CHAPTER 3 – RELIVING THE PAST

KORA 

I booked a room at the motel closer to the convenient store I worked part time at. It was what I could afford, and it also made it easier to commute from work to the kids’ school. Bad was not an appropriate word to describe the place. Paint on the walls was chirped and peeling off. The carpet in the room had stains on it.

The bedding had funny smell to it. The couch looked at if it were picked up from the dumpster. But it was bigger than the tiny basement place Derick and I rented while in college and working part-time jobs to make rent, tuition and food. Back then the walls were just as ugly, the furniture just as cheap and the food just as scarce.

The difference was that back then, I had Derick beside me and a future ahead of me. Now, I am a single mother trying to make ends meet. What I liked was the fact that my children didn’t complain about it and made a fuss about wanting their own rooms.

I was worried about them, but it seemed they understood more than I gave them credit for. “Wendy, please look after you brother, I am going to get us something to eat.” I instructed her before leaving looking the door behind me. I knocked on the room next door; a middle-aged woman opened the door.

She wore a friendly smile. “Hi, sorry to bother you, could you please keep an eye on my kids next door. I am running to the store in the corner quickly.” She nodded. “Not a problem, I am about to hung laundry outside, I will keep an eye until you come back.” I thanked her and I quickly ran to the convenient store to buy bread and milk for us to eat.

I couldn’t afford to drive there; I had to save gas to take them to school the next day and drive to the lawyer’s office. By the time I got to the convenient store, I was panting but I didn’t have time to take a breath. I left my kids alone, I couldn’t afford to leave them alone for long, I didn’t know how safe the place was.

I went straight to the fridge and picked up the milk then got the bread then rushed to pay. After paying I took the stuff and ran back to the motel. When I got back it was quiet outside, the woman was not there but the laundry was in the washing line, my heart jumped to my throat, I went to the door and listened, but I couldn’t hear anything, worried that something might have happened to them. With trembling hands, I took out the key from my pocket.

I tried to insert it into the keyhole, but it fell to the ground. I took a deep breath before picking them up and opening the door. I pushed it opened and I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw my kid’s big innocent eyes looking at me. they too seemed relieved to see me. I gave them the bread and milk and put them to bed.

The following morning, I woke up and got ready first then got Noah ready before waking Wendy up and helping her get ready for school. We finished the leftover bread for breakfast before driving them to school. I dropped Noah off first then drove to Wendy’s school. “Mom, don’t forget my school trip next week.” I forced a smile and nodded.

“I won’t forget baby.” I didn’t know where I was going to get the money from to pay for the trip. I was happy school fees was paid, and the kids ate at school that I didn’t have to worry about packing lunch. I dropped her off before looking up law firms that could help me with my problem.

I drove to the nearest one. The security guard looked me up and down before wrinkling his nose as is I smelled bad. “Beggers are not allowed here, please leave.” I gave a mocking smile; I had forgotten what it was like to be looked down upon by people. I thought after we made it out of poverty, I would never have to be looked down upon again.

Here I was again, being looked down upon as if I were nothing. “I am not a beggar; I am here to see a lawyer.” The guard raised an eyebrow. “Mam, the lawyers here cost a lot, are you sure you can afford them?” I hated his attitude; he didn’t know my bank account and yet he was judging me. “Sir, only I know if I can afford it or not. Now please let me through.”

He scoffed. “No need to give me attitude, what am I supposed to think when you are looking like that?” the said opening the gate for me. I didn’t bother responding. I had to learn to ignore such people. I went inside and the receptionist gave me the same look. I was starting to get angry at the attitude I had been getting.

“I would like to see a lawyer.” She glanced at me and asked. “Do you have an appointment, and which lawyer would you like to see?” I closed my eyes briefly supressing the anger that was raising. “I don’t have an appointment, and I would like to see a corporate lawyer, a good one.” Again, like the guard, she looked me up and down.

Before she could say anything, a guy appeared with a stack of papers and placed them in front of her. “James, this lady wants to see a corporate lawyer, could you help.” James looked over at me then came over. “Mam, how can I help you?”

No greeting, no privacy, didn’t I deserve those any more or were they reserved for certain kinds of people. “I want to sue my husband for using my work and not paying me for it.” he frowned. “Who is your husband and what kind of work is he using and do you have proof that the work belongs to you?” those were questions that should have been asked in an office behind closed doors.

But because I looked the way I did, he asked all of that at reception where anyone could hear. “My ex-husband is Derick Vance of the DK Group.” Jame took a step back and looked me over. “Mam, do you know what you are saying?” he had already judged me without knowing who I was. “Yes, can you help?”

I shook his head. “Mam, I would like to help but our law firm is small, we can’t take on the DK Group even if we had all the guts in the world. Am sorry.” He walked away leaving me there staring at his retreating back. the receptionist scoffed. “Mam, you have to know your limits when trying to scam people.”

I frowned looking at her coldly. “I am not trying to be rude but look at yourself. Even if you were Mr Vance’s ex-wife, you wouldn’t look like this. You come here looking like that claiming to be his ex-wife and that he is using your work. DK Group is big, Mr Vance built it from nothing. He wouldn’t use someone else’s work even if he did, he would have paid for it. also, even if you were his ex-wife as you claim, you wouldn’t look at pathetic as you do now.”

I didn’t respond, I turned and left the building. I went to three more firms that afternoon. There answers were different, but the messages were the same. Too expensive, too risky, we can’t take on DK Group. One lawyer wouldn’t even let me finish explaining my case before telling me his firm couldn’t afford to offend Derick Vance.

By the fourth rejection, I stopped arguing. I already knew what they were saying. I had no money and Derick had too much power.

My heart ached. So, Derick was going to get away with using my work because I couldn’t afford legal fees, even if I did, none of those lawyers were willing to take on a company like DK Group. I laughed to myself driving to the children’s school to pick them up. “Right, that was what I wanted when I built t DK Group to be the fortress that it was today. I wanted it to have a strong foundation, to be strong and powerful so that we wouldn’t be taken advantage of.”

I shook my head feeling defeated. Who knew that my security measures and strong foundation would be the very thing that would become an obstacle in way, preventing me from getting what was rightfully mine. I laughed like a crazy person. I had built a fortress now the monster was keeping me out.

I laughed harder. It wasn’t a happy laugh; it wasn’t even an angry one anymore. It was the kind of laugh that came when the pain becomes too much and tears simply refused to come. Maybe I really was losing my mind.