My Mum was back and Dad called me to travel down. I couldn’t even miss out on that. I see my Dad almost every month but it’s been a long time I saw my Mum last. Ever since she travelled to USA. It’s been over a year, that I haven’t set my eyes on her except through video calls. The following day I prepared for my short journey, it was a good relief to be away from Ireti. She was also going to stay with her Papi and plan his birthday party while I was away. She told me that her Papi’s birthday was in three days’ time. I told her I couldn’t make it because I needed to travel to see my parents. I expected her to be angry but she wasn’t, she just smiled and said it was okay. Because her Papi wanted only family and few friends to celebrate with him. She said the party was strictly by invitation and even though she would have loved me to come but going to see my parents was very important. I nodded and sent my good wishes to her Dad. I would have gotten him a birthday gift but he was obviously a rich man and had everything at his disposal and I do not have time to source for a tangible gift. I was happy that Ireti would stay away from Sandra while I was gone. I didn’t want them in the same house. Ireti can be unpredictable; maybe getting violent and stabbing Sandra with a knife, she was too aggressive and I’m glad she would be busy with her Dad’s birthday party. I travelled to see my parents. Mum was so excited to see me as I got so much hugs and kisses all over me, mothers!. Afterwards, my dad and I had few discussions and he gave me some important documents which he wanted me to hold securely. Later on, Mom said the reason why she came was because my sister who was yet to get married would be tying the knot soon and that my Dad also missed her and wanted her home. I couldn’t help roll my eyes as she teased him. I admired their union and I laughed at the two old people acting like new lovers. My sister Joan was getting married to a white colleague of hers living in Georgia and it was a Court wedding. Which meant we all supposed to travel back to the state but I needed to stay back to look after things while my Mom and Dad travel. I had a great time with my parents and did a lot of video calls with my sisters who wanted me to come over and were suggesting to booking ticket online for me. Joan said she wanted her friends to meet me. “… My friends saw your picture. Well I showed them my cute sweet brother that I usually boast off and they all went “aawwww” they want to meet you Martin, c’mon…you can’t miss out on my big day. You may even get to see a wife material among my friends. Don’t give me all this excuse. Fly down with Mom and Dad and let us all get together as a family. Gabi and Fiona will be here with their husbands and children. It’s going to be an opportunity for us to be together. Don’t be left out Mart and my fiancé will really love to meet you. Everyone want to meet my only brother. Please try and be in Georgia…” she pleaded. “I wish to be there Joan, but I can’t…we all can’t just leave like that. If Dad is away I need to foresee things while he is gone. I’m sorry Joan…you have my best wishes and I will be waiting for more videos. I will come after the wedding when I know everything is safe and secured. Definitely next summer I will come for vacation and will get to meet everyone. Joan, please stop showing your friends my picture so that they will stop “awwwwing” I woke up with a lipstick the other day and realize a lady was kissing my pics and it affected me in real life…tell them to stay away because I’m almost taken…hahahaha” I explained to her. Joan laughed so hard over the video call and I couldn’t resist laughing at my own dry jokes. I wasn’t that bad at cracking jokes though. I had a deep talk with Dad and he was saying almost everything that Jide had earlier told me. “Martin Jr, you are a grown man now. And you have to start thinking of settling down and having your own family. I’m an African man and I want you to bear children that will carry on the name. I’m not rushing you son…I do want you to take your time so that you won’t make a mistake but don’t take forever in making a choice. We love you dearly and wants only the best for you. All that matters to me and your mother is for you to be happy. Make sure you do not marry a troublesome woman. Don’t look at levels or class when making a choice…look out for the purity of the heart. sometimes love is not enough in marriage. Trust, prayer, understanding, patience and tolerance makes a fantastic home. I and your Mother are growing old together because we both made the right choice by choosing each other for better and for worst, through sun and rain. It was not a smooth journey but I’m happy that we are growing old together and having more years to celebrate with our children and grand children. We will be here counting our blessing from above and naming them one by one. Martin Jr, listen to me….i’m your father and I will never mislead you my son. An understanding wife is the greatest blessing of all time…do you understand me?” he said. “Yes Dad, I do. I totally understand. I’m working towards that, just taking my time so that I will