THE MORNING STAR ENTANGLEMENT (PREVIEW)

1 | Trouble

Feyisayo had just walked in from the gym. She was about to change out of her work-out clothes and take a shower when she heard a knock on her bedroom door.

“Come in,” she answered.

It was Tutu, her younger sister. She had an uncharacteristically grim expression on her face.

“What’s the matter?” Fey asked, leading her by the arm to sit on the bed. She noticed some papers in her hands. On closer inspection, they looked like a bunch of opened mail. “What are those?” 

After a few seconds, Tutu finally answered. “I found these in the attic. Mom asked me to go there to fetch you some luggage for your trip.”

Fey nodded. A few weeks before, the sisters had both returned home from college for summer break. Fey, who would begin her senior year in the fall, would travel to Germany in a few weeks for a study-abroad semester at the Technical University of Munich (TUM).

Tutu continued, “I got nosey since we hardly ever go up there, you know. And I found this old-looking luggage in the corner. It had the same design as that old keepsake pouch Mom uses as a makeup bag.”

“Yeah, didn’t she say it’s one of the few items she still has, that she brought with her when we moved here from Nigeria?” 

Tutu nodded in agreement. “It was old and dusty, so I dragged it out of the corner and opened it up. I found some of Mom’s stuff—and these letters from Dad.”

Fey snickered. “Eeewww, old love letters between Mom and Dad?”

Tutu shook her head, her expression still as grim as when she walked into the room. “They’re letters from Dad—to us.”

Fey’s face fell. “What do you mean?” she asked as she snatched the letters out of her sister’s hands. She quickly scanned the postage dates and addressees of the first few letters and came to the same conclusion as her sister. Brows tightly knit and her heart beating wildly in her chest, she said, “So, Dad has been trying to get in touch with us all this time. Why would Mom lie to us?!”

Tears welling up in her eyes, Tutu responded almost in a whimper, “I don’t know.” She watched helplessly as her sister paced up and down the bedroom. She could see Fey’s anger building up, and she somehow felt responsible. 

Ever since Fey and their mother had that big blow-up last year, she had watched the two of them grow apart. But in the last few weeks since they had been home from college, Tutu had tried to help mend the relationship between Fey and their mother. She had suggested a surprise birthday dinner for their mother, after which they both began laughing and joking with each other like before. And now all of that was for nothing! She just wanted them all to be a happy family again, but it didn’t look like that was ever going to happen.

As she sat there, Tutu thought that perhaps she shouldn’t have said anything. Maybe she should’ve waited until later to mention her discovery. But, was there really a good time to break the news that your mother had been lying to you all your life? Tutu felt betrayed. She also felt like a coward. She knew she didn’t have the guts to confront their mother about this, so she told Fey, knowing there was no way she’d keep quiet about it. 

Fey, on the other hand, was seething. She also recalled the conversations and arguments she’d had with their mother about their father. For as long as she could remember, it was only the sisters and their mother. And whenever Fey asked about their father, their mother would clam up or get upset.

Fey wished she wouldn’t make the subject of her father so difficult. It’s just that now that Fey was older, she wanted real answers to her questions. She was no longer satisfied with the usual “Your dad left us and never came back” response. Now, Fey wanted to know why they separated. Did he cheat on her? Or did they just fall out of love?

Her parents both lived in Nigeria before they came to the States, and so her mother had to have known her father’s family. Even if he ran off on them, why couldn’t Fey and her younger sister get in touch with him? Did he not want to meet his children? Why couldn’t they have a relationship with her father’s family? Why was her mother keeping them away from everyone? Didn’t her father ever try to contact them since he left? 

She always had this nagging feeling that her mother was hiding something. She stared at the letters in her hands—proof that her instincts had been right. 

Tutu wiped her eyes. “What are you going to do?” she asked.

When Fey turned to face her, Tutu swore she could see the fire in her sister’s glowering eyes. The kind that almost choked and burned you at the same time. Fey was enraged. Tutu’s breath hitched for a moment, and then as if sensing her sister’s discomfort, Fey forced a smile, her anger dissipating slowly. She walked over to sit next to her younger sister and put her arms around her.

