"So suddenly now you want to know things now?" Mum asks this same question for the third time.
"Mum, just answer the question you can't hide away from this forever," I tell her, still maintaining the stern and annoyed look on my face.
"But why do you want to know about your brother that you already know about?" Mum answers.
"Ugh… since I can't get a full answer on that, do you both mind explaining why my dads' death was staged?" I direct the question to both my mum and dad.
"Your dad became too soft. How could he run the hospital if every person who made a mistake got let off? If he couldn't handle the stress of the hospital I struggled to build? How will people look at the hospital that had the owner kill himself because it was too much?"
The moment the words left my mother's mouth, I was at a loss for words. This wasn't the story I expected. It made electricity shoot through my veins. Something was wrong here. Did dad try to kill himself?
"See look… it's not like that and it was a long time ago. I was stressed. I was on the verge of losing everything I had and that was the only way out," Dad tries to explain.
"Life is drama, dad," Adanna says, her voice low. "You don't predict and plan for everything. You don't get to just opt out because it doesn't suit you"
Adanna's wrong. I can opt-out if I want to. My life before I heard of this wasn't drama. It was quiet and peaceful and safe. Maybe that would mean boring to other people, but it's better. Others would see me as stupid because I dread as my dad is back, it's not like I don't want him back, I just have a bad feeling about this.
"I know that now," He says looking and me and my sister. "And I'm here to stay. I'm not going anywhere"
I look at my moms' expression the minute my dad says this.
She was giving him a deep disapproving and angered look that I made a move to sit up properly. Her expression was the definition of anger and disappointment. Slim nose upturned, her dark painted red lips twitching and her full brows furrowing.
"You thought this 'd shock me? Shocked by your appearance?" She asked, trying to mask a snicker.
"I don't care if you fucking like it, but I'm not leaving again. I'm here to stay with my family cause that's where I should be" He stands up to put his arms around me and my sisters' chair.
"Fine, have it your way," Mum storms off and her bodyguards follow. I was at a loss for words. Again, this wasn't what I expected. It made electricity shoot through my veins again. Something was wrong here. Mom just doesn't back down like that. It means something is up.
***
I woke up the next day and resumed my morning routine, getting ready to go to work because my mum won't let me miss a day because I'm already slacking behind at work.
"Where are you going dad," I asked shocked at his attire because he is wearing the same navy blue scrubs I'm putting on.
He lets out a light laugh "I'm going to the hospital"
"Why would you want to go there? The old staff would recognize you. Everyone thinks you're dead. How did you even get scrubs, cause I'd bet that those aren't your old scrubs, cause you never wore scrubs, you always stuck to the coat."
"I asked Lucia to send them. I told her I would come to the hospital today and don't worry about anyone recognizing me. I'll do something about it."
"Lucia? How? She knew?" I ask shocked because it shocked me, she knew my dad was alive. "Apparently everyone knew about your existence except me"
"It's not like that. I just didn't know how to approach the matter-"
I cut him off "It's okay. So, Lucia was my personal assistant, so you could take care of me?"
He smiles "I had to look after you anyway and make sure they stirred you in the right direction. Anyway, we're having breakfast to eat and I made your favourite...I guess it's your favourite since I haven't been with you, so I made 'akara'" He tells me inviting me into the kitchen.
"I knew perceived the aroma from the kitchen, but I wasn't so sure," I say excitedly, as he puts some on my plate. 'Akara' is also called bean buns or fritters, and it used to be my best breakfast snack. It's a Nigerian breakfast meal, and it was always easy to prepare because the ingredients were easy to find in Canada.
Adanna runs down the stairs wearing a black fitted top and blue palazzo pants. "Don't tell me you want to eat without me," She glares. "And I want the crispy ones"
Dad laughs "Don't worry I'll fry yours more crispy"
"Good morning ma" I greet my mum as soon as I notice her presence.
She doesn't respond to my greeting instead; she looks around the kitchen with a frown.
"Where is Kristy?" My mum asks of the maid and Adanna points over to Kristy's room and she leaves with Ralph and Jim.
***
After some minutes Adanna stands up "Thank you, dad. I'm stuffed and I have to go, dad"
"Have a nice day Delta" He kisses her on the cheek and she leaves. "Let's go then"
The drive to the hospital wasn't quiet. I had a warm conversation with my dad and I'm thrilled about it.
The moment we walk into the hospital, I tell my dad I want to check on a patient and he offers to go with me.
I walk into the patient's ward and look for the patient. After much searching, I give up and ask a nurse on duty who is in the ward.
"Good morning Mr. Briggs," He greets me, pushing his glasses up.
"Yeah, good morning please what ward is Kyle in?" I ask.
"Kyle who? Please, sir, what's his last name?"
I try to remember his last name and it hit me "Kyle Campbell"
"I'm sorry, but I don't think I've attended or heard of anyone like that, that has was admitted into the hospital"
"What do you mean by that? On Saturday night I admitted here him in need of serious surgery and I carried out the operation. I made sure I admitted him in here, so what do you mean you haven't heard?" I ask him sternly, and he looks so terrified. "You know what I'll ask the person in charge of admitting the patients."
"Good morn-"
"What ward is Kyle Campbell in?" I cut off her greeting.
"Is he in this hospital?" She asks,
"Is he in this hospital?" I mimic her. "Of course he is in this hospital. Why wouldn't he be? He's a fourteen-year-old, and he got admitted into this hospital on Saturday night specifically around eleven or twelve am." I tell her this time in an annoyed but calm tone "Look I will not tell you your job but if you don't check your damn computer and tell me where he's ward is I'm going to lose it"
When those words leave my mouth, she searches the computer in front of her, looking for 'Kyle Campbell'.
After some time she raises her head with fear written all over her face and she stutters "S… sir I… I'm so sorry but the name Kyle Campbell is on any of the records"
When she says this, I storm off, leaving the area.
"Who is the patient you're looking for?" Dad asks me, and I tell him about the patient Nailah and I had an operation on.
"Dad, the day when I handled the operation, I was nervous and then his mother asked me to make sure that he was okay. The operation went wonderful, but I said he needed to stay more days and that I would discharge him tomorrow and when I ask of him, they say he's never been in the hospital." I add.
After telling him this, he gives a knowing look but says nothing then I tell him, "Let's go see if Lucia might know anything about it"
When she sees me, she greets me and wants to hand me some files, but I cut her off.
"Have any idea where the patient I had an operation on, on Saturday midnight might be?"
"Kyle?" She asks
"Yes Kyle"
"I thought we admitted him. We made sure and when I dropped by on Sunday afternoon, he was still there."
I take a deep breath "First my doctors disappear and now a missing patient?"