Nathaniel heed his mother advise. He try to be there for his daughter. He began to look for another job since he already lost his previous job.
It was hard. Their bills was beginning to pule up. begin to pile up. He walk around looking for work and trying to forget the pain of losing his wife.
He promised himself to hide his pain from his daughter and his mother. It was hard on them seeing him sad and broken. In the past few days that he pretend to go back to normal, he saw the change in his mother and daughter.
Those sad lines has begin to disappear from his mother face and there was a bit of hope on them.
Annabella was also trying to get over the disappearance of her mother. She tried to act like it wss a normal thing. The little girl was able to know that her father was also suffering and he wasn't so happy with her current state. Especially her nightmare that was becoming a thing if concern and worry for the family. She tried her little best to focus on her training at the music school.
Her father was glad the music was giving his daughter motivation to continue holding on to his promise that her mother will come back. And she seems to be moving on.
He return back from his daily search on a very warm afternoon. The house was quiet. His mother was not in the living room which was unusual. She was always watching movie or reading. Those were her hobbies.
He went into the room but she wasn't there too. He hunch forward to take his phone from the back pocket of his jeans.
He dial a number and waited for the receiver to answer. There was no answer then the door bell ring. He look at his wrist watch. Annabella will still be at school. It wasn't closing hour. So he hurried to the door.
He was both surprised and relieved to see his mother. She was dressed in a beautiful native attire. He remembered the cloth was given to her as a birthday present last year by Toun. It stirred a memory. He sniffed in and blinked back the tears that threatened to fall down his eyes. He did not want his mother to see his reaction.
"Where do you go mom?" He asked with concern, acting like he didn't notice the cloth she wore.
"Atleast, you should let me in before asking me questions." She said with a brow arched.
He sighed, apologized and then he moved aside for her to wheel herself in. He closed the door and helped her to the living room. He help to move her to one of the arm chair.
"Thank you." She appreciated.
"So where do you go?"
She looked at him and shook her head before she replied. "I went to look for a job."
"A what?" Nathaniel asked, exasperated.
"You heard me. I'm thristy, get me water to drink." She said. He frowned angrily but he did as he was told.
He stood up and he went to the dispenser to get water but he realized that they haven't refilled the dispenser for some time now. He heaved a frustrated sigh and he eent to the kitchen to get water for his mother. He brought back a glass of water and he gave it to her.
She nodded with appreciation and short prayer then took the glass cup from him and she drank all the content of the cup. She muttered a thanks to God, then she handed the cup back to him.
Nathaniel who had been patiently waiting for his mother to finish her water, recieved the cup and he dropped it on an empty table at the side of the chair he was sitting on. took glass cup filled with water.
"Why do you go out looking for a job? What do you need a job for?" Nathaniel asked when he wss sure his mother was ready to talk.
The woman looked up at him and she smiled.
"In the next eight months from now you have to pay the house rent. Annabella will be moving to a new class next term and she will need to pay school fees and buy new books. And her fee at the music school. The foods in the store won't last forever you know. And you don't have any job for now. I have to go out and look for something to do. I need to help you." She answered him.
"But you don't have to." He disagreed. "I didn't forget about all of it but I am trying my best to get something before then. I don't want you to work. You don't need any kind of tedious work. And what kind of job do you expect to find here. This place isn't like our previous home." He said angrily.
"I know. I just want to try. I can't leave all this to you." The woman said.
"I don't need you to. I will handle it." He replied her.
"It won't hurt to help out a little. If I can get a little job, it will help in carrying out some responsibility." She suggested.
"For God sake mom, you are on wheelchair!"
"And it does not mean. If not because of money and my legs, you know that I have a giod work that can help put food on the table. I was a successful woman before the accident. It's just a pity on how things turn out. But what can we do. We can't blame God. It has happened." She spoke sadly as she remembered the things of the past.
"I know. And that is in the past. I don't need you to stress over any work to help me. I will do just that. You are doing enough by taking care of my daughter. I don't know how I would have coped with you here to help me. You don't need to work with everything you are doing. I will find a job. We still have time before to pay the next house rent. The school is still in the middle of the term. I will get a job before then. A good one. So stop worrying. "
"You know I don't mind. Remember, I half sponsored your schooling on my own."
"That was then. Now I can take care of my responsibilities fully. This place is a city and is quite dangerous for you to go around looking for a job with your condition. I don't want you to work. It's my responsibilities and I will do it. So don't think of doing it again. And I am very serious mom. I don't want you going looking for a job again unless I will be furious." He warned.
