CECILIA

Jessie walks in the restaurant with a plain black chiffon dress, as soon as she shuts the door, she takes a good look round, noticing that all the fifteen tables weren't occupied except one, which a young lady putting on a similar plain black dress too is sitting on. Jessie matches forward to the lady who is staring out through the glass door close to her. "You did a good job of reserving the entire place." She whispers and helps herself to sit.

The lady turns her head slowly and stares at Jessie for a moment before speaking. "I hope it wasn't difficult for you to locate this place."

"Not at all." She replies and picks up the menu on the table, going through it. "They have nothing impressive here." She says and drops the menu.

"I am happy you wore the dress." The lady whispers with smiles. "Black looks good on you a lot."

"Why are you here in the first place?" Jessie asks raising her brows.

"I am tired of living there alone." The lady replies.

"Until you meet up to my expectations, I told you not to show your face, didn't I?"

The lady pulls out a big white envelope from her bag and hands it to Jessie. "The so called expectations you wanted so bad."

Jessie glares at the lady for about two seconds and snatches the envelope from her, opening it to read the content. Her eyes open wide as soon as she sees the content. "What is this?"

"Yes." The lady nods. "That is my license to work as a doctor."

Jessie drops the envelope and smiles broadly at the lady. "Welcome, Cecilia Smith."

"Smith?" Cecilia asks looking confused.

"Yes, that is your father's last name. It is time for you to take over what your father had worked all his life for before passing on." She shuts her ways and observes some silence for the dead.

"Take over what my father has worked all his life for?" Cecilia asks again.

"Your father owns a mighty hospital here in Nigeria, which I am currently in control of. But now that you have proved yourself worthy, I will hand it over to you."

Normally, Cecilia should jump up in happiness and joy but she didn't, because she has a very bad feeling about it. "Why did you abandon me? Did you hate me immediately you set your eyes on me?" She asks.

"That was the only way for you to survive." Jessie replies more like whispering.

"I am twenty four now, and this is the very first time I am setting my eyes on my own mom. I got to recognize you by looking at your pictures, you chose to never speak to me or come in contact with me until I become a successful doctor. To me, you were the meanest person on earth."

"What of your grandmother?" Jessie asks ignoring the story.

"My grandmother, your mom."

"Don't you dare call that woman my mother, is that clear?" She warns glaring.

"I heard the whole story from her, she told me the whole reason behind my predicament, and how my father was killed by some set of people that no one knows about."

Jessie smiles maniacally and whispers in her mind. "I killed that bastard, he left me after I was pregnant with you and thinks he can go Scott free?"

"Why do you hate grandmother so much?"

"Because she left me alone and remarried." She sighs. "My entire world was dark then."

"Please, forgive her. She looks at your picture and cry everyday."

"Come to my office tomorrow at the hospital by ten in the morning." Jessie whispers and walks out.

"I doubt if this woman is truly my mother." Cecilia murmurs to herself as she watches her mom walk out without taking a look back at her. "How can she be this cold to me?"