C3 Painful Loss

At nine o'clock pm, Damien went to the living room, lay on the couch and read a newspaper. Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice wailing outside.

"That must be Dapo . I really hope the house ain't under attack ", he soliloquized and quietly sneaked out. He hid behind the walls of the facade and peeped. Alas! All he could see was Dapo and Bingo. The dog lay flat as if it was asleep.

"Hmm. So, it's this fool", he thought

and went out to meet him.

"why are you bleating like a goat in the middle of the night? ",Damian asked, widening his eyes in anger.

"oga, I tell small madam and big madam say bingo no well. They give me money buy Medicine , yet bingo die! ", Dapo narrated in tears.

"what? You mean you told them about my ailing dog and they couldn't even tell me about it?", Damien growled and rushed back into the house, ran upstairs and barged into Lily's room where he found her writing assignments. Her pen danced furiously on a sheet of paper as she wrote.

"You daughter of a bitch! "

"what? ",Lily returned in shock.

"shut the hell up! So you and your slut of a mother chose not to tell me about my ailing Dog? Why! "

Diana walked into the room. She has been hearing noises from the kitchen.

"what's going on here? ",Diana asked gently. Lily broke down in tears showing that she could not utter anymore words.

"both of you had the nerves to hide Bingo's condition from me. Do you know how much that dog has caused me already? "

"are you concerned about the dog or the money it caused you? You really don't know how to value something. You always put a price tag on everything ",Diana said softly as she was determined to respectfully tell her man the hard truth.

"what exactly are you trying to say?', Damien asked in order to be clarified.

"you were in the room raging like a wild fire and even pushed me out, refusing to hear a single word from me. How in heaven's name are we supposed to have told you what's happening to you beloved bingo who you value more than us? "

"mtcheeew ", Damien hissed and walked away, feeling defeated in the argument.

"did he hit you? ", Diana asked Lily who couldn't stop shedding tears.

"it would have been better. Calling me daughter of a bitch was totally uncalled for ", Lily remarked.

"what? That he said what? ", Diana asked rhetorically and stormed out of the room. Lily could not move. She felt weakened by the whole scenario. Right inside her room, she could hear Diana raking aloud in the living room.

'it's now crystal clear that dad has changed ", she said and wept bitterly. Her family has stopped being a family. Her house was no longer a home but a mere house. "Why has the devil visited us? Who casted a spell on the peace and harmony we had?," she wondered.

Meanwhile, Diana has gone to face her husband for calling her something she considered questionable.

"who broke my virginity? I am asking you Damien, who did? Jeez! How could you have changed so much overnight? This is the first time am seeing such impertinence in you ", Diana thundered.

"feel free to blab", Damien said and was reluctant.

"so I'm blabbering huh? Listen you gigolo, you either kill me today or take back your words "

"what did you just call me?"

"You heard me right!"

Damien went loopy and for the very first time, lifted his hands on her and pounded her flesh mercilessly. Before Lily could rush down to her aid, she has already been savaged. Lily wiped her tears and began to sob uncontrollably. She was not able to voice out because her voice has been hoaxed from a prolonged agony. She stood and said, "dad, how could you? "

"anymore words from you, I will... "

"You wouldn't dare! "

"I can see you've grown so much "

"You really should be scared of me dad, coz I'm not my mom. Trust me, I'll make sure I report you to the press "

"what? "

"yes. I already made calls. I called my friend and several other people. So you'd better gather yourself and don't try anything funny. It will only make matters worse. Mom, let's go up to my room ", she said and held Diana. They climbed the stairs while Damien sat back down on the couch in confusion.

"How come I didn't notice that my own daughter has grown up so much? She's really no longer a baby. But she was weaned not too long ago ", Damien thought stupidly. Just then, Dapo walked in and sneezed which startled Damien.

"what was that for? Aren't you supposed to be minding the gate you were assigned? Why are you always looming and lurking around my house like an evil spirit? Why did you bring your stupid self in here to frighten me? Are you crazy? ",Damien asked in inquisition, widening his eyes again in anger. "

"erun ra o. I no be kerosene. I hear sound outside. E be like say person dey cry for parlour, na em I kukuma say make I come investigate.

"now 'kukuma' take your stupid self outta here before I set you ablaze!"Damien growled and Dapo hurried off. On getting to the glass doors, he staggered and fell.

"if you break my glass, I'll cease to pay you for six months," Damien

warned. Dapo rose and carefully made his way out. Damien sighed and sank back into his world of thought.

"a single word of this can be very inimical. I can not lock them up in that room. They're my family. To be candid, I shouldn't have raised a finger at Diana. She's my wife. What have I done? ", he muttered in confusion and bit his lips. He looked at the wall clock and frowned.

"when did you spoil? ",he asked the wall clock. Like one who has lost his mind, he kept staring at the wall clock, expecting a response that was exigent. He then stood up and made his way up the stairs against tomorrow.