Jerry Godson has been dating Anita for almost two years. He had grown to love her and her son, whose father he had never seen in person except six months ago, when Anita gave him some information about the boy's biological father and showed him a few pictures of the British/American man. He knew Anita had a bad past, but he didn't care... all he cared about was his feelings for her, and she wasn't a bad person after all; she made him happy. He knew he could trust her even if she told him about her past. What harm would it cause to forgive someone's past and help them move on, as long as they are willing to change? Anita had definitely changed; the son she raised was an example of how well she had.
"I got the ofada rice oo!" Anita walked into the kitchen with her black high-heeled shoes, making a knock-knock sound.
The boys froze, wondering how they missed her entry from the living room till she walked into the kitchen.
"What!?" she asked the puzzled men.
"Nothing," Jerry and Dean chorused.
"Hmm, babe, you have got to teach me how to make this sauce, so next time... you won't have to have so much pride over this kind of sauce. I can make ofada rice sauce, but I still don't get why mine doesn't taste like yours."
"A chef never reveals his/her secrets," Jerry laughed.
"A chef getting married to my momma," Dean smirked.
"Says the young lad who is in trouble," Anita gave her son "The Look."
"Common máá, with all due respect, mom, you gave birth to me, the biracial kid. Well, I know that, but friends still feel like I'm adopted... I can't tell, though... but the kind of school you put me in... girls are dying for me, máa!" Dean paused.
"What do you expect, máá?... I don't have competitors in my school," Dean smirked.
"It's the school I can afford to send you to; you still have college... sorry, university too," she paused, then bit her lip.
"You know what, kid- excuse me, I need to talk to Jerry."
"My future dad, you mean," Dean clipped.
"Young man!" Jerry raised a brow.
Dean shrugged, walked over to the fridge to pick an apple, then dashed out of the kitchen. He stayed a bit further from the kitchen. Jerry peeped through the kitchen door just to be sure the lad was out of sight; he turned around and gave Anita a nod. Anita smirked while he shut the door... wait! They were dealing with a teenager. Jerry opened the kitchen door again just to be sure. From his hiding spot, Dean smirked, then rolled his eyes. When he was sure Jerry was not going to peep any longer... he tiptoed to eavesdrop.
"Cole called," Anita sighed.
"What did he say?" Jerry paused.
"Remember, his son is my child; he wants to get to know his son."
"Meaning? He wants to see his son?" Jerry yearned for more explanation.
"He is in Nigeria; he now hides to check on his illegitimate son. The wife is aware and supports him fully," Anita said, sounding scared.
"Okay, Anita... what are you afraid of?"
"He wants my son to study abroad after his secondary school," Anita said, letting out a heavy sigh.
"Well, that's a good thing, right? You can afford that if he helps, you know, Dean going to one of the biggest schools," Jerry smirked.
"Wait! He's rich, right?"
"Stinkingly!! But that is not my fear, baby. I want to be the one saying that to my son. I mean, I raised him to this level."
"Anita... please make it clear to me," Jerry sighed.
"Okay, him telling Dean, 'Hey, son... I'm your goddamn father,' my Dean will hate me, especially when he realises he is the illegitimate one... I would fail my own son," Anita frowned.
"Okay, Anita, let me get this straight: the old man wants to meet his son?"
"Well, Anita, I think that's awesome. He also has to take responsibility too, you know," Jerry added.
"He wants to spend some time with him, Jerry, and that is breaking my heart. Dean will be far from me. Cole has two boys who are four years older than my boy and girls who are younger than him; that's a lot of people for Dean to connect with. He has known his mother and Jerry all his life. And guess what! Cole's wife is so desperate to meet 'the cute kid,' not even sounding offended by the fact that her husband fucked a runs during one of his trips to Nigeria."
"Relax, he is not so dumb as to just come snatch him from you... You two would need to agree."
"The boy needs to know his father... but you are his mother; think about it," Jerry sighed, kissing Anita.
Jerry looked at his fiancée; she looked like something was dying right under her nose... he understood how she felt... but hoped his opinion would give Anita a reason to let the kid meet his father... even though his opinion was just... a few words.
The next day at school, during the long break, Dean stayed in class thinking about the discussion between Jerry and his mom. He began to wonder if the spy was working for his father or something... but he needed to be sure. He took a stroll down to one of the school's mischievous kids' hangouts... he wasn't a mischievous kid, but at that moment it looked like he was. He sat beside the kid with bad records in school and wondered why the boy was still in school and not expelled.
"For once, when I saw you walk through that door... I thought it was fear written on your face; you look defeated," Tari, the notorious boy, smirked.
"Emotionally, I am defeated. Tari, as your old friend, I read your mood before I take any step; make you no go dey transfer aggression on me," Dean said.
"Dean, Dean, what do you want??" Tari asked.
"Who snatched your girl? If you have one?" Tari teased.
"You mean who snatched my phone?... Thanks for asking... my mom, and why... You know why, so I have been off for a while," Dean explained.
"What do you want?" Tari sighed with expectation.
"For the sake of friendship, Tari, I need you to help me spy on someone," Dean said, sounding desperate, and Tari could see... instead, he laughed out loud... that confused Dean.
"You go meet one of those ladies you know," Tari laughed again. Forcing the other guys around him to laugh.
"Shut the fuck up, it's a family issue... I'm paying you!"
"Oh!" Tari paused.
"There's this Mercedes that's been freaking me out, like I'm being spied on or something," Dean added.
"Yea... I know what you're talking about... I got it all covered... don't worry about paying a dime, your boy dey loyal," Tari winked.
"You dey suspect say na your papa?" Tari laughed... but Dean knew he was right.
That same afternoon, when school closed, Dean sat under a tree that sheltered many students from the hot sun. Tari understood the mission, and Dean kept himself busy with the other schoolmates; he looked up a few times to make eye contact with Tari. Tari, on the other hand, walked past the Mercedes. It was hard to see through the car window... so he knocked... an old white man rolled down the back window...
"Oh... sorry... I thought I knew who owned this car... guess I was wrong," lied Tari. No words were said to him... so he walked away... back into the class.
"How did it go?" Dean asked him a few minutes later.
"It's a white old folk... well, not old... but probably in his fifties," Tari frowned...
"Such a rude face... if he turns out to be your father, because I can beat my chest, he is... It's like he vomited you in... sorry, man... his family will hate you," Tari added.
"Chill man!... I'm not trying to find out who my father is yet... I want to see how far Mom will go," Dean sighed.
"Well, at least I got to meet him today... aiit bro... peace out," Tari said as he exited.