EPISODES 6,7,8,9,10
6
I was already bored and tired of staying in my room. I never enjoyed staying at home, it is even worse with dad at home.
If I were at school now, I would have been around my friends or be busy learning. It would have sure been better than
being at home with dad harassing everybody. What a Monday.
It was almost 9.30am and nobody was talking about breakfast, I was getting hungry. I decided that I must go out into the
kitchen and get myself something to eat. We mustn’t deny ourselves of something to eat because of a missing key, I was
sure that even dad would understand.
I stood up from my bed and walked towards the door. I could hear Ada’s voice from her bedroom even though John’s bedroom
separated hers and mine. I was sure she was talking to her good for nothing boyfriend. The thought of Mike always made me
mad.
Dad was just coming out of John’s bedroom, so I waited. The best thing anyone should do today was to avoid him as much as
possible.
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Ada was busy enjoying her call that she didn’t notice that dad was in John’s bedroom. Or maybe she noticed but didn’t
think she would allow it spoil her fun.
Dad was just coming out of John’s bedroom. He was already dazed with the realization that his little son was already
smoking and having sex and indulging in all sort of juvenile delinquencies. He had never seen his son from that angle. He
never thought that there was a possibility that John, who was still a kid, would be doing these things. He was both
unhappy and angry.
He heard Ada’s laughter from the corridor that led to the three rooms. The sound even angered him the more. He felt his
children were feeling unconcerned that he was in the brink of losing his job because of the household’s carelessness. He
thought everybody’s behavior was arrogant. He felt he had been working his butt off, denying himself the pleasure of
relaxation for his household who didn’t care or bother to show concern that he could lose all he had ever worked for
because of someone’s carelessness. Meanwhile John had even made matter worse.
He angrily worked towards Ada’s room and opened the door. I was sure that this was the first time he was entering her room.
Ada was surprised to see him at her door. He was the last person she expected to ever come to her room. She quickly
dropped the phone from her ear as the wide smile on her face turned to fear.
“Look at you, behaving like someone who has no training. You think you are in the jungle where people behave anyhow.
Perhaps I should join you and laugh and rejoice that the key to the exit door is missing and I might be in serious trouble
in my office.”
She remained silent and continued to look at him in fear.
“Give me that cell phone. Give it to me.” He authoritatively ordered. She quickly handed the phone to him and he collected
it and headed for his room.
Mum was lying on the bed when he entered. He didn’t care if she was asleep or not.
“Did your son also tell you that he now smokes and have sex all over town with women? Did he discuss with you how he
misses classes and is surely going to repeat class?”
Mum was startled. At first she didn’t understand what he was talking about, “I don’t understand what you are saying.”
How can you understand? I have come to notice that you don’t understand anything.”
“Can you just relax and talk to me for once? I am yet to make out what you are saying with you displaying all these
tantrums.”
“I will display anything I want to. I don’t know how you expect me to react upon the realization that my little son has
started smoking and missing classes right under your very nose. How am I sure that he has not started taking hard drugs
and mingling with criminals?” he was getting more furious and obviously now very prepared to face it out mum.
“What do you mean by under my nose? Am I supposed to attach myself to him and follow him everywhere he goes?”
“Woman, you have no excuse whatsoever for John’s behavior. While I work hard and deny myself all the pleasures of life,
the best thing I expect from you is to ensure that our children are…” his cell phone rang. He stopped and looked at the
caller ID. It was his secretary. The call got him angrier. Office matters can wait, especially with the new development
about John’s behavior.
He picked the call, “Blessing, I am in the middle of something, I will call you back later.”
“But the CEO asked me to…”
“I said I will call you back later!!” he barked into the phone and cut the line.
Mum was just staring at him. The information he had just brought about John was a real shocker to her. How could she have
missed noticing anything strange in her son’s behavior recently? John was just fifteen for goodness sake, how could he be
drinking, having sex and missing classes? Where does he spend his days when he misses his classes? Again she wondered if
dad knew what he was talking about.
“But how could John be smoking?” she asked.
“You can ask me that foolish question again. Look, I will not take this in this house, I will not…” the cell phone in his
left hand vibrated. He looked at it, in his anger he had forgotten that he was holding Ada’s cell phone. “Look at this,
all your daughter does is waste her whole day on her cell phone, I wonder if she finds time to read her books.”
Immediately he finished, the phone vibrated again.
