Forgetting Dad
Written by Sonia Okehie
Episode 8
There comes a time in every wicked person’s life for them to reap what they have sown. A wicked person can never go scot-free because a day of reckoning must surely come; whether dead or alive. What on earth will make Mr Jones think that a simple “I’m sorry” was ever going to erase all the pains and agony he inflicted on his daughter for the past 19 years of her life? He was a big time joker to ever think that it was going to be an easy thing to receive Vera’s forgiveness after ruining her life and causing a lifetime mental damage. At that moment, Mr Jones could pass for a clown.
On seeing that Vera was totally furious and wasn’t willing to give a listening ear, Mr Jones shameful got up from where he was kneeling and tried to calm her down but only indirectly ignited the fire the more. Vera was at the verge of slapping him but held herself just because of the mustard seed respect she still had for him and majorly because of God.
“You disgust me, I hate you, you are a monster, a coward, a demon…Oh God! I just ran out of words to describe you. Don’t ever come close to me, stay the hell away because next time you show up uninvited to my apartment, I will get you arrested after disgracing the day light out of you. Get out!” Vera angrily said and stormed out. She hurriedly climbed the stairs and entered into her apartment; leaving her dad downstairs.
After that little show of shame, Mr Jones died double within and was numb all through. He managed to walk back to his car and shamefully drove off. With Mr Jones gone, the gateman who saw and heard everything that happened went upstairs to check up on Vera because he was close to her.
Initially, when the gateman knocked on Vera’s door, she screamed and shouted “Get out!”. It was after the gateman called out his name that Vera realised that it wasn’t her dad that was knocking. When she opened the door, the man could see the rage in her eyes and didn’t even know where to start calming her down from. “My friend, why you dey vex like this nah? Na your papa be that person u been dey talk to like that for downstairs? Chai e no good” he playfully said.
Before the gateman was done talking, Vera lost hold of her emotions and broke down in tears. She wasn’t crying because she felt bad for the way she talked to her dad, but was rather crying because she felt she didn’t say all that needed to be said to him. Her mind was overwhelmed with different emotions that needed to be expressed.
“You will not understand, that man is an evil man and shouldn’t be given another chance to breathe this air we are breathing. People like that deserve all the unfortunate things in this life. I hate him so much and please, don’t entertain his presence when next he comes to this compound” Vera said. The gateman tried to calm her down by advising her to take things easy with her dad. He told her that he wasn’t in good terms with his family either and that they were better ways to deal with family issues.
While the gateman spoke, Vera was absent minded and wasn’t processing anything that he was saying. The only thing that was on her mind was her regrets for not properly dealing with her father. They conversed a little more and said ‘Goodnight’ to each other.
After Vera’s friend left, she went back inside and was restless all through. She cried most of the time whenever she remembered the scene of her dad kneeling down. That scene reminded her of how he used to knee and suck her pr!vate part. The height of disgust she felt whenever those scary scenes came flashing in her memory.
To be honest, Mr Jones really dealt with Vera. Like what sort of a father will deliberately corrupt and spoil the mind of a 5year old child? I mean what sort of father will expose his daughter to er0tic and corrupt things way too early before she got to the appropriate age to experience such lifestyles. Like how does this man sleep at night knowing that he was the one that deflowered his own daughter? Too bad that it took him over 19 years later to realise the magnitude of what he was doing and had done. Too bad!
Vera was now a full blown woman and in her mid twenties, so what kind of apology did Mr Jones think he would render that was enough to erase the scars he had inflicted in her life? It was going to take a Miracle for a genuine forgiveness to come from Vera to her dad especially. She was restless all through that night and couldn’t wait to be with Dennis the following day.
While Vera was filled with rage all night, Mr Jones was dying of guilt. His conscience kept pricking him because the magnitude of what he had done started to dawn on him. The painful reality of all the things Mr Jones had lost due to his abominable act, hit him very hard and broke his once stony heart. “My wife is gone, my daughter hates me, my wife’s family forbids me and might kill me if they ever set their eyes on me around their child, all this because I refused to control myself. How could I have m0lest my daughter? What was wrong with me all these years?” Mr Jones wondered as he drove home that fateful night. Everything still felt like a h0rror movie to him. Well, he better brace himself because the h0rror movie actually just got started. There was no running for him this time around because the torture started from within; which was his conscience.
First thing the next day, Vera went over to Dennis house and narrated all that happened to him. When she was done talking, he tried to calm her down by talking her out of the bad mood she clearly was in. “Babe, you have to chill out and take things easy so you can find peace and happiness. I know your dad did you wrong and deserve everything coming his way but please, don’t let him still find a way to ruin your current happiness by letting him get to your emotions this way. Just take things easy and follow your heart and I promise to support you in every decision you make” Dennis said.
