FINDING DORY

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Ray
I winced as my mother gently dabbed the cotton wool over the huge bruise that was on the lower side of my cheek. It even ached to talk. My nose has stopped bleeding. A small smile found its way to my lips as I recalled the memory of her gently dabbing my nose with her handkerchief. Her eyes. Her eyes were so full of expression, dark swirling chocolate and tearing up in concern. Concern for me.
"Raymond" my eyes quickly flickered up to meet my mother gazing intently at me.
"You've zoned out again" she said, applying gently but firm pressure to the cotton wool that she used at dabbing my injuries, I flinched a bit and struggled to stay still.

  "Do you want to tell me what happened tonight?" She said calmly, brushing away my curls tenderly, I closed my eyes and enjoyed the soothing gesture.
" I fell" I finally said after a long pause. She scoffed under her breath and stood up, disposing the last piece of cotton wool that was stained with dry blood.
" I'm pretty sure, you know I'm your mother Raymond, I came into this world before I decided to add you to it. So if you want to lie, you would have to try harder my son" she drawled, folding her hands and looking at me. I smiled, my mum was everything to me, even with me writhing in pain, she managed to make me smile.
" Now tell me young man and don't bother lying to me again, what happened? Why are you coming back limping with injuries decorating your face?" She said firmly.
I lowered my gaze and kept silent for a while.
 
" I got into a fight mum" I murmured avoiding her gaze.
She clutched my hand firmly " and this person made it his life mission to inflict Injuries on my son's face?". I quickly swallowed. I couldn't find it in me to tell her that it was more than one. She would explode.

  "Mum. It's nothing" I said quietly.
"Don't tell me it's nothing" she snapped angrily at me, her angry and worried eyes instantly silenced me.
" What happened? That you had to engage in a fight?" She asked more calmly. I paused again, calculating the right reply to come up with. I didn't want to aggravate her further.
"I had to come through for a friend" I blurted. I felt surprised at myself. That I was calling someone who I hardly knew 'friend'. I remembered her afflicted pained eyes as they humiliated her.

  "So you got into a fight because a friend, was this friend worth it?" She asked again. I was taken aback by her question for a long moment. But to be honest I found sordid satisfaction when my fists had collided with Jeffery's face. I never even liked the dude anyway.  So of course it was worth it, avenging her tears consumed me with a strange satisfaction that I couldn't even begin to explain.
"Yes she was worth it mum" I said, which much more firmer conviction. Her eyes widened.
" So this Friend was a she? You don get babe already?". I groaned, covering my face and laughing. I forgot I was in pain for a long moment.

  " Mummy abeg, stop with the questions already"
She raised her hands in mock surrender, took a dramatic step backwards and grinned.
"Did I even say anything?"
I laughed again, till my laughter eventually died down. I felt much better.
" I won't ask questions again, I just want to make sure that my baby boy is alright" she said softly.  I playfully rolled my eyes at the affectionate term.
"Baby boy keh? I'm a man now o"

  " My friend shut up jor, since when? You're still my baby" she pouted. I smiled and held her hand tenderly.
Her expression sobered and I instantly became worried.
" Mum, what's wrong?"

  "Your dad called today?" I felt my smile begin to fade from my lips gradually, as I maintained a poker expression.
"What for?" I couldn't control the seething venom that sneaked into my voice.
  My mum looked at me worriedly
" He wanted to check up on you my darling, on us."
The fact that my father thought he could casually come back after 20 years and play daddy bitterly amused me. I had made it very transparent and clear that I wanted nothing to do with him.

   He abadoned my mother with a 4 months pregnancy, made her parents and siblings despise her, left her stranded, hungry and homeless on the cold streets of Abuja. And even after threats and her pleas from her family and friends to abort me, she stayed. For me. Dad didn't. All he did was flaunt his perfect marriage and other ' perfect' children to the newspapers and social media while he disregarded his son for 20 years.

Him and the successful accomplishments of his law firms were trending all over the country. While I had to cope and struggle being the bastard son, while I had to go hungry, on the streets with my mother starving and hopeless.

   While my mother had to go through all kinds of demeaning things so she could feed me, clothe me, and sponsor me in school and now that her big botique had been established, things had been better for us. She worked hard for us, for me. I worked hard too in the ways that I could. I didn't even think I was going to be able to attend Nile with how pathetic the situation was. But thanks to my flawless results and hard-work, I gained admission into one of the best universities in Abuja.

  And all these achievements were done with my mom by my side and nobody else. It was sickening of him to think that he could buy his way into my life after how many years of pretending that I didn't exist. Amusing actually that he suddenly didn't want to treat me like the bastard son that I was anymore.

  " Why are you even still talking to him mum" I glared at her, she sighed and tried to hold my hand again, I angrily lifted away.
  " I told you I wanted nothing to do with that man" Godforbid that I was ever going to refer to him as my father.
" Honey, he's your father" she said softly.

    "He's nothing. Nothing to me. He was dead to me a long time ago, just as I was dead to him." I snapped. She lowered her eyes soberly away from me.  I didn't like hurting her feelings but I was upset and I couldn't contain it. The mention of my father was a trigger for me and not in a good way.
I quickly pecked her on the cheek and headed to my room.
"Goodnight mum, I have school tomorrow" I said without looking back. The night couldn't have gotten worse.

Another update guys. Please do not be a ghost reader, I beg you. I really want to make new friends. Pls comment and vote. Let me know what you think about this chapter. Until next time ❤️