Chapter 58: Chapter 58

Chapter 58

‘’Hey, don’t cry.’’ Alvin keeps saying for the hundredth time but I don’t give him any attention. He has been here with me all through. He has been consoling me since I received the news of my mum’s demise. He is the only person apart from my newly found family who actually knows about the sad news. I am just so lucky to have him.

‘’But why? She wasn’t supposed to die. I know she isn’t my real mum but she raised me. She brought me up into the person that I am today. That woman tricked her into doing the shit that she did. I know she may have accepted the money that came with it but she was coerced. God, what do I do?’’

‘’you …’’

‘’My siblings, Alvin. Who is going to take care of them? Imagine they are now left without a mother, and I know for a fact that mum was one great person in their lives. She was one great woman in my life too.’’

‘’You and I will make sure that they are okay and well taken care of. We will not let anything happen to the people with both love. Bob is now a big boy, Clare is very responsible and the only person that really needs us much is Carly. We won’t let them suffer whatsoever.’’

I nod at him. He has a point. The only person that I know has been left utterly vulnerable is Carly. Well, I know for a fact that we’re all distraught and all but at least the others are big enough to understand.

Mum hasn’t been here this whole week. She had gone for a show and her designs are trending everywhere. She introduced me as her upcoming progeny and I felt happy. She is truly very happy to have me around.

Her hubby who has literally become my dad is so good to me. He said that his wife suffered so much because of my disappearance. That she drifted into depression several times and that the best thing that ever happened to them both and the family as a whole is finding out that her daughter and that I was the missing girl.

It’s been a good number of weeks since the time I found out that I wasn’t my parents' child. I have been here, in my not very new home enjoying the reception. I am still working really hard to unveil and divulge my designs to the ecosphere. Mum is working hard towards making sure that I meet her clients and most of the time, I go with her to the conferences she attends.

So exposing. Like it.

I am attending several pieces of training, including communications skills, customer care and culture of services. Mum said she wants the best out of me and that I should be better than her in the near future. Apart from me, no one else is interested in what mum and I do from the family.

Mum has her strategic priorities, which include seizing opportunities, delivering quality, exercising professional and delivering quality.

I will inherit them.

Emily finished her exams and is awaiting graduation. They were so welcoming and the bash welcoming me home was super great.

Mum tagged her husband when she was going to meet Mr. Williams. She didn’t wanna go alone and she told me that the shock on William’s face was unbelievable. It was agreed unanimously by all the members of the family that they will not double shock it by telling him who the missing daughter was. He insisted that he wanted to know but mum and my newly found dad brusquely said no.

Alvin moves closer and hugs me. ‘’You are supposed to relax. Don’t overthink. Your mum is in a better place. What really happened?’’

‘’She was arrested. Mum and I ensured that she was just gonna be there for a few weeks as the investigations took place. She was receiving threats that if she talks then her kids will die one after the other. We decided that she should just speak out as mum beefed up security secretly around our home. Dad has no idea about the threats but since mum was willing to go there until the investigations were completed, we decided to support her considerations.’’

‘’So now? She died in the police cells?’’ I feel renewed torrents of tears rolling down my cheeks freely. She wasn’t really supposed to die. Mum was not a bad person.

In this world, situations can force you to do something that even you as a person may not like. It may be a bit hard to understand but shit happens some or all the times.

You could be a very straight forward person but at the end of the day, you end up messing up one thing, just one thing and what will human beings remember? The one wrong thing that you did in the end, forgetting all the other good things you have been doing all your life.

Human nature. I roll my eyes at the simple thought.

‘’She was found dead according to Clare. Well, not dead but murdered. This family was so peaceful, Alvin. You and I grew up together so, you know what kind of family that was. I wonder what I can do to take it back to normalcy.’’ He pulls away and cups my face. He then lets his gaze holds mine for a long second before he speaks.

‘’I know what you are trying to do but trust me I will not let it happen.’’

‘’What?’’ I ask worriedly.

‘’You are literally trying to blame yourself. If you haven’t done it then I know you are headed there. This, isn’t your fault, Clara. You were never there to choose where to be raised and where to be born all these weren’t any of your plans so, let nature take its course.

‘’Ooh my! Alvin?’’ I call quietly just as he drops his hands from my cheeks.

‘’I am here, sweet pie.’’ He responds sweetly and I feel my heart warming up.

‘’Thank you for being here with me. For standing with me all this while and for your encouragement and continued support. I will always ensure that I follow your lead. I appreciate you so much.’’

‘’Really? You do appreciate me?’’

‘’Hey, more than you can ever imagine. I have known you the better part of my life and even though you never wanted to tell me that you loved me, I knew you did. I just didn’t know the depth of your love for me, and I always knew that it was brotherly love hence the reason I never made any silly move. Thank you once again.’’

‘’How would you expect me to offer you brotherly love?’’ he asks frowning slightly.

‘’Well, I thought it was some sort of friendship.’’

‘’You are mistaken. I love you and I have always loved you with the whole of my heart. I was a fool back then not to talk to you about it. I had this naïve thought that I could never lose you to anyone. I thought I was going to have you for the rest of my life, now see. Harry who never even appreciated you got you and I lost you to him. Anyway, you have to let Harry go from your heart. Otherwise, I will and may not manage to come in. but if you don’t want to I will respect that.’’

