HER BABY’S DADDY

Stravis walked into the ward of her sister, her face contorted in rage and disgust written all over it whenever the image of Jax crossed her mind.

Fuming with anger, she pivoted to speak to her sister but stopped noticing Stravis was in slumber with the baby lying next to her.

She didn’t want to wake them up.

Left to her thoughts, Stravis succumbed to grumbling to ease herself of her rising vexation.

“Fuck she is asleep. I would have told her about the idiot that paraded himself as the father of her child” Stravis mumbled underneath her breath.

She dropped her bag and the extra bag which contained baby things onto a table in the ward.

Still feeling irritated, Stravis ransacked her bag in a bid to get her perfume.

A smile formed on her face once she had gotten the perfume and without wasting any more time, Stravis began spraying the perfume all over her self.

“God he stinks so much of poverty. I hope I didn’t contact any disease” Stravis shrieked, her face morphing into a scowl.

Spraying the perfume all over body, Stravis continued to mumble to herself in frustration.

“Who knows what all these poor people go about carrying in their body? I mean he did not even look like he had showered” Stravis ranted to herself.

It was at that moment, the door to the ward pushed open again and Mrs Walter walked in, startled by Stravis who was soliloquizing to herself and not sparing any part of her body from the sprays of the perfume.

A heavy fragrance of perfume was bathed onto her like a second skin.

Confused, she tapped Stravis who didn’t notice her arrival.

“What is wrong? Why are you talking to yourself and spraying perfume all over your body?” She inquired.

Stravis sighed and rolled her eyes, dropping her perfume back inside her bag.

“Nothing is really wrong. Don’t worry about me too much mum”

“Then what’s with the mumbling of lips and spraying of perfume?” Mrs Walter pushed further.

“I just met one of those men that wreaked of poverty and wretchedness” Stravis gave a reply, leaving the part out where Jax claimed to be the father of Janis’ son.

A gasp pushed past the lips of Mrs Walter and her hands folded across her chest. “Listen Stravis, don’t refer to people in such a rude manner. Just because he is not of your social class doesn’t mean you should call him such” She scolded.

Stravis chuckled at her mum’s reply. “So what should I address him as? Look mum I just don’t want his dirty aura lingering around me. Who knows the kind of diseases or bad luck he carries?”

Mrs Walter shook her head scornfully at Stravis’ words. “We are all humans. Rich or poor, we will all succumb to death one day and in the grave our wealth won’t matter. You better stop addressing people you are wealthier than in such a rude manner. None of our riches will matter when we are dead”

“Mum you give the worst lectures. Atleast I have the wealth now and I’ll make sure I enjoy it until I die. Money is power and I won’t mingle myself with people who lacked both money and power” Stravis scoffed.

Mrs Walter took a deep sigh. “Suit yourself. I just came here to make sure you were back. I’m heading for an urgent meeting with your father. I’ll be back by night fall to take you guys home. Look after your sister ok”

Stravis gave her mum a thumbs up and her lips pressed into a thin line of smile. “I’ll be right here mum”

Mrs Walter hugged Stravis briefly before walking out of the ward, leaving just Stravis alone with Janis and the baby.

Stravis grabbed a stool and sat close to Janis’ and her baby as they slept soundly.

She observed the baby’s features before her mind took a walk down memory lane and she remembered how Jax claimed to be the father of Janis’ baby; Jerome.

Stravis shook her head at the thought. There was absolutely no way in the world. That poor man could never be the father to Jerome. He didn’t even look like could feed himself talk more of meeting up with the expensive needs of Janis and her baby.

Stravis vividly remembered how he insulted her and claimed she was living off her parents wealth.

A cold glare plastered on to her face just by the thought and her hands balled up in rage.

“Such a pig” she thought to herself, her disgust for him even higher than it was.

There was no way Janis would succumb to him and sleep with such a lowlife.

He wasn’t even in the list of men that Janis would roll with to begin with.

A laugh escaped her lips as she reminisced about the man. “He must be such a joker to have thought I would have fallen for his gimmicks”

At that moment Janis was stirred out of her slumber and she yawned.

“Who is a joker?” She asked with drowsy eyes.

* * * * * *

JANIS POVText property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

I heard a feminine laughter probing into the abyss of darkness I had fallen into. It sounded like it was coming from a faraway place.

