Hazel stepped out of her car, looking at the old building which held so much memories, sweet and bitter.
She remembered how happy she had been here and wiped a tear, no she has to be strong, she told herself. She had come this far, she won't chicken out now.
She walked in uncertain steps towards the porch, hoping someone would just walk out through the door. The house was a shadow of its former self, a huge departure from all those beautiful and fiery colours. It had dulled with age and it seemed no renovations had been carried out in so many years. Yes it looked faded and lonely, not vibrantly alive like when she and her mother lived there. There was so much happiness and love, she was so much loved as a child but everything crumbled when Dad brought the cashier home one day and introduced her as his would-be new wife.
Mom had been devasted and as a ten year old, I never understood what was going on or why Dad had to make Mom cry so much.
Mom could not give Dad more children and he wanted more, especially a son, and desperately.
It was not in the action as it was in the gross betrayal of his wife, and with his cashier. This was sacrilegious!
'James, if you wanted another wife, you could choose from many, not Grace's daughter', Mom hammered on and on.
Grace was Mom's childhood friend who died years ago, giving birth to Jemima out of wedlock. She was a very frequent guest at our house and I fondly called her 'Aunty Jem', Mom loved her as her own and introduced her to Daddy when she badly needed a job.
I couldn't understand it all, how aunty Jem could now become my 'New Mom', she had been like an elder sister to me, it just didn't make any sense, moreover Dad was much older than she was. What of the disparity in age? Noo.
Despite all pleas, dad went ahead with his sordid plan and got married to 'Aunty Jem'.
The peace in our home was shattered. Then started the rounds of beating and the seeds of hatred sowed by his new wife, until one day, Dad threw Mom and I out of the house, without looking back, despite Mom's pleas and mine. This happened so many years ago.
Mom worked so hard , day and night to give me the good life. I was a brilliant student who made her very proud.
After my graduation from the University, I got a good paying job with a security outfit, but not even for one day in all these years did we hear from Dad.
And it baffled me no end.
Now Mom has fallen in love again, with Sam, a very good and caring man, I wanted my Mom happy, so I endorsed the relationship and they got married in a quiet ceremony. I was happy that my Mom had found happiness at last.
I discussed the issue of going to look for Dad, Mom was reluctant.
'It's personal' I told Mom. 'I have to do this, to find peace within me'.
I was shocked to discover that Dad still lived in the same old house, more shocking was the fact that he had been abandoned by' Aunty Jem, after he was dismissed as the Manager of the bank where he worked, allegedly for financial misappropriations.
Aunty Jem did not have any child for him, so daddy now stays alone, doing menial jobs to survive.
So here am I, at the front porch of the house, contemplating whether or not I did the right thing.
And as I raised my hand to knock, the door slowly opened.
Dad, now a wizened old man, stood right in front of me. I could hardly recognize him, a far cry from the confident and dashing man I used to know. My heart lurched in pain and empathy took the place of resentment and bitterness.
Then he spoke in a tremulous voice;
'Good afternoon lady, how may I help you'?squinting his eyes in my direction.
Dad doesn't recognize me? This was too much for me, I burst into tears while he watched in bewilderment.
An original story written by me.
Images created with A.I.
Thank you for stopping by my neighbourhood.
