The fill-in wife - Episode 31

 

Jordan:

"Dad!" I yell as soon as I walk through the door of our house. I want answers and I want them now. There's no way I'll let him lie to me this time. 
"Jordan what with your yelling? I could hear you from the lounge out back." My dad grumble, clearly annoyed as he walks in. I don't let it faze me though. 
"you lied to me." I spit out and his already greying brows furrow at me . Oh no. You don't get to play dumb with me,dad.
"About mother. She didn't die did she? My God, I can't believe you fed me that lie for twenty six years!" I scream in his face which I'm currently trying to read right now. I'm expecting guilt, fear or something similar but nothing. 
"Your mother's dead, Jordan. Now that's the last I want to hear of this rubbish ok?" he starts to storm away from me but I just pull Maya's locket out of my pocket and throw it at his back. He turns on his feet and throw daggers at me with his eyes. 
"What's your problem?!" My dad who has always had control of his temper yells at me.
"That! That is my problem!" I yell right back as I point to the locket lying on the ground in front of his foot.
"What's a damn locket got to do with this?" He grinds out as he bends down to pick it up. 
"This better be a good explanation for why you are acting like a--- Oh my God, it's her."
"Of course it's her. Don't look like you are shocked or something dad

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. You obviously knew she wasn't dead!"
"No! I buried your mother. I said her coffin covered with sand. This can't be." he looks dazed and I get more confused. 
"Who's the kid? Wait, maybe your mother had her before we met. There's no other explanation." he says still staring intently at the woman in the locket.
"That can't be dad. This kid is about four years younger than me. So don't fucking lie to me. "
" There's a perfectly good explanation for all these and I'm going to find that out." My dad mumble as he storm around the room aimlessly. 
"What are you doing?" I ask after few minutes of watching him. 
"Found it." he says without answering me and starts to walk out of the house. 
"Where are you going?! "I yell after him. 
" To get answers."
"I'm coming with you then." I say and follow right on his heels.

Jordan's dad:

