"Kyle, when did you get back?" Mum asked as I walked into her in the living room.
"Some minutes ago, Mum, I was on my way to your room," I told.
"Oh, Okay, where is the kids Mum you went to fetch?" Mum asked looking behind me.
"I did not come with her, Mum,"
"And why is that?" She asked.
"She is still at the hospital, she has not woken up yet," I told her putting my hands into my pant pocket to try and calm myself, as the sight of Kimberly lying on the bed motionless flashed in my memory, it hurts me a lot to have seen her like that.
"Woken up yet? How do you mean?" Mum asked, searching my face.
"Her friends said she passed out after Alex and Sandra were taken from her and she has not woken up since then, the doctor said she may be in shock, Mum,"
"In shock?" Mum asked again searching my face.
"Yes Mum, I spoke to the doctor in charge of her treatment before leaving the hospital," I told Mum not knowing if it is necessary to tell her all that or not because she just gave me a stare that I do not know what to make of.
"Oh, alright," Mum said after a while, and made a move to walk away.
"Mum," I called stopping her.
"Yes, Kyle," she said, staring into my face.
"Where are the kids?" I asked ignoring the look on her face, that was the reason I wanted to see her anyway.
"They are in the guest room upstairs, on the right, close to the one Sonia stays in," Mum told me.
"Um, Mum... there are many guest rooms in this house of ours and I do not know the room Sonia stays in, do you mind showing me?"
"Do not tell me you do not know the room Sonia stays in, she is your fiancée for goodness sakes," Mum told me.
"Mum, can we not go into that now, it is not like she leaves in this house with us, she has a home, Mum, why does she keep coming here? She has a room already to herself?" I said to Mum, raising my voice this time.
"I am sorry, Mum," I told her after a while, seeing how she stared at me, "I did not mean to raise my voice at you, Mum, I am sorry," I told her pleadingly, I do not know how I and my Mum got to this point.
She used to be on my side on every matter and we seemed like best friends but we are growing apart by the day since Dad insisted on me joining and learning his business, it became worse especially because of Sonia, that w*tch, Sonia has made even talking to my mum a problem, it is like she has taken control of my Mum's mind that we won't have a discussion without Sonia coming up or into it.
"It is alright, Kyle," Mum said and called for one of the house keepers who just walked into the living room.
"Take, Kyle to where the kids are," she told the house keeper.
"Yes, Ma'am," the house keeper replied.
"Are the kids all by themselves?" I asked looking from the house keeper to Mum.
"No, Kyle, they are with Sonia," she told me and then started walking away.
"Oh, no!" I exclaimed turning towards the house keeper who is already ahead waiting for me to follow.
"This room, sir," the house keeper said pointing to a door she stop in front of.
Okay, thanks," I told her and turned on the door handle immediately to open it.
Almost immediately the Kids who are seated on the bed ran towards me, I fell on one knee and spread my arms apart for them to run in.
They threw their little arms around my neck, I hugged them tightly as well, this is so nice, I said within me holding them closer to myself.
"Enough hugging guys... I said enough hugging," Sonia shouted at the kids.
"Excuse me, Sonia, do you have a problem with this?" I asked as they untangled their arms around my neck, wondering what her problem is now.
"No, darling, it's just that I wanted them to give you a break since you are just coming in, you see, and this... this is not classy at all," she said, trying to sound normal.
"Classy, what is classy about a hug?" I asked seeing that she was only showing her jealousy.
"That is, by the way, Kyle, where is their Mum?" Sonia asked glancing behind me.
"She will be here soon," I told her, I know she is asking not because she cared, I think she is asking to know if I succeeded in bringing her here.
"Mum, did not come with you?" Alex asked in between, he and Sandra staring into my face.
"It is obvious, Kids, did you see her with him?" Sonia asked looking down at them before I could answer Alex's question.
"That is no way to talk to kids," I scolded Sonia.
"Excuse me, Kyle, do not talk to me like this in front of these kids, you hear me, I will not tolerate that," Sonia warned me.
"You..." I said but stopped myself again and sneered at her instead, remembering that Alex and Sandra are watching.
"Come on, kids," I said instead, taking their hands.
"And where are you taking them, Kyle?" Sonia asked.