She stared hard at him and nodded.
"If you say so, I have heard you. I won't go out looking for any job. I will help with whatever I can inside the house here. But I know something good will happen soon. I assure you. Okay?"
"Okay. Thank you." He appreciated and embrace her shortly while she oat his shoulder.
******
Annabella ran into her father room. Nathaniel looked up from the papers in his hand as he heard the running footsteps into his room. A smile curled up his face as he saw his daughter ran to meet him. He placed the papers in his hand on the bed beside him and he opened his arms for her.
She embraced her father and he carried her on his thigh. He looked at her body. She was dressed in her sport wear - a navy blue tracksuit with the logo of her school somewhere on the left hand side of her top. She wear a white socks and canvass. He trust his mother to do a good job with her laundry.
It reminds him of those days when he and his little sister were in elementary school. Teachers always admire them for their neatness.
" Daddy Good morning. " She greeted running into his open arms.
" Oh! Look at my princess. "Nathaniel beam." How was your night princess?"
" It was okay. " She grin
" That's great. Thank God for the gift of life. " He said." You are ready for school. Don't forget that you are daddy princess and be a good girl at school. "
"Yes i won't forget that i am daddy's princess." She said and he laughed heartedly.
Then her expression change and her eyes were filled with so much sadness.
"What's the problem Anna?" He asked concerns.
"Will mommy come back?"
He inhale deeply. "Mommy will never leave us. Do you remember your birthday?" She nodded once. "Remember what mommy said to you?"
She was quiet trying to think and then she replied quietly. "She told me she loves me and will never leave me."
"That correct. So just hold unto that because i know mommy will not leave us." He gave her force smile. She smiles back sadly.
"Your school bus will be here soon. Let's go." She nodded and she climb down her father lap.
*******
Toun was still reading a book that Phoebe gave to her the previous day. But her thoughts were no longer in the book. Phoebe told her who ever was holding her hostage were arriving in probably an hour.
She waited for their arrival with so much hope in her heart.
She drifted off to sleep and was woken by the sound of footsteps coming towards the door.
It wasn't Phoebe because she walks quietly like a ghost. Except she want her to know she was coming.
She sat up on her bed and smoothen her hair. The door click and open.
Phoebe walk in first then she gave way for whoever it was to come in.
She was perplexed. It was an understatement to how she feels.
"Mommy. Daddy. Eunice. What are you doing here?"
"I don't think i like that greeting." Mr Joseph, her father said.
"Toun, how are you doing?" Her mother asked concern lace with her voice. But she don't care.
"Do you really bring me here? Do you kidnap me?"
"I won't call that kidnapping." Her father said.
"Don't tell me you did it?" She don't want to believe it even if she know there are capable of doing it.
"It's for your good. You will understand soon." Her father said.
"No. No no no no." She cried. "You are so cruel. I hate you. Wherever this is, i want to go back home. I am not staying here." Toun wailed
"It's useless shouting. You are not going back."
"I'm going back. This is unlawful. I know my right."
"Stop shouting on top of your voice Toun. It won't help the situation. We are helping you." Eunice said getting exasperated at her sister.
"Don't you dare say that. I hate all of you. I won't stay. Take me back." She was already crying bitterly.
Eunice went out and she came with Phoebe. She has a sympathetic look on her and she went to hold Toun to calm down but she won't stop. She was being hysterical. She dig her hand into her pocket and bring out a string. She pierce it into the side on her neck.
Toun fell slowly on Phoebe arms.
"What do you do to her?" Mrs Mopelola asked with worry lace in her voice.
" She drug her mom. That's the only way to calm her down. " Eunice retort.
" You don't have to do that. " Her mother shouted.
" I'm sorry ma'am but that is the only way to help Toun. " Phoebe answered.
Mrs Mopelola turn to face her husband. He was looking at Phobe as she tugged Toun into the blanket on the bed.
" So you agree to this. " She asked.
" This has been the only way. Toun is very obstinate and i won't let her have her way. If this is the only way to make her learn, then i am fine with it." He said. Then he turn around and walk out of the room.
This wasn't what he was expecting to happen.
Why can't Toun accept her fate? Why can't she accept what he is doing for her? What has Nathaniel done to turn his daughter away from him? He thought angrily to himself.
He hated things not going in his own ways.
He can never accept what his daughter wanted. Sooner or later, she will have to accept her fate that she have nowhere to go but to stay with them. And after she accept, he will go on with the plan he have for her.