COME WHAT MAY

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Ryan looked on in horror as Prof. Badmus grabbed his daughter forcefully and shook her like a rag doll. The man surely was out of control. Now he understood Lolita more. She must have gone through hell in her father's hands. Ryan did not see David move pass him to pull his father forcefully away from Lolita. David staggered backwards as his father pushed him away instead. "Dayo!" Grace shouted in shock. Prof. Badmus's eyes was blazing with anger and pure hatred. The now awake Lolita sat up and looked on in shock. Tears welled up in her eyes and fell down her face.

"Did you sponsor this fool's travel to Botswana? Answer me!!!" Prof. Badmus yelled. Ryan stepped in at that moment.

"Professor. You are making a scene. We are in a public place and I will encourage you to contain your emotions." He said as calmly as he could. Every fiber of his being wanted to defend Lolita and protect her. No matter what she might have done, she does not deserve to be treated with so much cruelty.

Prof. Badmus suddenly dropped to the floor next to Lolita's bed weeping profusely. Grace turned away as tears flowed down her eyes too. Where had she gone wrong? Why did she not see all this coming? David was fuming where he was. He was fed up with his father's tantrums and will from now on protect his sister no matter what. Even if it meant his father hating him and treating him worse than Lolita.

Uncle Dele wanted to punch the life out of him. Lolita did not deserve to be treated like garbage. He must do something about his brother's madness and fast. "You are crying now? Are you feeling guilty? You must apologise to Lolita! You are so wicked! Your child is recuperating from a fever and here you are grabbing her like a rag doll." This statement infuriated Prof. Badmus. He stood up angrily and punched his brother on the face. The latter staggered backwards and fell down.

"Dayo Badmus! Have you lost your damn mind?" Grace shouted at him. "Leave this minute and I don't want to see you come back here!" Instead of his usual mean reply, Prof. Badmus walked towards his wife who gave him an angry stare. He grabbed her shoulders as more tears fell down his face. David and Lolita saw something they had never seen on their father's face. They read "pain" in his countenance and their feeling of anger dissipated.

"Don't touch me." Grace said softly.

"Why didn't you tell me Grace? Why did you hide it from me? I could have moved the heavens and the earth if I had to so I could make the culprits pay. That is how much I love and care for you." Lolita sat up and looked at her brother. They had never seen their father express his love so openly for their mother. Of course they hug and say "I love you" to each other but this was different.

Grace did not understand what her husband was talking about. Seeing her confused look, Prof. Badmus released her shoulders and walked to the sofa and sat down. He made his hands into a fist and then unclenched it.

"When my mother died three years ago and I went for the funeral, she left me a letter and it is this letter that turned my life upside down." Ryan walked towards him and asked to be excused but the Professor stopped him. "I need your help Ryan."

"I'm listening."

"We have to do a DNA test for Lolita. I want to know whose child she is." Everyone in the room seem to gasp all at once. Grace sauntered towards her husband and glared hard at him.

"Repeat what you just said Dayo! DNA test? For what? So all this while you alienated her because you thought she wasn't your daughter? You are unbelievable!!!" She walked away and sat next to Lolita, took her hands and reassured her that her father was losing his mind.

"My mother... Lolita is the "carbon copy" of her. Every time I see Lolita I see my mother and had to be reminded of how she betrayed me. I could never forgive her for what she did. I didn't have the chance to yell at her and ask her why she ruined our lives." Uncontrollable tears fell down his eyes once again.