"I beg your pardon", Ellen stammered. "What do you mean by what you just said?". "Ellen, I am really sorry to be breaking this news to you in such a shocking way but I felt I had to let you know the truth", Fred said. "I am your real dad", Fred repeated. As the words echoed in Ellen's right eardrum, she struggled to keep her balance on the staircase after hearing such disheartening news from the least suspecting candidate to be her father. She held on to the railing for support and managed to place her bum gently on the stair. She sat there and listened to Fred. "I know you will find this hard to believe but it is the truth, you can find out from both your mother and David", Fred continued. "I won't be surprised if David has already called you to warn you about listening to me or your mum, Erica", Fred said. "I know both of them will do anything to prevent you from knowing the truth". Ellen remembered the call she received early on from David warning her to stay clear off Fred. Suddenly, doubts about who her real father was started flooding her mind. She just did not want to believe that there was any iota of truth in Fred's claim. "I don't believe a word of what you are saying right now, so please stop this", Ellen said, with tears swelling in her eyes. "Ellen, I am really sorry to have abandoned you in that manner then". "Now, I am even more sorry to have to cause you so much pain with my words but I felt we had to set the records straight once and for all", Fred explained. "I was pretty young, naive and scared". "I was about to embark on the most industrious trip of my life so accepting you then might have caused me that chance of a better life for all of us". "I have realized my foolishness and I know I am a coward for neglecting you for all these years but please forgive me and accept me as your father", Fred continued. "This conversation is not even supposed to be held over the phone, I really need to see you so we can talk in person", Fred added. "I promise that I would not leave you again and I would do anything to make it up to you". "I am willing to start right now, just send me your bank account details so I can send you some money". "Next week, you can come with me to a car dealership that I am about to open so you choose any car there and you would have it delivered to you in school". "If you don't know how to drive yet, I will pay for you to enroll into a driving school of your choice so we take care of that too", Fred added. "Uncle Fred, why should I believe all that you are saying right now?", Ellen asked. "I want you to believe it because it is the truth, sweetheart and I want to make up for abandoning you for all these years", Fred confessed. "Well, assuming all what you have said now is true, why are you telling me about it now?", Ellen asked. "My dad called me and asked me to stay away from you and I am beginning to believe him now", Ellen revealed, wiping away the tears that rolled down her cheeks. "He told you that because he is afraid that you will soon find out the truth but he wants you to keep living a lie but I can't have that, my conscience can't take that", Fred said. "Ellen, from the depths of my heart, I am truly sorry and I wish things turned out differently", Fred pleaded. "Only God knows how hard I have tried to let you know the truth". "I have tried my best to let you know the truth so now that you know, you can call David and find out for yourself and I hope he would be man enough to tell you the truth". "This is my cell number, call me whenever you are ready to choose your car and don't forget to send me your bank account details". "My dear, from today, everything is about to change", Fred added and hang up the phone. Even after Fred had ended the call, Ellen still had the phone pressed against her ear. She was in a state of shock. She run her hand through her long hair, something she did when she was confused. She managed to get her composure back after several minutes and dialled David's number. "Daddy", she said when David answered the call. There was an awkward silence for a few seconds and David knew all too well that Ellen had found out the truth. Has Uncle Fred called you?", David asked. "Why didn't you tell me, Dad?". "Why couldn't you at least say something to me about you not being my real father?". At this point, Ellen could no longer keep her cool and broke down in uncontrollable tears. "Ellen, sweetheart, I did not know any of this till today when your mother broke the news to me. "Baby, I was also living that same lie you have lived all your life believing that you were my beloved daughter till today". "I am so sorry about all this", David added. "You know that I have loved you all your life and I would do anything to see you smile". "I know that this revelation which comes as a shock to both of us can be capable of destroying what we have shared ever since you were born". "You are a full grown woman now so whatever decision you intend to take going forward, I would respect it", David added. "You know that I would love you forever regardless of the side you take right?", David asked. Ellen was still crying while David spoke. When David finished speaking, he knew Ellen was shattered, "Baby Ellen, say something", David said with tears in his eyes and in a trembling voice. There was no response and all David could hear were his 'little girl's' sobs. "Ellen, please talk to me", David pleaded. There was a brief moment of silence then Ellen managed to speak amidst her tears, "Daddy, I have told you that I am a big girl now so just call me Ellen not Baby Ellen". David cupped his lips after Ellen had responded in that manner to prevent her from hearing him cry. "I love you so much, daddy and I want to come home", Ellen