The next morning, Jasper dropped Jasmine off at school and drove straight to his office with heavy eyes. He wasn’t able to get a reasonable amount of sleep due to worries. He had a lot on his mind the previous night. Unlike every morning, father and daughter communicated less than usual which was absurd.
Normally, even if Jasper is not interested in talking, little Jasmine would make him talk, come what may. That morning, she was strangely quiet and Jasper who was also filled with his thoughts didn’t notice it.
“Good morning sir,” his secretary showed her respect when he entered his office and he responded with a curt wave of his right hand.
“Strange!” she muttered, then heaved out a deep breath.
“What’s strange?” Carl asked from behind her scaring her.
“Nothing,”
“You’re lying. I just heard you say that when he passed.”
“Oh, yes!. I greeted him and he didn’t reply. Just waved his hand like this and went.” she gesticulated mimicking Jasper’s action to her. Carl laughed at her action and tapped her forehead lightly, then left her on the spot.
He entered Jasper’s office and found him sitting on his chair with his back resting on it, his hands placed on the handle, and his eyes closed. He didn’t even notice the presence of another being in his office until Carl knocked on the table producing a sound that attracted his attention.
“What’s up, man? You’re looking dull. You didn’t get some sleep?” Carl tried to brighten the atmosphere as he took a seat on the chair adjacent to Jasper.
Jasper sat up on his chair gazing at his friend with no expression.
“Come on man, what’s wrong?”
“She didn’t say a word when I asked her and you won’t believe the fact that she called Jasmine a mistake. Like, I mean, who does that? Which sane mother in her right mind would call an angelic daughter like Jasmine a mistake when there are some women out there seeking for the fruit of the womb?”
“Oh, now I get it. You’re in a bad mood this morning. Perhaps what she meant as a mistake was getting intimate with you and not Jasmine. You know, if you both didn’t get intimate, there would be no Jasmine.” Carl sounded like he was defending Cassandra.
“Whatever!, that’s a flimsy excuse. I never wanted to marry her also, not to talk of getting her pregnant but I had no choice. And the fact that the girl has been born, we need to take responsibility. I need to and she also needs to!” Jasper was clearly raged.
“You’re right man, only God knows what goes on in that head of hers. You know, she’s one woman I can’t read no matter how much I try.”
“Sincerely, her actions these days are hurting,” Jasper said and a sound was heard. It came from his phone.
He checked it and sighed.
“Anything gone wrong?” Carl was concerned
“Not yet, but might soon go wrong. Just got a message from Jasmine’s new teacher.”
“What did she say?”
“Says she’s not focusing in class and she’s been crying since she got to school”
“Again?. What’s wrong with Jasmine these days?. She’s normally not a crybaby.”
“You can say that again. That’s what her bad luck of a mother caused to her.” Jasper said and Carl sighed bowing his head and rubbing his chin with his fingers.
“What are you going to do now?” asked Carl.
“I don’t know, but I’m very sure I can’t go there right now. Come to think of it, she didn’t talk much this morning too.”
“Should I go in your stead?.”
“No, I mean don’t worry about her. We have to complete what we couldn’t yesterday. Jasmine can wait till noon.”
“Fine,” Carl said and stood up to leave but suddenly stopped and turned around.
“How did you get her teacher’s number?. I mean, it’s unlike you to save such a number except….”
“My bad, I forgot to tell you her new teacher turned out to be Caitlyn”
“Which Caitlyn are you talking about?”
“The very same Caitlyn bro.”
“Your girlfriend?. Sorry, your ex?” Carl was full of surprise and Jasper nodded.
“Man, that explains it all. You say you won’t go see Jasmine because you’re sure she’s in safe hands right?” Jasper nodded again, this time with a smile on his face.
“Wow!, you’re one lucky man bro, really lucky, you never can tell what happens next.”
“What do you mean?” Jasper asked confused by Carl’s statement.
“That aside, what are your plans?” Carl asked in return.
“What do you mean by plans?”
“Caitlyn of course. What do you plan on doing with her? Or is she married?”
“Not yet.”
“See, she still loves you. You guys can get together you know….”
“Oh no, there’s going to be nothing like that. I am married, Carl.”
“I mean no harm bro. I only meant you could relieve yourself of the heartbreak as well as your sexual urge. You don’t have to tell me anything… I see it every time you get hard and…” he trailed off and Jasper waved his hand in the air signifying for him to stop.
“I feel nothing for her again. All I have to do now is focus on my family. I even told her to go get married and forget about me.”
“Why are you being so hard on yourself bro?.” Carl asked with nothing but absolute and real concern.
“It’s nothing.” Jasper patted him on his shoulder.
“We have to get going,” he said.
*
*
It was almost time for the lunch break at Jasmine’s school. Caitlyn called her outside the classroom and took her to the playground to get some fresh air and perhaps cheer her up.
She squatted to her height and asked her why she was looking sad.
“What’s wrong, Jasmine?. Tell me what’s wrong.”
Jasmine didn’t say a word, instead, she began crying.
“Did someone offend you?. Are you hungry?……” Caitlyn asked a series of questions but Jasmine didn’t answer her. Instead, she asked Caitlyn if she knew her father.
“Do you know my dad?” the question came out of the blue. Caitlyn was taken aback and slowly nodded a yes in response.
“How did you know him?” Jasmine asked further still looking sad.
“You know, he’s pretty popular on TV and the media. Anyone that listens to news will surely know him,” she replied and Jasmine sighed in acceptance, though not totally convinced.
Seeing the way her dad acted when he saw her teacher the previous day gave her the idea that they might have known each other for a long time.
“Were you crying because of your dad?” Caitlyn asked thinking of the possible things that are making her feel sad.
“No!”
“Then why?”
“You won’t understand even if I tell you,” Jasmine replied crossing her arms around her chest and walking slowly away from her teacher.
“What?. How old is she to talk like that?. I have been living more years before her to not understand whatever she wants to say. How the hell did Jasper raise his child?” she thought and bit her lower lips.
She followed behind Jasmine wanting to ask her something, but the alarm bells indicating the time for lunch rang stopping her from asking.
“I guess we have to go get some lunch.” she pats Jasmine’s head smiling at her.