Chapter Thirty Seven

"Before you go." She held my hand and stopped me from standing to leave. "I have something to tell you. There are a few things I think you should know about your father. I know he seems like a bad person, and I'm not saying he's not. I just want you to hear me out. When you are done listening to me, if you still see the need to kill him, then I'll let you"
"What's that, mom?" I resumed my position on the chair, and kept my gaze fixated at her pretty face. I could almost see myself in her, except she seemed chubbier, prettier and too young to be my mother.
"Exactly twenty years ago, when I met your father, he wasn't like this. He used to be a very good husband, at least for the two years we were together. He made sure that I lacked nothing, he provided for all of my needs. He was there for both you and I, he gave me all the care and attention that I needed."
"Then what happened?"
"I don't know what happened Cammie, but he began to keep late nights. He partied more often, he quit his job, and he developed a fondness for you that I found uncomfortable."
I swallowed, and nodded to show her that I was listening. The fondness he developed meant that was probably when he began to find me attractive. And he probably raped me for the first time when I was still a toddler. There was no need to jump into conclusions yet, it was wise to hear her out.
"Go on, mom."
"He began to find faults with me. He said I was too fat, too lousy, too lazy, to ugly, and eventually, not meant for him."
"You both got divorced?"
"Yes, we both got divorced." She nodded sadly. "But none of that was his plan, it was obvious he was pressured into all of it."
"Why do you say so?" I was beginning to feel for my father, although none of his actions seemed pressured to me. To me, it was as if it were all deliberate actions to satisfy his pedophile libido and nothing else.
She opened the file on table, and retrieved another document. "Look at this document Cammie, although I don't know what must have pressured him into signing it, he was made to sign a document with the Sherlock Head Mafia Gangsters." She handed it over to me. "It's a contract between your father, my husband and the lord of the sherlock head mafia gangsters." I took it from her, and inspected it closely. It seemed real.
I could recognize my father's name and signature, and luckily, from the document, I also learned the name of the Sherlock Head Mafia Gangsters.
"Hmmm." I said, unsure of how to feel.
"Look, Cammie. I know you are a victim of his torture but there is more to this case than what you know" She paused to place her hand on my shoulder. "We should investigate more on this, before rushing into any conclusions." I stared away for a moment, before returning my gaze to her. She was right, if what she was saying was true, then I needed to understand what was actually going on.
"What do you suggest I do?" I wanted to go back with her to her house, and never return to the Mafia sisters. What was the point of living by their rules, when my mother was filthy rich.
"Return to wherever you are coming from, but I'll let you have my contact number. We'll investigate more on this before coming into conclusions." I nodded. Going back to the Mafia sisters?
What was I going to tell them?
"Hello, Vivian. I realized that my father signed a contract to be a mafia gangster, and that is why he raped me and you all. Let's all forgive him after all he is my father."
That was not a good idea.
"Actually mom, I'll spend the day with you before going back."
I saw excitement in her eyes when I said that. "Really dear?"
"Yes." I smiled.
"Come with me." She pulled me up from the seat, and in a little While, we were in what seemed like an amusement park. It was also inside the hotel, I didn't see it while I was here.
There were swings, and a mini pool, rich field for picnicking, and a lot of other fun things that I could spend the rest of my day doing.
"Let's catch-up on all the moments we missed as mother and daughter. It was so wrong of the court to have taken you away from me, but your father told so many lies Cammie. So many. He made them believe a lot of bad things about me, one of which was that I was a lesbian."
Lesbian! That was what Keddy had called her.
"He insisted that If you stayed with me, that I was going to abuse you. So you see Cammie, this isn't just about you. It's also about me. He dented my image in the entire city, and I was forced to move here" She settled beside me on the grass, and shifted closer to me. "We are fighting this together, and somehow, we'll rebuild our home."
I smiled, and lay on her shoulder.
She patted me on my shoulder, and pegged me lightly. I did feel slightly uncomfortable, didn't rumours have it that she was a lesbian?
But she was also my mother.
I was feeling very enthusiastic about the future. I had a lover, a mother, and a best friend. Shully.
Shully!
It had been so long since I last talked with Shully, I was such a bad best friend. Recalling how the last conversation I had with her ended, we needed to speak, I was supposed to tell her that I had found love, that I had found my mother, that I found everything life deprived from me.
I rang her, but the response from the other end caught my joy short.