Dear Mother Episode 5 – 6
DEAR MOTHER.
Chapter 5.
As we went home, mother was lost in thought, she was sad and disappointed at her parents,some tear drops were coming down her eyes at intervals,some persons in the buses we boarded were concerned,even though they didn’t know in details what was wrong, they’d just tell her,madam no matter what you are going through ,it is well,God will see you through.some even offered to pay for mother.she was very grateful.
Getting home, we saw uncle Clement at home,which was so very much unusual.he was boiling up, immediately we got in,side,,he pounced on mother,so this is how you go out with this little bastard of yours to commit adultery when I go out to work.you are shameless and a disgrace to womanh-od.he was busy beating mom without allowing her explain where we were coming from.i tried to pull him, at least to try and speak for mother.Daddy,daddy,we went to grandma’s house,I pulled him trying to explain,but unfortunately for me,he kicked me with his feet,I fell backwards and hit my head on a stool,it really hurt,and I cried out in pains.mother was trying to come to my aid,but uncle Clement pushed her back,but she couldn’t bear seeing me in pains,hence she hit him with the little strength in her and rushed to were I was and carried me.uncle Clement came to were we were and pounced on the both of us,beating us blue and black…
After the wrestling combat,mother bought me some pains relieving drug,m-ssaged my body with hot water so I don’t fall sick because of it….mother slept in my room that night,she held me close to herself.i heard her say,I am sorry my child,I thought getting married we do us both good,I never knew it was going to be our biggest nightmare.she thought I was sleeping.i couldn’t help but cry too,I had also thought having a father figure in my life was a blessing, unfortunately,it has become a curse…..
Days had passed after the incident,and uncle Clement was always at home,his car was no longer in the compound,mother at first thought he was making sure she doesn’t go anywhere, because at times he’d refuse to go to work saying he had a dream that mom brought a man home,so he would stay for days waiting for the man he saw in his dream to come to mother.But this was getting longer by the day,after about a week,mother went to him.honey why have you not been going to work,and where is your car,mother asked him…
You have succesed now,he shouted at mum,yessss you have succesed in making me lose my job with your witchcraft,ever since i married you and brought you and this imbecile of yours into my house,my life had been a mess,it has been up side down.a job I had for years before I met you, suddenly doesn’t need my services any more, isn’t it obvious you are cursed.he shouted more.now that I don’t have a job I will see where you and this witch of a child will get what to eat,since you have refused to take her out of my house.,,,
When you came to me and said wanted to marry me you saw me with a child,you knew I have a child, I didn’t hide her from you,also If you had allowed me continued with my food business and not chased all my customers we would have had something to fall back on by now,you didn’t allow me work in my restaurant because you think men would take advantage of me,you didn’t allow me work else where either,now we have nothing to fall back on since you no longer have a jobbbbbbbbbbb,shut up he said to mum with a slap,you stupid pr-stitute,you want me to give you license to commit adultery you adultrious woman.he said to mother.Clement you have always called me an adultrious woman,what in the name of heaven is the meaning of that,have you ever seen me in a compromising position or place with any man, what’s the meaning of all these ,mother said angrily and walked out on him.
Uncle Clement meant every word he said that night,he stopped giving mother anything for feeding,they were days we went to bed on empty stomach,they were days we had garri,other times mother would ask aunty stella for help.i had stopped going to school,it was.my JSS 1 promotion exams,but I was not able to write because of unpaid fees….
Aunty Stella came visiting with some food stuffs one day,and had a talk with mom.Sarah,I would once again say sorry for this life you are in now, God knows I wanted the best for you,I had thought is was the best,little did I know that looks can be deceptive.but Sarah,i think what your mother said is good, your daughter had stopped going to school, because there is no money,you can hærdly feed her,but you and I know Mrs Williams is a nice lady, she’d take care of your daughter,give her a good life and even send her to school,please Sarah think about this,and then she left.
I knew mother was not going to send me away,we are all each other has, that’s what she always told me,so there’s no way she’s letting me go live with someone else at just 11.,so I had thought.