added. "Sure thing sweetheart, please come home", David said and hang up the phone. The next day, Ellen arrived home to meet David and his father waiting for her in the hall. Immediately she entered the house, she dropped her bag and hugged David tightly. David held her in his arms and he could sense that she was really scared and disturbed "I am sorry sweetheart but I promise that everything will work out perfectly, trust me", David said. "I trust you, Daddy", Ellen said and rested her head on David's shoulder. She spent the whole day at home, refusing to answer any of her phone calls, even the countless calls from Collins were not answered. He sent her countless messages trying to find out if she was okay. Ellen replied telling him not to worry but it was just that she wanted a little space because she was not in the right frame of mind. Collins did not want to push it so he allowed her to be alone. That evening, there was a knock at their door. Ellen politely asked David to see who it was because she was preparing supper in the kitchen. Ellen had learnt how to cook so well that whenever she visited home from school, David bribed her to cook a myriad of dishes which they stored in their deep freezer and nibbled miserly at them till she came back from school. David was an awful cook and the same could be said of his father so they were always glad when Ellen volunteered to cook for them. The aroma from whatever Ellen was cooking in the kitchen had managed to escape into the hall and it gave David excitement because he was convinced that his 'daughter' was going to be an amazing wife in the not too distant future. David gladly obliged to Ellen's request and marched gallantly to the door to answer it. Out of reflex, immediately David opened the door and saw who was behind it, he threw an unsuspecting right hand jab and it landed sweetly on Fred's left cheek. The force behind the punch caused Fred to lose his balance on the landing. David immediately followed with another right hook, this time aiming for Fred's lower abdomen. When Fred recovered, from the unexpected punches, he shoved David towards the door and showed him his boxing skills. Fred expertly delivered a few punches of his own in return. He landed two clean left hooks on David's face followed by some jabs and before long, David was bleeding from the nose and had a cut on his lower lip. They clinched each other like professional boxers trying to catch their breath. David shoved Fred and he landed unto the ground. "What do you want from my house?", David asked, wiping the blood that was dripping from his nose from the punches he had received. "I have come to reason with you like a man to see how best we can solve our differences", Fred said trying to pick himself up from the ground. "You and I have nothing to reason about, Freddie", David said. "I have come to take my daughter away from you", Fred said, trying to massage his swollen left cheek. "You have no daughter here!", David fired out. Ellen felt it was quite unusual that her 'father' still had not told her who was at the door when she asked. Immediately she heard David scream, she rushed to see who it was that was getting him worked up. When she got in the hall, David was off his seat and the door leading outside was left ajar. She could hear a scuffle going on outside so alarmed, she quickly rushed to the door and to her disappointment, she saw David and Fred at each other's throats literally chocking themselves to death. "Stop it!, stop it!", she screamed. The two men stopped fighting and looked toward where the sound was coming from. "Ellen, go back inside and lock the door behind you!", David ordered, with his two hands firmly fixed around Fred's neck. "I won't", Ellen shouted back in defiance. "The two of you should stop fighting!", Ellen added with tears already filling her eyes. "Is this how you two are going to fight over me?", Ellen asked, looking at both men. "If this is how you two want to settle your differences over me, I swear to God that none of you will have me in the end". David quickly let go of Fred and rushed to Ellen's side, "Baby, what are you saying?, he asked. "Look at what you are doing to yourself", Ellen said, touching David's swollen lip. David turned to Fred and said, "Freddie, get out of my house, we will settle this matter in court". When Fred heard David's words, he laughed and said, "The court is the last place you should think of fighting this case, you would lose bitterly, trust me". "Ellen don't forget what I told you", Fred said and made his way out of the house. Ellen managed to help David into the house and placed him in the sofa. She boiled some water, fetched a towel and started massaging David's swollen face. "What did Fred want when he called you?", David asked Ellen. "He promised to send me some money and give me a car", Ellen replied. "Are you going to accept them?", David asked. There was a long silence and David instantly knew Ellen's answer. Before Ellen could get the chance to defend her silence, David received a message. It was from Erica and it read, "There is more to what I told you. If you want to know the whole story, call me". David ignored the message and asked Ellen to finish up. When Fred got home, he received a message also coming from Erica. The message read, "I told you that you haven't seen the last of me yet. You think you can take me for a fool? I have managed to gather information about your past and I will so destroy your life with it. Call me if you want your fake dignity to remain intact"...... There will always be trouble 'BEFORE THE WORLD ENDS'. More soon. My name is Edwin Oko Lamptey. More at randomafricanthoughts.blogspot.com.
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