Bandit Baby - S02 E12

Story 2 years ago

Bandit Baby - S02 E12

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 12

After the second doctor confirmed that I was the father to the girl as the DNA test result showed, I asked some questions and she gave me the same explanation the previous doctor gave.

With that, I got up and went out.

I had no courage to go home, so I went to a relaxation center just to chill.

I did not want anyone to disturb me, so I switched off my phone.

I tried to recall where I had met Enobong previously.

I was lost in a deep thought, but I could not get a glimpse as to where we met.

I had no friend in Uyo, neither male nor female.

I had never visited any guest house neither had I followed any woman to her place within and outside of Uyo.

I was lost in thought to the point I began dozing off.

I had no urge for any food.

The only thing I took throughout that day was water.

At about 9:30pm, somebody tapped me on the shoulder.

I woke up and noticed it was the waitress.

“Sir, we will close for today. I have noticed you have sat here for many hours. Whatever it is that is bothering you, please go home and rest. You really need rest. Good night sir.”

She was very polite and humble.

I got up and went home.

When I got home, I found my wife on the sofa. She was still awake, presumably, waiting for me.

“Good evening,” I greeted. “Still awake? You should be sleeping by now.”

Unlike me, I did not even bother touching her.

But I noticed that night that my wife was equally losing weight. Why would she be suffering from the problems I created by myself?

I pitied her. But since I knew everything was gone, I made to leave for my room.

“I was waiting for you. I want to have a word with you,” she said.

That was strange, something my wife had not done for weeks.

I stopped, turned around and moved to her.

As I sat by her side, I noticed she had been crying all day.

“What again do you have to say? Are we going to the court tomorrow?” I asked.

“Do you really think I want to divorce you? I had my reasons of pushing for a divorce, but I don’t think it matters anymore. Ever since we came back from the hospital five days ago, you have virtually neglected me. You do not talk to me, you do not eat my food. What for? You cheated on me. It is you who cheated on me, so if somebody should be angry, I think it should not be you.”

She paused to clean the tears cascading from her eyes.

I was surprised at her sudden change of plans.

“I want to make it very clear to you. I will never abandon my home to another woman. Never. We have gone through a lot together. I stood by you through thick and thin, and I will not allow anything to come between us. I cannot allow my son to be raised by a single parent.”

She paused to clean her tears again.

“Did you say you were attacked by bandits on your way to Lagos?”

I nodded.

“Good! You were attacked by bandits, and coincidentally, you ran into a woman, who eventually delivered a set of triplets, and as God will have his ways, one of the babies became yours. You supervised the delivery but you could not wait at the hospital for me when I delivered our son. That baby is a BANDIT BABY. As far as I am concerned, she belongs to those bandits. She must never step her foot into this house. She does not belong here. Any attempt by you to accept that BANDIT BABY, so help me God, I shall destroy everything that is precious to you, including our beloved son. But I shall spare you to fill the pains. I challenge you to dare me.”

With that, she got up and walked to her room.

I remained seated on the sofa recounting all that she said.

To say I was shocked, would amount to an understatement.

““BANDIT BABY”? Destroy everything precious to me? My son? Challenge?”

I asked myself so many questions that night.

But I could not answer and there was no one to help me answer them.

Like a man addicted to drunkenness, I staggered my way to my room. Ever since my return from Lagos, my wife and I had been sleeping in different rooms.

I tried to get some sleep, but sleep was far from me. The only thing that I found consolation was the fact that my wife assured me that she was not leaving me, so the idea of divorce was laid to rest.

But the thought of how I became the father to one of the kids was what I could not fathom.

For as much as I could remember, I had never went to bed with any woman within the state, neither had I went to bed with anyone answering Enobong.

I could not have done it under the influence of alcohol, as I hardly drink.

I had so many thoughts, heavy thoughts, running through my mind.

What my wife said that night kept coming time after time.

And yes, like a bandit, that little girl was on the verge of destroying my home.

But thanks to my wife’s change of plan.

I picked up my phone to call Enobong in order to inform her that why wife was no longer filling for divorce, but I had a second thought.

I was no longer interested on the baby. As far as I was concerned, I was not her father.

She had done enough damage to my family.

“How can I father a child and the mother is unaware?” I asked myself.

I hissed a sigh of relieve.

Then like a soldier who has just returned from war with one of his legs amputated, but still alive, I reclined to the bed, staring at the ceiling fan.

I managed to smile from the heart, something I could not do ever since we returned from Lagos.

I thought about the job I was offered in Lagos and how to be redeployed to Akwa Ibom.

Things began returning to how they were before. The only thing that remained unchanged was my wife’s refusal to allow us sleep together as husband and wife.

But that did not bother me as long as there was peace in the house.

She was still giving me some cold attitudes, but I was cool, after all, no woman would be happy finding herself in such a situation.

I was able to speak with my son through phone calls.

One day, I called Enobong and informed her of my decision to move on with my life. I told her there was no divorce anymore and that I would not be coming for the girl as I was not the father.

From the tonal property of her sound, she was super excited.

She thanked me for all I did for her and the babies and apologized for the stress I went through.

We bade ourselves goodbye and I ended the call.

Three weeks later, I was watching television while my wife was in the kitchen. Suddenly, I heard a knock on my door and I went for it.

When I opened, I saw four Police Officers.

“Good evening Sir,” one of them greeted.

“Good evening! How may I help you?”

“We are looking for Mr. Ezekiel Umoren.”

“I am the one. Hope there is no problem!” I responded.

“I am afraid there is. We are asked to give you this. Please sign here.”

He handed me a well-sealed envelope and a paper with rows and columns.

“What is this?” I asked.

“You will find out when you read it. Just sign here.”

I signed and collected the envelope without knowing the content.

Poor me.

Indeed, it was not easy for Ezekiel.

© Ezekiel Umoren