‘’I still love him, Alvin. I …’’

‘’I know you still do. You have been receiving threatening messages from his wife and if you keep loving him as you claim, then you might end up dead.’’ I cower when he says that. That woman has been sending me foul-mouthed messages. She says that Harry won’t talk to him, treat him as a woman and even love him the right way because of me. Mum advised that I ignore her so that she can get tired of doing this.

‘’I have no idea where he is, I don’t know if he is aware that I have a son and I don’t know if he will ever accept him.’’

‘’You think he should find out?’’

I shrug before responding to him. ‘’Maybe he thinks I died and vanished completely from the face of this earth after the mammoth surprises I received from him. I was always there and tried so much to reconcile with him. It just didn’t work.’’

‘’I know. Let’s start working on locating him. Maybe then, you will know what’s brewing. It’s not your fault that he doesn’t love his wife, you were out of his life the moment he told you about her.’’ I nod. That’s very true.

‘’Let’s go to the house,’’ I say quietly to Alvin. He has been here since I received the news about mum’s death. May her soul rest in eternal peace.

‘’Sure.’’ He says with a slight smirk standing on his feet.

He lets out his long arm looking at me straight in the eye. I marvel at how handsome this son of a man is. His eyes are super cute and sexy. I am just realizing this. I willingly take the hand and he helps me stand on my bases. He encircles my small waistline with his left arm, then with his gaze still holding mine, he dabs away the tears that are starting to fall again.

‘’I am here, baby. Don’t beat yourself too much. Your mum even though she will not be here again, she is and was the best person I know and I pray that her soul rests in peace.

‘’Thank you.’’

He leads me to my bedroom. Ian is sleeping peacefully in his crib. He is the most adorable person in my life.

I reach for my sleek phone which is lying proudly on my nightstand. I have like one hundred missed calls but the only one that catches my eyes are Aliana’s. I hope she will never reveal to Harry where to find me. She has never frustrated me and I wish her all the best in locating her lost son. I make a mental note to call her back once Alvin leaves, which I know will not work because he doesn’t seem like he will be leaving anytime soon.

Right on cue, she calls again. I look at Alvin who nods at me to pick the damn gadget.

‘’Do you want me to come over?’’ she asks the moment I pick her call.

‘’Why would you want to do that?’’

‘’Because I just found out what just happened to you. I am so sorry.’’ She says with concern.

I remember when Aliana came to see the baby and I told her my story. She was so happy and hoped that she will locate her son soon. She shed tears of joy and the only thing she said she wanted was happiness for me and my new family.

I completely never told her who my dad is because I am totally ashamed that Harry and I who have literally sired a baby are brothers and sisters.

Aliana never maltreated me and we’ve grown to be very close. She is one of the clients I have so far. She supports me all the times and she says she likes my designs so much.

‘’Um, are you there, Clara?’’ she startles me from my trail of thoughts with her question and I smile with a nod. Alvin smiles at me too.

‘’Yes, I am here,’’ I say quietly.

‘’So, can I come over?’’

‘’Yes, you can.’’

‘’Okay, please get out.’’ I look at Alvin with the phone still pressed to my right ear. I motion him to walk out with me and he readily accepts. I have no idea what to do with him, he is so loyal when he’s around me and sometimes I feel guilty about it.

I feel like I am taking advantage of his devotion to me. He is just a friend but he is always there through thick and thin. When Clare called earlier, she mentioned that dad had said that I shouldn’t step foot inside his home. That I am the reason why mum is dead. If that woman killed her so that she doesn’t speak then I think she will never change.

I run towards Aliana who is giving me a sympathetic look.

‘’I can relate, baby girl. I am so sorry.’’

‘’Thank you.’’

She shakes Alvin’s hand and we walk back to the house. I don’t know where everyone is today but I get one of the helpers to give us wine.

Alvin bluntly says I cannot drink because I still have to breastfeed the baby. I wasn’t going to do it anyway. I have never done it.

My mind swiftly drifts to the day I was coming home. The time Tabby, Luke, Alvin and I spent at the Kayak. That was great. I didn’t wanna do it but we did it.

We spoke about several things including Tabby and Luke getting married soon. Aliana doesn’t know my mum had a thing with her foster dad but mum knows her very well and her struggles. She suggested that I suggest to Aliana that she can use her detectives to locate her son.

‘’Hey, I need your help.’’

‘’I am listening.’’

‘’I want you and Doctor Alvin to accompany me to the orphanage where I grew up. Maybe I could get some lead.’’ I nod at Alvin. He knows the story because I told him about the woman that received and hailed me when I came to the city. To her, I was never the naïve village girl but Clara, a great person who had ambitions and one who she could offer some support to.

‘’Sure, we can do it.’’ Now that dad won’t let me go to the village to bury mum, I can use some of that to cheer myself. ‘’What do you say, Alvin?’’

He nods,‘’ Whoever says no to a sweet girl like you?’’ he says jokingly and I smile.

‘’Alvin …’’ he cuts me off.

‘’Never! I’m game.’’

Aliana looks at me with the look which asks if one is in love but I just ignore her.

‘’Hey, I need to tell you something but promise me that you will not get upset.’’ Aliana addresses me and trust me, even if I promise her I will be lying. I dread such questions.

‘’I … I promise.’’ I say quickly before changing my mind.

‘’It’s about Harry. He …’’

‘’What about him? Is he okay? Did something happen to Harry? Tell me already is he …’’

‘’He was shot!’’ everything turns dark, my head spins and the sudden aching is unstoppable. My heartbeat exhilarates and I think my world just stopped.

I hope desperately that he didn’t die.