The Sunset across Michael's room in the United States was very beautiful. His mother had moved overseas to continue her modelling career in Los Angeles. She was doing so well. Micheal wasn't sure but at least that what he thought.
How would a woman in her late forties be comfortable dating younger men? He pondered on this for a while.
His mum, Theresa decided that she has had enough of his dad cheating. This happened when he was still a little kid. Though his mother had been a major force in the modelling world in Nigeria, she had to let go of certain opportunities because she didn't want to divorce his father. It hurt him to see his mother cry every night when his dad did not come back home and when he did he would return so late at night without a reasonable explanation.
It did not help matters when his father started having affairs with her friends and the younger women in her modelling agency. It was like he was deliberately hurting her, without thinking about her feelings. The last straw that broke the camel's back was when a strange lady came to their house with a pregnancy result and pictures of her and his father together having a "good time".
It wasn't a good day, his mum fainted when she heard it, and was in a coma for three good days. When she finally woke up, she cried as he held her hands,
"I am tired, son" "I am really tired" "What have I not done right" she cried.
"Micheal you are not saying anything!" She continued,her eyes were puffy and swollen. She had been crying for a long time. He traced his finger on her flawless yet tired face. His mother was indeed a beauty to behold, she was the most beautiful woman among her friends. His father would always boast that he wanted the best and got the best. Micheal wondered if he ever did love his mother, did he just marry her to boost his ego among his friends.
He signed deeply as he look at his poor mum. She was probably still waiting for him to say something to defend his dad but what could a eleven year old possibly say concerning adult matters. He did the only thing he could think of at the moment which was stroking her back gently as she laid her head on his chest, soon she slept off. When she was discharged from the hospital, she immediately filed for a divorced which made the family members both hers and his dad's called his mum a rebellious woman.
The whole matter got him confused, how was it possible that his father got a woman pregnant who claimed that his father must take full responsibility for his unborn child and his mother was tagged rebellious because she refused to accept that disrespect from his father?
All that their family members could say about the issue was his mother should take care of the woman like she would take care of her very own sibling. For crying out loud, this bitch had taken over her husband and they expect her to act like nothing was wrong.
It made him wonder what men take women for. During that period, he always looked at his mum with pity because she went through a lot of pain. Thank God she was able to get herself out of that toxic relationship she called a marriage.
It was not like he was happy with his mum's current behaviour, he knew that she was very lonely. He was happy when his dad allowed him to spend this holiday with her in the United States. Who knows, maybe he wants more freedom to play around with his bitches.
There were times when Michael caught him with strange women in his room. He remembered a particular night that he brought his assistant to their house, they could not take their hands off each other, kissing each other like the world won't come to an end when they suddenly realized that he was standing in front of them with his glass cup of water glued to his lips and his eyes wide open in shock.
"Get a room, Dad!", Michael said as he walked away in pure disgust. What sort of lesson would this man possibly teach him in life when he couldn't even keep a stable home. He broke his mother's heart repeatedly and now shamelessly brings different women home.
That night while he was watching the television, his father came into the sitting room and cleared his throat.
Micheal did not even spare him a glance, his eyes were still fixed on the television screen.
He felt the velvet cushion chair sank as his dad sat, he felt his hands on his shoulder which he quietly removed.
"Son, I am so sorry for this night" "I didn't know what came over me, I know I should be a role model to you but I am falling short in every aspect as a father and a husband", he said.
"Dad, you don't need to apologize" "It's obvious that you don't want to change and I won't be the one to stop you. I mean, you wouldn't be here apologizing to me if I hadn't seen you face to face eating the face of that bitch in our very house", he splurted.
