Chapter Seventy Four

"What's that something? I want to be a part of your life so you can tell me everything. You can tell me anything at all. If I say I want to be a part of your life and I don't share your sorrows and pain then, it is useless. I want to be a part of everything that concerns you and that includes your pain so, what's that thing that you need to find out?" Rose said.

Christopher looked at her for a long time before asking. "Do you want to hear a story?"

Rose was surprised at his question. Why would he suddenly want to tell her a story when they are talking about something very important? "What kind of story?" She asked.

"A very good one. Just listen to this story and tell me what you think." Christopher said. "There was a man who was very poor. He had nothing and could barely feed. He was what you would call a street guy. His life is all about how to feed. He and his friends would look for what to do during the weekdays and on weekends, they would go out to party. That's how his life is. One day, he went out to party with his friends as per their tradition and that's how he met a rich heiress. They got talking and before you know it, boom!!! They got married. When he started going out with this heiress, he abandoned all his street brothers. He cut off ties with them completely because he felt his level was already higher than theirs. He got married under what you can call an agreement." Christopher said while looking at Rose. She could already understand where the story was going and she already had an idea of whose story she was listening to but she didn't say a thing and he continued. "After years of marriage, the wife wasn't able to conceive. Whenever she was feeling down about not having a child, the husband will tell her not to bother about it. One day, she went to another hospital without her husband and did a test. When the results came out, she was told that the drugs she was talking are what had been making her unable to get pregnant. She was surprised because she wasn't on any drugs. The doctor later explained to her that if she doesn't stop taking that drug, it would eventually destroy her womb and she won't be able to give birth to any child. She went back home thinking that the doctor was confused. She decided to go and get checked at another hospital and she did that the next day. She got the same result. That was when she started to suspect her husband. He would always give her a glass of juice every night and he would make sure she drank it to the last drop!" Christopher said.

Rose waited for him to continue and after some minutes, she couldn't help but ask. "What happened next?"

Christopher smiled sadly and continued. "That night, when her husband gave her the glass of juice. She tricked him into going out of the room to get her something. When he left, she poured the juice into a bottle she had hidden and waited for him to get back. She drank a little bit of it so that, when she opened her mouth to talk to him, he would smell the juice on her. The next day, she took the juice to the hospital to have it checked and it was found out that the juice contained spironolactone, and that's what had been preventing her from getting pregnant. She stopped taking the juice and in a few months, she got pregnant. She didn't tell her husband till the pregnancy was four months old. Eventually, she gave birth to the child but, she didn't live after that day!" Christopher said.

When he finished talking, Rose could see the sadness in his eyes. "So, what happened after her death?" Rose asked.

"After her death, the man sent the child away. He didn't want that child to have any idea of what had happened before and after his birth. That child grew up in a foreign land. Away From family. He had to get used to being thrown away." Christopher said after a sigh.

"That son is you. Right?" Rose asked.

"Yes... The woman in the Story is my mother and the child is me. That is what happened in the years before my birth." Christopher said.

"So, how did you find out all of these? You were not around when it happened. How did you know of all these?" Rose asked.

"My nanny told me half of what happened then, my dad didn't know that she knew all that happened. He wasn't aware of the friendship between my mother and my nanny that's why he let her go with me. I am very sure if he had known she knew something, he would never have allowed her to go with me." Christopher explained.

"That's... I don't even know what to say. Are there other things that you are not talking about?" Rose asked him.

"Yes, there are other things. Things that that man has done that you will find hard to believe. Before coming back to the country, I started investigating my dad. I wanted to know what killed my mother because my nanny told me that her death was strange. That was when I found out that my father had another woman and my mom's friend who happens to be Cindy's father knows about all of my dad's actions. I managed to uncover a lot of things about my father and his other woman. Do you know that after my mom died my father started giving Cindy's father a lot of money? My father is the one sponsoring that man's career.!" Christopher said and with every sentence, his voice rose higher.

"Hmm, does your father know that you know all of these? Is he aware that you know so much?" Rose asked him.

"No... No, he isn't aware. The only thing he knows I know is about my mother's original will. When I got back to Nigeria, he saw me as a helpless child who is dependent on him so, he was careless. He allowed me to be in charge and that's how I managed to get some of my people in. Before coming back, Uzo had already helped me set up a lot of things. That's wt made it easier for me to work without his notice." Christopher said.

"That's good. Now, what is your plan? What do you plan to do about your father? If you don't do something then, I am sure he will try again and that time he might be successful." Rose asked him.

"To be honest, I don't know. I don't know what I want to do to him. One part of me wants to crush him but the other part of me wants to give him a second chance. There is this part of me that still wants him to look at me and Accept me. I want to crush him and hug him at the same time. Is that strange?" Christopher explained.

"I understand how you feel. Sometimes I ask myself what it would be like if I can see my mother. A part of me tells me I will be happy while there is this part of me that is always angry when I think about her. So, you see? I understand how you feel." Rose said. "Do you want me to suggest something?" Rose asked after a moment of silence.

"Yes, please go ahead. I want to hear your suggestion." Christopher said.

"Fine. Let's pay him a visit tomorrow. Me, you, and Princess. Let's go and say hi to your father. I have heard something that oyinbos like to say and I like it. They say it takes two to tango. He is not the only one in this game. We should also surprise him. Do you know that kind of food your father likes and what time he eats his dinner?" Rose asked with a smile.

"Yes, I know almost everything that I need to know about him. Remember, I have people In his house. Well, most times he eats Amala for dinner. He especially likes this Yoruba soup Efo riro." Christopher answered while wondering what her plan is.

"Good!! I am so excited. We will go and pay my Dear father-in-law a visit and, I will make him dinner. Ha!!" Rose said happily.

"You look very happy and it's making me scared. What's with the sudden excitement?" Christopher asked her.

"You will find out tomorrow!! Just wait and see." Rose answered. "Anyways, we will have to go shopping which means, you have to leave work early tomorrow!" Rose added. "I will cook a very sweet Egusi with a lot of happiness. You better make sure you save your appetite." Rose said and laughed.

"I am officially scared right now!! What are you planning?" Christopher asked her.

"Just wait till tomorrow, my dear husband. Anyways, do you want to hear a story?" Rose asked.

"Hmmm, I'd like to hear this story that you want to tell to me," Christopher answered.