Laadu stood by the bedside in the
dead of the night. His heartbeat could be noticed in the rise and fall of his
masculine chest. He was confused and angry at the same time. “I can’t ignore
this any longer! Our daughters are changing, and not for the better. They’re
sneaking out, hanging out with boys we don’t know. It’s like they’re becoming
strangers to us, me in particular!” His voice was a mix of frustration and
concern.
Naaduna crossed her arms, like a
rich kid who waited for Santa and Santa never showed up. “What do you want me
to do, Laadu? They’re teenagers for crying out loud! It’s normal for them to
want independence. You can’t control everything!”
“But this isn’t just about
independence! This is about their safety and values!” Laadu shot back. “We’ve
raised them to be responsible, yet they’re acting recklessly. I feel like we’re
losing them!”
Naaduna’s eyes narrowed, like a
she-goat whose siblings have eaten her share of fodder and there is no other
food left in the sheep house. “Maybe if you spent more time with them instead
of at church, you’d understand what they’re going through! They need us to
guide them, not to yell at them!”
Laadu felt a pang of anger and
guilt but pushed it aside. “I’m trying to guide them! But how can I when they
won’t even talk to me? They’re hiding things from me, and you seem to be in
support of that!”
The tension thickened as both
parents realized the depth of their disconnect. Their daughters’ sudden change
in behaviour was not just a phase; it was a cry for help that neither had
recognized until now.
A week earlier, Sindu, the eldest daughter, had slept out
for three days, and Laadu wasn’t aware until he needed her to buy some
groceries.
Days passed, and Laadu couldn’t
shake the feeling that something deeper was at play. He noticed how Taana, the
new church member, seemed to have a strange connection with his daughters. They
spoke about him with excitement, and Laadu felt an unsettling mix of jealousy
and intrigue.
One evening, after another heated
argument with Naaduna about their daughters’ behaviour and her growing
friendship with Taana—another elder in the church—Laadu found himself alone in his
thoughts. The realization hit him hard: he had been so caught up in his own
desires that he had neglected the very family he cherished.
Determined to reconnect with his
daughters, Laadu decided to confront them directly. He gathered them in the
living room one evening and asked gently, “What’s going on with you two? I’ve
noticed changes, and I want to understand.”
To his surprise, Bindu, the younger
daughter, opened up about feeling pressured by friends and wanting to fit in.
“Dad, it’s just hanging out! We’re not doing anything bad,” she insisted.
Laadu nodded but pressed further.
“But what about the boys? Do you know them well?”
His daughters exchanged glances
before Bindu replied hesitantly, “Some of them are nice... but we don’t know
them that well.”
Laadu could feel a knot tighten in
his stomach as he engaged his once obedient daughters. This was more than just
teenage rebellion; it was a sign of deeper issues that he could not fully
grasp.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Laadu,
Naaduna had been confiding in Taana about her frustrations with her husband’s
lackluster sex life. Their late-night chats had turned into something more
intimate—a bond forged through shared concerns that ultimately blurred the
lines of their friendship.
Weeks went by, and the tension escalated
when both Bindu and Naaduna discovered they were pregnant at the same time. The
shocking news shattered Laadu’s world. He wasn’t mentally or financially
prepared to be a father again—or a grandfather—at fifty-five and a half.
In a twist of fate, it was revealed
that Taana was not only involved with Naaduna but had also fathered Bindu's fetus.
The church community buzzed with gossip as secrets spilled into the open. Laadu
found himself framed for incest—a scapegoat for the sins of another.
Banished from the church he had
served so faithfully, Laadu faced the harsh reality of losing both his wife and
daughters. As he stood alone in front of his house, where he once preached
about family loyalty and commitment, despair washed over him.
As he walked out into the sunlight,
a chilling realization dawned upon him: betrayal ran deeper than he ever
imagined. With his wife and daughter carrying children linked to his closest
confidant, Laadu’s life was shattered beyond repair.
Yet amidst this chaos loomed a
question: who would claim the title of father when both children arrived? And
what would become of Laadu now that everything he held dear was stripped away?
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