BELINA (Tender Beauty) SEASON 1
*****EPISODE 29*****
I walked home looking so stunned. I had been admiring my employer for the past one week
even though it was done secretly.
No matter how hard I tried to last week, his profile kept appearing in my subconscious and now I had seen him today and had found it terribly disturbing. Now, even though I had been trying hard to dislike him, I found him more likeable and fascinating and just when I was hoping I would keep his friendship but leave things as friends, I discover that he is my
boss. My boss! How possible is that? Thinking about it, I had been secretly searching for the owner of d hospital and I had imagined him to be an elderly man of lets say fourty or fifty but I never imagined someone as young as Richard.
Everyone in d hospital was young and I
liked that but having that young handsome guy as my boss is something I never imagined.
I finally got home and did not meet anyone at home. Mum was obviously having a filled day cos she always arrived before me.
Thank God I had a spare key which Prisca had given me in case of something like this. After changing my clothes and having
a little shower, I went into the kitchen to cook some noodles cos I was famished and could
not wait for anyother thing.
Unlike me, I had a great urge to listen to the news; I don’t know if it is cos of my dad’s trial which was in 2days time but I switched on the TV nonetheless.
Immediately I turned on the TV, I took it to the normal TV stations and the first thing I heard was,
“Mr uche Badmus has just been released from police custody. The real murderer of Olatunji James have been found and identified
as Tolu Adeniji”
“What?” I said shocked. The picture of the real murderer was displayed on TV but I was not interested. I could not imagine
how that could happen. Nigerian police always makes silly mistakes. How could they convict
a man who was not proven guilty, I thought. I wondered about what my dad was going
through and even though I had convinced myself that I did not care if he hanged, I still could not erase the fact that he is my father.
My phone rang out just then and I noticed that it was an unknown number.
“Hello…”
“Hello Belina”,came the voice I knew very well
“Dad? Is that you” I asked already standing
“yes, it is me, belina”, he replied faintly.
What do you want from me? I heard you were set free, good for you but what do you want
from me ehn? Oh… you have another guy you would like to sale me to since the former buyer
is dead uhn?”
“No, it is not that. I… I am sorry for all I did to you, please, I only want your forgiveness”, he said.
I laughed, “oh, what a nice play.
So you think you would say sorry, I would come home and you would carry out your plans abi?”
I asked amazed
“No, it is not that. I realized that I have been unfair to you and I am so sorry”, he said and sounded like he had been crying.
“Sorry? Sorry for what? For everything you have been doing to me ever since I was a little
girl? Sorry for the way you maltreated my mother? Sorry for the s–t you brought home just days after her death? Sorry for
what?
“Please, I can explain everything, I have reasons but it is not a good one. Please, I need to see you”, he said.
“Well, I don’t want to see you and I never want to see you for the rest of my life” I said and hung up. I felt like smashing the phone on the floor but I did not, but it slipped out of my grasp anyway.
I fell to a heap on d floor and cried my eyes out. Richard had been right; I could present a bold and strong front in the presence of people in order to keep them encouraged but deep down, I wanted someone to love me and love me deeply. I wanted the love of a father and a mother. Prisca’s parents had given me that and my days with them had been the best part of my life. After crying
for some time, I felt better and started thinking straight again but I knew that I needed something to lift my spirit so I picked up my phone, scrolled through my music album looking for that one song I knew always did the trick and found that song. I started relaxing as I
listened to ‘Everywhere you go’ by Kim Burrell
******************
Everyone seemed to have had a very long day cos everyone got home late. I had prepared white rice and beans before they arrived. They were all happy that I had made dinner and they told me that. Everyone felt tired
one way or another and I did not have the heart to bring my own problems to bug them again, besides, they had already done enough for me and I did not want to overstep my bounds.
“Belina”, Mr Jegas called
I turned round “sir?” I answered.
“You have been quiet for quite a while now, is anything the problem?” he asked looking
worried. Mum was busy in d room and Prisca had gone to take her bath, so there had been nobody to keep my mouth running.
“No sir, I… I am fyn” I answered.
He stared at me for some seconds and finally said, “I don’t buy that, come”
I stood reluctantly, went to meet him and sat beside him on the couch.
“Now tell me, did anything happen at work? Talk to me”, he said giving me audience.
I sighed remembering my day at work but said, “nothing bad happened at work sir”
“So what is the problem?”
It is my… my dad. He has been
released and…
To be continued…