1.3 Who is The Father?

Author’s Note Just to let you guys know, so that there is no confusion, I think that sometimes in first person legacies, there are somethings that need to be said, but its not from the heirs perspective. So, like I did in the prologue, whenever I need to say something in someone else’s perspective, I will do it in third person, and usually it will be in the perspective of the first person’s name that I mention in the little smidgen of the chapter. This chapter is longer than my other ones. Close to 2000 words. Also, I want to get as close to real life as possible, and life isn’t always sunshine and roses, so it is a litttle disturbing(ish) near the end. I’m not sure if I went to far. If you have not been scared off yet, Enjoy!!!

 “Hey little Buddy!” I said to the little baby boy I was holding in my arms. “Your birth may not been in the best of circumstances, but I promise, no matter what happens, your mother will love you, and I will love you, forever.” The baby looked at my face, and cooed, making me smile.

Your probably wondering a couple of things, like who this baby belongs to? Or where did I get him? Well if you want to hear from the beginning, I guess it started a short while after the whole art gallery fiasco. I had discretely searched through the information that the salon had on Odine, don’t judge me, and miraculously found her phone number. I figured that if she is not interested, I’d get a good friend out of it.

“Hey Odine, its Conrad… How did I get your number? Uh… I’d tell you, but I’d have to kill you… So I was wondering if you would like to hang out someti… the Kiddie Park? Really?… Uh, o-okay. What time do you want to meet up? 3 o’clock? Al-alright, I will see you then. Alright, Bye!” And from then on, you could say we were inseparable. Like Siamese twins, except we don’t have to share our organs.

We went everywhere together, the park, the mall, the art gallery, and I can gladly say that I had a feeling that I hadn’t had in a while.

Happiness.

Then came the day that would change my life. It started just like every other day.

Wake up, work with clients, Eat plastic wannabe food for dinner, hey beggars can’t be choosers, and then paint until bed time. I was putting my paints away, when I heard frantic knocking at my door, when I answered it, it was Odine, and I could tell that she had been crying.

 “Odine? What’s up? Is everything okay?”

“Conrad? Do you think I could stay with you for a while? Please?” She asked, while wiping her eyes.

“What? But what about the Littler’s, don’t you live with them?”

“Please, you’re my best friend, and the only one I can trust now.”

What was I going to say, No? I said yes, and lead her to my couch asking her if she can tell me what happened. Taking a few deep breaths she responded “I… I think I’m pregnant.” Then she burst into tears.

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Odine crouched over the chair at Conrad’s sketching table as he lay sleeping on the floor in a sleeping bag. He had told her that art can be very soothing, so she tried her hand at it. But she was no artist, so in frustration threw down the brush. Cooking is more her forte.

Conrad, he was a true friend, who accepted her in her time of need, no questions asked. All of her other friends had quickly abandoned her once they found out, but he had welcomed her with open arms, not caring that she had nothing to bring to him.

He even gave her his bed, stating that a sleeping bag is no place for a pregnant woman to sleep. Oh my God, I’m pregnant. She thought every time she woke up in the mornings. This was not the way she wanted her life to be. Unmarried, yet pregnant at 18, and no way to provide for the growing baby in her womb. She did not despise the child, it was not its fault, but the pain in her back, and the nausea that she felt constantly was not making her love it, nor the father, any more. The father, he had no idea that she was pregnant with his child. He wouldn’t care.

He’d probably toss me out on the streets, saying that I seduced him. She figured, as a wave of nausea hit her. Running outside, she emptied her stomach, then proceeded to rub her stomach as she said “I don’t care about your father. You are and always will be, my baby.”

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Since Odine moved in, pretty much everything has doubled from what it normally was. Double the mess, double the need for food, double the people. I mean, both of us are relatively organized, but with all of the messed up appliances, and since I flat out refused to let Odine fix anything for worry that she would hurt herself, life can be pretty stressful.

Odine, however, has decided that I am never allowed to touch the stove ever again, claiming that my food tastes like chalk, so she has taken up the role of house chef. I’m not complaining though. Its her fingers, they make everything taste better.

My career hasn’t necessarily skyrocketed, most people want the more well known, more expensive, stylists to fix ’em up, so we have been living from paycheck to paycheck. Also, both Stella and Sugar had recently quit, and I have a new boss, named Marcel, who I still need to get used to.

We also were able to adopt a puppy.

Odine had been telling me that when I would leave for work, she would get lonely, so one day I surprised her with a pup that we named Mickey.

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We interrupt this broadcast for some puppy cuteness spam!

And now back to your regularly scheduled programming!

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The day that Odine gave birth was a shock to us both, I had just come back from my work day to see Odine at the stove cooking some pancakes.

