45
Mimi, Raphael, and Afrika watched in silence as Brenda quickly ushered Asia out of the room, followed by John. The silence in the room was cold and piercing like a Chicago winter with a chill factor of fifteen below zero. The silence was so cold and bitter you could cut it with a knife and serve it on a platter.
Mimi and Raphael sat there, and Afrika lay as still as a mummy in her hospital bed, numb from the news that had taken everyone’s breath away. There were no parting words for the family who left the room in haste and not one of the three persons who remained in the room was willing to break the ice. Beep. Beep. Beep.
Raphael was the first to move away from Afrika’s bedside. He walked to the window where Asia stood earlier, careful not to look in Mimi’s direction. Tears slid down his face as he recalled Brenda’s abrupt and painful statement of who Afrika’s biological father was. In his heart, he had known that Mimi was with child when he met her. He remembered the day they had met and how eagerly she had gone to bed with him…on that first date. But he wanted to believe that Afrika was his, although she looked to be full-term when Mimi said she was premature.
He looked back at mother and daughter. They had yet to acknowledge the bitter news. Raphael turned back to look out of the window, allowing his mind to wander. Now he understood why Mimi was so reluctant to let Afrika come to North Carolina. Her secret was a ticking time bomb. Just like Victor, Mimi was afraid of what would happen should her secret be exposed. But Raphael loved Afrika as his own and always would. It was Mimi’s deception, deceit, and betrayal that he was having a hard time swallowing.
Their lives were magical and wonderful for all of their marriage. And even though a child was part of Mimi and Raphael’s wedding package, they loved and nurtured Afrika with all they had to give. There wasn’t anything Raphael wouldn’t do for his family; they were his top priority, next to loving God, as Mimi would often say.
Raphael remembered the day Afrika was born. It was a cold winter night in December and he and Mimi were already on Christmas break from school. Mimi and Raphael were living together in a one-room, second-floor apartment to save money in preparation for their pending marriage that was to take place on Christmas Day.
Settled in for the night, Mimi began to twist and turn because she was uncomfortable and then the moment of truth—her water broke. Little Afrika decided to come early in Raphael’s estimation, and they braved the cold and headed for the hospital.
Lamaze classes didn’t work as Raphael couldn’t remember a cotton-pickin’ thing he was supposed to in order to help Mimi through delivery. But there was nothing but admiration and joy in his heart when the doctor pulled the eight-pound, two-ounce baby girl from Mimi’s womb, gave her to the nurse who patted her softly, and then the wails that woke up the hospital ward. Although covered in afterbirth, Raphael counted the fingers on each of the two hands and the toes on each of two small feet. She was pale in color, but Mimi told him later that by looking at the baby’s ear, you could tell what color she was going to be.
Raphael grinned as if Afrika had come from inside of his being. He followed the nurses as they cleaned her up and brought her back to Mimi for her to hold and behold. It was a beautiful family portrait that would stick in Raphael’s mind forever, and whatever question he may have had about his daughter’s parentage, it was lost forever in the recesses of his mind. This was his and Mimi’s child. And when Mimi said she wanted to name her Afrika, he agreed without question. He was a proud father.
“Daddy?” Afrika called out.
Startled, Raphael turned around and went to Afrika’s bedside. “What is it, baby girl?”
“Daddy, I don’t care what Asia’s mother said, you are my dad, my only dad. I love you, not that monster who was on television.”
Raphael hugged her. “You will always be my daughter. No one can take you away from me. I love you, Afrika.”
“I love you, too, Daddy.”
Mimi sat on the other side. Raphael knew she was hurting, but so was Afrika. If the news was true, she shouldn’t have had to hear it the way she did.
“Your mother loves you, too, Afrika.”
“But why didn’t she tell me…why did I have to find out like this?” Afrika cried.
“Your mother went through a terrible ordeal a long time ago. She was probably afraid and ashamed to tell anyone,” Raphael said.
“How do you know how I felt, huh?” Mimi lashed out. “You weren’t there. You didn’t feel Victor’s grubby hands pull me down and tear my clothes off.”
“Okay, Mimi. You’re right, I don’t know how you felt or what you went through, but Afrika doesn’t need to hear the details.”
Mimi closed her mouth and looked at her daughter who somehow thought it was her fault. They say the truth shall set you free, but all it had done was make her life miserable. If only Afrika hadn’t wanted to come to North Carolina, she could’ve taken her secret to the grave or could she? Mimi looked up when she heard Afrika call her.
“Mommy, I’m not mad at you. I’m hurt because you kept your secret from me and pretended you wanted nothing to do with Asia’s mother when all the time you were trying to protect… protect me.”
“Yes, protect you, Afrika,” Mimi said. Mimi looked at Raphael. “Baby, I’m so sorry that I deceived you, betrayed your love. And although you won’t believe this, the moment I saw you and you spoke to me, I knew you were my soulmate. Don’t ask me how I knew; I just did.”
Raphael smiled, but didn’t go to Mimi. He gave Afrika a kiss on her cheek and looked across at Mimi. “Let me have the key, Mimi. I need some air.”
Mimi went to her purse and pulled out the key to the car. “Raf, please promise me you won’t do anything stupid.”
“I can’t promise you anything.” Raphael took the keys and proceeded to leave the room. He turned back and looked at Afrika. “I’ll be back, baby girl.”