THE MISSING KEY.

SERIES::THE MISSING KEY

“Who cares,” John muttered
under his nose. But it was loud
enough for dad to hear.
“What did you say?” dad asked
and instinctively rushed towards
John. Before John could turn
around and react, dad’s right
hand had already reached his
shoulders and forcefully turned
him around. With John now
facing dad, dad gave him a slap
on
his face. John wasn’t expecting
it.
“Are you trying to show me that
you are now a man? Do you
want to challenge me? Or have
you smoked something?”
John stared at dad for some
seconds, anger building up
within him. “I have always been
planning on leaving this house
for
a long time. You know what? My
mind had already left this house
a long time ago. You can have
you big fancy house all to
yourself. I don’t intend to stay
anyway.”
Dad stared at him, he didn’t
expect this. “Fine, then what
have you been doing here all
along, did I chain you here?”
“It’s not just about building a
fancy house,John said'.. I hope
you mean what you are saying
when you say we should leave,
because it
will even be a thing of joy to
sleep on the street than stay
here with parents that doesnt
care. I wish this door can be
opened soon so that you can
have the house to yourself. This
house is not even qualified to be
called a home” Ada chipped in
to dad’s amazement.
“You are not even qualified to be
called my daughter. You have
decided to be a disgrace to
yourself. I can’t even look at
you. You should be ashamed of
yourself but rather you still
have the guts to talk to me like
that. Is it me that got
you into this condition and
made you feel like you don’t
have a home? I will be glad to
have you take your disgraceful
self out of here.” Dad returned.
He had never exchanged words
with his children before. Its
always been him talking
and everybody in the house
listening. He never thought that
they had grown big enough to
voice out their
opinion. Where these really his
kids? Looking at them now they
were like strangers to him.
“If I am pregnant or if John is
smoking around, it really should
be your fault. It beats me that
you don’t even blame
yourself for anything! Oh I
forgot, you are the perfect dad,
the manager of Dew luck Nig.
Limited who always gets it
right” Ada replied. This was
really surprising. I never
thought she had such guts to
talk back to dad the way she
was
doing now.
“Ada, your mouth is surprisingly
too sharp for someone who
acted in such a disgraceful
manner. You are not even
grateful
to your parents who sacrifice
their all to make sure you get
the best in life. Instead you
stand here and talk back to
your dad with such effrontery.”
Mum injected.
“The best in life? Did you say
the best in life?” I can’t believe
you mum. You think what your
children are having here
is the best in life?” Ada
returned, looking around
disdainfully.
“A lot of your mates will give
everything to be in your shoes.
You are not grateful to God for
what you have; no wonder
you have no respect for
yourself. Don’t you see your
mates hawking on the streets?
But you have the opportunity of
finding yourself in school;
instead you are misusing it by
avoiding school and sleeping
with men all over town.” Mum
said.
“What do you know about
school mum, what do you even
know about me?” Ada asked,
she shrugged frustratingly and
walked
away from the scene.
John left after her, leaving mum
and dad standing there with
their mouths wide open.
Dad was both unhappy and
angry, “Do you know this is all
your fault?” he said to mum,
“how can you look at yourself
and
call yourself a good mother?
You chose to neglect the kids
under your care and
concentrate all your efforts on
that
boutique of yours. You don’t
know your duty as a mother,
now look at the result.”
“Oh please, enough of your
ranting. Will you ever stop? Mr.
Perfect. If I concentrate my
effort on my boutique where do
you put yours? Oh, I remember
you always take out time to be
with your children.” Mum
replied and walked into their
bedroom.
Dad followed her behind.