Second chances

Chapter nineteen: lost and found

"This is all my fault Christian, I should have never let him come to that place with me, what was I thinking? The keys always stay with Christy, I must have forgotten them when we walked upstairs, e fuokwa nu m"

Christian probably looked more stressed than I was, he had barely gotten sleep for days, the dark circles that accentuated his eyes were evidence of his poor resting habit. I was pacing round the room wondering where Charles could be, if he was even clothed or naked.
Christian stood up, slid his arms into his pockets before speaking

"Nne maybe you are over reacting, he is a grown man. Maybe he went out of the house because of work, he didn't want to wake you or Christy so he just slipped out. "

I shook my head because it didn't all make sense"His car keys are here, the gate keeper said he didn't see what he was wearing clearly, but he had to open the gate at his command. I think I should fire that man, couldn't he have sensed that Charles was not him self? "

Christian placed his hand on my shoulder and turned me to face him.
"Don't worry, Charles will be fine. He'll come back home to you and Christy okay, let's just call his office, some of his friends "

"I don't remember his friends, I don't even remember who I should call at work. What is wrong with me? These are things I should know, Christian he didn't leave with his Car"

We were interrupted by Christy who was ready for school, she was surprised that I hadn't prepared for work.
"O chi m, I forgot to tell them that'd I'd be running late "

"Mom I went to your room to call you, but I didn't see you, dad's phone was ringing, but he wasn't there.i brought it downstairs with me. Mom why are you not ready? Good morning uncle Chris"

"I think you'd have to go along without me, just make sure you pick charles on the way, have a nice day hun"

"Are you guys okay, why did Dad leave his phone? "

"Christy everything is fine, just go to school please. Your dad just forgot his phone I think he'll come back for it"

She finally threw her arms around me, then Christian before leaving.

"Ehe uncle don't forget, you owe me 20k for beating you in that ludo game o"

She practically danced out the door, I was amused by the way she was gloating.

"And I thought you didn't get enough sleep for other reasons, you are teaching my daughter to bet, I wonder what you teach kelechi

"Vicky hapu kwanu ihe a, leave that thing, the girl wanted money besides I would have given it to her anyways. I just wanted to test her math skills."

"Math skills,you're spoiling my daughter, no wonder you are her favorite uncle."

"Yes I am her favorite, fun uncle, whereas you are her boring mother "

Christian went to his room to get his car keys, he wanted to drive around the neighborhood to see if charles was probably hanging around.

I went up to my room to call onyi, I told her I had a family emergency and pleaded with her to explain to the boss about my absence.

I dialed Charles' work place and it turned out that they hadn't seen him.

I contemplated on dialing his mom's phone number, was there any need disturbing poor woman. When I dropped his phone, a message popped in and a familiar song began to play

I know the road is long
But where you are is home

It ended with" I'll always return"

The message had come from service providers. The song made me remember something

Flashback ****
"Charles we have been together for years, married for a year and some months and you didn't deem it fit to tell me since, I was so scared and worried, I even called your mom. I am pregnant, this kind of stress is not good for the baby. "

Baby, I'm sorry. I should have told you, it's just I was embarrassed about it and I didn't want to stress you. "

"Stress me, embarrassment kwa, I found you sleeping under a car in the garage, what if someone had moved the car. I now know why you make me keep the keys. God charles I love you so much and I don't want to lose you especially now that we're going to have our own child "

"You won't baby, I promise. We'll find a way to deal with this, it doesn't have a cure but we can work things out. I love you besides I don't want our child to become boring, I can already picture her going to classes with spectacles on. Then her favorite hobby would be reading"

I laughed upon hearing that
"How do you know it's a she? Besides I won't be a boring mother. What is wrong with reading as a hobby? I just don't want to raise our baby without you.

"Vicky I know, you would be too.... "

"What would I be? Charles finish that sentence "

" you'd be too lonely without me, my spirit would find away to come back to you. I'll always return to you, no matter what happens, sleep walking or conscious "

He leaned over to kiss me, but I stopped him.
"Make sure you always return clean, you look very funny, you've got grease all over you"

We ended up laughing

Reality**
I had to wipe away tears that formed in my eyes.
"Please return charles' clean or dirty"
That explains the song"Bryan Adams, I'll always return "

Christian returned without any luck and I was more afraid.

It was until 2pm that my phone rang, it was an unknown number

"Hello Patty "

"Hello Grace, how are you? "

I found it somehow strange that she was calling me. How did she even get my number?. We were friends just explains it all.

"Patty I found your husband wandering around my house, he's okay, he's resting now. do you want me to drop your package, or do you want to pick him your self? "

"I'll come and get him, thanks a lot Grace "

I was happy that Charles had been found. But who did he really return to? Grace or me?

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A/N. Hope you enjoy this chapter, wrote it twice 😩. So what do you think? Who did charles return to?