A Mother's Dark Secret

"Oh, God, please forgive me," he uttered weakly, struggling to catch his breath. His body trembled uncontrollably, and his arms and legs convulsed with spasms. His chest heaved as his lungs labored to draw in air. Coughing and spitting phlegm onto the floor, his discomfort was exacerbated by the catheter inserted to assist with his urination.

In a mumbled voice, he managed to say, "Be careful with these 21st-century girls if you want to..." His breath hitched again, cutting his words short.

As he shifted uncomfortably in his bed, I noticed his complexion turning pale. The color drained from his face, and when I touched his hands, they felt cold. Struggling to speak, he muttered, "I need some... some... w...wa...water."

"Water?" I offered, trying to help him form the words.

He nodded.

Without delay, I hurried to fetch him water. Returning with a cup, I assisted him in drinking. "My son, if I die, try to find my... uhum, uhum," he attempted to clear his throat, "my... my... doctor..." but it was too late. Another heavy breath escaped his lips, marking his final moment on Earth. He passed away, and his body grew cold and stiff as rigor mortis set in. Strangely, my cheeks remained dry, devoid of tears or pity.

Perhaps you're unaware of the identity of the deceased. It was my father. But how did he end up on his deathbed at the age of 62? To help you comprehend the situation, allow me to take you back in time, about twenty years ago.

Ever since I was a child, I never experienced the privilege of having a fatherly presence in my life. Not because my father was deceased, but because he was often away, visiting the numerous mistresses he had lined up for himself. There is a saying that beautiful birds always perch on the branches of tall and powerful trees. This saying can be applied to 21st-century women. Many of them prioritize wealth, so once you're rich, age, marital status, and cultural or moral boundaries hold little significance.

My father was a millionaire, owning banks, boutiques, insurance companies, and various enterprises. Being rich, handsome, and famous, women flocked to him like bees. Needless to say, he indulged in intimate affairs with many of them. Since most of these women were materialistic, they exploited his wealth, demanding cars, houses, or large sums of money. I overheard these requests recited like poems whenever he interacted with them on loudspeaker calls.

Fortunately, my mother wasn't confrontational. She believed he was an adult and shouldn't be forced into doing what he knew was right. Secretly, I wished my mother had been more assertive, preventing him from freely engaging with those beautiful descendants of Eve.

Encouraged by my mother's silence and unwavering submissiveness, he expanded his collection of mistresses from twenty to forty-five. It became a routine for him, moving from one woman to another, enjoying the pleasures they offered.

Then, as we feared, it finally happened. He left our home to cohabitate with his new catch, whom I later discovered was Nigerian. From that point onward, he ceased providing my mother with any household or upkeep expenses for my two siblings and me. Thankfully, my mother was a primary school teacher, working tirelessly to support me through senior high school. However, her modest income couldn't cover the cost of sending me to university. She suggested I go to nursing school, but I declined due to my aversion to blood and extended exposure to sick individuals.

When all hope seemed lost, the scholarship I had applied for came through. I secured a scholarship to attend the University of Ghana, Legon. Upon arriving at the university, I was amazed by its vastness, the luxurious lecture halls, student residences, diverse interactions, social class diversity, and of course, the beautiful women. These women came in different shapes, heights, and colors. Thankfully, I resisted the distractions and remained focused on my studies. Occasionally, I would sit alone in a restaurant, sipping a Malta Guinness or SmirnOff, and return to my hostel without longing for the company of the opposite sex.

I must admit, I inherited many of my father's attractive features and charm, which attracted attention from female students on campus. They often propositioned me for a "one-night stand," but I firmly declined. One day, a fellow classmate named Julie confronted me, slapping me and accusing me, saying, "You fool! You're lucky I gave you a scholarship, and here you are, ignoring me. Are you crazy or just too full of yourself?"

Despite the audience, I chose to walk away silently, without uttering a word. This earned me admiration from many, and my phone constantly rang with numbers belonging to female students. I was determined not to follow my father's detrimental path.

Eventually, I completed my final exams and graduated with first-class honors in banking and finance. Two months after finishing my tertiary education, my father returned home, in a state of decline. The signs of his impending demise were evident. He apologized to my mother and me for abandoning us. All his wealth was gone, stolen by the numerous mistresses he had accumulated.

Back from my trip down memory lane, I encountered great difficulty in finding a job in Ghana. The system relied heavily on personal connections and networking rather than solely considering one's academic abilities. Even if you excelled academically, without the right connections to influential individuals, securing employment was nearly impossible. I sent numerous job applications to various banks but received no replies or assurances of potential employment.

