The Missing Key

Episode 5

The sound even angered him the more. He felt his children were feeling unconcerned that he was in the brink of losing his job because of the household's carelessness. He thought everybody's behavior was arrogant. He felt he had been working his butt off, denying himself the pleasure of relaxation for his household who didn't care or bother to show concern that he could lose all he had ever worked for because of someone's carelessness. Meanwhile John had even made matter worse. He angrily worked towards Ada's room and opened the door. I was sure that this was the first time he was entering her room. Ada was surprised to see him at her door. She quickly dropped the phone from her ear as the wide smile on her face turned to fear. "Look at you, behaving like someone who has no training. You think you are in the jungle where people behave anyhow. Perhaps I should join you and laugh and rejoice that the key to the exit door is missing and I might be in serious trouble in my office." She remained silent and continued to look at him in fear. "Give me that cell phone. Give it to me." He authoritatively ordered. She quickly handed the phone to him and he collected it and headed for his room. Mum was lying on the bed when he entered. He didn't care if she was asleep or not. "Did your son also tell you that he now smokes and have sex all over town with women? Did he discuss with you how he misses classes and is surely going to repeat class?" Mum was startled. At first she didn't understand what he was talking about, "I don't understand what you are saying." How can you understand? I have come to notice that you don't understand anything." "Can you just relax and talk to me for once? I am yet to make out what you are saying with you displaying all these tantrums." "I will display anything I want to. I don't know how you expect me to react upon the realization that my little son has started smoking and missing classes right under your very nose. How am I sure that he has not started taking hard drugs and mingling with criminals?" he was getting more furious and obviously now very prepared to face it out with mum. "What do you mean by under my nose? Am I supposed to attach myself to him and follow him everywhere he goes?" "Woman, you have no excuse whatsoever for John's behavior. While I work hard and deny myself all the pleasures of life, the best thing I expect from is to look after the home and children but you are only concerned with youq boutique business.'' The cell phone in his left hand vibrated. He looked at it, in his anger he had forgotten that he was holding Ada's cell phone. "Look at this, all your daughter does is waste her whole day on her cell phone, I wonder if she finds time to read her books." Immediately he finished, the phone vibrated again. He instinctively checked through the cell phone and stopped short. It read: My angel, rmber we'll spend d whole day 2day. I've a lot of 1derful stuff I'll do 2 ur body, jst d way u like it. Pls come wit d mony. Patiently waitin. Love. The sender's ID was Mike. With shaky hands he read the first text message that came in before the one he just read. It was a message from Vicky. It read: if u tink u are pregnant, den we must do somtin about it. We have to talk to Mike immediately.
"Look at what your daughter is doing," he muttered slowly through his clenched teeth. "Ada is pregnant. His cell phone rang again, he looked at the caller ID and it was his boss. He angrily picked the call. "I am very sorry I can't make it to the office as soon as I thought. In fact, we will see tomorrow." "What is wrong with you Mr. Ikedia? What is happening? You have left everybody here hanging, I am really embarrassed, you know I don't condone such behavior. If there is a problem why didn't u call and give us..." "I said that I will see you tomorrow sir and explain things to you, thank you." Dad cut the line and switched off his cell phone. *** I was watching television in the sitting room when dad showed. "What's that? Will you switch off that television and go into your room? Are you not supposed to be in school? You can't be reasonable enough to know that you are supposed to spend the most part of this morning studying your books." He stopped and continued to stare at me with disgust. I hurriedly turned the TV off and headed straight for my room. "Call Ada and John for me." His angry voice said to my back. I hated the day with all my life. *** I quickly informed Ada and John that daddy wanted to see them and hastily entered my room. I felt really bad. I almost hated my dad. Why must he be so mean? I had often heard most of my friends talk about their dad at school. I even see how they related with their parents when they come to pick them from school. Most of them weren't as rich as we were. But they were much happier. My own home was filled with nothing but constant quarreling. Nobody was ever happy with anybody. Dad was a stranger to us all and I never get to hang out and do anything meaningful with my sister. She didn't care about anybody in the house, in fact she didn't want anybody to know anything about her so she was always in her room, making and answering calls like the calls were the only thing that made her happy when at home. She never laughed with anybody at home, not even me, her only and little sister. My mum was so withdrawn that you hardly get her to tell you anything interesting. She was just a woman of her own world. John was just strange. As the days went by, he transformed into a dangerous person. Something was just bothering him. He was learning to be somebody he wasn't comfortable with. I had never seen my mum and dad share happy moments together. The few times they talk you find them answering each other in monosyllabic replies and when they talk long it was always when dad was in his squabbling mood. He barks at mum and continuously complains at any little thing he feels she had not done right. I wished I could ask God for another family. I got tired of just lying down doing nothing, so I decided to read my book like dad had suggested. While searching for the book to read, I thought I heard the metallic sound of keys. I quickly searched through my bad and behold, in between my homework note book was the KEY everybody was looking for. °°° 10.15am °°° "I can see that you kids have decided to disgrace this household, but I will never allow it." Dad was speaking to Ada and John. They had both approached his room simultaneously,but dad had met them up in the sitting room and started to address them there. "I will not harbor a rogue and a prostitute in this house, never!!!" his voice was so loud that I could feel the vibration it cased in my room. "I dedicate my time and my life trying to ensure that you kids get the best in life. But how do you kids show your gratitude? You miss classes, come home with poor results, sleep around, smoke and get pregnant!! Tell me what father will have this knowledge about his kids and be happy?" Ada raised her head in shock when dad mentioned pregnancy. How in God's name did he find out that she was under suspicion that she might be pregnant? It was then that she realized that she was in a more serious problem with dad. She had taught dad was just going to complain about the cell phone and then the key and finally conclude by making them feel silly and everybody retires into their room. What did he see in her cell phone that made him aware of the situation? Perhaps Vivian replied the text she sent to her early this morning and dad had seen it. "Ada, how old are you?" Dad continued, "At such a tender age you think the best thing for you to do is to sleep around? Telling everybody that you lack home training? Disgracing the family? Embarrassing me?" They remain silent, both trembling in fear and almost wetting their pants. "Look at you John, you are barely 13yrs" John, looked up sharply, how could dad say he was 13yrs? "And all you do is sleep around and smoke with vagabonds in town? No!! I won't take this! Not while I am alive. Ada you are not going to have your bastard baby in my house and you, John, I don't breed thieves here so you can go and live with your trainers so that you can perfect in the act of smoking. I will not, I repeat.