He instinctively checked through the cell phone and stopped short.
It read: My angel, rmber we’ll spend d whole day 2day. I’ve a lot of 1derful stuff I’ll do 2 ur body, jst d way u like it.
Pls come wit d mony. Patiently waitin. Love.
The sender’s ID was Mike.
With shaky hands he read the first text message that came in before the one he just read. It was a message from Vicky.
It read: if u tink u r pregnant, den we must do somtin about it. We have to talk to Mike immediately.
Dad’s heart started to beat faster, he hands began to tremble. When he looked up at mum, his eyes where bloodshot, the
vein on his forehead was visible. Mum knew instantly that this wasn’t just anger, it was rage.
“Look at what your daughter is doing,” he muttered slowly through his clenched teeth. “Ada is pregnant.
His cell phone rang again, he looked at the caller ID and it was his boss. He angrily picked the call.
“I am very sorry I can’t make it to the office as soon as I thought. In fact, we will see tomorrow.”
“What is wrong with you Mr. Ikedia? What is happening? You have left everybody here hanging, I am really embarrassed, you
know I don’t condone such behavior. If there is a problem why didn’t u call and give us…”
“I said that I will see you tomorrow sir and explain things to you, thank you.” Dad cut the line and switched off his cell
phone.
7
After dad collected Ada’s cell phone from her, I came out of my room and headed straight for the kitchen. I was glad
Ada’s cell phone had been taken away from her. She was always on the call even at odd hours of the day. Her world was b
beginning to revolve around it.
I got to the kitchen, open the fridge and was glad to see that the loaf of bread I had yesterday was still remaining. I
warmed hot water and made tea for myself. I entered the sitting room and switched on the television. I waited for the
DSTV to finish loading, selected Disney channel and allowed the show to feed my eyes, while I fed my mouth. I had not
watched for more than ten minutes when dad came into the sitting room. His bloodshot eyes starred at me angrily.
I instantly regretted why I came into the sitting room. I remembered he had collected Ada’s cell phone because it made
her act like she was ignorant or insensitive to the situation at home. Now I have allowed myself to fall into the same
situation.
“What’s that? Will you switch of that television and go into your room? Are you not supposed to be in school? You can’t
be reasonable enough to know that you are supposed to spend the most part of this morning studying your books.” He
stopped and continued to stare at me with disgust.
I hurriedly turned the TV off and headed straight for my room.
“Call Ada and John for me.” His angry voice said to my back.
I hated the day with all my life.
Read The Story
I quickly informed Ada and John that daddy wanted to see them and hastily entered my room. I felt really bad. I almost
hated my dad. Why must he be so mean? I had often heard most of my friends talk about their dad at school. I even see how
they related with their parents when they come to pick them from school. Most of them weren’t as rich as we were. But
they were much happier.
My own home was filled with nothing but constant quarreling. Nobody was ever happy with anybody. Dad was a stranger to us
all and I never get to hang out and do anything meaningful with my sister. She didn’t care about anybody in the house, in
fact she didn’t want anybody to know anything about her so she was always in her room, making and answering calls like
the calls were the only thing that made her happy when at home. She never laughed with anybody at home, not even me, her
only and little sister. My mum was so withdrawn that you hardly get her to tell you anything interesting. She was just a
woman of her own world. John was just strange. As the days went by, he transformed into a dangerous person. Something was
just bothering him. He was learning to be somebody he wasn’t comfortable with.
I had never seen my mum and dad share happy moments together. The few times they talk you find them answering each other
in monosyllabic replies and when they talk long it was always when dad was in his squabbling mood. He barks at mum and
continuously complains at any little thing he feels she had not done right.
I wished I could ask God for another family.
I got tired of just lying down doing nothing, so I decided to read my book like dad had suggested. While searching forthe book to read, I thought I heard the metallic sound of keys. I quickly searched through my bad and behold, in between
my homework note book was the key everybody was looking for.
8
“I can see that you kids have decided to disgrace this household, but I will never allow it.” Dad was speaking to Ada and John.
They had both approached his room simultaneously, but dad had met them up in the sitting room and started to address them
there.
“I will not harbor a rogue and a prostitute in this house, never!!!” his voice was so loud that I could feel the
vibration it cased in my room. “I dedicate my time and my life trying to ensure that you kids get the best in life. But
how do you kids show your gratitude? You miss classes, come home with poor results, sleep around, smoke and get
pregnant!! Tell me what father will have this knowledge about his kids and be happy?”
