7

She opened the door on my second knock and allowed me in. "I have something to tell you about you" she said immediately I walked in, If she wasn't so serious I won't be so nervous. Does she hate me? Did my mom do anything apart from what I heard?

"The person you know to be your mom is not your mom Tolu" what the fuck is she talking about? Trying to ruin my family as a revenge or something? She paused, examining my face but I made sure to give away no emotion so she continued.

"Your dad is your dad but your mom os not your mom.....

..... So ya trying to say my dad cheated and had me and they pretended I was her child, does that make sense?" I asked, cutting hee off her words.

"DNA proves this kind of thing so ya free, listen to this story. The person you grew up with believing to be your mom was your dad friend but then she got pregnant 22 years ago, trust me she was so poor then that they barely eat but your dad was already the governor of Oyo State, he accepted the pregnancy and she moved in, he introduced her as his wife and automatically she became his wife but they never actually got married, by the time she gave birth the baby was stillbirth. She cried and cried and cried but had to heal from the pain, as if to compensate her she got pregnant again while she was 5 months pregnant she found out your dad had impregnated someone and she was 5 months along as well, that someone was your dad girlfriend, one he loved dearly until he cheated on hee with your supposed mother. She got angry scattered the place that he impregnated two people at the same time but your dad was running for re-election then so she had to stay quiet not to ruin his reputation"

"When she gave birth, it was yet another stillbirth but fortunately for her, the other woman gave birth the same day and she used authority to get the child from the woman to replace hers and threatened to destroy her family if she ever spoke a word. She did not want to be viewed as a woman who is not capable to bear a child for her husband. That baby was you. Your mom started using drugs, she had high blood pressure and got an attack one day and died." I could not believe my ears, I felt like she was lying but then again why would she? My mom doesn't treat me like a mom should treat her child after all so it is  believable. I remember them fighting about her first pregnancy that she lied about him being the father and she threatened him with something she codedly said but now that I heard Alissia story it all made sense.

"Where did you hear this stoey from?" I asked her.

"My mom is your mom best friend, she knew everything that happened and she told me immediately I mentioned you to her, she said I should stay away from you cos your step mom is crazy" Alissia explained. So my mom is not my mom, good enough. I thanked Alissia although she said her story wasn't over and she said something about my step mom having a child for someone else. This woman is a whore was all I thought.

Tolu

"Hey mom or do I say step mom?" I approached the most lowly human I ever met in my life, someone I used to call mom. She seemed confused, a billion thoughts could be going through her head right now.

"What do you mean by that Tolu, step mom keh (step mom as how) ki lo mean (what do you mean)" she finally said laughing between her words.

"You think I will never realise one day that you are not my mom? Odaju ma ni yin ooo (you are heartless) ah, eyan buruku gbaa ni yin ( yoh are a completely terrible person) taking another person's child for your own? Lying to your husband?...... She cut me off with a slap, yes she slapped me.

"What is going on here" My dad yelled as he walked in, just in time pops, you know when heavens want to catch up with someone, he doesn't waste time. My dad have never walked in earlier than 11pm and most times he doesn't come home and right now it is just 7PM  but here he is.

"Sit down please daddy, I have a story to tell" I told my dad smiling. This woman or how do I refer to her now? Was stylishly begging me to keep shut but how can I?

"You know dad, your wife have been pressuring you of recent to get married but thank your stars that you have been busy, if not lemme just say your is ruined. Remember a woman named Mary Babalola?" He seemed surprised but there was a mix of other emotions I just couldn't explain, hurt, loss.... I don't know, I can't reatll pin point but I continued. " Do you know she is dead?" He gasped at my words and I could see his eyes tear up, he must have really loved this woman.

"What do you mean dead? Mary o le ku na, ko possible ni, ki lo fe pa? (Mary can't be dead, it's impossible, what would kill her?)" Were his words, he was almost begging me to eat up my words but it is just reality, she is dead.

"Ki lo fe pa yen gan gan ni mo fe se alaye fun yi( what killed her is exactly what I am about to explain)" I told him everything Alissia told me leaving no single detail, I explained to him how my mom died of an heart attack.

"You could have been there for her, you could have been there while she was in labour but no, you chose to go on a vacation to England when two women were pushing out your children, you and your wife killed her. You because you were not there, if you were you would have known one child died, there wouldn't have been this mess, your wife because she took a baby from his mother one of the main reason for high bp and finally the attack" I explained further.

"I could not stay, I would have wanted to be with Mary during the labour and Lola would have been angry I was not with her instead, so I decided to he away during their delivery and when I heard Mary lost her child, I hurried back home but she was no where to be found, I couldn't have believed Lola would do such a thing" he explained, turning over to his wife he said "Eyan buruku ni e Lola, ko da eranko ni inu awo eniyan ni e (You are a terrible person Lola, infact you are an animal in a human body) To think you will do such a thing, you can even kill me infact" he yelled at her, launching at her to hit her but I calmed him down.

"Ko ti tan ooo (it's not finished oo) remember 20 years ago, 5 months after she brought me home she traveled on a business trip, she concluded whatever was business related with One month but something happened, she realised she was two weeks pregnant. Definitely not yours she left one month ago remember? She left with her secretary, so you can tell the father already, she stayed two extra years saying she wanted to explore and that it had been her dream to travel to India, she wanted to go to a show that will be done the next year and so many excuses but all in all she stayed two years. She gave birth after 1o months, her first month which she discovered her pregnancy and then 9 month so the middle of the 10th month, she gave birth to a baby girl for her secretary. The baby lived, halleluyah. She had to wait till the girl was a year old and gave the child to her father which she paid a whole lot to stay quiet, start his own business." Now my dad was furious, he picked her stuffs and threw them out.

"Me je kin tun ri e ni inu ile mi, ole, ashawo (Don't let me ever see you in my home, thief, prostitute)" he yelled at her while she went her kneels begging.

"Tell her to stay away from Alissia" I told my dad who was confused as to who Alissia was but I just walked in.

Laying in my bed, thinking about Alissia and how she might be feeling at the moment, ever since I came into her life I only brought trouble, somehow I want to make sure everything goes well with her, she deserves so much more than she is getting from anyone, she is a jewel. I was brought out of my trance by my dad presence, anger obviously on his face.

"She almost ruined me" he finally said and I just gave him a nod.

"Who is Alissia by the way?" He asked, at the moment I was confused as to whether I should tell him or just brush it off and I decided to choose the latter.

"Just a friend of mine she has been troubling but it's okay now, she has no business with me anymore since you just threw her out"  I told him, hoping he will drop the discussion having more important things to do but I was disappointed real bad.

"Why not go ahead and tell about this Alissia you seem to care so much about" He insisted, so I did. I explained everything to my dad there is to explain about Alissia and he seemed impressed causing my surprise at the words he said after.

"I don't want you around a lowlife, look where it brought me!" He said lovingly but firm, I have never sat together with my dad this long, what is going on? But how an he tell me to stay away from her, he seemed to love her already as I told him everything but things just changed within few seconds.

"You lost the woman you love while trying to keep your reputation, your status came first before your love, look where it brought you. I won't make the same mistake you made years ago, I won't leave the woman I love just because I feel it will ruin my reputation or status" I explained to him, he seemed to understand but sill hesitant.

"She might be a golddigger like Lola(if you have not figured, that is his step mom so to say)" he has never been this serious or concerned but I guess he knew this one decision can define my entire life and knew too.

"Meet her first" I suggested and guess what? He gave me a nod.