WHAT IF GOD WAS DEAD?

THE HEAT OVER HER NAME

"Your Dad won't like this at all, why would you want to deny him the honours of having his first grandchild bear his name" Victoria told Daniel after having recovered from the shock that there would be a change of surname for her granddaughter. "Yes son, why would you want to change your surname from Nwosu, the name has been in existence in your lineage from time past" Lauretta's mum questioned sincerely. By this time the atmosphere in the room was getting heated as even the little baby in question started to cry, yearning to leave the room and the discussion that was about to occur. She wanted nothing to do with the issue of her name, all she wanted now was her mum's breast and a different room. "Have you told your dad about it or you and your wife just decided on your name without informing anyone?" Mrs Victoria asked further with some form of anger in his voice after Daniel had played deaf ears to her earlier question. Lauretta knew this way her que to leave the room as the whole talk wasn't going to offer her the taste of any form of peace, using the crying baby as an excuse, she left the room before stopping briefly by the door to give Daniel an I told you look before walking away when Mrs Victoria shouted at her son what he was looking at and why he wasn't answering her questions. Daniel obviously had no intentions to answer any of the questions for all that he cared, this was his house, his home, his marriage and his daughter, no one can trample on his authority as the head here not even his dad who had been a great obstacle to his career and marriage to Lauretta simply because he felt they were wrong choices. He could still remember their fallouts on different occassions

"What are you doing with those papers that you keep scattering up and down?" Mr Peter had roared at his son after he came into the room where the kids were asleep except Daniel. "I am.. I want... I ..." Daniel kept stammering remembering how his dad had always kicked against his dreams and desire to be a writer. "Wait, have you started your writing madness again?" He asked with more seriousness to his already serious voice. "Are you cursed, blind, deaf or something?, haven't I warned you about this writing madness of yours, is this how you plan to raise a family and take care of them, by writing jargons and expecting people to pay you for it, can't you see how the economy of the nation is? Or do you think I would be feeding you forever? Why can't you face your studies and work towards becoming an engineer instead of wasting time on that useless dream you call writing? Your grades are always on the average with only your English continually having an A, instead of studying and improving on them, you are here writing rubbish" Mr Peter shouted at Daniel as the other kids were up and even Mrs Victoria coming into the room to know the cause of the sudden noise in the house. "What's going on here dear?" She said her angry looking husband. He simply hissed and walked out of the room. "Daniel, what did you do to your Dad?" She asked now facing the grumbling teenager. "I was just writing an article for the press club of my school, I was asked by our Club president to come up with a writeup on the power of writing when Dad came in and started shouting at me" He said as he gathered the papers into an unarranged pattern, his little sister helped him arrange them as he added more piecee of the papers to them, he held be working throughout the night on this as he constantly yawn as he picked each piece. "You know your father hates it when you write, he believes it is distracting you from your studies and truth be told your grades are a true evidence of this claim, remember he only allowed you to join the press club because your school had to beg him, he only agreed after they promised some discount on your fees with a strict warning that you don't get any top position in the club" Mrs Victoria told her son whose face was now getting twisted to its disgusting form. "But I love writing, it is my passion, my gift, my talent. It brings me peace and keeps my mind healthy. Didn't you hear aunt Mary commend my works when I show it to them and promised to get writing materials to enable me write more, my classmates always tell me how they envy what I have, Uncle Samson in church tells me that it is a gift from God and I should improve on it and use it wisely to create something big. Everyone who comes in contact with my writeups has one or two good things about it, it is only you and dad that has a problem with it" Daniel replied getting a little bit of some anger of his own burning inside. Mr Peter walked in almost immediately, stopped at where Daniel was and gave him a deafening slap, the boy staggered and fell on the ground as he felt unconscious for a moment due to the impact of his dad firm right hand. Mrs Victoria immediately stepped in front of her husband and restrained him from any further hit. Daniel held left side of his face and staggered to his feet, "I am your father and you must do as I said or you will leave my house and I will disown you for good. Mrs Victoria succeeded in making her husband leave the room and faced Daniel who was now bleeding from the a cut below the left eye almost to the nose side. Esther his little sister was now crying as his younger brother looked at him visibly sorry for what just happened. " See what you caused to yourself, why won't you just listen to your father and leave this your talk about writing" Mrs Victoria said as she made to hold the semi blood filled face of her son, Daniel shrugged it off and shouted on top of his voice "Even if you kill me, I will still be writing in my grave!!!". Mrs Victoria hushed him before moving towards the door in case her husband wanted to unleash terror on Daniel again. "You better shut up and prepare for school" Frank his elder brother said as he walked into the room. He had just returned from the night shift of his factory work. "Was I talking to you?" Daniel replied visibly displeased with the words of his brother. It was expected though as the two had never been in good terms. Frank hissed and simply shaked his head before laughing mischeviously. "Mummy, they want to fight again!!" Esther shouted knowing fully well how the word alteration between her two older brothers had always ended. It was more a pre wrestling match conversation. Daniel hissed and walked out out of the room with the blood stained tissue in his hands which his younger brother had gone to the toilet to get for him, "Who is ready to fight with this one?" He said as he got to the door

Daniel felt the scar on his face as the phone in his hands rang. It wasn't as painful as its early days but each time he touched it, it brought back memories. "Hello" the husky voice at the other end of the call said as he picked. "Hello Daddy, I just want to be sure that you are still coming tomorrow for my daughter naming ceremony" Daniel asked politely after hearing his dad's voice. "Yes I am, I can't miss my first grand child naming ceremony, I have even come up with a name for her, I want her to be called Mercy Ogechukwu Nwosu" He answered as he laughed a little. " Hope the name is okay?" He asked. "Yes it is sir, I am actually calling to inform you of something that has to do with the name" Danie answered throwing glances to his mum who was staring intently at him as if she was part of the whole conversation. "Ok, what is that?" Mr Peter asked. "Well as the parents of the child, I and my wife have a name for her" Daniel said calmly. "That's nice, what do you two intend to call her? Mr Peter queried further. " Rejoice Chizubam Daniels sir" Daniel said as the call ended some minutes after he said those names. "What did he say?" mrs Victoria asked curiously, Daniel shrugged his shoulder and made the I don't know gesture. Mrs Victoria knew that trouble was brewing and started to mutter some words. Daniel phome rang, "What happened to Nwosu?" was what he heard when he picked the call