Taking responsibility (chapter sixteen)

After the night session, she made her decision to visit her father. She isn't sure if his likes are the same as they were years back, does he still favours guava and mango?, what of salted biscuits which he used to compete with her to finish.

Now recalling, her father used to lose to her on purpose all in tricks to get her to eat, either way it was fun and those memories are ones she can't let go of so easily. 

This time will he recognize her?.

Even if he doesn't, she has decide to confront her past. She'll listen to his explanation and reasons he left her broken years back but not without a warm hug first.

"Are you really doing it?"

"Of course" she cheerfully replies, taking the phone for the other ear.

"This time around I'll meet him and introduce myself even if he doesn't recognize me" she assured Dora on the other line, it has been decide, her long time anger and burden in heart come to end the very moment she sees him.

"Okay,am glad you finally decided on it" she died the phone.

....

"Are you happy to see her?, She's coming"

"It'll be best she doesn't show up, I don't think am ready to see her. "

June's fingers digs in her dress, translating every word said to her own meaning. He isn't rejecting her for the third time again, is he?.

"But why not, I think it time you reconcile with her. She's also your daughter" Samantha cuts in, resting her hands on her father.

"With a father like me, it best to have none. I really hope the years have wiped my memories from her. I can only be father to you"

Not again. Why did she even bothered?, She's willing to let the past slide and make peace with him but he doesn't even want to see her. Why is it always hard in her case?.

Trashing out the basket of fruits she had carry with her, she walked her way out.

"Did you have to do that?. I don't get it if you miss and love her as you say then why hurt her?. Both you and mom , I just wants to fix your mistakes but you make it so difficult for me" Samantha scolds out, her father who laid silence in thoughts of his actions all these years.

Yes he remembers his little girl's face and he can't express how hurt he was to ignored her that day and went for Samantha's embrace.To him, it's of no use to face June, she is better of without him. He rather have her hate him than break her heart twice in a roll of his soon death he's sure of.

How is he to explain to her why he left years back?, Or why he never came back or called, why his choice of his illegitimate family?. Is he to tell her she came not of love but compromise?, or she's just a night mistake that he hoped to clean?.

The love she grew up witnessing between her parents was fake?.

Either way she's the one being hurt by their choices and decisions.

.....

"Okay we're live in one, two and three" the voice reached in her ears, backing from the behind set. June laid a hand on her crossed lap, as she set her lips for a warm bloom.

"And welcome to the Bring love to life show, am your host June. And today we're here with Sarah and Mr Black" June repeat her every day start line of the show.

The next seats are her two guests with three dependents that came along as witnesses or protesters, she really thought less of it.

She wasn't going to host today but the case is an intriguing one ,so she called off her sick leave and came for it.

"Sarah please tell us more about your case, what's your problem and what do you intend to gain at the end?"

"My husband keeps finding issues with my mother stay at our home, he thinks she's a burden and won't stop scolding. He stopped coming home and the days he comes home he does late in the night."

Sarah details to June that's taking notice of the woman next to her. Her hands constantly moves to her lap, her hair is one length with Sarah's ,as are the eyes that linked in hazel with dark beauty moles on the right top lip.

It isn't hard to link in the relationship them.

"And why do you think he comes home late or finds issue with your mother?" she asked taking her eyes off the woman to Sarah .

"I have no idea, he's just impossible" something about her tone tells she knows more than she tell, either way it is her job to fish out the cause of the problem.

"Mr Black, you've heard what your wife said, can you please tell why you come home late and what's the issue you have with your mother-in-law staying with you?" She lays gaze on the man with body of a model, his ginger dye hair suit the circle face he has with light cat eyes, which makes her curious if it real or fake.

"I have no problem with her mother staying with us, my problem is her attitude. Her mother is too noisy for my comfort, she complains about everything I do and if I get her something she doesn't appreciate it she finds fault in every thing I do. The worst, since she came to live with us my wife character has changed "

"And what do you mean by that?" Sarah argued in, stinging sore eyes at her husband that speared little gaze on her.

June on her edge,observes their every move, catching the sides smirk on the lips of Sarah's mother.

"Mr Black why do you think your wife's mother is a bad influence on her "

"Ever since she came to live with us, my wife doesn't dress as she used to, she goes out frequently and have develope the habit of having friends and going parties. In short her mother instigate her to quarrel with me, she said am not the right choice for her daughter "

"I see nothing wrong in my mother wanting the best for me. I spends much time with her because I just found her" Sally voiced scrubbed in the ears of the audience, provoking them in gasp and troll eyes.

