No Need for Apologies

Chapter Six

Maybe being away for so long had made Nathan forget about his father attitude. He was so furious right now, if the man thought he was going to sit back and watch him push him around then he was in for a big shock.

Immediately his mother stepped into the house he vented his anger on her.

'Mum, you better talk to your husband. I don't want him meddling in my affairs. For crying out loud I'm not that same kid who was crying while leaving the country, I'm a man now and I can do whatsoever I wanna do with my life with or without your husband's approval.'

Amanda just looked at her son, their father was tempting them to the point where they couldn't hold back any longer. 'My husband's your father Nathan, and what do mean by meddling in your affairs?'

'I've told the man I don't want his job, I can get a job myself without his connection.'

'Nathan, he wants the best for you,' Amanda said trying to pacify her son.

'The hell he wants the best for me, I don't want him meddling in my affairs and that is final. I've found somewhere I want to work and guess what, they're not hiring because I'm a Balogun, they're not hiring because my father draws alot of water under the bridge but because of my intelligence, my qualifications. He should know that we can survive without him'

'Have you told your father then, that you've found somewhere already,' Amanda asked her son calmly.

'I've told him,' Nathan answered calmly feeling bad for flaring up and yelling at his mum as if she was the cause of his problem.

'I'll speak to him,' she finally said. Just give me until tomorrow.

?

'Where do you think you're going,' Rose asked taking her eyes from the book she was reading.

'Gosh,' Eliza muttered. She didn't know the devil was there. The devil was no other person than her sister. Why she decided to come to Nigeria she still could not fathom, she wished she could just vanish and leave their house.

'I asked you a question Eliza,' Rose said again.

I asked you a question Eliza, Eliza mimicked under her breath.

'I was just going to get fresh air,' she lied smiling.

Rose dropped the book and looked at her from head to toe.

What a pest she had for a sister, Eliza thought.

'You're kidding right,' Rose finally said smiling.

'No I'm not,' Eliza replied getting frustrated already.

Rose laughed, her sister was either kidding or she was going crazy, who gets fresh air in that outfit. 'Yes you are,' Rose answered.' Get fresh air in this outfit. You either kidding or you're going senile and Eliza believe me you're too young for that.'

She stood up walking towards the kitchen, 'I'll give you two minutes to go up, change and join me in the kitchen.'

'Or what,' Eliza said scowling. She was not her mother and she was not going to let her order her around without putting up a fight.

'Eliza, do not tempt me, do as you're told without any fuss. Remember I'm in charge now and you do not want to see my bad side. Quick reminder we're in Nigeria not London. You could be s*****d so hard for disobeying orders and not get any criticism from anyone.'

Eliza rushed upstairs feeling like punching something or someone and that someone was her sister. What did she even know about Nigeria, opening her wide mouth and telling her rubbish. Why did she even come to Nigeria, Eliza asked herself for the umpteenth time.

?

'There's too much salt in this food,' Mr. Balogun said breaking the silence.

Everyone looked up simultaneously and then returned to their eating.

'Who prepared the food,' the man said again not satisfied with the silence.

No one said anything still, he rarely had meals with them and whenever he did he always found something wrong with the food when the food was actually perfect. Zoe looked at him with hatred in her eyes, she was gradually hating the man and there would be a time when she was going to say it out loud without feeling remorseful that she hates her father.

'I'm talking to human beings right,' he said again.

'I cooked,' their mother replied knowing fully well that it was Zoe who prepared the soup. 'I thought something was missing in the soup that's why I added a little bit of salt.'

'I give you enough money to cook and you always end up ruining meals or you need cooking lessons now.'

What the f**k! Zoe thought, was this man kidding, there was absolutely nothing wrong with the soup. Why couldn't he just let her mother eat in peace anytime he managed to eat with them.

'I'm sorry,' Amanda said. 'Forgive me, I'll try my best to ensure that your meals are well prepared. Excuse me,' she said as she washed her hand and stood up after giving Nathan that look of don't say anything to your father, ignore him.

Nathan washed his hand immediately and left scowling.

Zoe looked at Collins and he was eating his meal not noticing what was happening.

