Okon reached into his pocket and brought out his phone.
“I want you to listen carefully,” he said.
He pressed something on the phone and placed it on the table.
A voice began to play.
It was Chida’s voice.
“Don’t worry. Mother is fine. I just visited her not long ago. She also sends her regards.”
Chida’s eyes widened.
She looked at him.
Okon did not look away.
“I have many of these,” he said.
The recording stopped.
Silence returned.
Okon’s voice became heavier.
“You always assured me that Mother was fine. But guess who I found on the roadside weeks ago?” he said. “Our mother. She was on the street begging for food.”
Chida’s lips parted, but no words came out.
“She was hungry,” Okon continued. “Weak. Alone.”
Tears gathered in Chida’s eyes.
“I have been sending money every month,” Okon said. “For years. I never missed it.”
He leaned closer.
“So tell me, Chida. Where did the money go?”
“I… I didn’t mean for things to get like this,” she said.
Okon’s eyes stayed fixed on her.
“But it did,” he replied.
She shook her head slowly.
“I can explain,” she said in a low voice.
Okon looked at her, his face serious.
“Then start explaining right now,” he said harshly.
The room went quiet again.
Chida’s lips trembled. For a moment, no words came out.
Okon watched her carefully, his eyes fixed on her, his face set with controlled anger.
“Chida, talk to me,” he said, his voice sharp.
Tears slipped down her face.
“It’s not as simple as you think,” she said.
Okon leaned back slightly.
