****
By Monday morning, dropping off Kiki at school she had gone to the proprietress “You really want to?”
“”Yes, you said you will make the transfer”‘
“But it’s exams period Megan, in two weeks they would go on break, why don’t you wait? she wouldn’t be able to cope once you pull her out, all schools got exams this period”‘
“She is smart, Kiki won’t have any problem”‘
“Even the smartest kids needs time, I have already prepared it but think about your daughter Megan, after the exams with her results you can pull her out…please”‘
Megan felt like everyone was working against her to keep Kiki in the vicinity of where Sean would be able to see her…
“Megan Philips, at the end it is your decision, she is your daughter after all, whatever happens should be on you not us”
DAMNIT !!
“Okay,two weeks “‘
*****
Divine meets her at the door, “So, leaving?”
“‘In two weeks,after the exams. “”
“Okay, glad, at least she gets to be with her friends longer”
Megan remembers something and then pauses “‘I wonder, do you know who gave Mr Sean O’Conner my address?”‘
That look of guilt ,”I am sorry, it was me, he was so sweet and said he wanted to apologize, I wanted to tell you but you were so angry that day”
Megan sighs “”Please don’t ever give strangers my address or any information about me, I don’t care if they look like Jesus and sound like an angel”‘
”Sorry Megan” she says as Megan walks away
*****
For the next couple of days, Sean found it hard to concentrate. He had made up his mind to stay away from Megan and her daughter and try not to make her hate him any further but something keeps making him think about her and when he does, he also is reminded of her little girl and it didn’t make sense to him.
And he realised, since he kissed her, he thinks about her a lot, when he sleeps, he sees her, but in his dreams, they are not in the pool, they are in a different environment and the vision is blurred but he could swear it was her… he touches the scar at his temple..
What was he trying to remember that he cant’. That fall was years ago, after graduation.. but the doctor says he was good, he had temporary amnesia, 24 hours max but he remembered everything else afterwards… but why did he feel like there was something missing..
He sighs..
When he isn’t working, he is hanging with Zachary and when he is doing neither he is home, and some days too often he is thinking about her… then when his thoughts gets to kiki, he smiles. She reminds him so much of something too.. the way she smiles and the way her eyes lights up. He loved children, never been so close to any but he was a lover of children; there was something uniquely different about this child kiki, he feels warmth for her, like what someone would feel for someone they know and love and it was strangely unsettling too.
But the most unsettling one was her mother, there is that feeling of familiarity, especially when he kissed her lips like he had kissed those lips once before and the way she tasted. They used to say that every woman has a distinctive taste and right now he believes. He had kissed a few women and he could attest to them being different and yet he could swear that this wasn’t the first time he had kissed Megan Philips… and that was a mystery.
He spoke to Zachary about it but the fool laughed and told him “You like her Sean, just admit it” and he didn’t have a reply for that.
Tasha called again, this time he spoke to her,but he realized something, he really wasn’t talking about her excessive-ness because he wanted to push her away because he was tired of her, he liked her, a lot at some point, maybe enough but when a woman is only with you for your money and status, it shows. To her, he was her trophy man, the one she shows off to her friends, the one she brags about and gets so much from. He wanted love, compassion, realness and a woman who isn’t concerned only about all material wealth. If and when he finds that woman, he would give her the world whether she asks or not, and sadly, Tasha wasn’t that woman. He needs to break it off with her, not because he met Megan and maybe likes her, Megan or not, Tasha…wasn’t the one. He needs to end it.
Would it be so bad to do it over the phone, or fly over and do so?
He sighs running a hand through his hair.
Tomorrow was Kiki’s birthday, he marked it on his calendar… he should do something nice for the little girl and maybe he could talk to Megan too about that kiss and find out for certain if he has feelings for her.
*****
“It’s her birthday tomorrow” Ruth says to her husband
“Whose?”
“Kikina, Megan’s daughter, can we..at least call her, the girl. Please”
“No Ruth, NO!! I told you before and I would say it again””
“She is my daughter too Charles, mine and my granddaughter and I hurt day and night, I forgive her, I do, and I am tired, I won’t live forever. I am getting old and I won’t die without making up with my child and you should put your pride and ego aside and forgive her. She left me too, not just you, it’s been four years, four..it’s a long time to hold a grudge and I am tired, I am tired. I want to see my granddaughter and hold her and kiss her and make up for the time lost, I want to look into my daughter’s eyes and I tell her I love her and that she did good for herself, she is strong and she did good Charles, our baby did okay” She cries, tears rolling down
“I won’t forgive and that is that!!” Charles gets up and leaves the room
Ruth is holding the picture of Kiki she hid under the bed. She had gone out to pick up the parcel Megan left when Charles was away… she had read the letters, cried and she had kissed Kiki’s picture.
She made up her mind,with Charles or not, She was going to find her daughter and granddaughter, the address was there, she would write it out and put it on the table, if he wanted to come he should, if not she was done being unforgiving. She was!.
*****
“‘How many kids are you expecting?” Tonia asks setting the table as people begin to show up with kids, they were using the outside, they have already placed small canopies and chairs… it was a small party for kiki and her classmates.. homemade food and pastries, juice, drinks a clown and a small cake.
“15 kids and their parents, that’s all” Megan says
“Where is Kiki?”
”Oh you know her, she’s excited ” then she frowns “She wants to wear the Tiara and bracelet Sean got her, she doesn’t listen to me anymore. She has been playing with that tab all day everyday too”
“Let her, it’s her birthday!”
Kiki comes out, dressd in a beautiful pink dress, holding a princess wand, wearing the Tiara and bracelet and lookS beautiful.. ”Mummy, I look like a princess”
“‘Yes you do baby, my very own” Megan picks her up and kisses her “Ready? All your friends are waiting for you”‘
“Yes..”‘ she squeals
*****
Three hours later, kids screaming and running everywhere, Megan playing the perfect host and Tonia helping her, Kiki was having the time of her life, parents mingling..and everything was going on well until someone drives in and alights opening his booth to reveal a big present that was wrapped which he drags down from his car, a passenger seated in the car didn’t come down.
Tonia taps Megan who looks up “Oh Lord no” Megan exclaims
Kiki sees him and squeals in excitement running to him “You came!!” she jumps at him,
Sean envelops her in a hug..”Yes, and I brought you a present, what is a princess without her very own castle! ” he points at it, kiki screams as her friends run and gather about him.
Then, from the corner, Megan saw her, a woman coming down from a taxi, looking at the paper in her hands, she was staring at the houses as one confused, looking around.. When their eyes meets, Megan staggers up… even blind, she would recognize her.
“Mum!!” she chokes “‘MUM?” Then she began to run.
*
TO BE CONT.
