WHEN HE RETURNS

Reminiscence

WILLIAMS

I paused and clutched the bag in my hand tightly while leaning on the wall behind me for support. Sasha was Dad's girlfriend? Hell no! How on earth was that even possible? The silence between us lingered for long as there was no intention of breaking it sooner. The beads of sweat that clustered on her forehead were beginning to drip down her face. I could tell she had cold feet, just like I did. Dad came to our rescue by breaking the silence.

"I'll call Harriet to clear the mess, is something wrong?" Dad asked again while walking up to her. I flinched and averted my gaze to the shattered pieces of the tray on the floor; I couldn't bear the sight of Dad caressing those lips and holding the waist that was once mine.

"I'm fine ba...baby." Sasha stuttered, glancing at me while pronouncing the last word of her statement.

I watched Dad kiss her forehead while placing his hands on her breasts and I couldn't help but narrow my face with disdain. Sasha's expression suggested she was irritated by Dad's act and the reason for that was probably my presence.

"This is Williams, my son." Dad pointed at me.

"Willie, Sasha has longed to see you and I'm glad you're finally home." Dad spoke with excitement in his tone. If only he had known there was no need for the introduction and exchange of pleasantries...

"Sasha, beautiful name for a beautiful lady! I hope you'll be a good wife to Dad and a fabulous Step Mum to me." I spoke teasingly as our eyes met, trying not to reveal the anxiety that had engulfed me. Her heart must have surely skipped numerous beats, it was evident from how she flinched with gritted teeth each time our eyes met.

The question I had thrown at her was sure to ignite the fire of guilt that burned her heart—Guilt of how she left that fateful morning.

I had gotten a goodbye text from her after hours of waiting with the thought that she had gone to get groceries from a*****e nearby.

"Don't call this number anymore." That was the last time I heard from Sasha, she had told me through a text that I was extremely perfect for a flawed lady like her. Everything made sense now, I was too good for her while Dad was her perfect match — What could be more intriguing?

"Of course, she would be the best wife ever!" Dad remarked and planted a fast kiss on her lips.

Poor old man! He was levitating for the fact that he was going to be with someone who jilted and dumped me for some ambiguous reasons.

"Lunch is served." Sasha spoke softly, I didn't wonder why her mellifluous voice still had a positive effect on me and why it made my body quiver like her moans and whispers did. I was still in love with her.

"I hope you two get along sooner and faster." Dad said while savouring his meal. How was that even possible? I hadn't gotten over the shock that his mistress was my girlfriend and now, he was talking about 'getting along'. It felt like he was adding salt to my fresh wound.

"What are you doing here?" Sasha asked upon seeing me at her room's door. Ignoring her question, I walked over to the sofa, sank into it and buried my face in my hands.

"You shouldn't be here... Your Dad and I are a thing now." She mumbled without showing any sign of remorse pertaining how she left me years back.

"But..." My eyes rolled and met hers before she looked away. "He told us to get along." I scoffed, emphasizing the 'get along' while smacking my lips.

"You know... I couldn't help but wonder what transpired between us... Why you left suddenly and all... What went wrong?" I spoke softly. Sasha had faced the floor by this time and I watched her hold back the tears that struggled to come out.

"Some things are better left unsaid, Willie."

Willie! There she was again, truncating my name like she did whenever I was inside of her. The atmosphere was tense and had sparked up emotions, making me move towards her subconsciously to dab the tears in her eyes with my hand. The light from her window casted a glow on us, revealing every detail of her beauty.

"How did you end up with him?" I asked calmly.

"You should leave now." Sasha said, releasing herself from my arms and wiping off the fluid around her nose while she sniffed.

"Whatever happened was in the past. I hope you come to make peace with the fact that it's over between us... Dad has made it clear to you that we are together and he is intentional about me, I wouldn't want to ruin whatever we share for any reason." Sasha told me.

I stood like one who was short of words, well, I was at that moment. My gaze had long averted to the straps on her cleavages that brought me some nostalgic feelings.

"Leave now." She tapped me while stretching her hands towards the door, depicting what she meant.

"I'll come back." I rose to my feet and dusted the sofa's particles off my buttocks then I stopped to give her a glance before slamming the door.

Torture! That was some manner of torture—Dad was getting married to the love of my life? What could hurt more than that? The fact that I was going to be spending a whole year in Chicago made me grunt. My clothing company was recruiting workers for its branch in Chicago and I had to supervise and oversee their affairs there.

Getting an apartment wasn't even an option because Dad was sure to kick against it. Why on earth would I want to be away from him when it was a perfect time for us to bond as family? Moreso, the rooms in his mansion were way comfortable, luxurious and nice, he would definitely turn down the idea of staying away from home.

I would have to get used to Sasha's presence in the house; such a hard pill to swallow!

The image of how she clung up to me in the past, flickered across my face as I paced around each corner of my room.

I could afford to see Sasha in the arms of another man, definitely not my father's.

"Hmmm!" I exhaled, rubbing my eyes vigorously with my palms.

Everything was getting to me.