Father's Guilt, Second Chance Love

Father's Guilt, Second Chance Love

Author: Joshua Schmidt


Chapter 6:

As I reach the empty old house, I open my son room.

The door dey creak. The air dey thick, stale with old dust. Sunlight dey enter through window, dey light the shelf wey full of comics, bottle cap collection, and him school trophy.

Even as he don go, I never touch anything for there.

Him bedspread still be that cartoon character he like. Him old sock dey under bed, him toy car still dey by window. I dey live like person wey dey wait make him return.

Even the smallest thing, I never shift am.

Na him shoe dey block my way, but I step around. Even old sweet wrapper, I leave for table.

I wan keep every memory.

I dey sniff him old shirt, dey imagine say e go just rush enter room call me 'Daddy!'

I sit down for him desk, dey look all those things wey carry memory, tears just dey drop.

I open him notebook, see where e write, 'I go be best player for Naija.' My eye blur. I dey remember his small voice, his stubborn laugh.

As I dey lost for thought, my hand just on him computer by mistake.

I dey always clean the computer, dey on am small to update antivirus, but today I press power button by mistake. The fan hum, light blink.

Because I dey on am for maintenance sometimes, the thing still dey work.

Na good system, the desktop still fresh, sticker dey shine. I dey thank God say NEPA no spoil am.

The desktop full with all the games wey he download.

I see all those bright icons, 'FIFA', 'Call of Duty', 'Mortal Kombat'. My eye dey roll, I dey remember how e go call me, 'Daddy, come see my score!'

I don try enter before, but without my son account, e no gree open.

Password stubborn pass ogbono soup. I don try birthday, phone number, nothing work.

Many of those games don die; five years don pass, half of them no dey work again.

Some dey show error, some just black screen. Technology pass me.

But to me, those games wey I no sabi before don become like old friends.

I dey see the colours, dey remember his joy. To me, na like pikin toys.

I dey click them one by one, then for one corner, I see one icon wey I never see before.

Red logo, small writing. I squint eye, dey wonder if na virus.

[Redemption Game] dem call am.

The name dey strange. My heart beat fast. I dey reason—na wetin be this one?

Strange, I never notice am before.

Maybe Ifedike download am before e die. I dey try remember if I ever see am.

I blame myself say I still dey careless.

I talk, 'See as I still dey miss things, even ordinary icon.' My head dey shake.

I move mouse go there, click am.

Finger dey tremble. I pray say e no go spoil anything.

Homepage empty—nothing dey.

No graphics, no sound. Only darkness for screen. I frown, dey expect more.

Just one line of strange numbers for my front:

[0/3].

I scratch head, dey wonder if na joke.

I cross myself three times, whisper small prayer, dey fear say maybe na juju or one kain scam.

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