“Yes...why would I lie about that? He left me to fend for you on my own and I did my best. You know I did my best. We don’t have much but we don’t starve either, and I never let you run wild.”
“Okay...so it was my Dad,” Lavida stood up. “I don’t know what to say. All the years I have tried to get just a clue as to who my father is in vain. Why reveal him now, after all these years?”
“Is that important?” her mother snapped. “What is important is you can meet him now!”
“Suppose I don’t want to? Suppose I got so tired of wanting to meet him I don’t feel like it anymore?”
“I’m sorry. But you have no idea what he did. Though I’ve told you a thousand times, you never seem to hear. He annulled our short marriage within three weeks, was totally insecure, even hiring a detective to shadow me, and somehow destroyed the marriage certificate we had from a very private ceremony that involved only four people. Bu finally I found two very incriminating notes that he wrote himself, carelessly written on a copy of his driving license. I guess he had no idea what was written on the back. Anyway, I have enough evidence to have him compelled to have a DNA test taken, and the result would cost him a fortune in back child support. That means collecting child support in arrears from a parent who neglected the child while the child was growing up, with you acting as a custodial parent’s estate representative.”
“Whoa! Do you have a secret degree in law that I know nothing about?”
Her mother smiled wanly. “Been having plenty of chats with my lawyer. Actually, your Dad owes a fortune in unpaid child support, and once it is proved that you are his daughter and that I have been the custodial parent all these years with no support from the other parent, he is liable to pay once we file this case.”
“I see. I won’t even ask why you waited all these years...”
“I’ll tell you why. Because I was too proud. He broke up with me, annulled the marriage, destroyed the available evidence and remaried within a month. Too bad we had not officiated the marriage in a true way...I suspect it was a fake certificate that he destroyed: something that had been made up to make me think it was official, and I was so naive, because no records can be traced. But that’s not important; the important thing is he’s your Dad, and there’s no destroying that evidence!”
Lavida closed her eyes and stood up in front of her mother. She made a dramatic movement with her hand and laid it on her chest. “Okay Lavida,” she said to herself slowly, “brace yourself. Here it comes. The Unknown is about to be revealed. Take a deep breath.” She opened her eyes and stared at her mother. “You may speak now. I’m ready to take it. If the glass didn’t break, neither will I. Who is my Dad? Where does he live? Have you got a photo?”
“Grab that magazine copy and turn to page eleven.”
“Say what?” Lavida gaped. She grabbed the magazine and paused, looking suspiciously at her mother. “What is there on page eleven? Please don’t tell me my Daddy is inside a high-profile magazine!” She hurled the magazine towards the wall. “Oh my God, I’m not doing this!” She began to sob, covering her face with her hands.
“Lavida!” her mother jumped to her feet and hugged her. “Baby, it’s okay. Listen.” She flipped on her phone with her hand behind Lavida and began to play an R& B song. “You Got Me Begging.”
Lavida untangled herself from her mother’s embrace and jumped back, her mouth open. “Chris W is my Dad?” There was a look of disbelief in her eyes.
“Yes he is, and I’m going to sue him blind unless he stops me with a million dollar check in his hand! Finally he has agreed to meet us after my lawyer convinced him we have a tangible case. To say something positive on his behalf, he has been interested in meeting you for a long time, but I never let him, out of pride and because he didn’t deserve it! Said he would pay for your college education as long as the money could not be traced to him and I told him to go to hell. A car will collect us here and take us to his place in Bel Air. He didn’t want us meeting is some public place or hotel for fear of getting some paparazzi all excited. If this story leaks his career may suffer, besides some major sponsor and humanitarian deals he is involved in. Funny how somebody can be involved in saving children all over the world when his own daughter is struggling, being brought up by a single mother! I’m not saying it’s bad, in fact it’s commendable to be involved with those organizations, but do not neglect your own blood.”
Lavida was still standing, looking very thoughtful. “I don’t know what to think,” she said, as if speaking to herself. “I mean...I love his music, and his latest album has three top hits...but I don’t feel any love like you would for a father.”