EPISODE 12
I slept so deeply that it had to take very loud bangings on the door by the maid the next morning to wake me up.
“Sorry sir. It is past nine and you had still not woken up so I came to wake you up. I have been knocking on the door for the past fifteen minutes” she began, apologizing for knocking very hard on my door.
“Sorry, Efe. I went to bed so tired. Wow! It is past nine. I am very late for an appointment” I said.
From her expression, I could guess I was reeking of alcohol and she was trying very hard to bear the bad odour from my mouth. Smiling, I closed the door gently, shutting her out. Then I went to the bathroom. One look at my face in the mirror and I realized how badly I looked. Alcohol certainly does things to a man.
I went back to the bedroom and tidied up the place. The bottle of brandy I had brought into the house was lying on the floor with only a little of the content left in it. I could not believe that I had almost gulped down almost half the bottle. What was I thinking? I could have killed myself.
I finished tiding up the place, went to the bathroom, shaved, brushed my teeth and then had my bath. Then I dressed up. Efe was waiting for me when I came out of the bathroom. She was standing by the dining table.
“Sir, your breakfast is ready” she said. I was about to tell her I was not hungry but then I changed my mind and came to sit at the dining table. She served me coffee and biscuit.
“Coffee, Efe?” I asked, puzzled. She knew I hardly took coffee.
“Yes sir. You need it to keep you awake. You still look drowsy, sir. This morning, I realized you have taken alcohol so I thought I should give you something that will keep you awake especially as you will be driving yourself” she said
I knew she was right. I smiled at her and said “thanks”. Then I decided to let her know what was happening in the house. I proceeded to ask her to take a sit and listen to what I was going to tell her. She complied.
While eating, I told her what had happened in her absence. I told her everything, leaving out no details. She stared at me in silence as she listened with rapt attention. When I got to where I caught my wife and Edwin doing it on my marital bed, her jaw dropped. She stared at me as if I was a lunatic. Nevertheless, I continued with my narrative.
Efe was so shocked that she could not utter a word. I understood why she was shocked. No one, in his or her right senses, would have even imagined that Vivian would cheat on me.
As I said earlier, Nora was not only the epitome of beauty but a strong Christian woman well respected in the church. She was a role model for many young girls in the church where we fellowship.
“No! I can't believe this!” Efe suddenly muttered. Tears began to flow down her cheeks when I started telling her about my wife's claims that I was not the biological father of my children.
“Oh no! Sir! Please stop it!” she cried out as if I was the one claiming I was not the biological father of my children. I paused and allowed her to cry for a while as I continued eating. I had no appetite to eat so I concentrated on the coffee.
After a while, I resumed telling her about my estrange wife and her claims, winding up with why I brought home a bottle of brandy. Efe could, at this stage, not control herself any longer. The tears flowed liberally down her cheeks. I did not feel any urge to console her. She needed to cry to get the pain out of her system and begin to live with the fact that Nora and I would no more be husband and wife. But to my surprise, she got up from where she was sitting and came to kneel in front of me.
“ Sir, I beg you…please….please…I know what madam has….has…has…has done isbad but forgive her…please…You have a beautiful family…it must not collapse…the children, …Peter…Peter and Pamela need both of you. Sir! I beg you” she said as she began to plead with me to forgive my estranged wife.
Efe's moved shocked me. But she was crying and pleading in vain and I told her so.
“ No man will forgive the sin my wife committed against me, Efe. First of all, she opened her legs for another man. Secondly, it was no other man than my own best friend. Thirdly, she had the effrontery to bring him to my house to do the abominable. Number five, they chose my bedroom for their illicit sex session. Number six, it was on my bed that they were having their orgy. And you want me to forgive this? And, to add insult to injury, she is telling me I am not the father of my children! Which man will forgive her woman for that?” I asked her.
Efe did not respond to my queries for obvious reasons. I had completed having my breakfast so I took my briefcase and left the house, leaving the maid weeping at the dining table. I drove out of the compound and headed for my lawyer's chamber to discuss with him issues concerning the DNA test.
EPISODE 13
I held a one hour meeting with my lawyer, Carl Lomotey, who assured me that once the DNA test proves that the children are mine, he will ensure I have full custody of them. He was confident that the judge will grant that request.
I did not go to the hospital that day. From my lawyer's chambers, I went to my children's school with the hope that I will find them there. But their teachers told me they had not been to school for two days.It was obvious my estranged wife was keeping them away permanently. I assured myself that soon, I would have custody of them. I went home early that day. On arrival, I found Efe at the kitchen; she was still crying.
I asked her to follow me to the living room where I had a twenty minutes talk with her. She listened amidst tears.
“Such is life, Efe. But, we can only move on. You will see Peter and Pamela soon. I can assure you of that,” I told her, hoping that would cheer her up.
The next day, I was up very early. If my Nora and the children had been home, we would have had the usual early morning devotion. But, alas, they were not at home so I had it alone. Then I prepared and headed for my lawyer's place.
Carl Lomotey was waiting for me. Together, we drove to the Central Government Hospital where the DNA test was going to take place. We arrived there to find that Nora was already there with her brother and the men she had obviously employed as bodyguards. Her lawyer, Prof. Solomon Laryea, was also present. I sat down with Carl Lomotey as we waited all waited for George Oteng, the court Registrar who was going to be the Independent observer, to arrive.
Five minutes later, he did. We were then all ushered into a consulting room. The medical doctor who was going to perform the DNA was not somebody I knew. He was called Dr. Clement Adu.
When he said all was set and asked of the children, my wife asked his brother to go fetch them. Nana Kweku went out. He came in later with my children. Peter and Pamela.
“Daddy!” Pamela screamed on seeing me. She wanted to dash to my side but Nora stopped her..
“Pamela! Have you forgotten what I told you?” she sternly asked the little girl. I could see my son, Peter, wanting to come over to me. I felt like grabbing them and cuddling them in my arms. But I restrained myself, assuring myself that sooner than later, they will be back in my arms.
“Hello Peter and Pamela. How are you?” I asked them. Cowed by their mother, none of them replied but I could see how much they wanted to.
The doctor led the way to the laboratory. We all followed him. Two laboratory assistants were waiting for us. The DNA test began. Ten minutes later, it was all over and we were told to go back to the consulting room.
Back there, we all waited. The doctor soon came back with a report sealed in an envelope. He gave it to the Registrar who got all of us to sign on the seal. Then he asked us to come back to the court the following day where the envelope will be opened and the contents known. With that, we all filed out of the place.
Once outside, both Peter and Pamela began to cry that they wanted to come to me. However, Nana Kweku and his sister, Nora, will not let them. I looked on with a heavy heart as they were dragged towards the vehicle they had come in. A few minutes later, the car was driven away.
I felt broken within. Suddenly, I began to wonder whether Nora was the same loving, God-fearing, humble and caring woman I met years ago, fell in love with and married.
“It is okay, Mr. Mensah. Let us go,” my lawyer told me. I felt like going back in to see the doctor to ask him what the result was but I decided against it. Of course, the children were mine. The DNA will prove it. I went home, hopeful that the next day, the truth, that I was the father of Peter and Pamela will be established.
…………..to be continued……………
