THE MISSING KEY EPISODE 8

“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.

***

I was watching television in the sitting room when Dad showed.

“What’s that? Will you switch off 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.

***

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, infact 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My Mum was so withdrawn that you hardly get her to tell you anything interesting.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 for the book to read, I thought I heard the metallic sound of keys. I quickly searched through my bag and behold, in between my homework note book was the key everybody was looking for.

WATCH OUT FOR EPISODE 9