BROKEN

26. BROKEN

'The best way to show a crooked stick is to lay a straight one beside it'

~NICK~

My gaze drifted from a crying Josiah in my arms to an angry Lauren dragging her small box outside the house, she was in her element. All my pleas fell on deaf ears as she won't give me a moment of explanation. I rock back and forth trying to still Josiah but he wouldn't stop wailing; it somehow feels like he knew what his mother was about to do. Abandoning him again.

"I have a professional conference to attend, so please stop barking behind me"

"You agreed to come along"

"And I change my mind! You should go along with Doris, I believe you two have a good chemistry"

"Tell me you didn't mean that. You don't even trust me one bit" I paused on my track just staring at her.

"I'd loved to lengthen this conversation but I have a flight to catch" She opens the car boot and dump the box there.

'Lauren, this is not fair and you know it"

"Life is not fair, Nick" She scowls and then make some paltry excuses and disappear out of sight. I had stood at the porch watching my wife drive away and I couldn't stop her. Somehow, it dawned on me we're nearing an unamendable point.

That happened a few days back and up till now she hasn't returned from her 'professional conference'. I drop the last baby's bag and an umbrella in the back seat of the car and decided to ring Lauren just maybe her anger had subsided but my calls were been busy. She probably blacklisted my line. I went back inside to carry Josiah. We were heading for a weekend getaway organized by Jackie and her boyfriend in a house outskirt of town somewhere away from the busy city life which I wasn't excited to be part of and I'd declined outrightly but Jackie insisted I needed a life outside the four walls of my house and that was seconded by her boyfriend; Lauren was meant to come along until Doris happen.

I reenter the house a minute later to meet Josiah sound asleep: if anything this baby is addicted to sleeping. I carry him out to the car and securely put him in his baby's seat before walking to the driver's seat.

I turned to the nanny that stood quietly beside the car fidgeting with the phone in her hands after she'd shut the boot; she was too engrossed in it to notice my stare already forming a concerned look; frown circle her face and her hands were vibrating from whatever she was reading or watching. I watch her closely for a moment. She is visibly a lady of few words, either she hated uttering too many words or bad at holding a conversation. She'd look pious and at one point it had drifted to my mind why a sophisticated looking Lady like herself would take up a job of a nanny but then I remember good looks doesn't pay the bills.

Still, few puzzles put together didn't quite sit well with me: I wanted to make certain my baby was in good hands, and so I went to fished some information about her which in return gave me nothing substantial to go with; it was as if her previous life was erased: for some reason, it increases my curiosity about her. I asked her to come along as I'm still in the process of learning how to care for an infant.

"Is everything okay?" I asked which she only nodded in reply burying her phone inside her jeans pocket. I nodded back and went back to lock the house.

I got inside the car and my phone chooses that moment to deafen my ears with its loud ringtone. It was Jackie. I ignore the call as my attention went to the nanny that still glued her body beside the car, "Are you coming or not?"

"I am. Sorry sir"

"Then get in," I said sighing, she is harder than I thought. She flashes me a nervous smile and got in rather reluctant. The phone blared out again making me stamp my hands on the answer button.