11. The sadness he covers up

[Amsey's POV]

I turned on the TV in the living room and who I saw made me almost lose it.

There he was; with his perfect wife and perfect kids very happy and pleased with himself, I guess.

I hated the sight of him, I hated the very sight of him.

He was a monster and had no humane feelings.

He acted like a good man and a different kind of politician who was supposedly upright and just. He was a typical philanthropist and a man of the people to most people in Lagos State but I knew who he was behind that charade.

He was a pathetic loser and couldn't even own up to his mistakes.

He was my Father.... Folorunsho Holland Ibitoye!!

He was the CEO of a large cement factory with many branches all over Africa, a real estate manager, a politician and a member of the House of Representatives in Lagos State.

He was really wealthy and owned houses, cars and a whole lot of luxuries, but he wasn't always that wealthy.

My mother, God bless her memory; was a young beautiful rich woman when she met him. He was a pauper and she gave all her inherited wealth to him to help him start up a business against the wishes of her family. He was good at business and soon, the business flourished.

One would think that he will be faithful to her but that wasn't the case. He cheated on her severally and used her infertility as an excuse. He never apologized; he never did.

My mother had told me the sad story.

There was a day my mother was not feeling well and she went to the hospital discovered she was with child. Finally! She was overjoyed and went home hastily to share the good news with her supposed loving husband.

On getting home, she discovered to her utmost disappointment a woman and her two children, both boys; in the apartment.

Her husband explained that was his new wife and that she already had two kids for him he felt it was high time she came and occupied her space as the woman of the house.

My mother couldn't handle the shock well but she couldn't go home to her family. They had warned her, so she stayed back believing that when she had her child, her husband's love would return to her and so endured through it all.

My mother had me and I was named Amsterdam by my Father (I don't know what my Father's deal is with names of places.) His name is Holland, my half-brothers' names are Tennessee and Jordan while my half-sister's name is Florida. Yeah, about 2 years after my birth, my stepmom had a third child who is a girl. I don't like my name at all and that's why it's Amsey I tell people my name is.

Back to why I detest my Father so much.

To frustrate my mum and make her leave, my stepmom made my mum do all the chores and as a calm person, she did them all; but all the events made my mum lose her mind gradually.

I remember people referring to my mum as a mad woman; she'd talk to herself at times, laugh hysterically, play with kitchen utensils and threaten people with sharp objects. Only my presence could calm her down.

I can't say my mum was mentally stable but she was everything to me. She loved and cherished me. She'd steal my half-siblings toys and candies and give them to me.

My mum made sure I got whatever they got or else, she'd whine and act like a child denied of biscuits.

My mother came to me one day when I was 12 and handed me a gold set of jewelry and some documents and pictures asking me to keep them carefully.

I thought it was another one of her mental stunts so I just chuckled but she asked me to promise to keep it safe in a very serious tone and so, I did.

Two days after that incident, my mother passed away.

She was everything I had; my mother, my friend, my confidante. I cried and had sleepless nights.

My life became hell as you can already guess.

I was turned into a househelp and my dad never said anything about how I was treated. I once asked him if he were my real Father and he responded with giving me a slap I could never forget in my lifetime.

I bore all the harsh treatments and was made to pay for any crime committed in the house. I also didn't know my relatives and I attended a local public school while my half-siblings attended international schools. I was a bright student whereas they were dull and I even assisted them in their academic work for little amount of money and sweet things.

After my Secondary School education at age 16, I could no longer condone the harsh treatment meted out to me and it didn't make sense for me to stay in a house where I was abused and mocked to scorn.

I made a resolve to leave my Father's house the day I overheard him telling a minister who had come to visit him that I was the son of a mentally disturbed woman whom he had taken in and raised like his own son.

I was frozen with anger and torn apart. I wanted to go to the living room and break his head with a vase but that is not what my mother nor God (my mother raised me to follow God's word) would have wanted so I calmly went away to the store that was given to me as my bedroom, packed my stuff, with the documents my mother had given me and jewellery and the next morning, I woke up and left the house without looking back.

I went to the church and sought refuge there. The pastor treated me nicely and for the first time after my mother's death, I felt loved and wanted. He gave me a space in the church's accommodation centre and I started doing menial jobs and living off it.

I was so much interested in computers and I ended up working as a messenger in a Computer Lab where I used to sneak peek at how the computers were being operated and the day one of the employees wasn't around, I offered to operate on the computer on their behalf.

They were amazed at my skills and gave me a job as a Microsoft Developer and my salary also increased.

