CONFLICTED

Chapter 3| Happiness

Chapter 3: Happiness

I darted a furious glance from the woman to my father and then back again.

what the actual fuck?

"Aren't you going to say anything?" asked my father who offered me a quizzical look.

I gave myself the liberty to think of the situation.

man, you're such a fucking asshole and I would have nothing to do with the shitty entanglement between you and this crazy bitch.

I sighed to that thought with a bit of relief and stared at them again in cold hatred.

"Christopher." he urged.

Then I gave up. I couldn't possibly look at their faces anymore, especially his.

"Excuse me." I got up and trudged towards the staircase.

I dared him to call me back.

No, scratch that.

I̶̶ d̶̶a̶̶r̶̶e̶̶d̶̶ h̶̶i̶̶m̶̶ t̶̶o̶̶ c̶̶a̶̶l̶̶l̶̶ m̶̶e̶̶ b̶̶̶̶a̶̶̶̶c̶̶̶̶k̶̶̶̶. I dared him to order me back, lash words at me and then punish me right after, African slash military style. Walking out on him was like the most sacred taboo but I did just that simply out of blind anger.

But my father didn't make any attempt to call me back.

"Christopher, are you alright?" I heard granny say as I stepped on the landing.

I ignored her and headed for my room but she trailed behind and spoke again as soon as I touched the doorknob.

"She's a good woman."

Turning to her, she looked right into my eyes, compelling me to agree with her. I shook my head and ran my fingers through my thick black hair before biting down on my lower lip.

"So you know." It came out more as a statement than a question.

She nodded and I blew a sigh.

"Just leave me alone..." I said and refrained from adding bitch due to my anger before slamming the door in her face and turning the lock.

The bed called to me and I dragged my feet to plump down on it. Then I thought back to everything that happened this Saturday morning and let out a frustrated groan.

It's just... greatly astounding. How possible could it be? I've been bedazzled out of my breezy shorts. My father getting married? What are the odds!?

A total bombshell that sent and still sent a cold electric current coursing through my veins, and not only did it get me in a state of shock but anger as well.

Where did that leave me? He was moving on from my mom's death seventeen years ago and settling down with a new cocksucker while I, a lonely piece of shit, now having a counterfeit replacement of a mother.

I huffed and sat up with my head in my hands when I heard the revving of a car engine outside. I shot up and motioned to the window to see what was happening. It was my father and his fiancèe on their way out.

Good timing. I packed my bag for one night and went in for a quick shower, deciding that I also needed a break. I was down to my converses after putting on denim pants and likewise a denim jacket over a white tee when I heard granny's soft knock on my door.

"Chris darling, open the door. Let's talk."

I checked my hair in the mirror, deciding to settle for the hot tousled mess I saw before unlocking the door and stepping out.

"Chris, I...where are you going to?"

I went past her and hit the stairs.

"Young man, I said where to?" she reiterated more firmly.

"I'm off to Kelvin's place." I replied over my shoulder with her trailing behind me again. "I'll be back tomorrow morning."

"Tobi is not around to take you."

"Shit."

She pulled a disgusted face but didn't say anything about me swearing, afraid to worsen my already foul mood.

"I'll take a cab."

I insisted and picked up a spare house key on the tempered glass table in the living room where the brief heart-shattering meeting was held earlier.

There was not much need for a spare key since granny was always home but I took it anyway. I just might never know when my father would lock me out of the house for leaving without his approval.

"Are you out of your mind?" granny chastised and I rolled my eyes when she blabbed on.

"What if you're kidnapped or something? It's not everyday people see a rich white kid roaming about and that's a perfect opportunity to extort money from your father as a ransom for sparing your life and you know your father would blame me for letting you out of my sight and you know you could also get in deep trouble for-"

Here we go again.

The disadvantage of being a rich white kid even though I was totally black on the inside was having my freedom taken away from me. That shit hurt as hell.

"I'll be fine. I just need a little time and space to clear my head."

"Chris," she offered me a sorry look. "I know you're devastated about all these but you should know better. It's high time your father moved on. He deserves some happiness, you know."

I gritted my teeth inwardly.

"How come you knew about her and I just got to know of her this morning?" I asked, clenching my fists.

"Well, she comes here occasionally since you moved here and I was employed but I think your father has known her long before. Myself or anyone else would have told you but we were waiting for the right moment to spill the bit as we didn't know how you would take it."

My knuckles turned white from holding my hands into balls of fists.

I listened to granny explain how everyone knew this lady who called herself Lydia except me, and right there and then, I became more infuriated at what granny had said about happiness.

Loosening my fisted hands after gauging my anger, I slowly retorted, "I guess I'll never be good enough to be my father's happiness."

Her face contorted to give a dejected look. "Chris, you know that's not what I meant-"

I left in anger before she finished.

***

I stαnd fσr вlαck ríghts ✊🏿. Hєαrd αbσut George Floyd αnd I cσuldn't αffσrd to not fєєl cσncєrnєd. Kudσs tσ єvєrч Whítє, Caucasian, Brσwn, Blαck and every other ethnicity sєєíng tσ ít thαt rαcísm єnds.

Pєαcє σut ✌🏿

†
Vote and comment♡.