most times he avoided me , we stayed away from each other’s paths .
I had returned from school one evening , I could hear mum’s cries from her bedroom , she had not done any domestic work , the house was the way she had left it , knowing my mother I knew something was terribly wrong . The wailing was so loud that I could hear it from the living room .
I climbed up to the first floor ,I knocked on her door , mum momentarily paused her sniffling whimpering. “Come in .” She said , I walked into the room . “Mum what’s wrong with you ? Why are you crying ?” I said walking to her bed , I embraced her .
“Mum you have cried enough for Cassidy , you just have to let her go , no matter how you cry Cassidy won’t come back to us .” I said my arms thrown over her shoulder. Mum paused she began to crack her fingers they made those loud popping noise , she couldn’t talk it was like she was scared of me .
“I am so ashamed Solomon , You were right all along , I was wrong . I don’t know if your father charmed and I couldn’t see him for who he truly is .”Mum said , I was inquisitive, wanting to know what she was talking about . “Mummy what are you talking about?” I asked her with a soothing calm voice ,she wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hands , her eyes were so red .
“Solomon your dad is cheating on me .”Mum said , I didn’t act surprise I knew he was cheating on her all along . “He had a baby with one of his concubines , another one sent me a message on WhatsApp calling me an old cargo , that she will soon kick me out of the house .”Mum said still whimpering .
“Am sorry mum , I told you dad was cheating on you .” I said hugging her tight . “How could Chidi do this to me ?” Mum said blubbering. “I left everything, I left my life , I left my career , I agreed to do everything he asked of me , just for what ? for him to beat me , and cheat on me ? he had been travelling with the girl to Dubai and America, what have I done wrong to deserve this kind of man ?” Mum said with a teary eyes , I did my best to encourage her , she was broken in places I couldn’t fix .
My friends decided to pay me a surprise visit on a Saturday, Nkoyo , Elvis, Kanayor , Cassandra and Kanayor, the five of them bumped into my house , they were knocking on the gate, mum asked me to go and check who was there . I was taken aback when I saw them .
“Guys wow you planned this ?” I asked excitedly. “Solomon we thought we should pay you a surprise visit , since you don’t visit anyone of us .” Cassandra said , Nkoyo was sometimes too reserved for my liking .
“Nkoyo how are you doing ?” I said staring at my girlfriend as I took her hand , we went into the mansion , they were all blown away . “Solomon I didn’t know your family is so rich .” Kanayor said when he saw my father’s exotic cars . “This cars worth more than two billion Naira .” He said glaring at the cars . Their parents were averagely rich , my father was super rich , but we didn’t have any domestic staff , apart from his driver who took him to work and returned him back , nobody lived in the mansion except us .
Mum was delighted to see my friends come around , she prepared home made meal , of fried rice and chicken ,while they were in the sitting ,the sweet aroma wafted into the kitchen . “Your mum is such a good cook .” Nkoyo said , I chuckled.”But you’re yet to taste her food ?” I said .
“Her food smells nice .” She added , I nodded with a smile . “Solomon seems your dad is a lover of arts , see the rare artefacts in your house ,this looks like the Beni Bronx images .” Kanayor said walking up to a brown image , that looked like an idol to me , but to dad he said it was act , Kanayor went closer and was touching the body. “This is an artistic wonder , could you believe that some of this artefacts were built by Benin craft men over three hundred years ago? the British took many of them , or should I say stole , they’re right now in British museums .” Kanayor said , my friends began to touch the many artefacts and picture .
Nkoyo was touching an image that was a size of a five years old toddler , when all of a sudden she let out a quiet scream , I turned to her . “Nkoyo are you okay ?” I asked checking to see if she was okay , a tiny spring of blood was popping out from her hand . “I am fine , there’s something sharp on the body of this particular one it pierced my hand .” she said .
“Am sorry guys .” Mu friends were almost done checking the artefacts when mum called us to the dinning table , we were all eating and talking so loudly, as though we were in a war room . My friends were happy to see me get back to my old self again , I began to let the pains of Cassidy’s death wash away .
