Ebony

Dead Man Walking

Senior year is stressful, expensive, and time consuming :)

Ivory sat awkwardly across from her father. She wasn't sure of what she should say or do. What could you say to someone that you'd mourned over and buried?

"I'm not sure where I should start...", John said slowly

"The beginning is good for me", Ivory replied

Her father nodded his head before speaking

"Of course... uh did your mother tell you the truth about her and I?", he asked cautiously

She nodded her head and swallowed a knot that was forming in her throat

"I know you're not my biological father and that mom was having an affair with a terrorist", she spoke quietly

He sighed and shook his head

"Your mother is...really something else", he trailed off

Ivory snorted

"Yeah...that's what we'll say", she responded

John rubbed the back of his head as he spoke

"She started including herself in their activities you know...Boko Haram...I guess she thought it would make her closer to him in a way...", he paused

"I found out more than I was supposed to and your mother...well she didn't want any interference so-

"She tried to kill you", Ivory finished

John sighed

"Yes and no. She gave me something that technically made my heart stop, but my heart beat came back...I don't know how to explain it. Somehow she halfway killed me and then revived me soon after"

"We buried you"

John shook his head

"You buried a wax figure"

Ivory shook her head, trying to make sense of everything 

"But...why?", she asked

"Jacob was going to kill me because of what I know. Rwanda told him she would take care of it and helped me fake my death"

"I thought she despised you?", she stammered

John gave a small chuckle

"She does, but she owes me. In retrospect, I gave her the life she always wanted...", he trailed off once again.

"Why didn't anyone tell me? Do you know she sold me to him? To Jacob?"

John clenched his fists

"I wanted to protect you and I found out only a week ago. I was so upset that I came out of hiding so I could find you. I was going to save you from that place, but then I'd heard that Jacob's house exploded...I prayed and prayed that you weren't inside...seeing you in the grocery store was actually a stroke of luck", he said gratefully.

Ivory gave him a small smile as he got up and hugged her. She hugged him back, but slightly refrained...something was off about her father, but she couldn't figure it out.

Unfortunately, she would soon find out

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