Immediately I walked into the sitting room tired and hungry after spending hours in traffic from school to my house, what I heard was, “Juliana, Juliana, Juliana, your secret has come to light and I must tell you that your plans will not work”. This was said by Cecilia, my step-mother. Surprised, I asked, “What are you talking about because I am lost? Aunty Cecilia, please whatever you think or feel I have done, the truth is that I cannot listen to you because I am very tired and hungry,” I retorted.
She walked straight to me, blocked my way, obviously ready to fight and stressed, “Juliana, you must listen to me right now. Do you hate me that much that you gave your friend to your father? I knew you never liked me since I married your father but I didn’t know you hated me this much,” she yelled.
“Aunty Cecilia, please I don’t understand what you are saying but please if this is a joke, I must say that it is an expensive one,” I said. But when I noticed that she was vibrating all over, I dropped my bag right there and pleaded with her to explain what the matter was. “Aunty Cecilia, can you please calm down and tell me what you are accusing me of because I truly don’t have an idea,” I demanded.
Let me digress a bit and talk about my family. My parents were happily married. However, I was their only child. My parents love me so much and they ensured I lacked nothing, especially my father. When I was 12 years old, my mother got pregnant again but she died during childbirth along with the baby. It was a very painful period for my father and I. It, however, brought us closer. My father always told me that I looked more like my mother each day, so I reminded him of her. We lived happily together until two weeks after my 18th birthday when he told me he wanted to remarry. Candidly, the news came to me as a shock because I never thought my father would want to remarry.
“Juliana dear, there is something very important I want to discuss with you,” he said. “Dad, what is it? You know you can tell me anything,” I emphasised. “My dear, I am thinking of getting married again. You still need a mother figure in your life,” he explained. I kept silent for some minutes starring at my father but at the same time different thoughts were going through my head. I was wondering if the woman would love me just like my late mother did or not, if she would come between my dad and I and lots more. Suddenly, I asked, “Dad who is this woman? Do I know her?” “No dear but you will soon meet her. Her name is Cecilia and we work in the same office complex. We have been dating for a while and I only proposed to her last week,” he revealed.
He told me they intended to have a small wedding with just a few family members and friends. He also pleaded with me to accept her not only as his wife but also as my mother. I told him although the news came as a shock, I would do my best to accept her. They got married shortly after but till this day, I cannot come to terms with calling her mother. I rather call her aunty. Two years later, I got admission into the University of Lagos to study Law. Since I stay on campus, my father comes to visit me every two weeks except when he is out of town. Cecilia and my father have been married for six years but she is yet to give me a baby brother or sister. I noticed that this was beginning to cause a crack in their marriage. My father confided in me on several occasions about his desire to have more children but obviously Cecilia cannot do that. However, he never talked about starting an affair or taking a second wife. On my part, I encouraged him to wait patiently.
I was therefore surprised by Aunty Cecilia’s accusation: “Julian I saw your friend and room-mate, Bimbo with your father yesterday entering into one of the highbrow hotels in GRA. At first I thought my eyes were deceiving me but when I looked at the car’s number plate, I confirmed that it was his. I was fuming because I cannot imagine what he was doing in a hotel at that time of the day with Bimbo. About five minutes later, I called to confirm where he was and your father told me he was in a board meeting somewhere on the Island,” she narrated.
“Truthfully, this is a surprise to me. How can my father have an affair with Bimbo, my friend and age mate. Aunty Cecilia, I promise you, I will get to the root of this matter,” I promised. Later that evening, I went back to school to confront Bimbo. After exchanging pleasantries and chatting for a while, I saw the shock on her face when I asked her what connection she had with my father. “Bimbo, what is your connection with my father,” I asked. Surprised, she said, “I don’t understand your question. What do you mean?” “Are you having an affair with my father?” I asked. “No, Juliana I am not having an affair with your father,” she answered sarcastically.
“You are not a good liar, Bimbo so why not tell me the truth,” I requested. When I noticed that she was getting agitated, I said, “So what were you doing with him yesterday at a hotel in GRA?” Shocked, she said, “How did you know? Well, we went to see a friend of his and that was it. So you now spy on your father, isn’t it?” When I told her that it was Aunty Cecilia, my step-mother who saw them and accused me of giving my father a girlfriend, she opened up. “Juliana, I have been sleeping with your father in the last six months. He told me he loves me; aside from that he is disturbed because your step-mother has not been able to give him any child and he wants me to bear him at least a child. We love each other,” she revealed.
“I am so disappointed in you, Bimbo. How could you do that? Even if I don’t get along well with my step-mother, I would never wish her evil. The painful truth is that she believes I am the one behind this. You must stop your affair with my father,” I pleaded. “Well, go and tell that to your father,” she retorted.
When I confronted my dad, I told him how disappointed I was. He however told me how desperately he wanted more children. “But dad if you want more children, why don’t you and Aunty Cecilia adopt one or two instead of having an affair with my friend, Bimbo. Aunty Cecilia thinks I planned all these. Even if you want to date a woman, why Bimbo? Please stop whatever you have with her and talk things over with your wife. She is really hurt,” I pleaded. “Juliana my dear, Cecilia does not want to adopt, she wants to have children of her own and I cannot wait any longer. As for Bimbo, she is already two months pregnant,” he revealed. “Daddy, please I don’t want to get involved in this. Aunty Cecilia and I might not have been the best of friends but I will never support you on this,” I said.
Weeks later, he came home with Bimbo to officially inform Aunty Cecilia and me that Bimbo was expecting his baby and that he intended to marry her once the child was born. I watched Aunty Cecilia as he talked and all she did was weep. “Cecilia, I am sorry but you know I need more children,” he said.
Instead of facing my father, Aunty Cecilia turned to me and said, “Juliana, you are also a woman. If what you and your father did to me is right, then no problem. But if it is not, God will judge you. Juliana, I know you encouraged your friend’s relationship with your father just to spite me and clap for yourself, you have won. But remember what goes around must come around,” she sobbed.
I have tried to explain to her that I had absolutely no idea about their affair until she told me but she does not believe me. I tried to make her understand that even if we are not the best of friends, I would never think of such an evil against her. But her mind has been made up. How can I encourage my friend and room-mate to get pregnant for my father when I know the kind of lady she is?
What can I do to convince Aunty Cecilia that I am innocent of what she is accusing me of ? Yes, I love my father dearly, but I do not support what he has done. All I want to do is clear my name
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