After searching for white-collar jobs for over three years, I decided to take on menial jobs. I remembered seeing a notice board advertising the need for a houseboy by a woman named Mrs. Linda Caleb. I returned to the notice board and took note of the contact number provided.

I dialed the number on my mobile phone, and a female voice greeted me through the receiver. I greeted her politely and explained that I had seen the job advertisement and was interested in the position of a houseboy. She laughed in response, questioning why I was calling if I had already decided to take the job. I explained that I expected her to offer me the job, but she revealed that there were already six other applicants. She challenged me to convince her why she should choose me, but before I could respond, the call abruptly ended.

Feeling disappointed, I took a few steps forward and attempted to cross the road. Unfortunately, I didn't carefully check the road before crossing, and a vehicle nearly collided with me, missing me by a hair's breadth. The driver, visibly angry, got out of the car and began hurling insults at me for my carelessness. However, her insults abruptly ceased as she recognized me. She called out my name, realizing I was Augustine , her former schoolmate from the University of Ghana, Legon. She appeared disturbed by my appearance, as poverty had prematurely aged me, making me appear much older than my actual age of 25.

She invited me to her house, expressing an interest in hearing what had happened to me. I followed her like a lost sheep, and once we were at her home, I shared my story with her. She felt sympathetic upon hearing my plight and apologized for slapping me back in university. She admitted that she was angry at the time due to my rejection of her advances and had been influenced by negative influences who deemed me unworthy of an apology. We decided to let bygones be bygones and leave the past behind us.

True to her word, Julie helped me secure a job in her mother's bank. Although her mother had some reservations about my background, she relented and made me one of the bank's security personnel.

For six months, I worked as a security guard, enjoying the benefits of free accommodation in a luxurious mansion and daily meals. One day, upon returning home, I found Julie waiting in my room, causing my heart to race. I hoped she hadn't returned to her old ways. She welcomed me and asked me to sit beside her on the bed.

With some hesitation, I obliged. Julie confessed that she had always had feelings for me since our university days and still did. She inquired about my relationship status, to which I remained silent. Finally, I admitted that I didn't have a girlfriend. She smiled and handed me a picture, explaining that she had taken it from her mother's album. The man on the right bore a striking resemblance to me and was, in fact, my father. He had spent five years with Julie 's mother before leaving, and Julie had learned that he had passed away.

Overwhelmed with emotion, tears streamed down my face. Julie unknowingly showed me a picture of my father with her mother, capturing a moment of happiness as they shared ice cream, reminiscent of two teenagers in love. It dawned on me that Mrs. Daniel Veronica , Julie 's mother, had poisoned my father and taken over his companies. I also recalled my father's last words on his deathbed, where he tried to tell me something about finding his "doctor."

Julie noticed my distress and asked if she had said something wrong. I reassured her that I was okay, but in reality, my world had been turned upside down once again.

I made the decision to retrieve my father's documents from Mrs. Daniel , which seemed ironic since I was working as a security man in my own father's company. Despite knowing that Julie loved me, I was hesitant to tell her that her mother was responsible for my father's demise and had taken away his properties, including his documents. Complicating matters was the fact that I was developing feelings for Julie and didn't want to hurt her. However, remembering my father's dying wish, I realized I had a difficult decision to make.

Six months later, one day Mrs. Daniel remarked to me, "You resemble my ex-boyfriend. Sometimes, when I see you, I can't help but remember him." I almost wanted to tell her, "He showed you love, but you repaid him by poisoning him." But instead, I responded, "Well, madam, sometimes people resemble each other. It's just a mere coincidence."

I noticed that Miss Daniel was becoming increasingly curious about me. At first, she was subtle about it, but then she became more direct, frequently asking me questions about my father, most of which I tried to evade. It was time for me to put my plan into action.

One weekend, Julie entered my room and asked me why her mother was so curious about me. I replied, "I don't know. She's your mother. Find out from her." She laughed and revealed, "She's not my mother. My parents died in a car accident twelve years ago when I was nine. She volunteered to take care of me. She does have two boys, though. They're in Canada now."

When Julie informed me that Miss Daniel was not her mother, my game plan changed. I decided to tell her the truth. I confessed that the man she saw in the picture she took from her mother's album was my father. Her eyes widened in excitement, and she exclaimed, "I knew it! When I saw that picture, I knew you were related to that man. It's intuitive. Tell me more, babe..."

