Chapter Three

This behavior was a usual act by Samuel towards Bridget.

Whenever he had committed an offense and was questioned about it, he would throw tantrums and probably even hit Bridget.

When he will leave the house and not make contact for weeks running to months.

Bridget would have to drop her pride and call Samuel pleading with him to return home.

This she did because she did not want her son's education to suffer.

Samuel has been the one training her son and she didn't want to lose that.

Most times, people and friends always questioned Bridget on why she was so dependent on Samuel.

The truth is that Bridget was not a lazy woman.

Samuel met Bridget during one of her business outings.

She used to prepare pastries and foodstuffs and supply them to banks all over Lagos.

But after she got married to him, he wouldn't let her do business.

"I don't want my wife to stress herself" he would say earlier in their marriage.

She even used to carry Udiel on her back and travel to get materials and linen for sale.

She had indulged in several businesses, but due to her love for Samuel and her obedience to her husband, he would always find a way to put an end to it.

This left Bridget jobless and solely dependent on her husband's income, which was actually enough to take care of them.

She then channeled her energy into the church and spiritual matters.

She was so devoted to religious activities.

Everything in her life was religious that it got to a point where she wasn't paying attention to Udiel anymore.

After Samuel's last angry episode and disappearance, Bridget did the usual and pleaded with him to return to his family.

After a three month absence, Samuel surfaced and the family was reunited again.

That weekend, everyone did everything to please Samuel.

Bridget had a discussion with Samuel explaining to him how she was ready to have the illegitimate child as her own and take care of him.

Samuel was pleased to hear this, "I have finally won", he told himself.

"I have this woman in my pocket and there's nothing she can do about it".

Meanwhile, Udiel was offended by his mother's decision.

"How could you do that mom?" He said.

"How would you accept a bastard child?" It's disrespectful.

"Don't you have any self-esteem?" He said angrily to his mom.

"My son, you wouldn't understand if I explain to you".

"Everything I do, I do for your good. I want the best for you my son, that is why I make these sacrifices", she said to him.

"I still do not understand, but whatever you say mom", he said and he left the room.

That weekend everything went smoothly without any hitch, and Udiel went out for his usual church activities all day and came back.

That evening all they did was to please Samuel, his father.

Mrs. Bridget prepared fried rice and salad with chicken for the whole family.

She served her husband the delicious meal, which he enjoyed, but she waited for her son, Udiel to return from his outing.

Coincidentally, that day was his final paper from secondary school.

When he got home, he was tired and famished.

"Your food is in the kitchen", his mother said to him.

"Yes Ma", he replied.

"Good evening dad", he greeted his father.

"Good evening Udiel, how was your day?" His father asked.

"It was fine and stressful sir but it all went well", he replied.

"So I'm guessing you are sure you passed your exams".

"Yes dad, I know I passed my exams", Udiel said confidently.

"Then that's alright, I owe you a gift if that is true", Mr. Samuel replied.

"I will be going out right now, I want to hang out with friends whom I've not seen for a long time", Mr. Samuel said to Mrs. Bridget and Udiel.

"Don't wait for me", he said.

However, Mrs. Bridget was not particularly happy with this. She had no choice but to agree.

"Please be careful dear", she said to him.

"Just be careful and do come back safely", she said as she hugged him and gave him a lovely kiss.

And then he entered his Volvo and left.

Udiel was so engrossed in his music, that he did not go straight to eating.

After having his bath, he went into his room and began to rehearse and prepare for songs the next Sunday.

He eventually came out later at night around 11 pm when he could not bear the hunger anymore and he started eating.

Coincidentally, Mr. Samuel returned at that very hour, drunk to stupor.

As soon as Udiel heard the sound of his vehicle, he stopped eating and opened the gate for his father to come in.

When his father came to him, "Welcome Dad", Udiel greeted him.

"Why are you welcoming me?", he said.

"Why are you still up by this time of the night?", his father asked. Udiel was surprised at his father's questions as it was a usual thing for him to be up at this time of the night.

Music was a gift that ran in the family's blood.

All his Dad siblings, including his Dad, were gifted with music.

His dad was a long-time choir leader of the First Baptist Church in Benin city.

This gift was passed on to Udiel, as he showed musical love from a very young age.

He loves music with his life and it was not hidden, but since Samuel paid no attention to his child, he never knew any of this.

"I was rehearsing and so I didn't eat and just started eating, and when I'm done I'll get to my room", Udiel replied in a calm tone, knowing that his father was drunk and any unnecessary reply in a wrong tone could spark something regrettable.

"No!" screamed Samuel. "You should not be eating at this point".

"Where is your mother?" Mr. Samuel asked.

The noise from the living room brought out Mrs. Bridget.

"What is going on?" She asked.

"It's your son! It's your son!" Mr. Samuel shouted at her. "He is eating at this hour of the night".

"What have I told you about eating late?"

"Okay Dad, I'll pack the food inside and go to bed", Udiel said, trying to diffuse the situation.

"No!" Samuel retorted.

"That is not what I want", he screamed in Udiel's face.

"Okay Dad", Udiel said calmly.

