A Father's Pain

#Episode 1

I stared fixedly at Prof. Solomon Laryea, my wife’s lawyer. Perhaps, I
did not hear him well, I assured myself. I felt my lawyer’s hand on my
arm obviously trying to restrain me from over reacting.
“Excuse me, sir. What did you just say?” I asked, still confident that
I really did not hear the astute lawyer well when he made the fatal
comment.
He was a short and stout man with a rich amount of white beard. He
must be above 60 years. That he was a brilliant lawyer goes without
saying. He was well respected by his peers. It is well known that he
had taught some of the judges who were currently on the bench at the
Supreme Court.

Prof. Laryea sat back in his chair, caresing his white beard as he
stared back at me. Then he leaned forward slowly, with his hands on
his oak-paneled desk and then spoke.
“I understand how you feel, Mr. Smith. But what I said is the
truth. My client is ready for a DNA test at any health facility of
your choice to prove her claim” he said.
My wife sat by him with an expressionless face. Even then, her beauty
was not in doubt. She had a nose that will make a beauty contestant envy her. Her big romantic eyes stared at the lawyer as he
spoke. She was ignoring me for obvious reason. Seated behind her was
her brother, Nana Kweku. He wore an expressionless look on his face.
No one, looking at my wife even as she sat across the table from me,
would imagine that she would cheat on me. First of all, she had the
innocent look of an angel. If she were to be taking part in a movie
about the life of Jesus Christ, Mary, the mother of Jesus, would have
been the best role to cast her in. She really looked as innocent as
Mary. Her beauty makes screen goddess, Marilyn Monroe, look ordinary.
Secondly, that she cheated on me in spite of all that I had done for
her will surprise many.I never starved her sexually. We made love at
least three times a week. And, when it came to material things, I had
made her the envy of her friends. Yet, she went ahead to cheat on me
with no other person than my best friend, Edwin. I had caught her in
the act myself.
“Excuse me sir, I did not get what you said. Can you please repeat
yourself once more” I asked, though his assertion that my wife was
ready for a DNA meant I had heard exactly what he said.

“Mr. Smith, my client here, your wife, says Peter and Pamela
are not your biological children. As you know, only a mother can tell
the real father of her child or children. Your wife says the
biological father of the two children is another man he would name at
the right time” Prof. Laryea repeated.
The lawyer’s comments were like a hammer hammering at my heart. I
began to tremble all over. I could feel my blood boiling inside me and
my heart threatening to burst out of my chest.
“How dare you tell me this nonsense!?How dare you tell me that Peter
and Pamela are not my children!?” I said through clenched teeth, my
anger boiling. Suddenly, I banged my fist with such ferocity on the
desk that a flower vase on it tumbled and fell. So did a pen and some
books.
My wife got up and backed away in fright. I guess she had never seen
me in that mood before. She had never seen me this angry. Her brother
stepped protectively in front of her.
“Calm down, Mr. Smith” Prof. Solomon Laryea said, getting up
and taking a step back to ensure I will not reach him if I lash out at
him. My lawyer held me to restrain me but I knew no stopping.

This is rubbish I screamed as I swiftly leaned across
the table and grabbed the front of his suit, shaking him violently
even before he realized I was going to grab him.
…………..to be continued…………