“Why are you not eating Nkoyo ?” I asked my girlfriend, she smiled . “Nothing , I lost my appetite.” She said . “Come on eat a little beat , mum made this food for you .” I said , she forced herself and scooped a few more spoons .
Mum gave my friends five thousand naira each , I saw them off to the end of my street, they waited a short distance for me and Nkoyo to discuss . “We’ll see in school on Monday , hope you are prepared for the exams , it’s starting on Monday .” Nkoyo said I smiled. “I am going to give it my best .” I said she chuckled. “Then see you on Monday .”
We had both planned to go to university in London after our secondary school. watched my friends leave until they disappeared, before I turned back and went to the house .
On Monday morning I went to the school, everybody was in class except Nkoyo , I went to Cassandra who was Nkoyo’s best friend to ask after her . “Hey Cass why is Nkoyo not yet in school ?” I asked . “Well I tried calling her number yesterday evening it didn’t connect , I thought I would see her in school today .” She said .
I was unsettled , my mind was troubled,For three years had been a part of my life , a reason why I want to come to school . I knew I wrote rubbish in the maths exam , She still didn’t come , my friends saw the worry in my eyes .
“Don’t worry Something might have come up , after the exam we would drop by her house to check on her .” Elvis said , but I was still on unsettled . We were about writing our second paper for the day , when a loud cry was heard from the staff quarters, the male teacher who was supposed to distribute our papers rushed out of the class with the papers.
He came back to the class with a sad gloomy look on his face. “Class your exam has been suspended till further notice, I am so sad to announce to you that we lost a student from this class . The school counselor will soon come to formerly break the news .
Nkoyo was the only one missing , I got up and ran out of the class , we were on the third floor , I had climb over the ramp barricading the corridors, and was about to leap to the concrete floors below , Elvis and Kanayor had run after me , with our teacher there forcefully dragged back to the corridor .
“I want to die! Why again ? what have I done to deserve this pain! Arrrrh! Death see me take me! I want to focking die!” they held me and refused to let me go , I began to hit my head against the wall . “Death take me! Death come and take me!” I wept .
“Don’t tell me Nkoyo is death! God! Are you up there ? why are you doing this to me ! God! answer me!” I said rolling on the floor . “Leave me alone!” I yelled at my friends.
They had called my mother they bound me with my tie and Elvis’s tie.
“Solomon you are not sure it’s Nkoyo why do you want to kill yourself ?” Kanayor said . My head began to burn , my brain was on fire I couldn’t take the pain , the teachers and classmates lifted me to the school infirmary , while I fought everyone who had their hands on me .
The school was thrown into mourning the Senior Secondary School class three students had handed power over to my set , Nkoyo was the welfare prefect and she was well loved . The school was thrown into mourning .
Mum came with my injections , I was injected and slept off , before I was rushed to the general hospital for for further care .
“No Nkoyo you didn’t say this to me , why did you have to leave me behind ?” I said relaxing my head on her casket . “This world was a bitter place for me , you brought me light , you brought me joy, why did you have to leave me ?” I spoke to her as if she was still alive , my mum was with me at the Apo Cemetery, the pain was relived , just a year after burying my sister Cassidy, we had come to Apo to bury the love of my life .
Nkoyo never judged me , even when I had my mood swings, when I became overly angry , she was there to calm me down . “Nkoyo please come back to me babe , remember we said we’d go to study in London and then get married ? why did you choose to leave me ?” I was on my knees crying , it was time for her to be laid to rest , I refused to let go of her casket .
“No mum they can’t bury Nkoyo , let’s take her to some church , the pastor will perform magic and wake her up , please.” Mum had to take me away before Nkoyo was buried . The story was that Nkoyo had fallen sick on Saturday night , she was rushed to the national Hospital, where she had died on Sunday night . I felt empty I cried for death , but death refused to see me . I knew my wold had gone dark , my light had been tripped off .
TO BE CONTINUED
So sad