What was missing (2)

If you've not read the previous click here............I have always appreciate you all for everything you've been doing,your supports and love for me,I so much appreciate you all. Thank you for your time and effort I love you all.

Cont........

He spoke from a place of anguish, his face squeezed up as he continued. His lips downward.

“What makes you now think he wasn’t killed?” 

“There was no body,” he looked up, it was as simple as that.“There was blood.”Her father continued. “You’re a lawyer valentine, Is it everything you see that you believe?”Valentine did not respond.

“Why did you wait this long to do this?” She asked. Angela by now had steadied himself, his hands were firmly folded across his chest and his back laid against the seat.“I don’t know why,” he clicked his tongue, his lips pursed and his wrinkles became even more prominent on his forehead. 

Silence filled the air again and valentine herself being transported to her time in the village twenty-two years ago.She could barely remember how each of them dealt with the death of valentino. She could only remember how lonely life became in the village. She and valentino's friends stopped coming to play with them in the compound. Even Colins, valentino's best friend, was not allowed to speak to her. Whenever she tried, colins's mother would rush him back into the house and send valentine away with the flick of her wrists.

Valentino’s death left a stench in valentine’s life that she couldn’t for the life of her seem to rub off, it was as though something tagged her a bad omen ever since he was killed. No one wanted to be around anyone that smelt cursed. Even her extended family didn’t show up for valentino’s burial and they stopped visiting. Valentine picked her cup of palm wine, the cloudy liquid sloshing against the mug. She downed it in a single gulp and It slid smoothly down her throat, she was going to need more of this when she got home.

So many thoughts danced through her mind: there was no doubt that this would be a sad, long and lonely night, but when was her birthday ever anything but that? Drowning in a pool of self-loathing and hurt, even the therapist her parents hired after they moved to Lagos couldn't help her move on.She was thankful her children were witth heir father on this night. They were the only source of light in her life and she didn’t want them seeing her like this. She had never spent a single birthday with them, opting to send them away and have dinner alone with her parents instead.Her father continued. “I see how this has taken a toll on you, my love. We can talk about this more tomorrow or the day after. Not today."

“So you think he’s alive somewhere and that he wasn't really killed, just kidnapped?” “It’s a possibility.” “A possibility?” valentine’s lips moved and the words came out before she could even stop them. Her father folded his lips.“I tell you more on the investigation. Later. We’ll see.” “If he’s alive, it would be good for you.” valentine's mother spoke for the first time since the conversation started. Her voice smooth like butter and light like a single feather. “What if he doesn’t want anything to do with us? With me? If he is alive he’s going to wonder why we didn’t search for him. I would wonder that.”  valentine questioned again, her throat felt scratchy and dry. She reached for the bottle on the side table beside her, popped the cap open and took a mouthful. Her eyes looked back and forth at her parents.She waited for an answer. “Madam, food is ready.” The throaty sound came from the entrance of the living room. It was Blessing, the househelp. She stood there with a pink patterned flare dress that did nothing for her petite frame. It looked rather large on her like she was swimming in it. Her presence stopped the conversation from going further.Somehow as the night grew old, the topics switched and they had an enjoyable but mostly uneventful dinner. Valentine laughed and smiled unconsciously throughout, it was something to distract her from the events earlier in the night

When dinner was many hours past over, the three of them walked slowly to valentine's car.“I’m so proud of you valentine, you’re such a blessing to your father and me. We love you more than you could ever understand or know. You’re my biggest accomplishment and by far my most profitable investment,” Angela echoed sweetly into her daughter’s ear. The quietness at that moment felt intimate and personal but valentine expected that her mother’s words would prompt her to tear up. Instead, nothing came. Valentine struggled to force tears out, to feel the swelling in her chest like most people did when they loved someone but still nothing came. Her heart ached.Angela began to pray over valentine but she was too unfocused to tune in to his words. She could see him smiling dearly at her, tears peaking from the corners of his eyes. Valentine whispered a soft “Amen” beneath her breath and hugged him, sinking into his warm embrace. She felt her mother’s small hand slide tenderly up and down her bare arms. All that was missing was valentino. 

“That was all that was ever missing,” she thought to herself.

Tbc...........