Chapter 6

My weekend stay with mum was fantastic! She didn't wanna let me go and neither did I want to go. We did everything together! She took me places I never knew existed in a country I lived in my whole life.

Her plans was so I could keep staying with her until my documents were ready for us to leave for SA together. I was so excited I felt like I was gonna explode. I barely slept. I just couldn't wait for the day.

I spoke with Gideon very often. I told him about my traveling and how worried I was that it might break us apart but his answer was.

"I'm only a plane ticket away, I can come visit you anytime I want. I'm just so excited you get to leave that hell of a dump you call home" he had told me. But the weird thing was I could detect excitement and sadness in his voice at the same time.

****

My visa was delaying and my mum was running out of time. She needed to get back to her husband and business but she refused to leave me in that slum.

She didn't want to leave me even though her plane ticket was dangerously close to penalty. She said she'll rather pay more money for ticket than to leave me alone after everything. I appreciated that. I loved her more for that.

But then an emergency popped up. She said that it was an issue with her citizenship card or whatever she said. She had to leave immediately or stay in Ghana forever.

Well with everything in progress, she had agreed to leave because she was positive that my visa would be out soon and I'll be able to join her pretty soon.

****

She departed with an emotional breakdown. Reassuring me that she wasn't leaving me forever and that I'll be able to join her soon. I wasn't pleased but I didn't have a choice. It was only a matter of days before I get to her. So I had agreed to it and bid her farewell.

*

When my visa came out, my dad was the one to pick up my passport. He had everything under his possession. He had everything until we couldn't find my health yellow card. I had taken a painful injection for that card! He misplaced it.

Or rather hid it. I knew my dad all too well. He just needed money.

My doubts  were clear when he called my mum, shamelessly asking her for money to get another card. My mum refused to give him. She called him an 'arrogant man and a braggart' she said he was only talks and couldn't afford a common card, when she was the one that did everything.

That did not sit well with my dad. He did not like that at all! He was pissed and mad! He said that until my mum apologizes there will be no traveling for me. He held onto my passport, he confiscated everything!

My mum also refused to apologize for the truth and that seem to fuel my dad's anger more.

Well there goes my freedom!

I was so close! So close!

He held unto those documents till there was only two weeks left for my visa to expire! I cried! I begged! I plead! To no avail.

I plead with my mum to apologize and she did. But he said it was too late! That there will be no traveling.

My mum even sent people to him to apologize but to no avail. She couldn't come down because she had issues with her permit.

**

Two weeks passed and my visa expired.

That man stayed true to his words and never allowed me to travel. It was horrible.

With every passing day of that remaining two weeks I died inside. I was just holding onto a thin rope which was..

Gideon...

He soothed my pains. He made me feel a little better. He tried his best and I loved him for that. He taught me that life still went on. He taught me that I could still survive the hell like I used to. He faced my demons for me when I was too weak to fight them. He took care of me when I was at my weakest, he stayed by me when I was at my lowest and for that reason?

Gideon was the first most important person in my life.

My first love.

I hated my dad for doing that to me.

I hated him for hating me. I used to live for him but now I lived to resent him.

That god forsaken love that I felt for him before turned into loath. I loathed that man more than I loathed my stepmom.

I knew that woman had a hand in me not traveling out but I didn't blame her.

I blamed that devil and only him.

I cursed the day he was born. I hated the air he breathed.

I was supposed to be his daughter! His first child! He was supposed to want the best for me!

The way I loved my father made his betrayal slide into my heart slowly

And painfully. It hurt that my own dad could do that to me.

I mean I knew SA wasn't much but at least it was better than Ghana in so many ways.

He took that opportunity away from me with his cruelty. He was the worst man ever! And I hated him so much.

I became a shell of myself. I felt hallow inside. I couldn't feel a thing towards him or any of his families. When he hit me it didn't matter anymore to me. I'd wish that one day he'll hit me so hard that I don't wake up ever again. I'd wished whenever I fell asleep that I never woke up. I wanted to feel numb.

All the money my mum put into those documents. All her hard works, when I thought about that it made me hurt the more.

I only held onto life for Gideon. When I was with him I felt alive. Whenever his hands were on me I felt safe.

**

His hands run soothing circles on my back while I cried my heart out. My only opportunity for a better life, snatched from me just like that. By the same person who should want the most for me.

"Adede.. life goes on baby. If you're meant for great things then trust me this was the least opportunity. There are better days ahead of you 'mido' (my love).

Your future is bright as the stars, I could see it. I can feel it." Gideon soothed with his sweet boyish voice that calmed my heart in an instant.

"I promise you. If your mum doesn't come for you. I'll make sure to send you abroad myself" he said and I chuckled through sobs.

"Thank you Gideon, you always know how to make me feel better. 'Mido wo' (I love you)"  I murmured softly to him and his his eyes widened.

"Y-you love me?" He rasped out with a husky voice making me frown at him.

"Of course dummy... you are my best friend! Of course I love you!" I muttered slowly and threw my arms around him and hugged him tightly.

When I pulled away he looked at me intensely with some kind of strong emotion in his eyes.

He cupped one side of my cheek with one hand. I shivered slightly from the whispers of the cold night and the way he looked at me.

"'Minso mido wo' (I love you too). He whispered to me softly. I felt goosebumps break on my skin making me tremble.

Just the way he said those simple words pulled on my heart strings tightly.

A small smile grazed his beautiful lips curving it into a beautiful soft smile.

He leaned in slowly and attached his lips to mine softly. I was shocked. I stood frigidly wondering what was happening.

My heart beat paced up furiously, thumping hard against my chest.

He pulled away seconds later and stared at me. I just gawked with huge eyes.

"W-What was that?" I asked curiously cause that just felt too good to be true.

"That is called a peck. That's how people are greeted in abroad. So that was a lesson!" he said and laughed and I laughed with him.

^^

When I was with him I forgot my worries.

He took away the pain when he was there but once he was gone, everything returned with full force and it seemed to worsen.