Chapter 1 MY DAD CREDITOR

Having a surname such as 'Kings' is just a way of nature mocking us... especially me..

"You wish"... it whispers

Such an unbefitting name for a family living worse than church rats. At least, church rats are healthier and feed better than I who eat once a day or sometimes nothing at all..

Nature's just laughing out loud at me saying 'jokes on you..'

"Such brutality.." I mumbled beneath my breath...

Few minutes later, a loud knock was heard on the door followed by several bangs which immediately led to a lot of palpitations for my family and I. We all froze in fear.

My dad is a known hypertensive and diabetic, and lately it has worsened especially due to the debts hanging around his neck like noose.

The loan sharks? The type that had no soul. They were the type that never showed no mercy. Heartless sets of people.

Since we already knew who was at the door, without much thought I stood up to go open because the noise was becoming unbearable and loud murmurs were already starting to craw under my skin.

"Come back here, Haven"...My father pulled me back and whispered into my ears.."Ignore them. They would leave when they're tired".

"For how long, Dad? Do you think they won't return back to harass us? We have to plead with them to give us more time".. I said almost giving up on hiding and nearly breaking down.

"Do not open that door please, they will harm you and your mother. I can't risk that"...

"Then go face them like the man you are, Dad!"... my voice trembled as tears almost fell out my eyes. I was scared and shaking.

"No, that's not how it works with these people. I can only face them when I have little to offer them. But for now, I am penniless. I have nothing"... He looked at me, broken.

"I haven't even fed or provided for the family to eat three square meals a day. The roof's leaking over our heads, almost drowning us here, my beds are soaked each time there is even just a little downpour. I am angry at myself. I have failed as a man, a father and husband. I feel so ashamed of myself"....

I watched as tears rolled down my dad's face.

Who says men don't cry?...

All I could do was my best to hug him tight and console him that everything would get better with time.

"Who eats three square meals these days anyway? Don't talk like that. Don't look down on yourself like that. You are doing the best for us, your absolute best as a father and a husband. You are doing a great job and that's enough"...

By this time, we were already shedding tears like babies whilst my mother just stared into space like someone whose soul has wandered far without uttering a word but just shaking her head continually because of how unfair life had been lately.

Soon, we heard the retreating footsteps until it wasn't heard anymore..

But a note was slipped in beneath the door.

"Pay up the money you owe or pay with your life..."

And that has been the way loan shakers do here... no jokes, no much warnings.

They unlive you once you can't pay debts. And that feared me the most. It scared the hell out of me.

That alone left my father shaken for days because those men? They are bloody bastards, beasts, unforgiving demons, brutal and devils from the pit of hell.

They are the type that wouldn't flinch at your pleads for mercy or for more time.

My dad made the worst mistake borrowing money from such idiots, I only pray for his safety because I am scared to death too.

"I curse them"... I spat into the ground.

Three days later, after the door incident....

My father had stepped out to get some house equipment for some minor repairs in the house. And that was when his nemesis caught up with him....

He thought he was safe... he thought they wouldn't find him.. you can't be too extra careful with these people.

The loan sharks had been watching him unbeknownst to him.

Although he thought he was playing his cards well by avoiding them and now he couldn't escape again even if a good Samaritan was there.

They cornered him.. They beat him to a pulp, until he could barely breathe. Collected the little he had to offer and left him in a lonely alley to die.

That was the worst day of my life...

By the time, we got to know his whereabouts and rushed him to the hospital. It was already too late...

My father had given up and was declared clinically dead. He had a ruptured appendix and a Cerebrovascular accident as mentioned by the professional doctors due to the assault coupled with a dislocated femur.

Then tell me... who would survive such brutality?... Not my dad obviously, cuz that man was already tired of life. Not even me..

My dad lay lifeless in front of me and there was nothing I could do but curse those demons who did that to humans, scream and cried my eyes out.

My mother had been rolling herself on the floor crying, I couldn't even console her because it would be like water poured on a heavy stone.

All that left her mouth continuously was "may it never be well with poverty".. Poverty had turned her into a widow, she never asked to be. He only collected that money due to his health issues, he only wanted to get better, back on his full feet but yet see where it led us to...

"Kings! come back to me, please".... she yelled and pleaded but yet we couldn't hear my dad's voice anymore. No voice, no response...

That was when it dawned on me that my father was no more.

From that day onwards, I swore to do anything just to make sure I became wealthy and seek revenge. I knew he was wrong for owing but that wasn't a good reason to unlive him. No one deserved to die like that.

Few weeks later, my dad was laid to rest... rendering me entirely and officially fatherless.

"Heaven finally took my angel back"...mom said amidst mourning her husband and that shattered my heart even more.

Three months later, I'm still mourning my dad because my dad can never be forgotten.

Another wave of pain hit me..

My mother had fallen ill...terminal illness.

She was diagnosed with cancer...

The remaining glimmer of hope I had left crumbled right in front of me. That news crushed whatever pieces I had left of hope..

I instantly went into depression. I looked as faded, same as my mother. She was her own shadow at the moment.

There and then, it occurred to me that no one was coming to save us and it's either I save us or I mar us. I wasn't ready to choose the latter so I opted for the best option.

"Haven, you are your own salvation. You have to work this out yourself or face the cost, downfall and live in more regrets throughout your life which you are already living in" I said to myself.