Vera was indeed blessed to have somebody like Dennis by her side because the painful truth is that not every molested lady or man out there have somebody they can even share their secret with, talk more of being in a healthy relationship like that of Vera and Dennis. In our society today, alot of people are so quick to judge others without first trying to fit into their shoes. It’s so easy to hear a story of what happened to somebody and shake your head in disbelief, but the reality is that you may never tell how truly affected that person is no matter how much you try.
As time gradually went by, Mr Jones still haven’t stopped calling his daughter and trying to reach her but all his efforts was to no avail. He tried to contact his wife and have her beg Vera for him but Mrs Jones rained curses on him whenever he dialed her number. During Vera’s convocation, she didn’t invite any of her family members but her mum couldn’t miss it for the world.
Mrs Jones was present despite Vera’s refusal to personally invite her. Dennis was actually the one that kept Vera’s mum updated about everything that went on in her life. Mrs Jones didn’t joke with Dennis at all because he was the only link between herself and Vera.
During the convocation ceremony, Mrs Jones was very proud of the strong woman her daughter had become despite everything that happened to her in the past. Deep down, Vera was kind-of happy to see her mum but pretended as though she wasn’t. After the convocation, Dennis took them out to celebrate and they all had dinner together.
The atmosphere was a bit awkward because Vera wasn’t still in speaking terms with her mum. As they dinned, Mrs Jones tried her possible best to win her daughter’s heart and get her to forgive her but all efforts proved abortive. Vera was mute all through and only concentrated on her meal.
On seeing that Vera wasn’t trying to talk to her mum, Dennis gave Mrs Jones a sign that he was going to get up so they could have privacy to sort things out once and for all. When Mrs Jones caught the signal, Dennis excused himself and gave Vera a peck before walking away answering a fake phone call.
With Dennis gone Mrs Jones broke the silence; “Congratulations mama, I’m so proud of you my daughter” she said. Vera bluntly replied “thank you” and concentrated back on the food she was eating. On seeing that Vera wasn’t ready for a conversation, Mrs Jones continued. “I’m so sorry my daughter, how long do you want to hate me?” She soberly asked and Vera looked into her eyes; “As long as I can to make you feel just a little bit of the pain I have felt for the past 19 years of my life, how about that?” Vera said.
Unable to hold back the emotions, Mrs Jones started tearing up. Immediately Vera saw the tears in her mum’s eyes, her heart melted instantly. She moved closer to her mum and gave her a warm hug. Before Vera knew it, her mum burst into controllable tears. “I’m sorry my daughter, please I’m so sorry. Forgive me I beg you, the guilt is too much for me to bear at this my age, please I beg you!” Mrs Jones cried.
At that point, all Vera’s defence was broken and her heart was finally ready to give forgiveness to her mother. “I forgive you mum, I forgive you” Vera said with tears in her eyes. Immediately she said that, a huge burden lifted from her mum’s conscience and they cried together like little kids. Dennis had to come back in order to find out what was happening after one of the waiters alerted him outside that the two women he brought in were crying. On seeing that they weren’t going to stop crying soon, he paid the bill and took them away.
The ride back home was quite emotional for Dennis because he could hear Vera and her mum talk heart-to-heart in the back seat. It gladdened his heart that Vera now had someone by her side that she could also have a relationship with. He was concerned about his partner and wanted her to be totally happy.
Life as a medical doctor was great and fulfilling for Vera. She moved out from her previous apartment and stayed in town; closer to Dennis. Vera always visited her mum on weekends and their relationship grew a bit stronger and eventually became admirable.
At that time, Mrs Jones divorce with her pedophile husband had been finalised so she was now a free bird. Vera changed her surname and started answering her mum’s last name. The extent to which Vera took to have absolutely nothing to do with her father was extreme.
When Mr Jones learnt about the the fact that his daughter had changed her last name, his blood pressure began to rise. Months passed and Mr Jones health deteriorated with no loved one to take care of him. Though he had domestic staffs that worked in his house, there’s nothing like having your own family around.
Things got really bad one fateful day that led to Mr Jones collapsing. One of his helpers found him lying unconscious on the floor in his sitting room and immediately alerted the driver. In no time, he was rushed to the hospital and guess which one he was rushed to? The very hospital Vera worked in.
Fortunately that day, Vera was on duty and was answering a phone call when some nurses came to alert her that there was an emergency situation of life and death. She hurriedly went to the emergency ward to attend to the patient only to realise that the man lying helpless was the very man she hated the most and never wanted to see again in her life.
Immediately Vera came closer and saw Mr Jones face well, her mind took a quick trip down memory lane of the first day her dad penetrated her when her body parts where still fragile and developing. Unable to bear the pain and instant trauma, she turned her back and walked away.
The nurse who was there shockingly said; “Ma’am where are you going to? The patient is dying”. Vera’s eyes were filled with tears. She turned, looked at the nurse and said; “He’s my dad, get another doctor to revive him or let him die, the choice is entirely yours”.
Shocked and confused, the nurse screamed “What!”.
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