Mind Boggling
By Njeri Mucheru-Oyatta
Chapter 55
Before my dad died, he feared that his family would end up like those he had seen left fighting for their father’s wealth. He feared that my legal training would enlighten me as to what my rights were. He knew about me visiting my mother. After I came back from England, I used to go visit my mother every now and then and I would say where I was going. I thought that by being open about what I was doing, I would avoid arousing suspicion about my motives. And, it would give my parents an opportunity to address the issue if they felt like it.
Well, nothing was said about my visits until the eve of my parents’ departure on a trip to England in search of treatment for my dad’s condition. On that day, my dad told me that he had been told about a conspiracy by me to take all his wealth from my mum and give it to my mother. He was so convinced about the truth of the conspiracy that nothing I said made him see that it cannot be true. I realized that perhaps I should have kept my visits to my mother a secret! But how could he expect me to just forget about my mother?!
When my parents left for England leaving me in charge of the household and the family business, my dad was not talking to me. He did not even say goodbye. He died 6 months later. We talked on the phone a few times and I think eventually he came to realize that there was no such conspiracy or he decided that there was nothing he could do about it if it existed. He had done enough by addressing it with me. When we talked on the phone he behaved as if nothing had happened and I could not possibly bring it up knowing that he was already suffering so much.
He died when my sisters and I were on a plane going to England to see him. I had been talking to my brother and my aunt and my mum who were with him and it seemed that death had become a possibility to them. So I decided that we would all go see him probably for the last time. We never made it.
By the time we got to the hospital, he was lying in bed, still warm, but clearly dead. After trying to wake him up for a while, I realized that he was gone but I did not accept it. I decided to believe that he was around somewhere maybe on one of his business trips. He had to come back and talk to me so I could tell him that I had no interest in his wealth and I would never do anything to hurt my mum or my sisters. I wanted him to know that I did not blame him for what happened to my mother, but I had to help her for my own reasons.
If I accepted that he was dead, then there is a real possibility that he died thinking that I was the bad person he said I was! Then what would happen to my wanting to be the perfect daughter in my father’s eyes? His death would kill my purpose for living!
Counsellor: Well, I don’t know what to say!
Njeri: Lets take a break.
By Njeri Mucheru-Oyatta
Chapter 55
Before my dad died, he feared that his family would end up like those he had seen left fighting for their father’s wealth. He feared that my legal training would enlighten me as to what my rights were. He knew about me visiting my mother. After I came back from England, I used to go visit my mother every now and then and I would say where I was going. I thought that by being open about what I was doing, I would avoid arousing suspicion about my motives. And, it would give my parents an opportunity to address the issue if they felt like it.
Well, nothing was said about my visits until the eve of my parents’ departure on a trip to England in search of treatment for my dad’s condition. On that day, my dad told me that he had been told about a conspiracy by me to take all his wealth from my mum and give it to my mother. He was so convinced about the truth of the conspiracy that nothing I said made him see that it cannot be true. I realized that perhaps I should have kept my visits to my mother a secret! But how could he expect me to just forget about my mother?!
When my parents left for England leaving me in charge of the household and the family business, my dad was not talking to me. He did not even say goodbye. He died 6 months later. We talked on the phone a few times and I think eventually he came to realize that there was no such conspiracy or he decided that there was nothing he could do about it if it existed. He had done enough by addressing it with me. When we talked on the phone he behaved as if nothing had happened and I could not possibly bring it up knowing that he was already suffering so much.
He died when my sisters and I were on a plane going to England to see him. I had been talking to my brother and my aunt and my mum who were with him and it seemed that death had become a possibility to them. So I decided that we would all go see him probably for the last time. We never made it.
By the time we got to the hospital, he was lying in bed, still warm, but clearly dead. After trying to wake him up for a while, I realized that he was gone but I did not accept it. I decided to believe that he was around somewhere maybe on one of his business trips. He had to come back and talk to me so I could tell him that I had no interest in his wealth and I would never do anything to hurt my mum or my sisters. I wanted him to know that I did not blame him for what happened to my mother, but I had to help her for my own reasons.
If I accepted that he was dead, then there is a real possibility that he died thinking that I was the bad person he said I was! Then what would happen to my wanting to be the perfect daughter in my father’s eyes? His death would kill my purpose for living!
Counsellor: Well, I don’t know what to say!
Njeri: Lets take a break.
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