I explained to her that her "mother" had poisoned my father and taken away all his properties, including houses, companies, and boutiques. She asked, "So what do you intend to do now?" I responded, "I want to take back what rightfully belongs to me. It is my..."

Before I could finish my sentence, Miss Daniel Veronica interrupted us. She stated, "Of course, it is your property. So you want to kill me and take all your father's documents. Isn't that your game plan? I knew that skirt chaser was your father. I knew it." I was stunned. How had Miss Daniel discovered my plan? I knew she would surely dismiss me from the house.

"Good work, Julie ," Miss Daniel praised her "daughter." Julie replied, "Don't thank me. You used me to get to him. If I knew that was your plan, I wouldn't have..." Miss Daniel laughed and said, "Don't be surprised. All men have the same weakness when it comes to women; they become foolish and vulnerable."

My heart raced in my chest. Miss Daniel had used Julie to outplay me completely. In some way, I blamed Julie for not informing me that it was Miss Daniel who sent her to question me. I was thrown out of the house with a stern warning never to return.

I felt defeated.

Three months later, on a Friday night around 6:30 PM, I was resting in the sitting room of my mother's house when I heard a knock on the door. I wasn't expecting anyone, so I was surprised. I opened the door, and there stood Julie . Without waiting for her to say anything, I slammed the door in her face and returned to my seat, consumed with anger at her betrayal. She shouted from behind the door, "Augustine , I'm sorry. Miss Daniel used me to get to you, but I have brought you your father's documents."

Her words hit me like a thunderbolt, but I reasoned that she was only trying to manipulate me into opening the door. An hour later, I finally opened the door, and to my surprise, she was still there. I yelled at her, "What are you still doing here? Go away, you betrayer! I thought you really loved me."

She smiled and replied, "I do." Then, she handed over my father's documents and said, "I do love you, and I always will." I was taken aback by her actions and asked her why she decided to give me the documents now.

Julie responded, "Because they are rightfully yours. You deserve them. Now, I have to go."

"I need you to tell me why you've had a change of heart," I said, gripping her hand and guiding her into the room. She looked at me intently for a few moments before proceeding to explain the situation to me.

Julie noticed the surprise on Augustine 's face and decided to explain the situation to him. She began with the moment she showed him the picture she found in his mother's album. In the picture, a man was holding Augustine 's hands, and that same man was also seen cuddling with Miss Daniel in another photo. Julie admitted that she had snooped through Augustine 's belongings and discovered these pictures. Realizing that the man in the photo was Phillip, Augustine 's father, Julie believed that her intuition about Augustine was correct.

Julie mentioned that her mother, Veronica , had also sensed something about Augustine that she couldn't see. Julie decided to enlist her mother's help in unraveling the mystery. She instructed her daughter to ask Augustine questions about his mission and family background. During the interrogation, Veronica emerged from her hiding place and accused Augustine of wanting to kill her and take possession of his father's documents.

Julie explained that she secretly followed Augustine to his house one day when he left. Upon returning home, she contemplated the situation and decided to return what rightfully belonged to Augustine , especially since the properties were about to be divided between Miss Daniel 's two sons. Julie knew that she, being not legally recognized as Miss Daniel 's child, would not receive a share of the property.

Julie claimed that she stole the documents from Veronica 's room when she was away, using a spare key. Veronica only realized the documents were missing when she was on her way to return them to Augustine . Veronica called Julie and threatened to kill her if she didn't return the documents. Julie also alleged that Veronica admitted she would have poisoned her, just as she did to Philip, had she known Julie would betray her. Julie claimed to have recorded their conversation as evidence on her phone.

From Augustine 's perspective, he was taken aback by Julie 's account of events. He questioned whether her actions were driven by love or if it was another scheme. Without hesitation, he decided to file a case against Miss Daniel Veronica at the police station. Veronica was subsequently arrested on her way to the airport. After two months of court proceedings, she was found guilty of poisoning Augustine 's father and received a life sentence.

Three months later, Augustine and Julie got married. They enjoyed a memorable honeymoon together, filled with desire and passion. The details of their intimate moments are withheld, as they remain private. Augustine expressed gratitude to God for Julie 's involvement in recovering his father's property documents, which ultimately led to his own wealth. He continued to take care of his mother, while his siblings, Ben and Rita, pursued their respective careers in banking and nursing.

Augustine and Julie welcomed their second child, a son named Jayson, adding to their family. Augustine prayed for God's blessings upon his family and acknowledged his respect for his father, who came to his senses before passing away.