CHAPTER 39


    I woke up still thinking about all the conversations I had with Ridwan the other day. I missed him a lot


    too, I made my decision to work with him in this and let''s fight for our marriage together.


    I stared at the business cards he had given to me and his therapist he had asked me to contact. He


    was so determined to get better, it made me even happier.


    "Hey dear" mother said after she entered into my room.


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    "How are you doing" she asked


    "I am okay mum" I answered.


    "Someone is here to see you" mother suddenly informed.


    "Who?" I asked


    "It''s your father" mother said and I hadn''t expected that.


    "I can ask him to leave if you''re not ready to talk to him or if you don''t want to" mother informed.


    "No, it''s fine. Let hime in" I said


    Few minutes after mother left, father walked in. He looked the same way he looked when I saw him


    in Abuja.


    He sat my the edge of the bed and I sat next to him in silence. Thest time we had met didn''t end


    well but I just really felt it wouldn''t hurt to hear him out.


    "I know there is probably nothing I say now that will change anything you feel about what had


    happened but I want you to know that I love you and your sister alot and this family really means a lot


    to me" he exined sadly. I could easily see the guilt in his face. I wondered how many years he had


    lived like that.


    "If we mean that much to you then why didn''t you return, you know after you left I hoped for your


    return everyday until I had no hope left. My little spirit could take only so little. I would look up excited


    anytime I saw a ne pass by and I would be excited that it might just be you until I stopped looking


    out for those nes. I waited by the phone almost all days, hoping someone would call and that it


    would be you. I had so many milestones in my life and I wished my father could share them with me but


    he  was nowhere to be found.  He had gone." I exined but this time i wasn''t angry so much, i just


    wanted exnations and answers.


    "Why didn''t you return for us" I asked not sure of the answer I was going to get but I wanted to know


    either ways.


    "When I got abroad, i wanted nothing more than to work hard, send money home to you guys and


    when everything isfortable Ie back for you all. But the ns changed,I found out my papers


    were not real and that I was staying illegally. There was no way to go. I couldn''t call home because I


    didn''t want you all to panic and I couldn''te back because I wanted to make life easier for us. The


    first few months were really hard and even though I was able to send home few amounts of money, it


    had been from several jobs I was working on. After sometime I lot contact with your mum, my phone


    got lost, there was no one to send a letter home for me, I couldn''t. A friend told me he felt the only way


    I could stay legally and earn more was to get married to someone who was a Citizen. I agreed because


    I wanted toe back to see you guys and not empty handed. I knew ourst savings went into


    making me travel. I wanted toe home with good news. So I got married short time to get my


    papers and started working legally. After a year when I already had a stand, I could travel back home. I


    found a cousin of mine who I asked to contact your mum  for me" father exined


    "Then what happened" I asked curiously.


    "He told me you guys moved that the house we had been leaving in, thendlord had sent you packing.


    I was even more devastated but I still couldn''t leave just yet.my papers weren''tplete but I wouldn''t


    stop looking for you guys. It took me another 6 months after calls from family and friends and I I finally


    found your mother. The friend that had helped me told me she started seeing a new man and that you


    guys moved on"


    "What!! There wasn''t a day mother didn''t think about you. Sometimes I even caught her crying alone


    in the room with your picture by her side." I said.


    "It was Williams that told me that" father said then I remembered how my mother had gone to him to


    also inquire about father.


    "Mother also went to him to ask about you and he was the one that told us you were married with


    kids" I said to father.


    "Your mother told me, apparently he yed all of us" father said. "I ended the marriage for my papers


    when I got my papers. I haven''t been married to anyone else. You guys are my only family" father said.


    "I didn''t forget any of you. I knew every milestone you achieved. I knew all your graduation, your


    schrships and how well you and your sister were excelling in life and it made me happy even though


    I was far away" father continued.


    "What made youe back" I asked curiously.


    "I decided no matter what happened and that it was only wise I heard your mother''s part of the story"


    father said.


    "And I am d I decided toe back, so many things we both wouldn''t have found out. Sometimes


    things are much better resolved when we talk about them. I am really sorry I made you feel like you


    had been neglected. I really admire your strength and the woman you have be.your mum did an


    excellent job with two of you and I am proud" father said and I smiled.


    "I am sorry too dad, I should have listened to you too. And sorry about all you had to go through


    abroad"


    "I should be the one saying sorry and I am d we talked."


    "I am too" I said and we hugged one another.