P for Perfect

Chapter 46- Osas

If no be for God- Winnie

Daddy? Father? I have no idea what to call this man standing in front of me. I don't even know his name. I force my gaze away from him and stare straight ahead.

"Osas, it's me...do you recognize me?" He leans forward a bit to see me clearly.

"I've never met you, what makes you think that I would know you?" I snap glaring at me. Winnie's father's gaze falls (I've resolved to call him anything but dad). I push past him and walk towards my original destination, my chest hot with fury. I hadn't expected to meet him so soon. I hadn't expected his face to be so nice and open but behind that face lies the cause of all my problems. Coward that he is, he couldn't even call himself my father. Even he knows that he doesn't deserve that title.

"Wait," a hand grazes my arm. I stop immediately, glaring at whoever it is that tried to touch me. Alas, Winnie's dad is hovering over me, his face a mask of sadness.

"What is it that you want from me?" I demand.

"I want to talk to you."

••••

Winnie is tall, about 5'6". Her father is probably two feet taller. And so he hovers over me slightly. I hate it. His jaws are round and his cheeks are chubby, full from all the money he's enjoyed. The lavish life he's led is written all over him, but the problem is not that he lives like that, it's that he's lived like that for so long without giving a care about me. So why?

Why does he want to talk now?

"My name is Mark. I was hoping to see you here, Winnie was worried that you wouldn't come because of my...presence," he begins.

"Your presence does not affect me in any way," I retort immediately. We're in a small store where they've kept all the drinks. I probably shouldn't be here but I'm curious. The moment my curi is doused I'll be out of here before mummy comes and makes a scene.

"You've grown into a lovely young lady. What class are you?" He asks softly.

"What do you want? I didn't come here for small talk."

"I want to ask for your forgiveness. I didn't acknowledge you as my daughter for so long because I didn't believe your mom. And by the time I realized she wouldn't let me see you. I know I wasn't there for you Osas but I want to be now. I want to be your father."

I watch him closely, unmoved. Or not, I am moved. Moved with anger. I'm infuriated just by hearing him say those words.

"No. I do not forgive you and I do not need your presence in my life now. I've done well without it," I spit. He doesn't look surprised at my words, reasonably he must not have expected me to run to him at those words. Those cheesy, cringe words.

"Osas-"

"You are not my father. You are just another man who believes he can rule over everything and everyone around him-"

"So is it Samuel that's your father?"

"I don't consider him to be but all things considered, he's more of a father than you will ever be." His face breaks at that and my is it delightful to see. "I mean he drops me off at school everyday, he's paying my tuition, he's straightening up my papers-"

"That doesn't make him a father!"

"You're one to talk," I roll my eyes. He opens his mouth to speak but then the door slams open to reveal mummy and Big Aunty Ojo.

"What are you doing with her?" My aunt hisses. I hear Mark mutter something about cursed old ladies before turning to face them.

"I have no time for your drama, I was only talking to her," he explains.

"You lost any rights to speak to her when you walked out of our marriage!" Mummy yells, coming from behind.

"Just stay away from me, you're one to talk about marriage!"

"Don't come to my daughter's wedding and be yelling at me!"

"Winnie's as much as my daughter as she is yours! They both are!"

"I'm not your daughter," I say softly. Part of me fears being slapped by one of the women for interrupting them but I just badly needed to make it clear. They all stop to look at me.

"Osas." Marks calls softly just as Aunty says: "Shey you've heard!?"

Mummy pushes her way past Mark and towards me, she grabs my arm and storms out the door with me, not without glaring at Mark first of course.

"Why did you agree to talk to him?" She hisses, her slippers flapping as she walks.

"I didn't outrightly agree," I manage to say. Her nails dig into my skin as we enter another part of the hotel. Where is this place again now?

"Don't speak to that man ever again. He's a manipulative, deceptive bastard and all he does is like..." My mother goes on but her voice is drowned my thoughts. Manipulative? Deceptive? It sounds like she's describing herself.

"Osas, move," she orders me. I didn't realize I'd stopped. My eyes zero on her and the only thing that's ringing in my head is cheat. My mum is a cheat. Her whole life is built around the choice that she made and she refuses to accept it. At least Mark has agreed and is ready to make up for his sins.

Mum? Mum's still playing righteous. And I can't deal with it anymore. I silently remove her hands from my arm and walk away, ignoring her calls.