Tears of an Orphan
Episode 14
© Francis Mary Solomon
After Mr. Olajide dragged his son Eric inside like a criminal, he ordered him to kneel down.
“Oya, start talking! What did you do to her?” Mr. Olajide yelled angrily as he pointed at Cynthia.
“Daddy … I … I … I didn’t do anything,” Eric stammered, trembling.
Before he could say another word, he received a sharp slap across the face.
“You think I’m stupid? You think I’m your mate that you can look me in the eyes and lie? You better tell me the truth! Have you been molesting your sister?”
“Ha darling, why will you believe what Cynthia is saying? You know she’s a bloody liar. She just wants to get back at him for exposing what she’s been doing!” Mrs. Olajide countered.
“Woman, you better shut up if you don’t want me to pour this anger on you! I’m talking to Eric, not you!” Mr. Olajide barked, turning back to his son with blazing eyes.
“If you don’t want to end up behind bars, you better tell me the truth. Have you been molesting Cynthia? I’m asking you for the last time!”
Eric bowed his head, tears filling his eyes. “I’m … I’m sorry, Daddy. It was the devil’s work.”
“Ha — Eric has killed me today!” Mrs. Olajide cried out. She sat on the floor, placed her hands on her head, and wept bitterly. “You have brought disgrace to me! Why will you do this to your cousin sister?”
Mr. Olajide was filled with rage and disappointment. “I didn’t know you were so foolish, so heartless, that you could do such a thing to your own cousin!” His voice shook as he lifted his hand and struck Eric again — not as harshly this time, but with trembling fury.
Eric fell to the floor, his eyes red and face wet with tears. He groaned softly, clutching his chest.
Cynthia sniffed back tears as she watched him. A part of her was still hurting, but another part felt relieved that the truth had finally come out.
“Do you even know the damage you’ve done?” Mr. Olajide shouted, pacing the floor. “You are a disgrace to me — a disgrace to manhood! If you wanted to satisfy your lust, must it be with your cousin?”
He landed another slap on Eric’s cheek, but this time his voice cracked with pain more than anger.
“You’ve made her pregnant! I don’t even know what to do with you. You’ll leave this house today — no, I’ll take you to the police myself! You’ll learn your lesson there because if I leave you, you’ll ruin more girls’ lives.”
He gave Eric a light kick on the leg — more out of frustration than cruelty. Eric whimpered in pain, holding his stomach.
“Ah, my stomach … Daddy, please …” he cried weakly.
Mrs. Olajide quickly rushed forward, kneeling beside her husband. “Darling, please, I’m begging you — it’s okay. Please, we’ll find a way to handle this,” she pleaded softly, holding his arm.
Mr. Olajide’s chest rose and fell heavily. He glared down at Eric, breathing hard, his face red with anger and shame.
“I swear, Eric, you must pay for this,” he said, turning away. He walked out of the room, fists clenched in silent fury.
Eric sat on the floor, broken and weak, his eyes distant. His lips trembled as guilt consumed him. He wished he could turn back time.
Cynthia looked at him with mixed emotions — pain, anger, and pity all fighting inside her heart. She wiped her tears, whispering to herself, “Why did this have to happen?”
Meanwhile, Greatness, from her room, had overheard the shouting and the sounds of beating. She could tell that her father was furious, but nothing prepared her for what she later heard — that Eric had impregnated Cynthia.
“Oh my God! Why would Eric do this? Why? He even had the guts to lie against her, saying she was seeing other boys … not knowing he was the one hurting her,” she said in disbelief, shaking her head in disgust and shame.
At Cynthia’s room, Mrs. Olajide glared at her with cold hatred in her eyes.
“You this useless girl … you must get rid of that pregnancy! You can’t bring shame to this family — and not to Eric either!” she snapped, then turned and stormed out of the room.
Cynthia sat on the floor, crying uncontrollably. Her eyes were swollen, her hands shaking as she held her stomach. She found it hard to believe she was pregnant. She thought of her dreams — her bright future — how she once wanted to become someone great. Now everything felt shattered.