 She's alive. I can't believe this. I navigate my car through the mid day traffic and out of the city. It's unbelievable but I can't forget those eyes. I never could. Even after decades, I still think about her. Dream about her. She was my soul mate. She still is. I remember how we met in that bar almost thirty years ago. The company was going through tough times. My father was on my neck to find a solution to our bankruptcy problem. The investors were pulling out and my girlfriend from high school had just broken up with me when she found out about the company's situation.
 I was busy drowning my pains in a bottle of vodka when she came in with her perfect smile and a look so innocent, I was sure she was an angel. We hit it right off that night. I forgot all about the company, my dad and my ex. She was perfect. We both got drunk and ended up in the motel just behind the bar. It was just one night but I was convinced she was my soul mate. I was going to ask her to date me when we were both sober but the next morning, I woke up alone in bed. I couldn't find her, it was like I dreamt her. Actually, I was convinced it was all a perfect dream until a year later, we found  each other again. My dad was on my neck as usual to form a merger with our rival. I was just going to go on that one date and find a way to chicken out but imagine my shock when I walked into the restaurant to find my soul mate. I was ecstatic. My dad was surprised at my sudden urgency to get married and seal the merger but he was supportive. A month after our date, we were married but things didn't go as planned. We were always at each other's throat. I tried to make it work. I really did but it was like she wasn't the same angel I met at the bar a year earlier. She was always mad at me. It was like she hated me.
  Few months after our wedding, I came home to a crying wife. She was holding two documents in her hand. Divorce papers and a pregnancy test result. She wasn't happy about the pregnancy. She was going to ask for a divorce when she found out about her pregnancy. I don't know if she blamed the baby for being stuck with me but she was always trying to get rid of it. Our marriage went downhill after that. She went into depression and the doctors were scared for her and the baby. Turned out they had reasons to be scared. She died as soon as Jordan was born and her family has hated us ever since. They always blamed me for their daughter's death. 
 I didn't want to tell Jordan his mother hated him so I just made up a story of how she was loving. I know Jordan sensed something off about it because he has been curious about why his mother's family never came to any of his birthdays as a kid or why I never told him who they were. What if Jordan's right and she's still alive. Would she fake her death just to get rid of me and her own son.?
"Dad? Are you okay?" Jordan's voice brings me back from memory lane. 
"I don't know son. I buried her. I'm just so confused." I say and he sighs heavily beside me.
"Where are you taking us then?"
"To your grandparent's house."
"i thought they were dead." he looks hurt for a second before he covers it up with a grimace. 
"I'll explain everything once we get out of here okay?" I say once I see the gate of the old mansion. God it's been so long. I can already feel emotion clogging my throat.
"stay here ok.? I'll handle this." I tell Jordan who Thankfully doesn't argue. I walk up to the intimidating gate and hit it gently. It doesn't take long before a short old man opens the gate. Familiar eyes scan my face before a frown set up calm on his aging face. 
I remember Steve. He was like the Butler of the mansion.
 I give him a forced smile as I try to appear friendly. 
"What are you doing here Eugene?" of course he remembers me. My smile fall at the coldness in his voice. 
"I'm here to see my wife." I say without preamble and he eyes me like I've gone crazy. 
"have you finally lost your marbles like you did to our dear prisca?" he asks and I chuckle. Oh he has pissed me off. 
"Look, I know she isn't dead. I can't believe you guys made me believe she died that night after giving birth to our son? Where is she? I have to talk to that selfish woman!" I request. 
"Get out of here before I call the police Eugene. Are you not satisfied with everything you've done to this family? "
"Me? All I did was loved her but you guys took her away from me! I can't believe you guys help fake her death just to take her away from me and her own son!" I yell in his face like a deranged man. 
"what the hell are you talking about? "
" Don't you dare play dumb. I know she's in there. Get out of my way!" I push pass the old man who looks stunned.
"prisca! Prisca! " I yell as I race into the compound and push pass the door.
"pris---" My words hang in my mouth as I come face to face with the love of my life. It's been a long time but I can't forget a face that has always been in my dream. She looks so much more beautiful with age. Focus Eugene. She lied to you. God,  I'm boiling mad! 
"Eugene?!" she gasp in shock and then horror. 
"I can't believe this! You just made me believe you were gone. It's been almost thirty years!" I yell at her. 
"I can explain. Listen to---"
"No, listen to me Prisca! I can't believe you were selfish enough to give up your own child!" I yell, completely cutting her off. 
"wait, Prisca? I'm not Prisca! I'm priscillia. What are you talking about?! I know I gave up my daughter but you weren't supposed to know about our child from the one night stand we had decades ago." she  say and I stare at her. Did she finally lose her marbles completely? We had a son not a daughter.

Read " Mirage " by the same author ( Ameh juliet )

. We stare at each other for a while before my eyes wander to the wall and I see different pictures of two girls who look exactly the same. 
"madam priscillia I'm so sorry I couldn't get him to leave." Steve ramble on as he enters the room. 
"Wait, you know him?" I hear priscillia ask. 
"of course. He's the man who married your sister back then when you found out about your pregnancy and ran away from home." Steve says and everything clicks. 
 My soul mate and my wife are two different people. The woman I met at the bar and the woman  I married are not the same people. They are just twin sisters!
"How do you know him anyways?" Steve asks her. 
"He's the father of my lost daughter." She sob out as she sag onto the sofa behind her. 
"Oh my God." Steve and I both say at the same time. 
"lost daughter? I think I found her." I look up to see Jordan holding up a locket. Steve pulls the locket out of his grasp and hand it over to priscillia who starts sobbing hard as she looks down  at the locket. 
"it's her. My baby girl. It's our little girl. Oh my God. Take me to her." she say to Jordan who nods. 

So I hope you guys understand this episode. If you don't, you can ask me whatever you want in the comment box. Happy Sunday guys.