get it right like you did. I hope and pray to make you and Mom proud.” I replied I had a great time with them, We got to talk and laugh and it was all beautiful. Dad decided to drive us out for sightseeing. I wanted to drive but he said driving was one of his little way to exercise. Dad drives a high car, one of his old jeep that needed to be jack up and down before it kicks. He has a smaller car but chose to drive this one that requires man power and muscles to function properly. He said he was the only one that knows how to handle his car and no one else. Mum and I laughed at the way Dad was handling the steering. Following day, I attended church with them and Mom made one of her old special delicacy just as old time bringing back old memories. I later travelled back to my base after a week. So I was planning not to let Irritating know that I was back because I wanted to spend time with Sandra and may do another shopping for her when I’m sure that Ireti is not coming. As I got inside my house with my bag, the first thing that caught my attention was the place my aquarium used to be was empty!. I moved closer thinking maybe Sandra put it somewhere else but it wasn’t anywhere around. Sandra came out and greeted me but I was too consumed, scanning the whole place for my aquarium and did not respond to her cheerful greetings I rushed to my room, hoping maybe the aquarium was moved to the room due to some reasons but another surprise met my eyes. My wardrobe was unlocked, the key was broken. I was shocked and began to wonder if there was a robbery in my house while I was away. The first thing I did was to rush to my Burgundy shoe and I felt relieved when I saw the shoe there. I took a closer look at the shoe and it appeared different from the original . “This is not my burgundy shoe, what the hell is this? I cried out my shock. I took it very close and began to examine it with my panting heart and realized that the shoe was not my original Burgundy. Someone exchanged it. I began to sweat profusely. I screamed Sandra’s name and she came running to my room. “What happened here, who came to my wardrobe while I was away and took my Burgundy shoe? Who was here? Where is my aquarium and my original shoe… answer me? I screamed at her as my frustration grew with every passing second. Sandra was shaking as fear gripped her. She was terrified. I guess she haven’t seen me really angry before. I asked her again, standing up, I grabbed her by her dress and shook her while repeating the questions to her. I left her and held my head in my hands. “I don’t know sir, I can’t lie to you. I don’t know what happened. I went to the market that day and when I came back the aquarium was no more in the sitting room. I asked Musa if anybody came and he said Big Madam came and left in a hurry. I don’t know what really happened. I thought you sent her, I would have called to let you know…I’m sorry sir. Please believe me…I can’t lie to you.” she explained in amidst tears. She said she doesn’t know. She went to the market and by the time she returned it was gone. She asked Musa and Musa said big Madam was around and later left. What sort of crazy story was that? The whole story was not getting to my head. How can she not know? I pulled off my cloth angrily and was on singlet. Ireti was a big girl, she would never want to steal from me. Ireti will never commit such crime when she had a rich dad that could afford everything for her. I was in anguish and held my mouth from from the horror staring right at my face. How can Sandra who is in charge of my house not know? What sort of childish story was all this. I was thinking for the perfect explanation. i kicked and started acting like a mad man, I felt like breaking and scattering everything in sight. and that was how i lifted the bed up and pushed it aside. I broke my lamp holder and when I turned, I saw something at a far end under the bed that I angrily pushed out. i rushed and picked it up and it was my old first polish, the one my uncle sent with the shoe from UK. I searched all over the house for it before but couldn’t find it, never knew that it was under the bed all this while. I looked around for my other polish the one that recently got missing but it wasn’t there. I searched around for my original shoe but nothing. I screamed and threw the UK polish away, Sandra dodged from getting struck by the polish, tears streaming down her face. I was breathing so hard, acting like a mad man. My favorite Burgundy shoe was been replaced with a fake shoe. my aquarium which had beautifully graced my house for long was also missing. how can that be? And the only thing I kept starring at was the fake Burgundy shoe lying carelessly on the ground. I picked it up and threw it hard on the wall before screaming out again in rage. Sandra crawled up to one corner and watched me raged on. “Who could have done this to me”? I must get to the root of this puzzle, this must be a bad dream. “It can’t happen…no…no. there must be a reasonable explanation of where my original Burgundy shoe and my Aquarium disappeared to. I won’t take this…no, I won’t! I took my phone and called Ireti.
To be Continued
