Deep regret
1929 Words
10 MONTHS LATER.
Her laughter echoed around the room as she watched Daren and their daughter, May, who was throwing her first steps in front of her daddy. She was 11 months old already and she had grown into a beautiful fair skin baby with adorable eyes and thick black hair.
“Come on, baby, do it!” Daren cried in excitement as he watched her throw her frail legs.
She fell and they both laughed.
“I told you, she’s just a lazy princess,” Melisa said from the bed and he frowned.
“Don’t you dare call my princess lazy!” he warned and she giggled.
“Da..da..,” they heard May’s small voice behind them and they both froze.
“Oh no, she just called daddy!” Daren exclaimed.
“No, that’s not possible, I think she meant, mama,” Melisa argued as she shook her head in disbelief.
“Say it again, baby!” She could hear Daren saying to the baby as he knelt in front of her.
“Da da,” May’s excited voice came again.
“Wow!” They both exclaimed and Daren threw the baby in the air with excitement.
“No, May, you’re not saying daddy as your first word,” Melisa disagreed as she stood up from the bed.
Just then, her phone rang and she hurried back to the bed. She looked at the caller ID and it was a strange number calling. As she picked the call, a male voice sounded sedulously from the phone and her heart jumped into her stomach.
“Hello, sweetheart, It’s your baby daddy on the line,” she heard him speak.
She shot a quick glance at Daren with her heart racing fast. She could see him deeply engrossed with May and she looked away quickly.
“Hello, are you there?” She heard the voice again.
She opened her mouth to speak but the words wouldn’t come out.
“Um..I..Um..,” she stammered.
“Oh, I can see you’re in a tight position to speak. But this is the message, I’m back in town and I want to see you,” he said.
She hung up immediately as she saw Daren’s eyes fixed on her.
“Love, is everything okay?” He asked and she nodded frantically.
“Um..no,every..everything is fine,” she stammered with a forced smile on her lips.
The phone began to ring again and her eyes bulged.
“Pick up your call,” Daren urged and she moved uncomfortably on the bed.
Just then, a knock came on the door. Daren stood up and walked over to the door with her eyes trailing after him. Her heart began to pound underneath her dress and she dismissed the call immediately. She saw him walking back into the room and he stood before her.
“Um, dinner is set,” he informed and she nodded.
“I’ll get May,” he said as he walked over to the baby who was playing on the floor.
They all settled around the dining table, all set for a sumptuous dinner that night.
“I wonder why May isn’t as chubby as Dele when he was little,” Mrs. Selina remarked as she fed Baby May who was seated on her laps.
“Yes, I’ve thought the same, grandmother. Though we’ve been feeding her a lot of expensive baby cereals, she seemed not to be adding pounds. I think she’s not a chubby bae,” Daren said and they all laughed.
“She took after someone, though,” Charles remarked as he looked at his wife who was smiling broadly.
“Oh, yes, she took after Elsa,” Mrs. Selina added and they all laughed again.
Melisa's heart skipped as she heard them speaking. Only if they knew the baby was not theirs, they wouldn’t be making comparisons, she thought. Her eyes fell on baby May who was having a good time at the table.
She was a complete replica of her, except for the body stature and eyes. She never for once looked like Jerry except for the skin color. But of course, May could have possessed the same fair skin as her, she thought again. What if the baby wasn’t actually his? She reasoned.
She lost her appetite as she recalled the call she received from him about his arrival in the country. Her heart cringed and several thoughts flashed across her mind. She could see Daren staring at the side of her face as she picked her food with her fork.
“Love, are you okay?” He asked and she nodded.
After the meal, she stood up and hurried away from the table. She needed to call Rita right away and inform her of Jerry’s return.
From the dining room, Diana saw her proceeding to the stairs and she turned to look at Dotun who was sitting beside her.
“I smell a rat. Take care of Dele, I will be back,” she said as she stood up and walked out elegantly.
*
“Rita, he is back! He is back and I don’t know what he wants this time around,” she said in whispers from the balcony where she stood.
“Jerry? He called?” Rita asked from the phone.
"Yes, he called this evening to tell me that he is back in town and he wants to see me,” she explained.
“I thought he traveled out? What does he want this time around?” She asked from the phone.
“I don’t know! That’s why I’m calling you. I don’t want to see that bastard. You need to put him in his place and don’t let him come near me!” She flared.
