CAGED ✔

《 Chapter 38 》

"I knew they wouldn't tell you." My mum admitted softly and my dad's bowed head popped up that instance. His jaw dropped as he stared at my mother whose eyes were fixated on her hands on the table.

"Why didn't you contact me? Why didn't you inform me yourself?"

"I didn't have a means to." My mum sighed deeply. "My mother took my phone from me when I got pregnant. She said my phone would destroy me further. She didn't let me leave the house until I was delivered of my child. I was literally on house arrest and I lived like a shadow until I finished weaning my baby and finally left for college."

My mother's eyes had now welled up with tears and she let out a frustrated sigh as she dabbed them with her hankie.

Typical of grandma! I thought.

"When I finally left for school, the first thing I did was contact you. But it never went through and I didn't know what else to do." My mum ended.

An expression of agony took over my father's feature as he gaped at her. I was glad they were finally talking things out to clear stored up grudges. However, it was heartbreaking to watch the two people I loved in pain.

"I changed my number after some years." My dad spoke up and my mum nodded.

"I decided to move on with my life when I couldn't contact you. It was clear I had lost you forever." My mum, now unable to control herself, let out a whimper as her tears slithered down her cheeks and unto her laps.

My dad stretched his hands then and grabbed that of my mum. She gasped and finally looked at him before breaking down into tears. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders while my dad rubbed her hand, trying to comfort her.

Tears were streaming down my father's eyes too and I was sure it was the same for me as I felt all kind of wetness on my face. I could even feel rheum filling my nostril too.

I couldn't tell how long we stayed that way: comforting one another, but my mother finally comforted herself as she tried to smile in the reassurance that she was fine. But I knew she wasn't. None of them was.

"How did you know I left the neighbourhood?" My mum tried to change the sensitive topic.

"My friend, Timothy. You remember him, right?" My father asked and she nodded.

"I kept asking him about you since I couldn't reach you and he kept telling me he hadn't seen you in a while. He told me after some time that you and your family have relocated to an unknown place. It was heartbreaking to hear. I felt betrayed and was very bitter, thinking you broke our promise. I feel so bad for hating you when you were going through a lot: pain I put you through. It was all my fault." His lips quivered as he said that and my heart sank.

Were they now thinking I was a mistake that should never have happened?

I looked away from them and settled my gaze on a couple who were laughing happily. Quite a contrast. While some wallowed in pain, others were joyous. What an irony!

"No, it wasn't." My mother's voice brought me back to the discussion. "It was neither our fault. It was just the way it happened. I guess fate will always prevail."

I flinched at the dark countenance of my father when he heard that.

"Fate? This isn't fate. This is the intention of my parents to ruin things for me. This is my parents' failure to adhere to their parental duties. What was their aim of hiding my child from me? That is wickedness at its peak and as long as I live, I will never forgive them. It is their fault Bee had to grow the way she did. It is their fault Bee didn't have a father to rely on. I can go on and on, listing reasons they are to be blamed. Fate my foot!"

I could literally feel the anger and frustrating pooling out of my father as he constantly rammed his fist on the fancy table. The undivided attention of the other customers in the restaurant was captured as whispers of all sort filled the air.

From the corner of my eyes, I could see a man dressed in a suit walking towards our direction and I quickly grasped my father's fist to stop him from hitting the table any further. He calmed down instantly and his eyes were haunted when he looked at me.

"I'm fine, dad." I croaked. "It's in the past. What is important now is that we have each other. We have a chance to fill up the missing gap. Thank God for life. We still have time." My words kept breaking as I paused at a regular interval to catch my breath.

My mum was now weeping uncontrollably by my side as she hid her face in her palms. I placed a hand on her lap, squeezing gently whilst maintaining my grip on my father's hand.

"Yeah, you're right, my baby." My father sniffed. "But what can't be changed is that I can't have your mother anymore." He said that softly but I heard and my mum heard too for she got up immediately and took to her heels.

Alarmed, we followed suit and caught up with her as she was almost exiting the restaurant. My dad drew her into a tight embrace and she collapsed on his chest, crying her eyes out.

Never in my life had I seen my mother weep so bitterly. Seeing them like this made me whimper as my body shook in tears. I could relate to the level of pain they were both going through. If someone separated me from Peter, I would be heartbroken too.

I just couldn't stop myself from assuming how sweet life would have been had my parents been together.

They were just the perfect couple and I was sure they would build a happy home together rather than the external factors: my bald stepfather whose presence alone emitted evil and Aunty Yetunde who had done nothing but throw some weird looks my way ever since she heard I was her husband's daughter.

None of these two could be compared to my parents. None of them would make a better couple than my lovely parents. Dad was right. It was all his parents' fault. Sometimes, we make decisions without carefully considering the consequences and in the end, the innocent suffer for our mistakes.

His parents had been nonchalant about this and now, look where it had brought us all: me, dad, and mum. Broken people whose life would never be the same.

Well, we could only be optimistic and look at the better side of the situation. Like I had said earlier, we were alive and the only thing we could do was be there for one another.
☆ ☆ ☆

Dad asked that mum drove me home since he had some other appointment with some friends he hadn't met in a while. I hugged him tightly before waving to him and walking to the car, granting them some privacy as I watched them from the car.

I couldn't hear what they were saying but I could see my mother nodding repeatedly to whatever my dad was saying and finally, my dad drew her into another embrace and pecked her on the forehead. She waved to him after the hug and slowly walked to the car while my dad got into his.

The car revved and we began our journey which was comfortably silent till we got to the Adeyemi's quarters. My mother didn't spare me a glance all through the ride as she was deep in thought. I wondered if she was thinking the same thing as me: what if they had gotten married?

I unbuckled my seat belt and opened the car to get out when I noticed my mother resting her forehead on the car's steering. My heart sank.

"Mum?" I called out.

"I'm fine." She replied curtly and sat up, exhaling loudly. "Go in now, Beatrice. You'll be staying here with your dad until he is ready to return to the UK with his family. He extended his travel to next week so you have like six days to spend with him. Now go. I'll come visiting one of these days to meet his wife and kids." She smiled tightly at me as she ruffled my hair.

But I didn't go. I stared at her instead.
"You're not fine, mum." I countered and she sighed heavily. "Don't lie to me."

She stared at me for a while and nodded. "I am not. But I'll be fine. I have to be fine." She said more to herself than to me. "Now, head back in. I need to get going." She pecked my forehead and I adhered to her words since I didn't know what to do anymore.