Chapter 53: The Great Maurice Kentley

"My father, he was a woman beater. My biological mother died as a result of his constant beating. He beat her at any slight provocation. He prevents her from leaving the house except he permits and also stopped her elder sister who was her only surviving family from coming to visit us at homr. He literally kept her away from the real world." Simon said with so much pain that can be felt in his voice.

"This action of his gave him the access and freedom to manipulate her. Oh my god!" His cracked up as he replayed his childhood experience. "I was so young then Sunflower, I didn't know better. I knew everything was not okay with my mother, but I had no idea what I was suppose to do to make it okay."

Paige felt the pain in his voice and her heart broke a thousand times realizing how much he must have loved and miss his mother. "It's okay darling." She said not realizing the word she just used. "If it's too much for you, maybe we can stop here for today and continue some other time." She suggested.

"No, it's fine." He started in a calm and we'll calculated voice. "I've actually wanted to share this part of my life with someone that care about me for a while now. Talking about this will make me feel better. I can assure you." He replied patting her hand with an endearing smile. Paige smiled back at him and nodded her head signalling him to continue. She engulfed his right palm with her two hands giving him a reassuring look that carried the silent message that she was there for him.

"One sunday morning, this was very early in the morning. My father in his usual manner started beating my mother. She screamed for help but nobody came to her rescue. The maids were scared. I ran to their room, but the door was locked. After a while, he finally stopped. When they unlocked the door, it was my mother that came out to meet me at the door where I sat. She wrapped her body with a cloth. That day, she made me to go to church alone, without her. I refused to go, but she insisted. Baby," Simon called Paige looking at her sadly. While she looked up at him with glistering eyes.

"Yes, I'm right here." She replied.

"That very Sunday, I met the church priest and told him everything my father does to my mother. I was hoping he'd try to save her at least. He encouraged me to keep her in my prayers and told me not to tell anybody else about it as he's going to take it up personally. Guess what? He never did. Later I found out that my late father paid for his wife's eye surgery. So, he was kind of indebted to my father. Before I could get home that very day, the priest had already informed him of everything I told him. So, when I got back home, he gave me the worst beating of my life."

"He did what?" Paige asked in annoyance. "He beat you up?" She asked again.

"Yeah, he did. My mother tired to intervene, but she was too tired abd bruised as well. She was nursing her wounds. My father was the perfect husband and father to the world. He use to be so careful when beating my mother that he doesn't hit her on any part of her body that can't be covered with clothes. He needed to maintain his social status. He was a terrible man. After that round of beating, he left for a five days business trip the following day and my mother found a way to send words to her elder sister. Her name is Aunt. Bridget. She came to Creek island immediately she got the news. I and my poor mother smuggled ourselves out of the house in order to see her. Aunt Bridget pleaded with my mother to come with her that faithful day, but she declined. She agreed that she would walk away, but she said it will happen at the right time. I eavesdropped on most of their conversation that very day and from what I gathered, she wanted Aunt Bridget to be ready and informed so that whenever she was ready to leave, Aunt Bridget will also be ready to accept us. Alas, she didn't know that was the last time she'll ever see or speak to her sister again." Simon paused to look at Paige who was paying full attention to him. She stared back at him with an intent eye and a warm and reassuring smile.

"One way or the other, my father heard about our little outing while he was away. This earned my mother another beating. That Monday morning, after beating her, he left for work and abandoned her with the maids to attend to her wounds. I wanted to stay with my mother, but she insisted that I go to school. I was feeling odd, I felt strange even as the driver drove me to school. When I got back from school, I was told that my mother was at the hospital. My father was sent for. And I insisted on going to the hospital with them. After much persuasion, they took me along."

"At the hospital, my father told the doctor that my mother fell down the stairs. Later, I snuck in and told the doctor the whole truth. But guess what, he did nothing about it. My father was never arrested, detained nor interrogated. Everybody was scared of snitching on him while they watch him kill an innocent woman. The doctor had enough evidence to at least detain him, but he didn't." He continued.

"Well, My mother never made it out of that hospital alive. She died after a couple of weeks in there. After her death, I hated my father so much. I seriously wanted him dead. He went as far as making sure I was locked inside the house so that I won't speak to anybody especially journalists, he was so scared of them. I stopped school for you a whole year and he got me a home tutor who took her time with me. She cared for me and loved me like her son."

"After a couple of months, my father finally started misbehaving. He'd come home with different girls each day. Never the same girl. Home started being frightening. You'd wake up and see some girl in the kitchen wearing a pant and maybe a singlet. Every single day, he ushered in a new fellow. I complained bitterly to my tutor and she promised to take it up with my father, which she did. He promised that it will stop. But, it never did." He touched the back of Paige's with his left hand which was free and he drew it to his mouth and kissed her softly.

One faithful day," he continued. "It was raining heavily. The weather was so bad that I won't  advise my neighbor to go outside in it. My tutor came as usual but was being held back from going home because of the heavy downpour. When it was obvious that the rain wasn't stopping anytime soon, I went to my father to plead if my tutor could spend the night at any of our guestrooms. He agreed and accepted. So, she spent the night at the house. Guess what? My late father went to her room at night and had his way with her. I expected her to sue him but she didn't. I don't know how he does it, but these women, the women in his life, he finds a way to manipulate them into believing that he's the victim and not them." He said.

'The tutor," Paige started looking at him. "She was Emily, wasn't she?" She asked looking at him wide eyed. Simon nodded with a dry smile.

"She's the one." He repied "Few months after the incident, he started controlling her. He found a way to convince her to move into the house even against her wish. I give it to him, He was a control freak. I was enrolled break to school and Emily had no option than to be helping me with extra-mural lessons at home. Of course, my dad stopped her from working. She was no longer working. I saw my my late mother's predicament about to repeat itself with her. So, I was scared. Few months later, she got pregnant with her first baby. In her own case, this was when the beating started. She lost the pregnancy as a result of the constant hitting. She lost the second and the third one too. Anna was her fourth pregnancy. When the pregnancy progressed to the seventh month, my father invited the priest to our home and he blessed them in holy matrimony inside his study." Simon narrated.

"You must be kidding me." Paige whispered in shock.

"No, I'm not." He replied with a sad smile.

"Was he the same priest you complained to about your mother's predicament?" Paige asked.

"The very same." He replied.