“Oh wow, for me?” I asked

“Haha! No.” She responded, flipping the pancake, then turned to face me. “The diner across town asked if I could make some food for a competition, and I could win us some money. So I decided to make some of my world famous pancakes. Now stop distracting me.”

She turned back to the stove and realized that they had burned. Scrapping them, She made grilled cheese instead and, with a hug, headed out the door.

After eating dinner, which greatly lacked Odine’s touch, I had decided to go to sleep earlier than usual, when I got a call on my phone.

“Hello? Odine? Its coming now? Alright, can you get to the hospital? You can? Okay, I will meet you there!” Hanging up the phone, I threw on the first pair of clothes that I saw, and ran outside screaming “TAXI!!!”

Lance Perry was born a very healthy baby, at 7 pounds, 5 ounces, 20 inches. When we were trying to go home, the nurses kept stopping us just to coo at the newborn. Shooing them all, I lead Odine to the taxi that was going to take us home.

When we got there, Odine gently placed Lance in his crib, and wiped a tear from her eyes.

“He’s so beautiful Odine. You did good.” I told her, leading her to the couch. I couldn’t hold it any longer, There was a question that had been nagging at me since she first told me she was pregnant. “Odine, who is Lance’s father?” She looked at the floor, and her shoulders drooped. Shakily, she told me. “Lance’s father…

“is Reuben Littler…” She put her head in her hands as a lump rose in my throat So the rumors are true? I wondered, until Odine interrupted my thoughts. “But its not what you think. I am not having an affair with him. The reason I was pregnant with his baby is because… because he… r-r-raped me.” she said shakily. “It all started two years ago, when I was 16. I had just started working for the Littler’s, and was loving it. Until one day, I had been reading to Deidre when Reuben called me to his bedroom. I was a little suspicious, since he had never really spoken to me before. When I went in, he closed the door behind me and asked me what I thought of the job, and his kids. I told him that I loved the job, and that his kids were little angels, then turned around to continue taking care of the kids. He grabbed my wrist and yanked me toward him. He caressed my cheek, and told me that he thought I was beautiful. I tried to move away, but the more I squirmed, the tighter his grip got. He started to pull at my skirt, so I slapped him. That’s when his look changed, from lust to hatred. He picked me up, threw me on his bed, and… and… I can’t talk about it.” She said, hugging her knees. “But after he was done. He told me that if anyone found out, or if I quit. That he would ruin my life. It wasn’t the last time he did it. When the paparazzi found out, he paid them off to keep quite, instead spreading the rumors that I was his mistress.”

I was shocked and didn’t know what to say. I mean, what do you say in a situation like this? I had no idea of all the things that Odine had gone through. But even with all the hardships that she has gone through, she still kept her bubbly personality. That’s what I love about her, and that’s when it hit me, I love Odine! I want to be with her forever, to protect her, and show her that she really matters. And once I realized it, I wanted to scream it out to the world.

Chill out Conrad, Rome wasn’t built in a day. I told myself. Just take it slow, figure everything out first.

“Conrad?” Odine’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. “I-if you want me to leave and never want to be seen with me again, I understand.” I stared at her, thinking of how beautiful she was. How scared and vulnerable she must be. I just wanted to kiss her.

So I did. And everything seemed right, for about five seconds, which was when she pulled away. Before she could say anything. I shot out everything that I was thinking.

“Odine, I would never ask you to leave, I want everyone to see me with you, I want to wake up in the morning with you beside me, I want Lance to be my son, and I want us to be a family. Because I love you Odine.” So much for taking it slow.

“Conrad, don’t make this harder than it already is,” She responded, “You are a great guy, and I’m thankful for everything you’ve done for me, even being willing to risk being seen with me. But you deserve someone better than me. You deserve someone who is pure, I’m already damaged goods. I’m sorry.” And she ran out.

I just sat there for a while, with my mouth hanging open. I was totally unprepared for rejection. I clenched my fist as a deeply buried feeling rose in the pit of my chest. A deep and murderous hatred for one person, and one person only.

Reuben.

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Author’s Endnote: (panting heavily) I… finally… gasp*… FINISHED!!! Sorry it took so long, I just had no time really to play, even though I had finished writing it last week, and sorry for the fact that Odine was wearing different clothes from when she was putting Lance in the crib, to when she was sitting with Conrad on the couch. My next post is going to be something surprisingly different (I think). As usual, comments, encouragement, and constructed criticism are always welcome. God Bless!!!

Posted by phyrcracker93 on January 12, 2012

https://theleelegacy.wordpress.com/2012/01/12/1-3-who-is-the-father/