“Did you read any of the letters?” Fey asked, her voice shaking as she tried to get her anger under control.

“Just one,” Tutu responded, her eyes questioning her sister’s sudden calm demeanor. Although she was shocked at the intensity of Fey’s scowl a few seconds ago, she was even more surprised at the fact that Fey was trying hard not to stay angry. Tutu wasn’t sure if she was relieved or disappointed.

“Let’s read them all. Later, we can confront—I mean, talk—to Mom about it when she gets home from work tonight. We’ll get everything sorted out then.”

Tutu nodded in agreement. Perhaps it was good that Fey had a level head than her usual headstrong self. That gave her some hope that tonight’s conversation with their mother might not be as explosive as she was anticipating.

***

Adaobi rushed in the door from the pouring rain. The sudden downpour made rush hour traffic quite unbearable, and now that she was finally home, she quickly shed her high heels as she stood in the foyer.

“Feyi… Tutu,” she called out to her daughters to announce her arrival. No response. Adaobi padded across the hardwood floor to the kitchen to find them getting dinner ready. “Wow. What’s going on here? I thought you both wanted me to make pounded yam for dinner?”

Tutu responded with a smile. “Hi, Mom. We just decided to surprise you.” She looked over at Fey, who simply nodded without turning around. She appeared to be busy with something at the stove.

“Oh, ok. Well, I’ll go change and be down in a few minutes.”

Soon after their mother left, Tutu nudged Fey. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

Fey sighed. “I know it was my idea to get Mom in a good mood before we talk to her about the letters. But as soon as she came in, I—I just couldn’t look at her. I don’t think I can do this, Tutu…”

“Do what? Talk to her about the letters?”

“No! I mean, talk to her without getting mad like I did last time.”

Tutu looked at her sister for a moment before she said, “Who said you had to talk to Mom without getting upset?” 

Fey raised a brow. She didn’t see that coming. Heck, her sister’s tendency to avoid conflict at all costs was the reason Fey suggested this whole dinner thing in the first place. If their Mom was in a good mood, chances are she’d be less likely to stonewall them and might open up to them about the letters and the truth about their father. There was no guarantee, of course.

“I think we should go through with dinner as planned and just let things happen as they will. To be honest, depending on what Mom says, even I don’t think I’ll be able to keep calm this time.” Tutu said coolly as she sat down at the table.

Fey smiled to herself. Perhaps her sister was finally growing some backbone after all. “Sounds good.”

During dinner, Adaobi noticed that her daughters were quieter than usual. When she asked if they were alright, both girls glanced at each other but said nothing. After a few minutes, Fey spoke up.

“Mom, can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

Fey took in a deep breath before asking, “Did Dad ever try to contact us—even if it’s just once?”

Adaobi stiffened at the question. Her face pulled into a frown, and she stopped eating. “What’s this all of a sudden?”

“I need to know, Mom,” Fey pressed.

“I don’t understand why you always like to bring up bad memories, Feyisayo. We’ve been doing just fine since you’ve been back.”

“What bad memories? We—” she gestured to herself and Tutu, “—have no memories of Dad, and you won’t even tell us anything.”

“I’ve told you what you need to know—”

Fey cut her off. “I just want to know if Dad ever tried to get in touch with us.”

Adaobi was silent.

Tutu chimed in, “Mom, I want to know too.”

Adaobi stared at Tutu in disbelief. “So, you’re in cahoots, ehn?”

Tutu’s heart sank. This was the first time she ever sided with Fey, and now her mother was taking a jab at her. Well, there was no turning back now.

There was an uncomfortable silence at the dinner table as all three women stared at each other. 

After what seemed like forever, Adaobi spoke. “No, your father never tried to get in touch with us.”

Fey suddenly slammed her fists on the dinner table. “You’re lying!” she yelled.

Adaobi raised her voice as well. “Don’t you dare talk to me like that ever again, young lady. I am your mother, and you will treat me with respect!”

