I didn’t know my father until after SHS. My mom said I didn’t have a father. She did all she could to make me forget about the existence of a father, but after SHS, there was a huge funeral in town that my dad attended. My aunt held my hand and took me to him. He said, “You see the child you rejected? See that he’s a man now.”

FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP CHANNEL TO RECEIVE ALL STORIES IN YOUR INBOX

I looked deep into his eyes and saw a mirror that reflected my future. He looked exactly like the man I would be when I turned his age. He didn’t say anything at first but later asked how I was doing, and I said I was doing fine. He didn’t say anything again. The rest of the conversation was between him and my aunt.

When my mom learned that my aunt had taken me to see my dad, it turned into a fight. My mom is the youngest, but she fought without respect or shame. That day, I got a feel of the story from the quarrel. My mom shouted, “You were one of those who shamed me because I got pregnant. Have you ever sent a penny to help raise my son? How dare you do what you just did?”

My aunt also fought back. “Did you think you would forever hide him from his real dad? Are you the only person who gave birth to him?”

After this fight, my mom and my aunt never spoke again. Their parents tried to settle it, but my mom spoke from her heart that she would never forgive her sister for what she did. Of course, my aunt didn’t come with regret. She came with defense, and that made forgiveness a little bit hard.

After my introduction to my dad, I thought he would come home, do the necessary things, and take over my care, or at least help because my mom was suffering. He didn’t do it. I never saw him again until after my university graduation. He had come to visit his people, and we met. That time, I went to look for him. I don’t know what I was looking for from him, but maybe I wanted to show myself to him and see if he could be proud of me.

He disappeared again. My mom died and was buried, and I still didn’t see this man again. I left town after my national service. I went to chase my dreams. I found a good job and decided to settle in life. Along the line, I received a call from my dad. That was the day he said he was sorry about his absence in my life and that he did all that because he wasn’t in a better place in life.

It was the same aunt who gave him my number to call me. I didn’t push him away. I told him I had nothing against him and assured him my doors were open for him. I didn’t have my mom. Any parent at all would do, so I welcomed him into my fold. I sent him money when he needed it. He even came to visit my place one day.

Instead of giving him money every month, I decided he should think of a business he could do so he could have a steady income. He said he had sold spare parts before and that it was a great business, but he didn’t have the money to continue. We agreed to start a spare parts business together.

I went with him to get the shop. He introduced me to his friend who imported from Korea, Japan, and China. We struck a deal with him to supply us with stock. It was a huge amount of money, but I invested everything I had into the business, believing my dad would take care of it very well so we could split the profit.

A few months into the business, I bought a taxi for him. The taxi was to take him to the shop and back home, and the driver could use the rest of the day to work and bring in sales.

We started very well until money stopped coming from him. Because I didn’t have the time to visit him, whatever reason he gave me, I accepted. Until close to a year, I hadn’t received anything from him. I decided to go and see things for myself.

He had given the shop to one of his sons, whom he had told me had wasted his life and didn’t go to school. The two of them had also repainted the car and were using it as their private vehicle. The shop looked healthy, but he kept giving me excuses. I asked what was going on, and he was honest that he had given the business to his son.

This guy looked at me like he had a fight with me. I told him that since they had decided not to send me anything from the shop, it was better I closed it. My stepbrother squared up to me and screamed, “Do you have a shop? Do you know how my dad has suffered to set up this shop? Where are you from?”

All the while, my dad was sitting there, saying nothing. I asked for the car keys, and it turned into another fight. I was a stranger. If they attacked me, no one would fight for me, so I left town, thinking I would return with the police.

I went back a few weeks later, and the shop was empty. My dad said thieves had broken in days after I visited, but from the look of things, I believe they relocated the shop to somewhere I wouldn’t know.

I stood at the site quietly and turned away. I was crying on my way home. I blamed myself for going where my mom warned me not to go. I missed her. I said sorry to her ghost wherever she was. I cried until I got home. Everything I invested went down the drain.

It’s Not God’s Law For A Man To Apologize To A Woman

I told myself I wouldn’t follow up again because the dog that wouldn’t bite doesn’t show you its teeth.

My dad won twice. He left me at birth. I learned to walk without him, but when my feet gained ground, he tried to push me down again. I forgive him. I pray he dies happy because I will live without any form of guilt going forward.

—Amos 

This story you just read was sent to us by someone just like you. We know you have a story too. Email it to us at [email protected]. You can also drop your number and we will call you so you tell us your story.

******