She walked gracefully to the center of the room and said “I’m Attorney Berry”
There was murmuring and exchange of glances everywhere. Most of the family members had issues with the Attorney’s appearance and they did nothing to hide it. I was not concerned with the attorney’s look or appearance, all that mattered to me was the vital information she claimed was from my late mom.
The attorney clapped her hands thrice and stood akinbo after getting everybody’s attention. She left out a loud breathe and said “I know most of you do not know the reason for this meeting and i know most of you thinks i am here to harm this family. This must be the reason why most of you were scared after getting calls and text messages from me. I can see the tight security here but i want you all to know that i can’t be foolish enough to mess with a family related to the president.
You all do not have an idea of who i am and neither do i know you but i have to deliver the message i was been sent. The late Mrs. Lillian sent me this message before she passed on. Actually she was like a mother to me and she also confided in me with some of her inner most secrets, Something most of you do not know. Before the death of my benefactor, she gave me a strict instruction not to show up until her baby girl is grown up and married. After her death, i would have shown myself but her instructions kept me out.
Back to who I am…. My name is Mrs.Berry Nkechi. I’m a native of Enugu and an orphan. You see, my parent died when i was just fifteen. Then i just graduated from secondary school. I was lost and abandoned. I met the late Mrs. Lillian when i was searching for the job of a sales girl. She got interested in my story and questioned me about my life. I narrated all that happened and she decided to help me without even knowing me. My benefactor made me stay with a friend of hers while i processed university admission. I got admitted to study law and she sponsored me throughout my years in school. It’s not easy to come incontact with help in this world of hardship but Mrs. Lillian was my back bone.
After seven years, I was called to bar and i started working with a law firm introduced to me by Mrs. Lillian.
Throughout all this years, i had wanted to meet her family but she never allowed me to. The reason was best know to her. During my days of working with the law firm, Mrs. Lillian decided that i should forward my education abroad and this was how i met my husband (berry).
I came back to Nigeria as a happily married woman.
Before i bore you with my story, i will go into my reason for been here.
I was in my office one hot afternoon when the late Mrs. Lillian came to me.She said something about having a bad feeling and she decided to write her will.I tried discouraging her but could not due to her determination.
After putting down her will, Mrs.lillian made an important video.In it she revealed some of her deepest secrets and she made me know that nobody knows about her secret in her family.She also made me promise never to disclose or let go of the video record until her girl is married. I agreed with her and that is why I am here today people, but i won’t say a thing until all the strangers here excuse us. I mean, i only want the family members that i sent a message here.Mrs. Lillian already told me the important ones and those are the people i messaged. Please if you got nothing from me, kindly exist this room.Including the securities,I can’t harm a whole family alone and you already have my I.D.Please follow my instructions so we can proceed”
There were side talks for awhile. Most of the uninvited family members did’nt want to exist the room but they eventually did after been addressed by the family head.The security officers also left with the instruction that we should alert them if things go bad.
The attorney requested for my uncle’s help in playing a disk which she got from her bag.My uncle carried out her request and she occupied an empty sit after getting the full control of the remote. She pressed the play button and the video appeared.
A clear image of my mom was shown after the video counted 1-10.
She sat infront of the camera and removed her eye glasses. My mom then looked into the camera and said
“Hi,making this video is not something i am proud of because i would love to open this secret myself but death has no respect for human. For me not to die with my secret, i see the need to make this video incase the unexpected happen.
To my girl and my husband, the both of you are the best thing that ever happened to me.
Baby… Nancy… Mommy loves you so much but she has been keeping secrets from you. I do not plan on keeping it forever but i plan on telling you when you are all grown up, probably on your wedding eve.
Angel, do you remember Nelly? The girl you both look like identical twin? Actually there is more to your resemblance than the story i made you believe”
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My mom paused and my heart beat increased.
“Nelly?” I asked myself but i was audible enough to be heard. Kelvin squeezed my hand and told me to be quiet. I kept my calm and fixed my eyes on the big screen.
After drinking from a bottle of water, My mom adjusted herself and continued
“You might not notice my emotions the day you rushed to me and told me about Nelly. Though i tried to be strong, i was weak to the bones but all in all, i was able to hide the truth.
I prayed to God to stop the Stanleys from visiting us the day they had dinner with us but my prayer was rejected. You remember me sending you to the room with nelly, after dinner? That was because there was lots to be discussed.
It turned out that the two families had the same goal, which was keeping the secret safe. We concluded on telling the both of you that your resemblance was just a coincidence and that was exactly what the both of you believed. I was grateful none of you thought about investigating further, probably by having a blood test or something.
The secret was kept so safe that none of my family knew about it, i only confided in your late dad but the truth can’t be kept forever. I know “Who am I” will be the question on your mind right now. An Adopted child or a biological child. You will find out soon but first of all, Nelly is your twin sister. This is my story”
****
{Lillian Williams}
My name is Lillian and i am a native of Edo state. I was the favourite child of my parent and been the wealthy couple they were, spending on me was something they do without a second thought. My younger brother (Mike) was dull right from his nursery school and this made my parents focus more on my education.
I graduated as an accounting student from a private university in Abuja back in the year 2000. Then i was just twenty years.
My parents decided that i should put in for masters immediately, after which I was to acquire my Doctorate degree. I was the apple of my parent’s eyes and i was the envy of my peer.
In the year 2001, I traveled to Canada after all the preparation for my masters had been finalized. Though i was still young, my parent believed i would be just fine.
I had an apartment to myself in Canada and i had a ride, my parent took care of it all.
