CIARA
"I understand, ma'am, but I have so much to take care of now. Please help me tell your Ryan to get me my son. It's time to go home."
She shook her head and dabbed her eyes the second time to trap the tears welling up her eyes. Maybe she finds it really easy to shade tears and she wants me to believe she was really as sad as she posed to be.
Ryan would always put up some shit to get what he wants, but I guess that old trick of his would only work out on those who don't know him at the first place. I know him, I had been with him, seen his nakedness, fucked him, and knew how crafty he was and would always be.
"Of course, you will have your kid, but remember to keep it at the back of your mind that Ryan is a changed man, and if only you would spare him a chance to prove it to you, he wouldn't fail you like he did the other time.
Really?
He didn't fail me the other time. He dumped me because he felt he had all the choices in the world, and he could just mess with me and get away with it.
I felt tears welling up in my eyes the same way it was doing in her eyes, but I wasn't ready to have her and anybody who could be peeping at us through the window to see them.
My tears, I believe, are precious liquid and shouldn't be shade for Ryan and his mess.
"Can I get him now." I didn't like the unnecessary waste of precious time. It's uncalled for, and the tear shading session is never part of my plans and day dreams.
All I wanted was to take my kid and leave Ryan for good.
"Wait." She stood up and left the living room.
She wasn't quick with getting herself up and heading deeper into the house to get me my son, who had refused to go home with me.
They had built strongholds in him, and those strongholds are quite defensive of me, as though I was the enemy who doesn't want a one big family.
I always wanted a big family, but fate screwed everything up, so, everybody should be content with whatever I make a choice at this point of my dear life.
And by the way, my choice is to live without Ryan.
She returned with Herzl dressed up and armed with a toy gun. Who knows what she told him to make him lay down his guard and come with her, to be handed overto me like a teddy bear that was being borrowed off to a friend.
I stood up gently, and she handed Herzl's hand to me. She was the one in control here, and if she should change her mind, I guess my son would turn his back on me and follow her back to her room if that's where they both came from.
"Please, remember to do your best to bring him over during weekends and holidays.
The driver was waiting patiently.
That's what he does for a living though, so, I don't think it's wise to be glad he waited when he should wait or get sued for strutting off with the money, I paid him in advance of the trip.
He wasn't waiting in the car. He was standing by the gate, chatting with the security guard who was armed with a big gun, when I stepped out with my son in my arms.
Had it been Ryan's mother didn't intervened and handed my son over to me, I could have made a scene in that place, and make them hand me back my son at all cost.
He rushed to the passenger side and opened the door as soon as he saw us stepping out of the compound.
I had no words in stock for Herzl who turned me down and asked me to join them at his father's place, making me gnash my teeth in anger.
I walked straight to the car, and hopped into it with my kid in my arms. He doesn't know how much I missed having him sleep by my side throughout the night.
He doesn't know how much I miss kissing his handsome face, which was a clear communion of my face and that of his father, Ryan.
We were both a perfect match physically, and we had a perfect baby, but apart from that, I don't think anything else worked for us both.
The driver shut the door and scurried to his corner, opened the door, hopped in, turned on the car engine, turned on the AC, slipped on the seat belt, and pulled into the road.
My phone buzzed, and I ignored it, not even bothering to take a glance at the screen, because I know it must be no other person but that silly Ryan, calling to ask me to come back, but that would be in his damn wildest dreams. I am never coming back to him for damn heaven's sake.
My phone buzzed again and again, and Herzl, without seeking permission from me, plunged his hand into my handbag and fished the phone out of it before I could stop him.
"Herzl?" I raised my eyebrows.
I didn't want to shun him because I don't want him to regret coming with me. I just want to keep the space calm, for us both to coexist peacefully with our new gaps and differences, until I fill up those gaps and win him back to myself.
I put the phone up to my face and I saw an unsaved number.
It could be some of my staffs who must have seen the posts and known I was back to the city, orthose of them who must have been informed by my PA that I'm coming back to the company as soon as possible.
I took the phone from Herzl and tapped into the call, then I placed the phone to ear, ready to keep my voice calm enough to avoid getting stared at by Herzl, and getting peered at by the driver whose head mirror is his only means of seeing what's up at the back seat.
"Hello,"
"Hello, Ciara."
People don't call me by my name, except some of those who are really very close to me. Some of the people who are close to me don't have the adversity to call me by my name, so, not everybody does that.
"Who are you?" I posed, hoping it would not be Ryan playing his games with me, by calling me with a number that is not his, and having me respond.
"Ciara, it's me, Damien."
Good lord!
Those words brought shock waves upon me.
Damien was my ex, whom I had long forgotten after we broke up a long time ago. Who in the universe gave him my number for goodness' sake?
I clicked it off. I have a lot of things to worry about at the moment, there is no time for a bunch of exes who would come back, claiming they had changed, and wouldn't play games with me if I spare them a chance, just like Ryan's mother said on her son's behalf.
"Mom?"
I turned to Herzl.
Who told him I ended the call without letting the caller finish with me?
He had learnt a lot at Ryan's mother's place, but I'm sure he would unlearn them as soon as we get home.
I would get him a matured nanny who would keep him away from the kind of life Ryan washed into him.
I want him different, and far from the mess ofthis damned world, but Ryan had done his best to raise a smart kid who would sense when things aren't going right and asking questions.
I didn't like it that way, because he is just too young to know all that, but I would stop him from being smart. I would just make him the happy kid he should be, not a smart kid that would know how painful the world is, until he is old enough to bear such.
I slipped the phone into my bag and smoothed his hair. He was such a beauty, such a loving creature, but he's another stubborn thing begotten by two stubborn things that once fell in love and crushed all limits, until Ryan's ex returned.
My phone buzzed again and again, and again, as though Damien took some silly alcoholics that made him think I would pick up if he starts bothering me with his silly phone calls.
He had long been over between me and him, and I want to say no more stories here.
"Mom?"
"Herzl, you saw the number. It's not dad. Just ignore it, okay."
He shook his head and stock himself at the glass, staring out to the road, and then turning to the driver, and staring at the steering wheel as though he wished to take the wheel and do the good job of conveying us to our place.
Maybe, Ryan takes him around in his cars. Maybe he allows him to play with the steering wheel when they step out. That could be his reason for staring at the steering.
My phone buzzed again and I fetched it out of the bag and turned it off.
Damien should stay far from me for now. I don't want to get myself tossed back to him. I had forgotten him and whatever we had so far, a very long time ago.