"Who are you to ask me such a question?" I asked, sneering at her again.
"I am your fiancée and their step mum to be, I am going to be their Mum, Kyle," Sonia told me in return.
"Mum?" I asked and scoffed at her statement, "you will never be their Mum, Sonia, you know why? That is because they already have a Mum, now if you will excuse me," I told her and then walked out of the guest room with Alex and Sandra in my arms ignoring the look on Sonia's face.
"Where are we going, Sir?" Sandra asked as I carried them both in my arms walking down the stairs.
"We are going to my room," I replied.
"Is Mum there in your room?" Alex asked.
"No, kid, your Mum will be here tomorrow, she asked that you stay with me tonight," I replied, hoping that I answered right.
"Will you let us sleep there with you in your room?" Sandra asked again.
"Why? Don't you want to sleep with me?" I asked in return pretending to be hurt by her question in a playful way.
"I would love to sleep in your room, I do not like that Miss Sonia very much," Alex told me instead.
"Me, too, I do not like her at all," Sandra told me too.
"Did she do something to you?" I asked them wondering what Sonia has done to them.
"I just do not like her, she is like an evil w*tch," Sandra replied frowning her face.
"Sandra, Mum will not approve of you calling her that," Alex told Sandra.
"I know right, but that is what she is, Alex," Sandra replied still frowning her face.
"Well do not let her hear you," Alex told Sandra again.
I listened to them not knowing what I should say concerning Sonia being an evil w*tch, because I agree with Sandra's opinion, but I commend their Mum, Kimberly, because of what Alex told Sandra, she sure is doing a good job raising her kids, no our kids, I corrected myself recalling that they are my kids too.
"It is alright kids, let not think about irrelevant things and try and do things that will bring joy to us instead," I told them trying to lighten the mood.
"Like what, sir?" Sandra asked almost immediately looking into my face, Alex too.
"Well for starters, I think you should stop calling me Sir," I said pausing to look at their faces.
"Hmmm, what should we call you then?" Alex asked still looking into my face.
"Should we call you Daddy?" Sandra asked almost immediately, staring at my face still, I would love that, I said within me but the question came to me unexpected so I do not know what to say immediately.
"That Miss Sonia said that you are our real daddy and that she is going to be our new mummy," Sandra added but sounding troubled a little.
"Oh no, sweetie, you already have a mummy alright, so Miss Sonia can't be your mummy because you have a mummy," I told Sandra.
"Are you our real daddy?" Alex asked again.
"Yes Kids, I am your daddy," I replied, rather slowly.
"How come you have not visited us since?" Alex asked again.
"I am sorry about that kids," I said not knowing what else to say.
"It is alright, Dad," Alex told me.
"Yes Daddy, what is important to us now is that we finally have a daddy, we are going to be a complete family now," Sandra added, their words sounded sweet and comforting to me, and this gave me some sort of strength that I have not felt before.
"So daddy, what are going to do to bring us joy?" Alex asked, bringing me back to the present.
"Oh, we are going to eat first, I bought us nice meals," I told them.
"Okay, Dad, what's next after that?" Sandra asked too.
"We are going to play," I said look from one to the other.
"Play with what? We did not come here with any of our toys," Alex said peering at me.
"Yes Daddy, I did not bring my doll," Sandra added sounding down.
"Cheer up kids, we are going to have lots of fun, believe me," I told them and continued walking towards my room again still carrying them in my arms.
Thank goodness I dropped by the toy shop and got them lots of toys to play with, including dolls for Sandra, I know they have not played with most of them before, I have to carry them to my room before going to look for them, I promised myself to make them so happy that they will not miss their mum so much until she can be here...
"Wow, Dad, so many toys," Alex and Sandra shouted running towards the toys packed in my room.
"Are all these for us?" Alex asked his eyes widening with curiosity.
"Yes, Alex," I told him.
"Oh, mine, these dolls, are they for me too?" Sandra asked too picking up one of the dolls.
"Yes, Sandra, they are all yours to play with," I told them, happy to see how excited they looked.
"Wow, thanks, Daddy..." They echoed running back and falling into my arms to give me a warm embrace.
"You're welcome my darlings," I replied, loving the way they referred to me as 'Daddy'...