GREENER PASTURES

CHAPTER EIGHT

It has been a week since Mofor Talia left home. Funny enough, her presence has not been noticed or even felt. It is not like it was always felt but not even a word from her was something strange to Mrs. Mofor. It has been three weeks since the day her daughter was forced to choose between living to fulfill her dreams and living to fulfill the dreams of another. Cecilia knew the decision had taken a toll on her daughter and since then, she watched and beheld with her own eyes how the light of her young energetic daughter deem to the extent that she locks herself in her room.

She knew her husband had noticed the absence of his youngest daughter but had not mentioned it because he was busy basking in the glory of the eldest. Leonard had finally succeeded in suppressing the dream of his daughter like some African parents. To him, dreams and aspirations were different from a profession and a job. You could dream to become a painter or an artist but you had to become a doctor or lawyer to fit in the society and make your parents proud. Cecilia felt sad because she had understood the evolving times more than her husband who was more educated than her. At least, understanding times, seasons, and situations do not depend on your education but on your relationship with the people around you.

"Ni Leo, it has been six days since I last set eyes on Talia," Cecilia said while preparing for bed.

"Is she not your daughter? Find her, or, does she no longer help you with house chores?" he asked, irritated as if they had been quarreling over it for a while. She could not understand if it was her daughter that brought out these emotions in him or her choice of career.

"What do you think I mean when I say I haven't set eyes on her for some days now huh? Even her house chores have not been done."

"You see! You have spoiled that girl, for six days she has not done any housework and you didn't even bother to go to her room and discipline her all in the name of giving her time and space to heal, what she needs healing from is what I am still researching on. This is what I-"

"Ni Leonard, can you not ask a question once before concluding? Or is it because you think that my lack of education has hindered my common sense? Why are you a police officer? What did you learn during your training?"

"Do not dare question my capabilities Cecilia, you have spoiled your daughter so learn to live with it."

"Oh, God! Oh, God!" Cecilia burst into gut-wrenching sobs, she could no longer hold it, and she could not understand and at the same time believe the insensitive nature of her husband.

Mrs. Mofor is a calm woman by nature and she has never gotten to this point of frustration. For 35 years of marriage, she has never felt the way she did now. She has never raised her voice at her husband. It was something unusual. But what could a mother whose child was unfulfilled and unhappy do?

"You see! You see! I am now the devil. Cecilia, see your reaction to me trying to discipline your daughter." Cecilia understood that his man's ego could not let him accept certain things.

"I indeed gave her time and space to heal but I guess it wasn't immediate because she immediately continued her activities, in short, her outings became frequent for the past three weeks. It was just last Tuesday that I realized she was not coming out of her room. I thought she needed to be alone, but then Tuesday passed and Wednesday passed and she didn't come out of her room and now I remember that she didn't even come out of her room on Monday. I checked our daughter's room yesterday and today and she is not in there. Our daughter Ni Leonard, our daughter."

For a moment, regrets and shame were visible on his face but in the blink of an eye, it was gone and replaced with anger.

"What do you mean by you have checked and she is not in her room? So she has started sleeping out of the house? Just pray to your God that she comes home tomorrow if not the way I will treat her will leave her unrecognizable."

Questions upon questions, he had managed to ignore everything the wife said. Truly, he no longer cared for the love they shared. All he cared about was being the father of a successful lawyer and a teacher, with no place in his heart for her little Talia. Indeed, Talia was a deprived child, deprived of her father's love and affection since the day the latter discovered that she had chosen a career for herself.

There he was sleeping as if nothing had happened. Cecilia could only pray for their daughter's wellbeing. She could not hold herself so she cried for her lost daughter and her husband's lack of affection and care.

That night, Mr. Mofor could not sleep because of his wife's endless sobs and the whereabouts of his daughter. He had tried to remove everything from his mind like he always did to no avail. His wife's constant sobs were an indication that he had spoiled things in one way or the other.

A/N
Hello everyone, sorry for the long wait.

Writer's block is over and I promise a consistent update schedule.

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Much love 💕 ❤️ Aqui-pretty.