SHADES OF LIGHT: FICTION

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I had been waiting for the phone to ring for days. Since Wednesday, I have been staring at my phone, willing it to ring, to gift me with good news. I have been living in the darkness of my thoughts for too long, any good news would have been welcome. Today is Saturday.

Last week, my late father's friend, Mr Dominic came to the house. You know him now; that tall dark man that drove a black Mercedes Benz. He was always at our house back when my dad was still alive. My dad used to say they would die for each other. When he died, my father, when we needed the assistance that such a friend could give, when my mother, my self and my sisters were being tossed out of my father's house by his younger brothers, he, this wonderful friend of my father's, was nowhere to be found.

I really do not like going back to those times. Only God knows how we survived through that period. The things we had to do, the battles we had to fight just to feed and the sacrifices that were made so I could go to school and become the man that my father always hoped I would become and the persons we became in the process, is all as a result of that period. They say hard times will make or break you.

Well he came to the house and he told a story of how he was arrested in Europe on the charges of drug running and how he served years behind bars without knowing that his best friend had died and his family were living in penury. My mother regurgitated old tears for his benefit but my sisters stared at him with hard searching eyes, the kind of eyes that only pain can carve out of polished bloodstained diamonds. Lol, the metaphor felt good on my lips though, didn't it?

After my mother had acted her role as the broken widow, she told him the edited version of how we had lived all those years, after we were thrown out of my father's house. I could barely restrain myself from laughing as the man swallowed my mother's heavily censored tale hook, line and sinker. It was a grand tale to bless a great writer's imagination but it was basically filled with lies.

Did my sisters go to school, he had asked. I had turned to look at them three and mentally I had shook my head. Mother said they had gone to school but they had dropped out except myself when there was no money to pay the school fees and buy books. I nearly choked and had to hold myself when Gloria, my elder sister frowned at me.

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On hearing that I had graduated from the University after spending four years studying English language and literature, he asked me to drop by his office with a copy of my credentials as well as a curriculum vitae. I had turned to my mother then in worry but she had smiled and thanked the man. I had sighed and leaned back to watch the drama unfold.

Anyhow I went to his office with the papers he asked for. The office was rich. I could see the wealth on the furnishing as well as the long legged, curvy, dark skinned beauty that functioned as his secretary among other things, I suspect.

Mr Dominic had been happy to see me. He had offered me lunch as well as ten thousand naira. He also gave me a cheque for my mother to cash later; five hundred thousand naira. I smiled my thanks and left with hope in my eyes.

At home, I told mother everything that had happened and my mother had smiled with her slowly browning teeth shining in the semi darkness of the early evening. I left them, the four of them, my belly already full, and went Nkechi's bar. I had money to burn.

I got back the next day to find Geoffrey in the house. Geoffrey the mechanic, you know him now. That short car dealer and mechanic at the market junction that stutters when he talks. Well did you know that he and my mother had a thing going? Well the old goat has been climbing my mother for a while now as well as my immediate elder sister, Nicole. Oh yes, he is a veritable Casanova.

The moment I saw him, I knew something was up. They smiled, all of them and my mother gave me some more money to go and have more fun with Nkechi. I did as I was told and I was with Nkechi until today.

When i got back home and told my mother that Mr Dominic has not called me for the job. She smiled and told me to be patient, he will call. I am scared to go to Mr Dominic's office to find him gone. I know my family. I know who they truly are. I am the favourite baby of four broken women who would spill blood and consider it a gift, just to make sure I can have the life my father planned for me. Do you know what fear is? Well this is fear, Father.

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©warpedpoetic, 2018.