“Babe, calm down. I will speak to him,” she said.
“Please do! I kicked against this in the first place but you forced me into it. I don’t even know where you got that psycho from!” She yelled in a low tone.
“Lisa, I said, be calm. I will speak to him to know what he wants,” she said.
She sighed heavily and began to pace around the balcony.
“I hope it’s not money again, because I’m not ready to drop a dime,” she stated clearly.
“If not money, then why would he be calling?” She asked.
Melisa scoffed and shook her head in disbelief.
“Rita, put him in his place! I’m not giving a dime this time around!” She yelled and hung up.
“What have I gotten myself into?” She cried as she ran her palm into her hair nervously.
She stepped out of the balcony and proceeded to the passage leading to her room. Just then, she bumped into Diana who seemed to be rushing away from the passage. She stopped and Diana stood at the passage with a smirk on her face. She frowned and Diana let out a chuckle.
“If you don’t mind, your child is crying and your attention is needed,” Diana said with a smirk.
Melisa hissed and walked past her. She walked into her room and she could see Daren changing May’s diapers.
“Love, where were you?” He asked.
She kept silent and proceeded to the bathroom.
He gulped as he saw her walk past him without a response. He had seen the anxiety written all over her face ever since she received the call earlier that evening. What could possibly be wrong with Melisa? He thought.
After a few minutes, she stepped out of the bathroom.
He pulled a surprised face as he saw her red eyes and the strands of hair scattered on her face. He sighed as he saw her walking to the bed and he followed after her.
He sat on the bed watching as she breastfed the baby, with her eyes staring through space. She seemed to be lost in thought and his curiosity arose.
“Love,” he called and she turned to face him slowly.
“When we were preparing for our marriage, there was this promise we made to each other back then,” he said seriously.
She licked her lips as she looked into his eyes nervously.
“You remember the promise?” He asked.
She kept silent for a while and then she gulped.
“No secrets,” she muttered.
“Yes, we both promised never to keep secrets from each other. But ever since you got pregnant, you have changed. Sometimes, you become lost in thought, sometimes you just yell at every slightest thing, most times, you lose it, Lisa.
This is not you, we were supposed to be a happy couple after the arrival of baby May, but it’s turning out to be the opposite. Speak to me, is it postpartum depression? Yeah, I know I’ve not always been there for you because of work, but the few times I’m with you, I’ve been sailing this boat with you. Through the stormy nights, we’ve both been sailing through safely. Speak to me, my love, what is troubling you? Is there anything you’re not telling me?” He asked with his voice dripping concern and empathy.
She held back her tears from falling and she sniffed.
“Daren, everything is fine. It’s just that, I worry about a lot lately, especially about my dad,” she lied.
He sighed and took hold of her palm.
“Lisa, I’m always here beside you. And I promise we will pull through this together,” he promised and she forced a smile on her face.
**
As soon as Daren left for work the next morning, she called Rita.
“Babe, I missed your calls. Sorry, Daren was around and I couldn’t take the call at that moment,” she explained as she scratched her head with her eyes looking out of the window.
“Ok, it’s fine,” Rita said from the phone.
“Have you reached him?” She asked anxiously.
“Lisa, there is a problem,” she said.
Her brows gathered and her heart began to race.
“What..what did he say?” She asked.
“He needs money,” she spilled.
“What the f**k?!” She slammed as she paced around the room angrily.
“How much are we talking about?” She asked and silence fell in from Rita’s end.
“Speak to me!” She yelled impatiently.
“20 million naira,” she replied.
“What! No..that’s absurd,” she said with a scoff as she shook her head.
“Yes, it’s no joke. He is in Lagos and he wants the money to be paid the latest tomorrow,” she continued.
She bit her lips angrily and she tried to speak but the words wouldn’t come out.
“Rita!” She yelled as she walked to the bed.
“Lisa, it’s not my fault. We’ve got to do as he says. You don’t want him ruining your home, do you?” She asked.
“So this is it, this has turned into blackmail, right?” She asked soberly.
“Lisa, come over to my place and let’s talk,” she advised.
“I’m not paying a dime, I’m not!” She cried.
“Lisa!” She called.
She ended the call and threw the phone on the bed angrily. She began to sob with her hair falling on both sides of her face.
“What have I gotten myself into?” She cried in deep regret.
- Writer
