The clock had struck 12.30 am before Tony returned home that day. Nwamaka had sat up waiting for him. When he returned, he let himself in with his keys and after locking the door he walked towards the stairs ignoring Nwamaka who was waiting for him in the sitting room.

"Tony" she whispered.

He stopped.

"What is it?" he asked without looking at her.

"I am sorry about today. I had to mark my papers. That was why I refused to come along," she said feebly.

"Have you now finished marking them?" he asked.

"I am really sorry."

He turned and faced her.

"Look, stop saying 'I am sorry' every other time. There's only one way to show that you are really sorry. Open up and tell me what I have been asking you for several days now. It is that secret you have kept that is making you avoid your family. You don't care about our children or about me anymore. You daily brood over your son, Obioha. That's all you do and he's the only person you care about. Neither I nor my children mean a thing to you anymore."

"I am sorry, please."

"Prove it. Tell me who his father is so that I can have them reunited. That is the only solution to this problem."
She was silent as he moved towards her.

"Are you now ready to talk?" he asked. She did not reply

"Who is his father?" he repeated the question and yet there was no answer.

Exasperated by her silence he exploded once again.

"Do you see what I mean? You care more for this man and his son than for me and my children. You still love him that's why you have refused to talk about him. You still care for him...."

"Stop!" she shouted, holding her head in her hands. Tears flowing down her cheeks, he stared at her in amazement.

"Why does this simple question always bring tears to your eyes? It only goes to prove a point. You shed tears because the question reopens an ache you have in your heart for this man. You still love him, don't you?" he asked, this time in almost a whisper.

"I wish I knew whom you are talking about," she murmured.

"Who else are we talking about?" he asked baffled, wondering if she was beginning to lose her mind.

"I don't know who he is," she blurted out. She slumped into a seat and wept. He moved over to her and took her in his arms.

"You mean you don't know who the father of your son is?" he asked, shocked by the revelation.

"Believe me; I don't know who he is. That is the truth," she said, weeping uncontrollably.

His mind raced to several conclusions. Does this mean that there were so many men involved in her life that she could not hold on to any of them? Was she that wayward? Or was she raped? Slowly he sat down beside her. He brought out his handkerchief and wiped her tears. No matter what must have been her past life, he still loved her with all his heart. He stared into her tear-covered face and then held her close to his bosom, consoling her.

"I am sorry. I will never ask again," he told her.

"No" she said freeing herself from his hands.
"I am going to tell you everything". He leaned back in the seat and she began to talk to him.

---

Thanks for reading! Check my blog often for subsequent chapters.

LINKS:

• INTRODUCTION
• CHAPTER 1
• CHAPTER 2
• CHAPTER 3
• CHAPTER 4
• CHAPTER 5
• CHAPTER 6
• CHAPTER 7
• CHAPTER 8
• CHAPTER 9
• CHAPTER 10
• CHAPTER 11
• CHAPTER 12
• CHAPTER 13
• CHAPTER 14
• CHAPTER 15
• CHAPTER 16
• CHAPTER 17
• CHAPTER 18
• CHAPTER 19
• CHAPTER 20
• CHAPTER 21
• CHAPTER 22
• CHAPTER 23
• CHAPTER 24
• CHAPTER 25
• CHAPTER 26
• CHAPTER 27
• CHAPTER 28
• CHAPTER 29
• CHAPTER 30
• CHAPTER 31
• CHAPTER 32
• CHAPTER 33
• CHAPTER 34
• CHAPTER 35
• CHAPTER 36
• CHAPTER 37