“Really? How did you?” I asked. I was supposed to be happy, but I wasn’t. I was already used to

being Chloe’s dad and had grown to love her. I couldn’t stand the very idea of another man

coming to take her from me.

“Here on Facebook. Actually, he was suggested to me a while ago as people I may know. I sent

him a friend request and he accepted. Today, he has told me that he would be coming into the

country and would take me to where Chloe’s father lives.” She explained.

“That is good news.” I spoke casually, and Jane noticed.

“What is the matter, Baby?” She asked.

“Nothing.”

“Sure?”

“Sure.”

“Okay, if you say so.”

Two weeks later, I got back from work late, and Jane was not very happy that I was late. She

had been worried about me.

“What kept you so long, Babe?” She asked.

“I am sorry, a friend of mine just came into town. I haven’t met him in a while. So, we had to

spend some time together.” I replied.

“Wow!! He must really be a good friend. Why don’t you invite him home?”

“I will in the coming days. I just want to let him rest and settle for now.”

“Okay, babe. I wish to obtain permission from you.” She spoke.

“Permission for what?”

“That Chloe’s father’s friend is finally in the country. He has proposed that we meet and talk

about Chloe’s father. I would have wanted us to talk here, but you know I can’t just bring a

stranger into our home like that. So, I suggested that tomorrow, we meet in a public place by

4:00 PM. What do you think?”

“That is okay by me.” I was angry but didn’t show it. I didn’t want to lose my Chloe. “When you

meet him, tell him that I would love to meet him.”

“Okay, Babe.”

The next day, she went to see him and came back and told me that everything went well. He

said the man has promised to take her to Chloe’s father as soon as he is ready. She said she

has also invited him to the house on Sunday, that is in two days’ time. I wasn’t very happy with

the developments, but what could I do? I couldn’t deny Chloe the opportunity to meet her real

father.

The next day, which was Saturday, I gave her money for shopping. It was meant to prepare for

Chloe’s father’s visit. I asked her to leave Chloe with the neighbours because I intended to go

out too to see my friend who had just moved into town. When I met my friend, he insisted that I

brought him to my house. I obliged and we drove to my house together. He spent about two

hours with me before leaving.

On Sunday, we were home when Jane’s phone rang. She checked and told me that it was the

man. He said he was in our neighbourhood. I asked her to go get him. She went and got him

from where he was waiting, and while they were driving home, for he came in his own car, the

man was surprised.

“This neighbourhood looks familiar to me.” He spoke.

“Really?” Jane asked. “Have you been here before?”

“Yes, just yesterday. I came to visit a friend of mine who lives here.”

“Alright, then that’s great.”

When they drove into our compound, he spoke again.

“This is the same house my friend brought me to. Wait, let it not be what I am thinking.”

At that same moment, I came to the balcony and met them both. I was shocked. The visitor, the

man who was coming to show Jane Chloe’s father, was my bosom friend, James.

“James!!” I shouted. “What are you doing with my fiancée, bad man.”

“John!!” His mouth remained open.

“You know each other?” Jane asked, astonished.

“Yes, na.” James spoke. “That is John, the man whom you have been looking for. That is the

friend of mine you have been dying to see; the one you said is your daughter’s father.”

Jane could not believe what she was hearing. With her eyes open very widely, she shouted:

“John! My own John! So, it’s been you. So, it’s been you all this while.” She fell on the ground

and passed out.

It’s been two hours now. Jane had been revived and we were all now seating in my living room.

You could imagine the joy. There were tears from everyone and also a great deal of laughter,

gladness and joy. James could not keep his big mouth shut and decided to troll me a little.

“Bad man.” He began. “So, you slept with a woman, and you didn’t even recognize her face.”

“Get out, my friend. Didn’t I tell you I was drunk? It was all your fault.” I laughed.

“And you Madam, so you didn’t see his face too?” He asked Jane.

“Remember I told you it was my first time, right, I was very afraid and because he was drunk, he

was very rough. My eyes were shut all the time.” She spoke, smiling and eyeing me with the

corner of her eyes. “I left as soon as he passed out after enjoying himself. I didn’t even know it

would turn out this way.”

“But James, when I asked you for Jane’s number, you gave me the number of a lady who was

very rude to me when I called her. How come?” I asked.

“My brother, forgive me. That number happened to instead be the number of the prostitute I had

that night. I stored both numbers in a similar fashion, that was why I made that error. I really do

apologize, my brother. I thought it was Jane’s own number that I was giving you.”

“Apology accepted, but only after a heavy fine.”

We all laughed at this.

“Well, all is well that ends well. Bad man here has been living with his own daughter all this

while without knowing. May God’s name be praised. We can never be able to completely

comprehend His ways. Let us all give thanks to Him for reuniting us once again.”

That same evening, in the presence of everyone, I formerly proposed to Jane.

“Will you marry me, Jane?” I asked, smiling like a fool.

“I accepted you, Bad Man, when you were bad, why would I not accept you now? Of course, I

will marry you, My Big Baby.” She spoke, diving into my arms.

Jane and I have been married now for ten years and we have had four children. For other

people a story like this would have ended badly. However, for Jane and me, it was happily ever after.