“Sorry, but liars don’t deserve any of my respect!” Fey spat in response.

In an instant, Adaobi reached across the dining table and slapped her daughter. She was furious at Fey’s audacity. What had come over her suddenly?

Fey immediately reached into the back pocket of her jeans and slammed the attic letters on the table. “Care to explain what these are?” she asked, glaring at her mother.

Adaobi recognized the letters immediately, and in the span of a few seconds, her expression went from shock to anger. “How dare you go looking through my stuff!” she growled.

“Nobody went through your stuff, Mom. I found them in the attic,” Tutu responded.

Adaobi glared at her. Tutu could see that she was visibly shaking from the anger and frustration at being cornered. Adaobi placed a hand on her forehead and rubbed her temples with her fingers. A headache was forming.

“You can’t continue to hide from this, Mom. We’re not little kids anymore. You need to come clean with us,” Fey urged.

Tutu joined in, “Please, Mom, talk to us.”

After about a minute, Adaobi finally spoke. “I did not want you both to find out like this.” She sighed in defeat. “What do you want to know?”

Fey and Tutu glanced at each other. 

Then Fey asked, “The first thing I want to know is why you didn’t tell us about the letters.”

“I didn’t want you to ask to see your father or talk to him. He’s not in a position to do either of those things.”

“Is Dad in the States or Nigeria?” Tutu asked.

“He’s in Nigeria.”

“Why did he go to Nigeria?” It was Fey this time.

Adaobi sighed. “In the summer of the year that your father completed his master’s degree, we received a call from his mother that your grandfather was seriously ill, so he took a trip to Nigeria. And we haven’t seen him since.”

Fey and Tutu were thoughtful for a moment. It was apparent to Fey that their mother would not divulge everything voluntarily, and they would have to ask the right questions.

“Do you know why he never returned?” Fey asked.

“While he was there, his parents wanted him to take a second wife. He refused at first, but he eventually did, and now he is with his new family.”

“Why did they want him to marry someone else? Didn’t they like you?”

“They claimed he needed a wife to bear him a son. Even though your father didn’t care about any of that nonsense.”

“Does he have other children?”

“I don’t know.”

“When was the last time you heard from him?”

There was another silence. Adaobi looked lost in thought, but she didn’t answer the question.

“How can we contact him?”

Adaobi suddenly looked alarmed. “You cannot!”

“Why not?! Are you worried about saving face? That we’ll tell him you’ve been lying to us all these years?” Fey sneered.

Adaobi gave a short, humorless laugh. “No, my dear. At this point, I don’t care what your father thinks of me. What I do care about is your safety.”

“You make it sound like he’s involved in some shady business,” Fey quipped.

“You have no idea, child.”

“Mom, that makes no sense. Are you saying that Dad is an engineer turned gangster?” Tutu chimed in.

“I can’t go into any details, but there are dangerous people who could harm him and us if they knew where we are. The people watching him are very wealthy and very influential in Nigeria. Your dad only writes letters because it’s safer that way.”

“Can you contact him if you wanted to?” Fey asked.

Adaobi shrugged. There was another silence.

“Mom, I know you must’ve been hurt when Dad took another wife,” Tutu said. “I have a few African friends whose dads have more than one wife, so I get that about the culture. But just abandoning us must’ve been hard on you financially. Did he ever send you any child support at the very least?”

Adaobi sighed again. “A few months after his wedding to his second wife, your dad started wiring money into a joint account we used to have together while he was here. He has never stopped doing that. That money funds your college education, girls.” She pointed at Fey. “And your study abroad trip to Germany.”

Fey looked relieved, and she almost smiled. Their father wasn’t a deadbeat after all.

Adaobi lowered her head so that her daughters would not see the tears gathering. She always avoided this conversation for this reason. It would eventually bring back all the hurt and pain. Despite all the years, her feelings were still raw. Perhaps it was because she never really got any closure from the whole matter. How was she to get closure from someone who was thousands of miles overseas, whom she could neither talk to nor see? All she had were these damn letters!