Playing For Keeps

Part Five

Now what's all this about? I wasn't with Mika and I sure as hell remember what I did that day because Mika and I had a fight on the phone the previous night and that morning he told me under any circumstances am I not to leave the house so I watched movies all day. But why is the detective asking if Mika was with me?..

"Yes he was"

Ermm till this day I don't know why I said yes but I knew Mika had used me as an alibi to cover his ass. Now I'm wondering what he's been up too to have the police involved. After answering all his questions I was allowed to leave the station so I managed to walk out with a half smile like I didn't just lie to a cop. I made my way to the bus stop to catch my bus back home, pulled out my phone ready to give Mika an earful but changed my mind and decided to make my way over to his house unannounced. Stepping off at the bus stop near his house, I spot his car in the driveway so I walk straight to the back of his parents house to the garage, which is his room. Without knocking I open his door and stop dead in my tracks. Before my eyes sat Mika bending over a coffee table weighing what look to be a shat load of weed. Stacks of money laid next to it. The garage reeked of the hori smell that I stopped myself from gagging.

Mika finally realised me standing in the doorway and got up.

"What are you doing here babe?" my eyes never strayed from the coffee table.

"Babe! I asked you a question."

"So this is what you've been doing? Selling weed?"

"A wife doesn't question her man"

"I ain't your wife. Did you use my name as an alibi with the police?" he looked wary

"Yeah did they call you?" I gave him a look of pure disgust.

"No Mika, they didn't call me. They showed up to my parents house and took me to the police station for questioning. Do you know how embarrassed I felt? My neighbors came out to watch!" he didn't look the least bit contrite about it and shrugged.

"But did you say I was with you babe?"

"How long have you been selling Mika?"

"Babe, I'm just trying to secure our future. It's just extra cash on the side for us"

"US? Have I ever asked you for money? Have I ever said I wish I could afford expensive things? NO! Don't say your choice to deal weed is for US. I would rather we stayed home or just cook at home than go out eat all the time. I'd rather we lived with our parents for the next 20 years if we had too than live in a nice house and be well off from money you earned selling weed to mess up other people's lives." My voice broke and the tears ran down my cheeks as I saw what my life has become.

"You are not the person I thought you were Mika. I can't be around all of this" waving my arm at the table,

"I want you to stop dealing Mika please." He seemed angry at first but looked as though he was listening to my plea.

"Babe, I can't just stop. I was dealing way before I met you. It's not something you just decide to walk away from. There's consequences."

"Mika if you won't at least try to walk away than I...." the back door to Mika's parents house opened. Mika nudged me out of the doorway, closing it and standing in front of the door just as a little girl who looked about the age of 5 ran out calling in a happy voice

"Daddy!"...daddy?. I watched in astonishment as the beautiful little girl leaped in the air for Mika to catch her. She giggled in delight when Mika spun her around. I was still stuck on what I heard her call him..My calm tone belied the rage running through me.

"Mika, is she your daughter?" The little girl looked at me with a big smile.

"Daddy is this yours and mommy's friend?" he looked nervous and avoided looking at me.

"This is daddy's friend bubba" I raised a brow at that. She looked at me still smiling

"Hello. I'm gonna be a big sister soon. I told mommy and daddy I want a baby sister and now I'm gonna have one."

This beautiful innocent child had no idea her words had caused the tension that was already in the air to intensify. I don't know how I did it but I kept my smile in place and tried to look happy for the child's sake.

"You are very lucky to have such a great daddy who's made your wish come true" Mika shifted uncomfortably.

"Bubba go inside ok? Daddy just needs to talk to his friend and then I'll come in"

"Ok daddy."

She gave him squeeze before wriggling out of his arms to run back inside. She stopped halfway, running back to give me a tight hug before going back inside the house. The moment the door closed Mika reached out for my hand

"Babe.." I snatched my hand back. My eyes filled with so much hatred.

"This whole time I've been your girl on the side, when you had a Missus and child and one on the way? You low piece of sh**. A whole year and you deceived me but I can't even be mad for myself. I'm angry for your poor unsuspecting Missus and your daughter who thinks your the greatest dad in the world. You sick son of a b****."

I kept my voice low for his daughter and Missus sake although I don't know why I was being considerate of their feelings. My whole relationship felt like a massive lie.

"Stay away from me and lose my number and I hope for your kids sake you become a better man"

I walked off keeping my head high and my dignity and pride kept me from giving him the satisfaction of watching me break. I made it all the way home before the waterworks started. A whole damn year he lied to me.

I cried for hours non stop. I couldn't believe I had so much tears stored up. Every time I felt like I was finally in control, I'd think of the earlier events and on went the waterworks. He called constantly to the point I switched my phone off. A few times I heard his car drive past my parents house. I felt like such a wreck my father noticed something was up and called me from the lounge room. He saw how puffy my eyes were it was so obvious I'd been crying.

"Kay, o le a le mea ua kupu? (What has happened?)" I broke down crying again.

"Leai se mea dad." (Nothing dad)..

The more I tried to stop myself from crying the more my tears came out.

"Kay? Ae se a ua tagi oe? Tautala I lou tama. Va'ai oe, e tiga lo'u loto e fa'alogo I lou tagi totonu lou poku. (Why are you crying? Talk to your dad. Listen to me. It's hurting my heart listening to you crying in your room.)"..

Through my sobs and hiccups I shook my head.

"Dad I want to go stay with Aunty Pule and finish my studies. It's nothing to do with you and mum. I just want to get out of this area."

My dad looked so sad it killed me that I couldn't explain why. He shook his head.

"E ke le alu oe e gofo ma Aunty Pule. Pe fia alu oe e gofo sesi mea ia tatou su'e sesi fale. (You are not going to live with Aunty Pule. If you want to live somewhere else then we will move to another house.)

I was so grateful my dad was willing to sacrifice selling our house to move just to keep me from leaving him and my mum. I got up and hugged my dad, still crying, and thanking him for understanding.