I know Aunty Florence. She rarely liked to upset my mother. She never liked seeing her disturbed or unhappy. She was always looking out for my mother. But this was a much difficult situation for her.
“Okay, sister, so exactly what do you want me to do now?” she asked mother, her arms akimbo.
“Let her stay here with you and your friend for a while till everything cools down at home,” mother replied.
“Okay, then after that, what happens? Will she return home or she staysa here to have the baby?” asked Aunty Florence. It was a good thing she asked, I was starting to wonder too what mother’s game plan was.
“I really don’t know yet,” mother responded. “If I am able tpo convince her father, then she returns home. But if I am not, she will probably end up with you in Lagos!”
“To have her baby?” Aunty Florence exclaimed, outraged at the way mother already had her script all laid out.
“But you and I already talked about this, Florence, why are you now sounding like you’re hearing this for the first time?”
“But I also told you, sister, that I will have to discuss with my husband first before I can take any decision on the issue. He pays the rent, not me!” Aunty Florence said to her sister. “And even this place that youi’re saying she can stay, I don’t pay the rents either. We really need to sit down and evaluate this situation critically, it’s not as straight forward as you think.”
Mother was quiet. She was probably realizing for the first time that her plan may not be as simple as she thought.
“And even if somehow, you get away with this whole plan, how do you hope to keep her father quiet? How do you think he will take all of these?” Aunty Florence quizzed mother. All of her bravado had gone down now, she was scared she might not get help from her sister after all. And she was her only hope.
“I have told you I will handle her father. I will let him know of course that I took her away she he knows she’s safe.”
“So, you don’t think he will give you any trouble if he suddenly realizes you have taken his child away from under his roof?”
“Of course he will raise a lot of dust about it, but I will handle it. The question is, will you people let her stay here for a while or not?” she fired at her sister, and apparently including the friend too.
At first, there was some silence. Then, Aunty Florence’s friend cleared her throat and said, “It’s okay, ma, she can stay here for a while!”
I almost passed out. I didn’t expect that the lady would make such stupid offer of an assoistance to mother. Left to her, she was simply doing my mother a favour, she couldn’t have nown she was going to make my own life more miserable than it was already. It took every strength in me to restrain myself from reaching for her neck and strangle her to death!
“Oh, thank you, my dear, thank you very much, God bless you,” mother thanked her.
“Thank you, dear,” her friend too thanked her. I didn’t say anything. I was not grateful for what she did so I did not see any reason why I should say thank you to her. I just kept a straight face and kep staring into space.
I was not happy and I no longer cared if anyone noticed or not. They prepared some food and asked mother to eat before leaving. They asked if I was hungry and offered me food but I declined to eat. I was not hungry, I was boiling inside.
While mother was eating, Aunty Florence asked why I was eqating and not eating.
“Aunty, I have lost my appetrite for food,” I said to herr, looking straight into her eyes. “And its not because I’m here, but the truth is I have not been eating well since this whole madness started for me. Right now, I’m thinking, what exactly am I going to be doing here? Watch the pregnancy in my tum,my grow? How come nobody is willing to ask if this is what I want? How come nobody wants to knowe if this pregancy will shatter my future or not? I did not go out of my way to sleep with the boy that got me pregnant, he drugged me and raped me because I told him I was not interested in sex. That could’ver happened to anybody, even somebody older than me! Why do I have to suffer forever for a mistake that can be amended? Why must carry this shame forever? This is not fair! This is just not fair!!” And the tears started to roll freely down my face.
“Will you shut your mouth there before I shut it for you?” mother yelled at me, half standing up from the dining table where she was eating. “What do you know? Do you know what this your carelessness and recklessness have caused me? Do you know the pain and the shame I’m going through as your mother? No matter how long you lament, I have taken my final decision on the matter and nothing can change it, do you hear me?”
Aunty Florence looked at me for a long spell with pity in her eyes and then turned to mother. “Aunty, don’t you think this girl is making some sense? Don’t you think you should listen to her?”
Mother stood up, washed her hands and picked up her bag. “There is nothing to listen to. Thank you for the food. I will be in a few days time to check up on her, please take care of her for me.” That was the last thing she said before she flung the door open, eased herself out of the room and shut the door behind her without taking another look at me…..
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