About five days after aunty stella had left.mother called me ,and told me, that she loves me so much,hence she wants a better life for me,she wants me to grow and become a young strong and powerful woman,that I would not experience the pains and hærdsh¡p she is going through in the hands of uncle Clement,for this reason she would be sending me to Mrs Williams in Abuja so she could send me to school,since there was no money for her to continue my education,I was shocked,I looked at my mother and sincerely hoped those words didn’t come from her…..
DEAR MOTHER
CHAPTER 6
… I looked at her in shock and disapointment,she saw it in my eyes,held me and said it’s for the best my daughter.mother no,I don’t want to go to Abuja,I want to be with you,I do not want to live with Mrs Williams.i cried.Am so sorry child for failing you,but that seems to be the only solution right now.she tried to convince me ,I wept bitterly,but unfortunately, mother’s mind was made up and there was nothing I could say to change it…
Days on,I was set to travel to Abuja,I was going alone,mother didn’t have enough money to go with me and to come back.Mrs Williams would come pick me at the park.i didn’t sleep a wink all through the night,mother slept my room,she held me ,said so many words of advice and encouragement ,asking me to be strong.but I didn’t say a word…
My step father was happy I was leaving, it was a good radiance for him after all,I was getting out of his house.reaching the park with mom,I was hoping it was a bad dream and I’d soon wake up, unfortunately it was not to be.mother held me,and hugged me tightly crying,she wasn’t going with me,she pleaded with the driver to help me call Mrs Williams when I arrived the park,that she’d be waiting for me already.i was alone in the bus travelling to a Land I had never been before,I tried to imagine how life in Abuja would be, but nothing was coming to my head.i slept at intervals,ate,had some thoughts,before we arrived Abuja.the driver really called Mrs Williams,and he told her were I was,she soon came to me.she hugged me beautifully,I do not know her, but I believed she was nice,I last saw you when you were only toddler,you are now a big woman,she teased.mrs williams placed a call to mom to tell her I had arrived safely,so she could be at peace…
I arrived at Mrs Williams beautifully well furnished mansion.she was wealthy,all her kids were abroad.she had a girl of about 12 year old,she was one year my senior,Mrs Williams was a nice woman,she only needed us around since all her children are abroad.mabel was already in school same class as me, courtesy Mrs Williams.days on, she enrolled me in mable’s school .i was happy I could go to school now.i missed my mom greatly,the first few days without her were horrible.i would imagine what she was doing , and hoped uncle Clement wasn’t making her a punching bag.mom was always calling Mrs Williams so she could speak to me.she didn’t stop advicing me to be a good girl.and to be respectful to Mrs Williams,treat her the exact way you’d treat me, because she’s representing me there, mother would always say.
Mrs Williams was a very simple and nice lady,who admires hærdworking, diligence and intelligence.Mabel didn’t seems to posses any of these,she was the lazy type,and didn’t take academic seriously either.this didn’t go down well with Mrs Williams,she was always talking to her to change,I somehow became her favourite,since I was all and more she admired..
Months on,uncle Ade came back from school,he had graduated,he was Mrs Williams youngest brother who was schooling far away in another state,he comes home only on holidays,hence I had never seen him.Uncle Ade’s coming was my biggest nightmare.
He was always smiling at Mable and I,at first I thought be was being nice to us,but little did I know.I was watching a movie with Mabel in the sitting room, Mrs Williams had gone to visit a friend,then I dozed off.when i woke up,I didn’t see Ada besides me,so I walked up to our room to know if she was in.Getting there,I saw uncle Clement and her on our bed,and his hands were on her little br-asts ,while they were both unclad,I quickly shut the door and rushed back to the sitting room.i wasn’t quit sure of what I saw,I was too shock to understand what was happening.i was already 11 going to 12, Mabel was already 12 going to 13,she was a baby,what could be happening.
While lost in thought,I saw uncle Ade and Mabel walked up to me,now listen you little brat,you see whatever you think you saw,if I hear you mention it to my sister,I am going to kill you with my bare hands and send your dead body to your family.Mabel hissed at me and walked away with uncle Ade, probably to continue from where they stopped.i was speechless.
Later the day,Mrs Williams came home,she asked me for a glass of water,I went to the kitchen and came back with it,after giving her,I was lost in thought,whether I should tell her about Uncle Ade and mabel’s excapde or not was running through my mind ….