Life was good, all i had to do was to study hard and have fun. I did’nt make lots of friends but i made one who changed my life.
He introduced himself as James, he was also in Canada to acquire his Masters. I met him in a shopping mall one afternoon. That very day, i went to shop for my perfume. He walked up to me and made a comment on how much he loved my scent,he enventually asked for the product I was into.
We ended up buying two bottles of my perfume, which he paid for. From there we exchanged contact and we became friends.
James was a likable person, he was homely and fun to be with. During our friendship, i found out that he was the son of a Minister back in Nigeria and he was from Delta state. I did’nt care about his position or his dad’s status, all that mattered was the connection between us.
We had lots of things in common and everything worked perfectly well, it was just like a magic.
On 22nd of March 2001, James asked me out. Funny enough he did’nt ask me to be his girlfriend, instead he requested me to be his fiancee. Even before James asked me out, i already said “Yes!” a million times.
James introduced me to his father on one of his visit to Canada and i also got to meet his sister. With james, i felt happy and safe. Oh! he was all i ever wanted.
I spent lesser time in my apartment ever since my relationship with James kicked off.
Though my parent had warned me about pre-marital s-x,I allowed James have his way when he requested for it. To me, it did’nt matter if we had s-x before or after marriage,all that mattered was me spending the rest of my life with James.He was my Prince charming.
My relationship with James was beautiful and our s-x life was awesome.It got to a point that we stopped using protection while making out. The hot love we had, made me forget all about taking precautions, to me, MY LIFE WAS PERFECT.
After two months of been in a relationship with James, i started feeling funny. I got malaria pills and administered it but the feelings did’nt go away.As the educated youth that i was,I ran to goggle and searched for the illness my symptoms were related.All the result i got, pointed to pregnancy.I knew i had been having unprotected s-x but i did’nt want to believe that i was pregnant.
I hid all the symptoms from James and got a pregnancy test kit.Though I was scared,i decided to carry out the test myself.
I rushed to my apartment and locked the door behind me after getting the kit.
With the test kit on my table,i added two drops of my urine with shaky hands.
Hot tears rushed down my cheek when two coloured bands (C&T) appeared on the kit.
I WAS POSITIVE”
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“Hot tears rushed down my cheek when two coloured band (C&t) appeared on the kit.
I WAS POSITIVE”
My mom paused and wiped the tears in her eyes with the back of her hand. She then took a deep breathe and continued.
“My world was shattered when i found out that i was pregnant. The first thought that crossed my mind was how disappointed my parent would be. The thought of hurting my parent’s feelings made me extremely angry. I smashed the kit on the wall and screamed out James name. I even punched my stomach consecutively, hoping to have a miscarriage but nothing happened.
I thought about my life and thought about my lifestyle, the only word i could describe myself with was “Disappointment”
I was a disappointment to myself, my family and all those that thought highly of me.
I looked at my stomach and the thought of it becoming swollen in months made me crazy. For once in my life, I caused the selfish love James claimed to have for me. Though i knew i was the architect of my misfortune, I put the blames on James.
I could’nt call my parent to inform them and i could not run to James for help, i decided to shut everybody out.
The first thing i did was to smash my phone on the floor, after which i locked the doors to my apartment and i threw the keys into the refuse- bin.
I would strip myself Unclad and sit in the bath thub. I would then run the shower and cry my heart out while my body gets soaked.
I would also listen to James shouting my name and banging my door, after which he would leave in frustration.
Nothing really mattered to me, or probably let me say i was’nt thinking. The only thought that was on my mind was how embarrassing it would be to travel back to Nigeria with a heavy tommy instead of a masters certificate. Life was really worthless.
At some point, i wondered how my once perfect life could become a difficult puzzle. A puzzle i could not fix.
****
After a week of shutting the world out, i got tired of hiding under my under my blanket, hoping all that happened was a bad dream and it would soon go away. I licked my wound and decided to stay strong, i believed i was’nt the first to be faced with the challenges i was facing and i believed i could over come it all. I was so sure even though i did’nt have a way out.
I had a long bath and fixed myself up, after which i fixed my apartment. I got the sim card from the broken phone and got the keys to my apartment from the refuse bin.
I looked into the mirror and promised myself to be strong, if not for anything, for the child growing inside of me.
I abandoned my car and took a cab to James apartment. Throughout the drive, i continued to rehearse what i would tell James.
I met James absent when i arrived his apartment and i could not reach him since i did’nt have a phone. I leaned on the pole infront of his house and waited for him. Throughout my period of waiting, i continued to imagine James possible reaction after i inform him, all i could come up with was to wait for his arrival.
After over a hour of waiting for James without him showing up, i decided to take my leave. I was almost out of his street when i heard someone scream my name. I could recognize his voice even from million miles, he was the only love of my life. I turned back and my eyes met James, like a little girl, i could remember running into his arms.
He held me close to his heart and carried me in. All the anger i built against him disappeared as soon as i sighted him.
James dropped me on a couch and knelt before me. With care in his eyes,he held my hand and asked for all that happened.
I apologized to James and told him that i was going through some rough period of my life. At first James was mad at me for shutting him out just because i was down. Just like the real man he was, he instructed me to open up to him.
I made my gaze meet James’s and said “Swidy, I am pregnant”.
James froze and stepped away from me. I could remember him holding his head as if he had an attack.
His reaction made wonder if he understood me or not. I moved closer to James and held his hand. I made him look at me and said “James say something, I said I’m pregnant, I’m carrying your child, your baby”
James flung my hand and said “pregnant?? for who?”
My heart sinked and my mouth went dry”
To be continued..