"You just don't get it do you?, she doesn't see you as her daughter but wallet to support her life. She only gathered the guts to meet you after years only because she had no roof on the head, if not why did she leave you at the orphanage when you were only three?." The husband scolded being tired of his in-law double characters.

His wife hands clenched on her lap as she digged glares at him for provoking those words on live television. The mother eyes went for her knees ,while the husband showed a second of regrets on his statement.

June on the other end can't be more interested in the case than the seconds he blurted out.

"Let get this straight, you just found your mother after how many years?" June's anxious voice couldn't hide from them.

"Twenty five years, but she explained herself and why she did that." The wife said flatly with less intentions of diving deep.

"let get this straight she, I mean your mother abandoned you at an orphanage and never contacted you for years only to have her return after losing a roof over her head?" June inquired with much interest. She can't believe they left such part of their case, like every case she wants total honesty from her guest, full story is a mandatory. That's the only way she can settle their dispute.

"I didn't say it because I didn't feel it was important " 

" But it is. This is the reason why you and your husband are in discord because of her. Your husband isn't please with her or her attitude " she bluntly said, taking another glance on the mother who showed less care to the topic of discussion.

" It his problem not my mother. I believe she has change and whatever she did years back was a mistake done by a young teenager" the wife further excused her mother of any guilts of her deeds. 

"And you believed her?, She said sorry and some fake story and you went for the soft corner. Right now all am seeing is a woman list of hope so came back to you, faking love to get free stuffs, once they leave they never wants to come back not until they're being compelled." She wraths out ,taking the case personal to her own preference. It has become her own case of her and her father that continuously rejects and abandon her. And somehow she sees herself in the lady for being weak and light heart. Like her, she still takes in her mother even after the abandonment of her.

"You're better off without parents like them, they're selfish, they only love themselves." The words lashed out from the depth of her heart.

Just as that the live show is interrupted and blacked out from viewers at the other end. Within, two staffs walks in and excuse June out. While all gaze in baffle to the sudden discord.

"What was that?" Linda lashes out on her the second she left the record room.

"Your job is to merge in their differences and make peace not set to flame to the burning ash. I get it, this case is sensitive for you but that's not how it works June, you give them a happy ending not a sad one" she edged her fingers on her forehead, trying to see from her side.

She's aware of her past and what she went through.

"This is what's going to happen , take an off today. Tomorrow you continue where you stop, I'll have them schedule for tomorrow. I have a family picnic to attend, you go home and rest " Ahe said heading for her office.

...

The elevator ride was one boring one. She has always keep her cool in every case no matter how annoying or personal it gets but this one. She just don't understand why her cool went off, perhaps the similarities of her current state with the case triggered her emotions out.

Her first step out of the elevator is met with his, she sighed taking in memory of the night stumble.

"About night night" Dave trailed in, his mind has been skeptical and wants to work things out.

"Can we not talk about it, let just pretend like it didn't happen" she scolds in, her heart isn't in calm.

His arrival and conversation isn't just the time to Converse on.

Come to think of it, his words convinced her to meet her so call dad who apparently wants nothing to do with her, if she had just stay the way she is and not venture for a third heart break.

It's passed and nothing could be done about it.

"Just forget what ever happened last night, it meant absolutely nothing" June said rushing her hands to her face. In her moment of weakness she let her silly heart decide her fate and..might have done something she's now regretting, specially after what her dad had said. It makes it even harder to let go.

"But it did happened, we can't just act like it was nothing plus I want to take responsibility" he said getting a little bit hurt by her comment. Is it all nothing to her, she might take it as a pass of but it is important to him and he never do things carelessly. Every word and moment between them touched his heart and he felt the same to be in her heart .

"I don't want you to take responsibility, there's nothing to be responsible of. Shits happens let just scrap it out" she said

"It meant something to me, you can't just act like it was nothing" he argues back. Her words weren't the same last night, when her lips went for his and hands hung on his neck.

Beyond everything they showed compassion, sincerity and belonged.

"Listen, we both are grown ups. And am certain that wasn't our first time ,so let just work it out" casual as she sound ,heavy it is to say. Beneath she feels the connections as well, yet scare to be hurt as her father and every other men that have been in her life.

"If you don't want to be taken responsible of then that's fine, but I want to be taken responsible of"

She huffed taking her steps for the door.

"I'm being serious here June, I don't think I can continue being just your fake boyfriend, not after yesterday's incident. We have to talk it out" his tone sound out cold.

"Then don't. I really don't care anymore, am just tired. What ever happened yesterday was a mistake I don't wish to repeat"