Ada raised her head in shock when dad mentioned pregnancy. How in God’s name did he find out that she was under suspicion
that she might be pregnant? It was then that she realized that she was in a more serious problem with dad. She had taught
dad was just going to complain about the cell phone and then the key and finally conclude by making them feel silly and
everybody retires into their room. What did he see in her cell phone that made him aware of the situation? Perhaps Vivian
replied the text she sent to her early this morning and dad had seen it.
“Ada, how old are you?” Dad continued, “At such a tender age you think the best thing for you to do is to sleep around?
Telling everybody that you lack home training? Disgracing the family? Embarrassing me?”
They remain silent, both trembling in fear and almost wetting their p@nts.
“Look at you John, you are barely 13yrs” John, looked up sharply, how could dad say he was 13yrs? “And all you do is sleep around and smoke with vagabonds in town? No!! I won’t take this! Not while I am alive. Ada you are not going to
have your bastard baby in my house and you, John, I don’t breed thieves here so you can go and live with your trainers so
that you can perfect in the act of smoking. I will not, I repeat, I will never spend my money on anyone who does not want
it, neither will I house such a person.”
Mum had already appeared at his back. She had read the text message in Ada’s cell phone and confirmed what dad had read.
She had allowed the cell phone to drop from her because her shivery hand could hold it any longer. This was much more
than she could handle. She had suspected that Ada was already sexually active but didn’t know how to approach her on the
issue. The mother-daughter relationship she had tried to build between them hadn’t worked out mainly because she had
allowed herself to be carried away by dad’s lack of attention towards her and the family generally.
Now Ada was pregnant. The whole world will blame her for being a bad mother. How could she face this shame? Her daughter
was only eighteen.
Now from the background she stared at Ada with a scornful look. Different emotions ran through her. She felt sad, afraid,
disappointed, and angry.
“Look at you Ada! You don’t know how to respect yourself, how can you make yourself so cheap for men? I am disappointed in the two of you.” Mum said as she broke down and started crying.
The air was so tense that both Ada and John felt like the earth should open up and swallow them, Ada felt worse.
“I will never take it! Once this key is found or once the door is broken down, the both of you should leave my house. You
can go and practice you prostitution and thug life elsewhere. Now both should leave my presence, go to your room and get
ready to leave my house!!”
Ada and John turned around and began to leave, while mum continued to sob loudly behind dad. But dad wasn’t satisfied
with his verdict, especially given the fact that they both didn’t show any sign of remorse, neither did they hesitate and beg.
“In fact, you will not take anything with you, I don’t care how you survive, you will leave this house with nothing
because everything you own, I bought them with my money.” He added. He had been so hurt with the new knowledge about Ada
and John that the only thing he wanted to do was to hurt them back. How could they disregard him this way? To dad, he had
been insulted beyond a bearable limit.
He felt really hurt that his heart ached; he felt so much psychological pain that his eyes were almost filled with tears.
The reason why he had been working so hard was because of his children, but they had disregarded all that and behave like
children with no training. What had he not done for them? He had ensured the got the best education, lived in a
comfortable house, fed well and gotten all they ever requested for especially when it came to education. Why would they
pay him back this way?
“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 been doing here all along, did I chain you here?”
“It’s not just about building a fancy house. 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 her. 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 you 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. It had always been him talking
and everybody in the house listening. He hadn’t even ever 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 Nigerian 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, you 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 like 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.
9
“How can you feel no remorse? I can’t believe you and your children have the guts to talk like this. Do know how it hurts
to realize that my family takes all my sacrifice for granted?”
“Our children! They are not my children, they are ours. You are not a stranger in this house. This is your house and I am
your wife and those are you children! Perhaps you have forgotten. I believe part of this is my fault, but you also have
part of the blame. You cannot run your home like it is a business organization. I alone cannot handle these growing
children, we all need you! Stop blaming me for once!”
Dad made and ‘unbelievable’ gesture, “What do you expect me to do? Sit down here with you to train the children so that
you can remind me of how my mates are working hard? Is this what I get for all my hard work in ensuring that this family
is catered for? Can’t anyone in this how show appreciation?
Please tell me Mr. Manager, what is the need of working so hard for the family when you can’t be there for them!!” Mum
was obviously tried so hard. “Having the perfect family involves more than money. Money will not speak to the kids when
they need someone to talk to and guide them!!”
