CHAPTER 12

Oliver looked at his phone, stunned. He hadn't heard from his brother in more than ten years and when he calls he needs help. Life is ridiculous. He wondered why his daughter hadn't told him that she was home yet. He knew they weren't close, but she owed him that much. He'd have to call both his kids and find out what was going on.

She had just put her glass down when she heard a knock on the door. Annoyed at being disturbed at this time but also knowing who it was, she stood up and made her way slowly to the door.

"Who is it?"

"Lica, it,s me."

She opened the door and looked at her step-sister. "Zoey, what are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you. Can I come in?"

Angelica stepped aside and let her in, all the while following her with narrowed eyes. They had never really gotten along so her sudden appearance at her door had made her highly uncomfortable.

"Make yourself at home."

"Thank you. Can I down the rest of the bottle? I'll make it worth your while."

"Zoey, you showing up at my place at this time of the night is enough debt. Are you sure you want to add a bottle of wine and hangover medicine to your account?"

"At this point, I really don't care. I just need to talk to someone who isn't my mother."

Angelica watched her sister ignore the extra glass she had placed on the small table for her and drink from the wine bottle. She must have taken around four or five gulps before she was finally ready to speak.

"I can't find Ivor. I've looked everywhere, hired private investigators. But it's like he's disappeared. What am I supposed to do? Raise the kids alone?"

"Have you tried his sister?"

"Yeah, but she's dealing with a mistress situation at the moment. Didn't have the heart to tell her about her brother missing."

"Well, I think you should. Because hun, I'm not going to help you, even if I knew how to."

"Would it kill you to be nice to me, just for an hour?"

"Yes, yes it would."

They both sat there in silence, Zoey drinking wine and Angelica texting on her phone. She had come to her sister's house to find a solution but had ended up regretting it. If she was to leave and go back to her lonely bed, she would make sure Lica wasn't happy either.

"So how are you and Mark?"

"What?"

"Well, I don't imagine you're living here with him. He would've been here. Or did he get his priorities straight and go back to his home?"

Angelica looked at Zoey through narrowed eyes. She knew what she was trying to pull and wasn't going to allow it. But she had to find a tactful way to answer her questions or else she would end up regretting it.

"We broke up."

Zoey looked at her. She seemed cold but she knew that she was hurting deep down. She hadn't moved on yet.

"You know, I did tell you having a married man would harm you. I'm sorry you had to break up though. I could tell that you were happy with him."

"Is that what you're here to do Zo? You're here to laugh at me because I don't know what it means to bring a man home?"

Sensing the effect of her blow, Zoey kept quiet. She took the last swig of the bottle and stood up.

"I'll be going now. Sorry for the bother. I'll have your bottle replaced as immediately as I can. Bye."

She walked out and closed the door behind her. She stood at the doorstep for a long time while trying to compose herself. "I'm so depressed that bottle of wine isn't even enough to make me drunk. My life is a mess." she looked in her bag for her keys and walked out of the enclosed area her sister was renting. She would have to do this on her own.

They had been living alone in the house for the past week and were quite enjoying it. They didn't expect their father to show up hooting at the gate that particular Saturday morning. Shelly was glad she hadn't slept over at Joanna's place as she had planned to do. She would've been in big trouble if her father had come back home and not found her there.

They opened up for him and welcomed him inside, all the while glancing at each other and wondering why he was back so early.

"Daddy, how was work?" Ryan asked, hoping to get some conversation out of their father and loosen up the tension in the room. Oliver looked at his son, he knew what he trying to do so he decided to play along. They talked for an hour while Shelly prepared breakfast and served it for them. She was hoping he wouldn't ask her how her semester was because she wasn't ready to answer him. They sat and ate in silence until Oliver asked the question both children were dreading. "Where are your report cards for the term? Bring them to my room after breakfast." he stood up and went to his room. Shelly and Ryan looked at each other and groaned.

"Is yours good?"

"No, not really. Is yours?"

"Well, let's just say it could've been better."

"Yeah, me too"

They dragged along with their breakfast and chores until they couldn't avoid the inevitable. They both brought their progress report to their father and were shocked when he didn't yell or shout or say he was disappointed in their performance and that they could do better.

"my brother has invited us for lunch at his place. Get ready within the week. We shall be going there when I receive his call."

"You have siblings?"

"I thought you were an only child."

"I have a twin brother. You will know more when you get to his place. I want to rest now."

"Okay, Daddy."

"Leave your bank slips here. I shall take care of them."

In his brother's house...

All four of them sat at the small dining table and ate quietly. No one looked away from their plate until it was empty. Prince and Paula collected the used cutlery and utensils and took them to the kitchen, leaving their parents to talk.

"How have been?"

Paula almost spat out her drink. "Of all the questions he could ask, that was the first to come out of his mouth?" she whisper-shouted. "Be quiet Aula, or they may realize we're eaves-dropping on them."

They had come up with a clever plan to over-hear the conversation without being present. Paula had bought a voice bundle for 200 minutes, called Prince and placed her phone on her chair after they had finished eating. As a result, they could hear their parents' conversation even if they were in the kitchen.

"What happened to your mistress?"

"I left her Kim. Before you even found out, I had already ended things between her and i."

"Ohh!! I am so sorry. Was that supposed to make me feel better?"

"There is no justification for what I did, I know. But I hope you realise that I am sorry and I would do anything to rectify my mistake. I can't look our own children in the eye."

"You have yourself to thank for that. Why are you here anyway?"

"Because I miss my family. I want to be with my kids and wife again."

"Well, good luck with that Os."

As she stood up to leave, he decided to draw his last card and hope that it would save him.

"I invited Oliver over."

She stopped in her tracks and turned her neck slightly so he could see her profile.

"Good. Let him come and see what you've done to his sister-in-law." and with that, she walked away.

Prince hung up when he realised they weren't going to hear anymore. They both stared up at the ceiling, finished cleaning and he waited for his sister while she picked her phone from its hiding spot. They trudged upstairs after locking up and decided to sleep in Paula's room for the night. They prayed, looked at each other and sighed.

This is going to be a long week.