"Let me finish the food and go to bed".

"No! You stupid boy!" Mr. Samuel screamed again in Udiel's face.

"Then, what do you want me to do?" Udiel asked, getting frustrated.

At this point, Samuel was approaching Udiel, and suddenly Samuel punched Udiel in the face. His punch took Udiel by surprise.

"What was that for?" Udiel asked, looking bemused.

"You are an irresponsible son", Samuel said in anger.

They both knew that it was the alcohol speaking, but everyone needed to be careful as Samuel was usually violent when he drank.

Udiel got to his feet and tried as much as he could to remain calm.

He was no longer a kid and could stand his father by this time but he chose to remain calm, to avoid any further reaction from his father.

Suddenly, Samuel returned with a gas cylinder and charged in Udiel's direction.

Udiel cut the cylinder mid-air and pulled it out of his father's hand, which caused Samuel to stagger and almost fall on the ground.

Udiel calmly placed the cylinder on the tiles and moved away from his unworthy father.

Mr. Samuel looked around and saw one of the glass stools on the floor and picked it up to hit Udiel with it.

Then, Mrs. Bridget stood in his way. "Do you want to kill someone?" Mrs. Bridget shouted as she stood between father and son.

"Yes!" Samuel said, "I will kill him".

"Even your only child?" She asked in bemusement. "Yes", he replied.

At that point, Udiel knew that everything was wrong.

When Samuel saw that Mrs. Bridget would not let him pass, he shut her out of the way but Udiel was ready for him.

As he charged Udiel, Udiel took hold of his hands and didn't let go.

"Let me go", Samuel shouted at Udiel's face.

"No! I can not", Udiel said, trying to remain as calm as possible

Suddenly Samuel said the unthinkable, "I disown you!"

When he said this, it was as if a fire was burning in Udiel's brain, but he remained calm.

He then put his father's arm down and asked, "you really disowned me over eating late?"

"Yes, I disown you, get out of my house", Mr. Samuel ordered Udiel.

Udiel calmly walked into his room and began to pack his things.

Well, as he was parking, Samuel barged into his room, "I do not want you to take anything I bought for you".

This statement angered Udiel, he then turned to Samuel and said, "look at these clothes, you didn't buy anyone for me".

"All these clothes were bought by Aunty Lizzy".

"You have no right to own any one of them, and if you misbehave, I will deal with you right here right now, remember you have disowned me and you are no longer my father," he said.

All this while, Mrs. Bridget was on her knees begging her son to remain calm but Udiel was in no mood to listen to any of her pleas.

Suddenly, Udiel heard a slap behind him.

Mr. Samuel had slapped Bridget. Udiel charged at Samuel and only his mother, who threw herself in the way stopped him from knocking Samuel over.

"You dared try that again, and I promise you, you will not like it".

"I will beat you with all the anger in me and you will be surprised at what I can do," Udiel said angrily.

The look in Udiel's eyes sends shivers down the spine of Samuel.

He knew that Udiel was speaking the truth and whatever home training Bridget had given Udiel had gone out the door with the words "I disown you".

Udiel finished packing and left the house at about 1 am in the night.

He exited the gate and tried to find somewhere to sleep, but Mrs. Bridget went out to search for him.

Even though she couldn't find him, she went back into the room and began to pack her things.

"Where do you think you are going to?" Mr. Samuel asked.

"Do you think you would send my son out of the house and I'll come and lay on the bed with you?" She asked him, with a disdainful look on her face.

"Well, you are free to go", Samuel said as he continued watching the television.

Mrs. Bridget finished packing and picked her things and went into the car.

As she was reversing, she saw Udiel at the gate.

"Please come back", she pleaded with him.

"Never! I will never sleep in that house again", Udiel said.

"Okay if you won't do that, please sleep in the car with me". After a period of pleading, Udiel agreed to sleep in the car.

Meanwhile, Samuel was alone in the house, pacing up and down.

The alcohol's effect had worn off and he knew he had messed up big time but pride would not let him.

So, as usual, got his keys and entered his new car, and zoomed off at that time of the night.

"You can come in now", Bridget pleaded with Udiel.

"I said I will never sleep in that house again", Udiel retorted.

"Leave me here, when it's morning, I will find my way", he said to his mother.

"Please come sit on the balcony with me", she urged him.

Udiel saw that his mother was in discomfort, so he listened to her and went to the balcony. But he refused to enter the house.

While they were sitting on the balcony at that time of the night, Udiel's mother looked at him and said, "you're all grown now and I think it is the right time".

"The right time for what, mum?" Udiel asked.

"I think it is the right time to end all these".

"I have suffered this humiliation, bad treat, and torture for eighteen years of your life".

"And I see that you are now man enough to stand up for what's right".

"I can't take this in my old age, so I would be leaving".

"Leaving, to where?" Udiel asked.

"Just like that?" He asked again in surprise.

"Yes! our rent expires in three months, August 27th to be precise".

"And your father will lose this, he believes that I will return begging because I won't have anywhere else to stay, so he wants to use that against me".

"It will never happen!".