It woke me out of my slumber.

I slowly raised my body up and yawned, my eyes feeling quite heavy.

My blurry orbs caught sight of Stravis laughing to herself and I wondered why.

“Who is a joker?” I mumbled as that was the sentence I had heard her say in my sleep.

Stravis smiled at me and laughed more.

“You wouldn’t believe what happened to me today sis when I went to get some things for you and the baby” Stravis said to me.

“What is that?” I replied with a question.

“I met a man who claimed to be the father of your child, Jerome” she announced with multiple chuckles leaving her lips.

All the blood got drained from my face and it felt like my heart ceased to function.

“Are you serious?” I asked so quickly. Stravis noticed my hyper state and I immediately composed myself.

“Why do you seem so excited? Look sis this man was a fraud” Stravis told me.

Confusion masked my features and I stared at her in bewilderment.

“Why would you say that?” I gave quizzical stares.

“He is a poor man sis. He looked so shabby and unkempt like one of these drivers. His clothes weren’t even fancy. His hair was so messy that it irritated me to the bones. Just the mere sight of him got me feeling repulsed. He literally thought I’ll buy his lies. He is just a gold digger wanting to claim the heir to your company” Stravis spat distasteful word.

Oh God! That was the man I slept with. He was the uber driver. He literally came back for his baby.

By the way Stravis spoke of him, I doubt that she gave him a warm reception.

Moved by curiosity, I asked again. “So what happened next? What did you tell him?”

“I just told him what he deserved to hear” Stravis shrugged her shoulders at me.

“And that is?” I inquired, my gaze entirely on Stravis.

Stravis sighed and rolled her eyes at me.

“I insulted him and warned him never to step feet into the mansion again”

I gasped but was quick to cover my surprise and maintained a stoic expression over what Stravis said to me.

“You really did that?” I asked, my body feeling uneasy.

Stravis just chased away the father of my child all because of his social status.

And right now I felt ashamed to even voice out the truth because he wasn’t the type of man I would have sex with on a normal day.

“Yes I did. Did you expect me to give him a grand welcome. He was a thief sis. He was a gold digger and I couldn’t stand him” Stravis scoffed.

I forced out a laugh, trying so hard to comply to her contemptuousness against Jax. Just after I had began m false chuckle didshe join me. Deep down I knew my laughter wasn’t genuine. I was pained and there was nothing I could do to bring him back.

I couldn’t even confess to the fact that he was the father of my child, Stravis would take it upon herself to make such a big deal about it. I doubt I would have rest if she came to the knowledge that the poor wretched man she chased away was my son’s father.

Stravis would easily see uncloak this shameful truth out of me, she reads and observes people without even trying so hard.

“You did the right thing Stravis, I’m very glad you sent that gold digger away, I wouldn’t stoop so low to give myself to a poor gold digger who have nothing but lies and deceit to offer, that’s just how they all do. Trying so hard to find the wealth they never planted” I said.

Guilt built it’s origin around the depths of my heart, making me wish the Uber driver was more of a wealthy person. He wasn’t at fault, I was the one who seduced him and took advantage of him because I knew he needed money and I also needed his body.

I wish he would come back again to claim his child but this time, his countenance should speak of grace and riches.

I know he must have felt so ashamed, Stravis must have laid so many curses on him. If I had approached the mansion much earlier or later when I’d be strong on my feet, I would have been the one to speak to him or atleast see him.

“Don’t mind them, I just couldn’t stand his presence anymore. I had to drive out and spray some deodorizers around me to wash off every germ he had brought. Just thinking about him irks” she rolled her eyes and shook her head in irritation.

“Such people aren’t worthy to be with someone like me. Anyways… Do you know his name?” I inquired eagerly. On noticing my eagerness I calmed myself and forced my facial features to show how irritated I was at the man.

“No, why would I ask for his name? What business do I have with lowlives? He is nothing but a worthless piece of crap and his name wasn’t important to me, so I didn’t bother to ask. I just wanted him out of my sight because he disgusted me so much” Stravis vilified.

I nodded in agreement to her denigratory words.

It was too much for me to handle so I laid against the hospital bed. My eyes slowly drifted back to sleep and I gradually lay back on the bed, as different thoughts began to creep into my mind.

With all certainty in me, I believe that the man Stravis had insulted and chased away was the Uber driver who had impregnated me.