She looked at her father, he was eating and licking his fingers. She found it hard to believe that he just said the soup was bad, did he just enjoy hurting their mother, she thought feeling really sad.

What a father! she had lost her appetite to eat already but was finding it difficult to stand up and walk away, it was as if she was glued to the chair.

Their dad finished his food and went upstairs, almost immediately he was back , picking up his phone and going out.

He wouldn't be coming back tonight, Zoe thought. Wasn't it good that he wasn't coming back why was a part of her hurt about that. Maybe it was because that part of her knew that a man who rarely sleeps at home had a mistress somewhere and it hurt so badly that her father did not even try to hide his infidelity from their mother. .

'Aren't you eating,' Collins asked bringing Zoe from her thought.

Zoe just looked at him frowning.

'Eat and get fat,' Collins said smiling, 'maybe OB might notice you if you added a little flesh.'

Zoe stared at him with hatred, why he always tease her still annoyed her, why does he always take everything as a joke?

'Barbie,' Collins said still smiling.

'Okay if you don't want to eat that's your funeral, OB's already having eyes for your new friend.'

Zoe almost did it, she almost emptied the bowl of water on him.

Collins was surprised she was still quiet, he was doing his best to make her forget the whole commotion that happened just now.

'Why are you so quiet,' he said. 'Normally you would have gotten the whole house shaking with your voice or is it that little commotion that happened just now, don't let that trouble you. If I were you, I wouldn't take notice of anything.'

Zoe washed her hands immediately and stood up, walking angrily without saying a word.

She went to Nathan's room knowing that her mum will be there, Nathan's room was more like their meeting room this days each time after their father's nagging.

This wasn't the first time the man was nagging, this days she preferred referring to him as the man instead of dad. The man always found a reason to get mad at her mother and as usual her mum always pleaded with Nathan not to say anything to him, 'he's still your father Nathan give him that respect for my sake son, please.'

Zoe met her mum sitting on the bed staring at nothing in particular. Nathan was lying on the bed with his eyes closed but Zoe was sure he wasn't sleeping. She entered and closed the door gently.

'Mum,' she called softly.

Amanda turned and smiled at her daughter.

Zoe wondered how she did it, how she hid her pain, she felt like crying right there. 'Mum,' she said almost in a sob, 'you didn't eat your food. You said to were hungry earlier and now you didn't even eat anything.'

'I'm okay Zoe, I'm filled already.'

Her dad nonsense was enough to drive someone's appetite or worse make someone filled instantly, Zoe thought.

She sat beside her mother on the bed and placed her head on her shoulder. 'When will all this end,' she muttered under her breath.

"One day Zoe, one day all these will come to an end,' Amanda said.

When her mother said that, that was when Zoe realized she had said that loud.

'Collins still eating,' her mum asked.

Zoe just nodded in reply.

'Why didn't you eat mummy?' This was how Amanda often called Zoe .

'I lost my appetite,' Zoe replied, 'and beside Collins was teasing again.'

'Collins is always teasing Zoe, you ought to have gotten use to it.'

At that moment Collins came in.

'I knew you guys would be here, dad has left already.'

'I know,' Zoe retorted instantly.

'Where does he even go,' Nathan asked talking for the first time since Zoe got there.

'Where does a man goes at this time,' Collins said smiling.

Why does he always take everything as a joke, zoe thought.

Nothing ever bothers him, she wished she could be like him and forget about all her worries and fears and just live life the way she saw it.

Nathan just closed his eyes, Collins had a point there. Their father had a mistress if just one and he was not taking any effort to keep it discreet. If ever he got married, he was making a promise to himself and his mum also even if he was not letting her know, he would cherish his wife like she was the only reason he was living.

'What woman would derive pleasure from breaking another woman's home,' Nathan finally said out.

"It's not her fault Nathan,' Amanda hoarse out, 'your father's to be blame.'

'Nathan.. Collins,' she continued, don't treat your wife this way, make her the centre of your life, shower her with love, care, don't hurt her by being unfaithful.

Zoe laughed inside when her mother said that, Collins for one was just like his father if not worse than him, could he stay with his wife without being unfaithful, she doubted that.

'That's one thing that could break a woman completely,' Amanda continued. 'Be faithful to your wives and love her unconditionally.'