When I was close to 18 years old, I read online about a Chinese Jewelry store that offers great amounts of money for real gold jewelries.

I was tired of living the way I did and having to work under someone and living by their rules so I got my mother's jewelry set and took it to the Chinese store where it was confirmed to be real gold and of good quality. I was paid a whopping sum of #8,500,000.

I couldn't believe it for days. I ended up enrolling for JAMB to study Psychology (I just liked the idea of reading people's minds) and then set up my Cybercafe and rented my own place and bought a land in Sango, Ogun State.

Things were going really well for me. I hadn't seen the bastard who called himself my Father since I left his house. I don't think he even looked for me but I really didn't care.

It was just unnerving seeing him and his useless family on the TV screen. I hated him a lot, Heaven knew how much I did.

I had a lot of bitterness buried deep within me and hatred towards my Father and his family.

Most people mistake me for a rich brat who is less concerned of other people and their feelings because of my carefree attitude but deep down, there's a sadness no one can see because I covered it up with cheerfulness and I actually did care about people, even though I never showed it.

"Amseeeeeeeeey!" I heard a voice, yelling.

I was startled and turned around.

Jeez! I had forgotten I now shared my home with a girl. What was I even thinking?? I should have just given her a sum of money and sent her away. Now, I can't even reminisce in peace.

"What?" I yelled back.

"I was calling you and you didn't answer so that's why I yelled out your name. Sorry." She said, looking down at her toes.

Was she upset because I yelled back at her?

She looked so cute doing that.

Get it together, Amsey. She doesn't look cute.

"I was lost in my thoughts, sorry." I replied.

"Of course." She said.

Her stomach growled.

I chuckled.

She sneered at me.

"Do you love jollof rice?" I asked.

"Yeah, I do." She replied, with glee.

"Then go make some for yourself." I said, grinning.

"What?" The joy disappeared from her face.

"Thought you said you were aspiring to be a chef. Can't you cook?" I retorted.

"I can... But....."

"But what?"

"You said you were going to prepare something. I'm starving." She whined.

She reminded me of my mother with the way she whined.

I laughed.

"Hey, what's funny?" She confronted me, with a glare.

"You... You remind me of someone... Someone special." I said, with a smile.

She looked at me with wonder lurking around her eyes. "Who?" She inquired.

"None of your business." I retorted

"It's a girl." She replied with an annoying smile.

"A woman, actually." I replied.

She gasped. "Don't tell me you do older women!"

I chuckled.

"You've got to be kidding me. WTF!!" She had barely completed her sentence when her stomach growled again.

I laughed hard.

"Where's the kitchen? I'll cook the rice. My stomach worms can't take this hunger anymore." She said.

"It's that way." I said, pointing towards the opening near the dining.

"You're such a bad host." She muttered, walking towards the kitchen.

"I heard you!" I said.

"I don't care." She replied, flinging her arms.

I smiled.

She looked better after freshening up.

She wore a tight short blue dress that showed off her curves. Damn!

She was even more beautiful than I had thought she was and the way she packed that long hair of hers was so fascinating. I loved her smile and the way she pouted when she was angry.

She had long eyelashes and her shiny brown skin with her slim stature. She was really beautiful but I couldn't let her know of course.

She strode back into the living room with a plate of jollof rice and fried plantains with a glass of chilled water and slumped into the chair beside me.

"Thanks dear. I can't believe you were pulling my legs when you asked me to cook. I'm grateful." She said, giving the warmest smile ever.

"You're welcome. I have to get going. I'll be back later. Take care of yourself and I already saved my number in your phone. Call me if you need anything and also, check the peephole before opening the door. In fact, don't open the door for anyone apart from me... And don't go out. Just....." She cut me off.

"Blah blah blah. I'm not a child. Go away." She said.

"Are you sure you'll be fine?" I asked her.

"Yeah."

"I could stay home if...."

"Please, I'm not your younger one. Now, get out." She screamed.

"Fine! I'm leaving." I said, grabbed my backpack and headed towards the door.

"You're a great cook!" She yelled as I was about to leave.

"I know. Take care of yourself. Come bolt the door." I said.

She scurried to where I was and bumped into me.

My heart beat faster than usual.

I held her arms. "Are you okay?" I asked.

"Y..... Yeah." She stammered.

We stared deep into each other's eyes. "I'll catch you later." I said, letting go of her arms.

She simply nodded and muttered a quick "bye."

I felt different and tensed as I stepped out of my house and shut the door behind me.