Chapter 46
Just like the last time, Joanna vanished into thin air, but a visit to her father had him piping everything he knew. Their affluent lifestyle was funded by a loan they took from some gang years back and when they couldn’t pay their dues, Joanna was taken as compensation.
What fazed me was that she always knew about the pact between her father and the so-called gang leader. Rather than informing me of the crisis, she opted to swallow her pride and sire a child for her buyer’s barren wife. The contract stated that she was to spend three years catering for the child before leaving the couple’s home; never to return nor speak a word of it.
The scene at my house was all staged, successfully obscuring their unlawful deal from getting unveiled. The fact that she was only a twelve-hour ride away from me was laugh-worthy.
“Are we going somewhere?” Claire asked, eyeing my outfit.
I nodded, prepping myself to have a serious talk with her. “We will if you take kindly to what I’m about to tell you.”
She leaned on the kitchen counter between us, supporting her face with her palm. “And if I don’t?”
Turning off the gas, I wiped my oily fingers with a towel and occupied my seat. “Well, I will cancel my plans for the day to do whatever you want.”
“Sounds good to me,” she said, eyeing me with curiosity.
“As a parent, I’ve always yearned to set good examples for you and make you comfortable enough to come to me for anything. I try to be an open book because you play a big role in my life and I wouldn’t want to do something without preparing you enough.”
Growing up, my parents made sure they left admirable footsteps for us to follow in and I wanted to do the same if not more for Claire. They would have sit-downs with us and let us know of the situations at hand even when they knew we weren’t going to like them.
“Okay, now I’m getting scared. Please tell me what’s going on.”
“You remember Shannon?” She nodded with a smile, motivating me to continue, “I’ve been courting her and want to make the next move but didn’t want to do it without your knowledge. She will not come between us, I will always be the best father to you and still give you my undivided attention.”
“Dad?” Her tone halted my rumbling. “I saw this coming,” she said, a smile playing at her lips. “You guys think I never noticed how you look at each other?”
My jaw dropped, my awe apparent as I doubled over with laughter seconds later. “This is sort of embarrassing, for real. You’re not against it?” I asked once I’d composed myself.
“Why would I? I know I’ve always rooted for you and Mom but I can’t force you to be with her. I’m just realizing you deserve to be happy with whomever you please.”
I blinked once, twice; she was serious. When I first met Shannon, Claire was childlike, short and skinny. Looking at her now, she appeared to be older than her age, it’s like she had grown over night. Shannon met a taller and different version of her.
“My goodness, my baby has grown up so fast. You were crying about this just less than a year ago, Claire.” I couldn’t mask my elation as I rounded the counter, hefted her off the stool, and twirled us around. Her giggles bounced the walls, her hefty weight long forgotten.
“I’m getting too old for this, Daddy,” she said amidst chuckles as I put her down.
“To me, you’ll always be my baby no matter the age.” I reached out to squeeze her cheeks but just like Shannon, she swatted my hand away.
“Honestly though, it took a while to understand that parents have a right to split and not just be miserable together to please the kids. After you spoke to my teacher about the pressure from kids with ‘a perfect home’ as they called it, she discussed it with the school’s department and they had a counselor drop by to enlighten us on healthy family relationships.”
Setting a safe school environment always plays a vital role in a child’s success in school and future. Knowing that this was beginning to happen for Claire and her mates felt like a major achievement.
“Oh, I’m delighted to hear this. I must applaud your teacher for taking this seriously, she’s amazing.” I rested my head on my hand, suddenly interested in the topic, seeing as it came in handy when I needed it. “So how are things after the counseling?”
“Surprisingly, no one has spoken a word nor teased me again about the matter.” It was a relief to hear her say that. “Can we go out now?”
* * *
My eyes shone with admiration, Shannon and Claire’s carefree chatter a sight for sore eyes. What more could I ask for? Everything had at long last fallen into place. With Matthew serving a sentence that would see us with grey hairs and wrinkled faces; we no longer lived in fear of walking the streets and wandering about as we pleased.
“You’re ruining the game,” Shannon whined, her frown causing me to cackle only to receive a smack. “Focus!”
“Alright, what am I supposed to do now?” I feigned ignorance, stealing a glance at the cards in her hand.
“You’re cheating,” Claire pointed out, earning me another smack from Shannon.
“Ouch,” I cried out, massaging the spot that barely hurt. “You guys have joined forces against me now?”
Shannon dropped her cards in order on the table. “Well, you two just lost to me again.”
Claire’s fingers dispersed the cards to confirm the win, a sigh from her signaling the end of the game. “The talent show is about to begin,” she said, pushing herself off the bench.
We followed the sea of bodies to the fanfare’s main stage, Shannon and Claire seating on each side of me on our reserved seats. Claire’s anticipation to be called on stage to perform a skit with her friends was unmistakable. They’d practiced it for days, their determination to make a change in the society worthy of commendation.
“I’m so happy to be here with you guys,” Shannon whispered when Claire ran off to meet her friends for the final touches of their play. “I still can’t believe she barely put up a fight concerning us.”
“I was as shocked as you are but isn’t it the best thing after all we’ve been through?”
She bobbed her head, a grin stretching out on her lips. “It truly is the best. She’s such a brilliant and beautiful girl, we’re getting along so well you’d think we’ve always known each other.”
Her remarks had my heart fluttering. There was nothing as beautiful as what our lives had become. She was the best thing to ever happen to me.
Everything around us was zoned out when I turned her face to me so I could look into her eyes. “I’ve been dying to ask you this. Will you be my girlfriend?”
Her eyes softened, her palm caressing my cheek as she leaned towards me. “What took you so long to ask?” she whispered, low chuckles escaping our lips. “We’ll make a good couple. Of course, I will.”
My face lit up in exhilaration, the urge to claim her lips in a deep kiss so strong I almost gave into it but she stopped me. “We’ll have time for that once we leave here.”
“Words can’t express how I feel now that you’re mine,” I murmured.
“Excuse me.” A guy with a camera in hand jolted us apart. “I couldn’t help but notice you love birds’ glow. Can I take a picture of you for our fanfare page?”
I glanced at Shannon for her consent, her subtle nod having me draping a hand over her shoulder and intertwining our fingers before staring at the camera all smiles.
Three snaps later, Claire jumped in front of the photographer. “I want one with them,” she said, coming to sit in the space we’d created between us.
“Cheese,” we chorused in unison at his request.
“This is such a lovely family,” he said while handing us the Polaroids.
