CHAPTER 4 My Daughter

I carried my luggage and went with them but before leaving, I gazed at my malicious stepfather.

“I will certainly get back at you Kennedy, in an unexpectant manner that will make you grieve” I declared fearlessly to him.

“In your imaginations I guess. Take this trash out of my house”

“Miss Gold this way please. We’ve got a flight to catch” I bite my lips in anger and followed them out.

“I entered the backseat of the car and shut the door. One of the guys sat at the driver’s seat while the other stays in the backseat with me.

I just looked outside the window as the car sped off. I thought about how my life was when mom was alive, after she died my life now and my life after now. I began to wonder what life holds in stock for me as a slave.

“All will be well I assured myself.’

'My master could be a nice person but most times cold as long as you don’t break any of his rules you won’t have problems” the guy beside me said.

“Rules?” I whimper.

“Do the needful and you won’t have issues. The master detest stealing and also barging into the master room without being called upon is a terrible sin”

“If one does offend the master. What then will happen?”

“The person will be sent to the cold room” the guy driving the car said.

“The cold room? That sounds horrible” I muttered.

“It is. By the way I’m Nicholas and he’s Chidera” the guy beside me said.

“Are you guys Igbo?”

“I’m not Igbo but Chidera is an Igbo guy though”

“Ok. I heard Lagos is beautiful”

“It is”

“Uhmmm”I nodded looking outside the window.

“What happened to your face?” I touched my bandaged face and my temperament changed.

“it’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it”

“Well my step dad inserted my face into hot food”

“I’m sorry about that”

“Thanks. So can you tell me more about your master? Does he have a name?”

He giggles “Of course he does Edward Philips. Emotionless and seldom talks and you are not permitted to call his name. Such person will be put to death”

“Really?” I gasped.

“Yes. When you get to a new place you need to modify to the setting. I just hope you don’t land yourself into trouble on your first day”

I inhaled deeply and looked outside the window. I can’t believe I’m going to meet an unemotional and cruel master. This is all Kennedy's fault. I wonder what he will tell dad when he comes looking for me. All of that doesn’t matter what matters is that I must live and make him pay for all he has done.

KENNEDY

About an hour after that bitch left, somebody rang the doorbell.

Who could that be? Perhaps her worthless father.

I opened the door and meet Collins.

“What is it?”

“Won’t you let me in?” He scowled.

“Say whatever you want to say here” I said seriously.

“I came for my daughter. I guess she told you she’s going with me today”

“Well your daughter is not here. No one told you to neglect her”

“I never abandoned her and what do you mean she’s not here. Stop playing games Kennedy and hand her over” I could sense that he was getting infuriated but was trying to maintain his cool.

“I said your daughter is not here”

“Well I’m not buying that shit. Hand her over or I call the cops”

“Are you intimidating me?”

“It’s not a threat. It’s a declaration of fact and I mean it. Where is my daughter?” he shouted with annoyance written all over his face.

“Well your daughter eloped with one of her numerous boyfriends”

“Gold isn't loose. Tell me where you are keeping her” this time he seized my neck.

“How else were you suppose to be aware when you deserted her for years?”

“I always visited, moreover I know my daughter well she can never commit such an act”

‘Now, this is getting harder than I imagined it to be”.

I assumed it would be easier to tell him false things about his daughter. How comes Irene never told me he always visited?

It would have been easier to come up with a better lie.

“Well you don’t know her at all. After her mother passed away, she started entertaining men into my house and when I rebuked her, she ran away definitely to be with her numerous boy friends”

“That’s not true”

“It is. I took her as my daughter too and will never do anything to harm her. Her unexpected transformation came as a shock to me as well” I grinned secretly knowing he would accept my lies.

“I must commend your acting skills, you are indeed an excellent actor on stage.

But listen to me Kennedy you can’t fool me just the way you brain washed Irene. Who knows if you didn’t have a hand in her death but when I discover you did, I will make sure you die too. And as for my daughter, I give you just 48 hours to provide her or you get ready to go to jail. You just messed with the wrong person Kennedy” he shoved me forcefully and strode to his car.

He entered and drove out.

"I never knew this man treasured his daughter this much. He definitely meant what he said so, what do I do now?

That’s by the way, why is Caleb not yet awake? He should be up by now.

I walked to his room and knocked but no response. I pushed the door open to see Caleb having seizures.

“What the fuck? Caleb” his breathing was getting reduced. He was just mumbling unfathomable words.

I tried carrying him but he was damn too heavy. I immediately called my gatekeepers help and we both carried him into the car. I started the engine as the gatekeeper rushed to open the gate. I drove out in full speed.

I watched him as he was been wheeled into the emergency room. My heart bled seeing my son suffered that much because of me.

“We will proceed from here sir” the nurse said shutting the door.

I won’t forgive myself if anything happens to my son.

I paced round the waiting room waiting for the doctor to come out. I just hope nothing happens to Caleb, because he’s all I’ve got. The doctor came out of the room minutes later and I rushed to him in anxiety.

“Doctor how is my son's condition?”

“He’s fine. He was fortunate to have being rushed here on time. He suffered from an over dose of a sleeping drug.

"Please make sure he doesn’t take such a drug again”

“I will. Can I see him now?”

“Yes, you can but he’s unconscious. He will recuperate in few hours”

“Thanks Doctor” we shook hands.

I walk into the room and saw two nurses moving out of the room with tray of drugs.

Looking at my son, a nasal cannula was inserted into his nostrils that was connected to an oxygen.

A drip hung on a drip stand and was connected into his arms.

I sat on the chair by the side of the bed with my head bowed. I can’t believe I almost killed my son because of that bitch.

I never lived her just pretended to for Irene's sake. But Caleb was very close to her and now she has succeeded in turning my son against me.

She definitely will suffer in Lagos. I just need to look for a way to take care of her father, seems  he will be a a pain in the neck.

GOLD

My back ached and I couldn't believe I was in a plane for more than twenty hours. I had to bath in the plane and also change my bandage too.

I was happy that my face was beginning to heal. Caleb was accurate after all, it actually won’t leave a scar. I wondered how he was faring and my dad would probably be searching for me now.

I wasn’t the only one in the plane, we were close to thirty people both male and female. About ten of the men were  agents, while the rest of us were slaves. Its still difficult to believe that I’m now a slave.