“You are Derek? Oh my! You look exactly like your father” the visitor said.

“Ermm excuse madam, who are you? Derek asked.

“I’m your mother, my son” she said.

Derek was shocked. He didn’t believe his ears.

“What did you say? I’m sure you are in the wrong house” Derek replied.

“I know where I am. I brought you here” She said

This was getting weird for Derek.  He offered her a seat and as she sat, he asked her

“Madam, how do you mean you are my mother?

“My son, I can explain if you’d give me the chance.” She said.

“Ermm Please hold on,  let my sister join us. Perhaps she can understand you better than myself” Derek said and without waiting for her response he called out to Mansa.

Mansa, who was already upset with him, came out looking angry.

“I beg of you, can you please join us?” Derek asked.

Without answering him, she greeted the woman and sat down.

“Thank you.” Derek said to Mansa. Turning to the woman, he said “Madam, you can go on now.”

“I personally raised you till you were a year old.  Your father died when you were eight months old and thereafter, things became very difficult  for me.

I couldn’t play the role of a mother. I barely had enough food to eat talk more of feeding you……” She said but Derek interrupted her

“Hold on there, you said my father died when I was eight months old?  he asked.

“Yes, my son” She answered.

“So you’re claiming that late Rev. Bernard’s also not my father?  Derek asked.

“Yes my son. Your biological father died of cancer” She said.

Mansa was completely lost. She didn’t understand what was going on but she could tell from the woman’s face that she was being truthful and sincere.

“What is she talking about,  Who is this Derek?  Mansa asked. She looked interested and concerned now.

“That’s exactly what I want to find out. She says she is my mother, Mansa. ” Derek answered.

“What?! Mansa said. She too was shocked.

“Let’s hear you out madam, Please go on” Derek said.

The woman continued with her explanation “My only option was to leave you in the care of someone worthy. That was when I met Mr and Mrs Bernard.”

They agreed to take care of you as their own, on the condition that I kept the adoption a secret. They sent you away to the states and I didn’t hear anything again until you returned, upon the death of your foster father.

Derek, you are my only son.  I couldn’t let you suffer.  I had to think of something.  Giving you away was my only choice. Your name is Derek Fernandez and I am your mother.” She revealed.

“Stop it! Please stop it,  I can’t  take any more of all these” Derek shouted. He left her and Mansa and ran into his room.

It was too much for him to process. He couldn’t handle it. He was confused. He didn’t know what to believe. He didn’t know if she was telling the truth or not.

Mansa went into Derek’s room and found him sitting on his bed.

She joined him and took his hand. She rubbed her thumbs on his hand. That made him relax a little.

“Derek,  I think you should take it easy now. Don’t draw any conclusions yet. It’s amazing but I also went through the same thing recently” Mansa said.

“What are you talking about, Mansa?” Derek asked.

Mansa brushed him off and said “I think there is only one way to find out if she is telling the truth.”

“How? How can we tell? By doing a DNA test? Derek asked.

“No, I think we should keep her here till Mrs Bernard returns, then we can confront them both.” Mansa suggested.

Derek felt comfortable with that plan. In fact, he felt comfortable with anything, as long as Mansa was with him. Even with this situation and the news that he had just received, he still felt guilty about what he had done to her.

Mansa, however, stil harboured what she had seen at dawn; Rita coming from Derek’s room.

“Mansa, there is something I need to tell you.” Derek said.

“I already know Derek” Mansa answered.

“You do? Derek asked

“Yeah,  I know  you’re going out with Rita, I saw her coming from your room this morning.” Mansa said

“Oh, that! Mansa it is not what you think” Derek said.

“We don’t have time for this now. Let’s go back and sit with the lady until mum returns.” Mansa said and left Derek’s room for the living room. He had no choice but to follow her.

Mrs Bernard went to Rita’s house after trying severally to get in touch with her to no avail.  Fortunately, she met Rita at her apartment.

It was obvious that the young lady didn’t  want to see her.  She wasn’t welcoming. However, Mrs Bernard was able to persuade her to get into her car so they could talk.

“Rita, why this attitude? You left my house without telling me,  your phone has been off all this while. What is wrong with you? If this is about your money, then take it” She said, handing her #100,000 in cash.

To her surprise, Rita refused it.

“Mrs Bernard, what do you even hope to achieve from all these? I have done a lot and I can’t keep up with this anymore. Excuse me, I don’t want your money” Rita said.

“You are joking, right?  This is a prank” Mrs Bernard  said.

“You think so? Please don’t ever contact me anymore, I am done!” Rita said and alighted from the car banging the door right in the older woman’s face.

Mrs Bernard didn’t believe what had just happened. It was like a dream  to her.

“She must be upset about something, I know she will be back.” Mrs Bernard said to herself.

She left and went straight to the police station. She was not allowed to see her son Chris.

She proceeded to create a scene at the station, so they could allow her see him. Rather than give in to her drama, the policemen on duty threatened to arrest her as an accomplice. That calmed her down. There was nothing more she could do. For the first time, Mrs Bernard felt helpless and frustrated.

She had no option than to go back home. Her day had just gone from bad to worse. First, Rita rejecting her and now the police disallowing her from seeing her son.

In no time, she got back home. She opened the door to the living room and froze.

To be continued…