Meanwhile, the next day, Precious visited Samuel in his house. She stood in awe as she admired the magnificent building. Yes, he had told her he was a prince, but she never imagined he lived alone in such luxury with only a few workers.
As she sat in the living room waiting for him, her eyes wandered across the elegant frames hanging on the wall. Then she noticed a photo — a picture of Samuel and his parents — and something caught her attention.
Omo, come and see resemblance! she thought. “I can’t believe this … it’s true what they say, everyone has their double in life.”
The resemblance between Samuel’s father and Caleb was striking.
Precious, the daughter of Uncle Richard, realized what that could mean. That would make Caleb her cousin — but she never knew where he stayed since her uncle had left and they lost contact.
Every Christmas, their family gathered in the village, and she and Caleb were inseparable. They played together, helped each other, and laughed endlessly. But when Caleb’s parents died, she had wanted to attend the burial, yet her parents stopped her because she was preparing for a teaching interview.
“Poor Caleb,” she whispered sadly. She remembered how much she cared about him. When her father later returned, he told her Caleb had gone to stay with one of their uncles. Little did she know her father had abandoned him on their way back to Lagos. Her heart ached, and she silently prayed he was being treated kindly wherever he was.
Just then, lost in thought, she suddenly felt someone tickle her from behind. She jumped up in fear and turned to see Samuel laughing.
“Babe, you scared me!” she said, panting.
He chuckled and held her hands gently. “I’m sorry, my baby girl. You looked lost in thought, so I wanted to bring you back. Didn’t mean to scare you,” he said softly, brushing her cheek affectionately.
“Your house is so adorable. I love everything in this living room. It’s so sparkling and beautiful … don’t tell me your dad built this for you?” she teased, smiling.
Samuel smiled proudly. “Well, I’d say yes. But they don’t stay in the city much because of my dad’s role as king in our village. He only comes around sometimes. And don’t get me wrong — my village isn’t remote or backward like most people think. It’s actually a little developed; we have good roads and electricity, though I wouldn’t call it a city,” he said in his calm American accent.
She laughed lightly. “Hmm … village is village, my prince. So you’re saying your village is better than mine, abi?”
“Hey, hey, don’t get me wrong!” he laughed. “I’m just painting a picture of how it looks.”
She rolled her eyes playfully and sat back on the sofa.
“What should I offer my beautiful damsel before we go out?” he asked.
“Anything will be fine,” she replied, blushing.
“Okay, right away,” he said and dashed into the kitchen. He saw the maid washing dishes.
“I guess we still have some peanuts, right?”
“Yes, sir,” the maid replied.
“Good. Fetch some peanuts into plates and bring two cups and a non-alcoholic malt.”
Earlier, they had decided to go to a spa for some relaxation. Samuel had promised to take her to one of the best in Lagos, and she was thrilled — she’d never been to a spa before.
She’d complained about how stressful the week had been — marking exam scripts, invigilating, and entering results.
Soon, the maid returned, greeted Precious politely, and placed the tray on the table. Precious was impressed by the respect she received. She smiled at the maid and thanked her warmly.
Then, laughing, she picked a few peanuts. “Let me teach you something,” she said mischievously.
“Let’s see if you can catch peanuts with your mouth. If one drops, you’re disqualified!”
She threw one gently toward his mouth — he missed, and it fell to the floor. They both burst into laughter.
“I knew it! You’re a terrible catcher!” she teased.
“Wait, let me try again,” she said, picking some peanuts. This time he succeeded, and she clapped for him, laughing even harder.
They played for a while, enjoying each other’s company.
“Wow, this game is so fun!” he said, still laughing.
“Yeah, I knew you’d love it. I used to play it a lot with one of my cousins when I was a kid,” she said with a fond smile.
“Hey, babe … it’s already 3 p.m.,” he said, glancing at his Rolex. “I think we should get going.”
He picked up his car key. They held hands as they walked out of the living room. He opened the car door for her, and she thanked him with a smile before he joined her in the driver’s seat.
He started the engine and drove off to one of the most luxurious spas in town.
Inspired by the Great Teacher.
To be continued…
Do not copy or edit any part of this story without the author’s consent.
Stay blessed till we meet in the next episode.
Written by Mary Francis Solomon.