“And that is why you are here. Tell me, what exactly is your function as a mother? Just accept it, you have failed. Under
your nose these children have become delinquents, but instead of accepting the blame, you blame me!!” Dad was already
shaking in anger; there is little wonder why this argument had not gotten physical. “All my effort, to have a stable
family have been in vain all because I married an incompetent wife! Do you realize that I have no social life for myself just because of you all?”
“It is always all about you right? You worked hard, you give your all blah blah blah, but can you be honest to yourself?
Are you not working real hard just for the selfish reason of climbing up the ladder of success? It has little of nothing
to do with your family. Besides, what do you call social life when you don’t share anything with your family?” It was
obvious that mum was all out for dad today.
“Is that how you see it?” Dad reflectively asked and quickly dodged from that line of argument, somehow he knew if he
pondered hard over the statement mum just made, he would realize she was saying the truth. “Do you realize that I have
just spent not more than 3hrs from when I woke with the family and I have discovered a whole lot of things that you don’t
know about the children?”
“Yes, therefore spend more time with the family, perhaps it will help curb down all these antisocial behavior in them.
How can you use your work as an excuse not to be with your family? Do you realize that for a long time now, this is the
longest conversation we have had even though it is full of arguments? You have succeeded in relegating me to the
background with your fastidious attitude yet you blame me for everything.” Mum was still angry but her tone was lower.”
“You can try as much as possible try to shift the blame but I see all these as your fault. It pains me that you don’t see
it that way, which means there is no hope for this family. You must accept responsibility for whatever is going on at
home, that is why you are the mother here.” Dad replied stubbornly. “Just imagine my children behaving like rebels, I
will never take this in this house, not after all my efforts, never!!” with that, he stormed out of the bedroom, into his
study.
Mum watched him leave; she had already decided not to reply him again. If he had chosen to continue being stubborn and
blaming her that was his problem. She will continue being the part time mother she had always being just as long as her
husband continues not to play his part as a father. She will not kill herself for anybody, not even her kids.
She went straight to the bed and lay down.
10
The house became as quiet as a grave yard. Dad was in his study, mum was in their bedroom, Ada was in her bedroom, John
was in his bedroom and I in mine.
I was still trying to make sense of how the key got into my bad. Did I put it there myself or did somebody else put it
to set me up? I took my time to recollect the event that took place last night just before I went to bed. I was on the
sitting room, on the dining table trying to do my homework. It was Sunday evening and I was fund of doing my assignment
on the last hours of the weekend. It was a habit that I formed out of laziness and lack of discipline.
Ada was talking on her cell phone and mum was in her room. It was almost 11pm and dad was not yet back. Usually, he
would call mum when he was almost home to open the gate and exit door for him. Mum would either call John to help her
open the door for dad or do it herself. Last night she opened the door herself. After letting dad in, dad walked
straight into the bedroom after just responding to our greeting with a soft inaffectionate mumble, while mum locked the
door and dropped the key on the dining table before retiring to their bedroom.
Yes, I can remember being distracted by the sound of the bunch of key with 3 keys. One of the keys was for the exit
door, the second key for the back door and the third; I didn’t really know what it opened. After mum retired, I picked
up a little quarrel with Ada. I told her she was disturbing me with her calls and we started exchanging words that led
her to hitting me. The whole event saddened me and I couldn’t wait to finish my homework and go to bed, I was also seriously feeling sleepy.
At the last stage of the assignment, I decided to put the bunch of key on the left page of my writing book because the
wall fan was blowing towards my direction and the flipping of pages was slowing down my pace. By now I was feeling real
sleepy.
I can’t recall what happened next until I found myself in my room preparing to sleep. Perhaps I had, with sleepy eyes,
covered the book leaving the key inside, dropped it in my school bag and brought it along with me to my room.
Now, how will I let them know that I had the key? Dad will definitely kill me. I felt real scared. I was the cause of
the whole commotion at home this morning. If dad loses his job, it will all be my fault. In fact everybody will blame me
for everything. I will be hated.
Then I thought about the quarrel between mum dad and my siblings. Everybody was casting blame one everyone else. Nobody
wanted to take responsibility of their actions. The fact was that we all were victims of circumstance but we all had a
role to play in it all. My carelessness and lack of discipline also played its own part in this whole family dispute.
TBC....The Lost key
