Strong Emotions - Episode 10

 

      I have a natural way of snubbing people or pretending to care less about what people say especially when the situation warrant such, I entered my parents bedroom and saw my mum sleeping soundly like a baby. I looked at her with disgust, why was she sleeping at the time when I needed to talk to her. I wondered when last she had a peaceful sound sleep like this, her eyes had been swollen and it shows signs that she didn't have enough rest for the past few days . God! I need to talk to her, I just love being around her, she's all I've got. She is the only person who was still ready to help me in my terrible situation, she believed I made a mistake and I was truly sorry for what ever happened. She is my mother after all, she doesn't have any choice but to stand by me. I moved closer and tapped her slightly on her arm. She jerked awake all of a sudden.
         

        "What happened Enny?" She asked with a fright. I sat on the bed beside her and looked at her solemnly.
       

         "Mum, I have lots of questions to ask you. We need to just talk." I said while mum stared  at me as if she saw a ghost

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/strong-emotions

. After sometime she sat upright like a chicken who just recognised one of it's chicks.
         

         "Darling , what's wrong? You scared me. Is it about the pregnancy ? How are you feeling?". She asked with a weary look. 
           

         "I'm fine mum. What did you tell Lola's parents? And when is the meeting holding? How did my dad got to know that Lola got pregnant to...."
       

          "Enny!!!......" She called to interrupt me.

        "Let me answer one question at a time". She took a deep breath and heaved a sigh.
       

          "I told them everything they need to know and stop questioning me about that. The meeting is tomorrow and that's why I had to inform your dad about everything too or do you wants him to know the truth tomorrow?". She paused to see my reaction. 

       "You made a good point". I shrugged. She was right anyways, it will be worse if dad found out about the issue the day the meeting was scheduled to hold, I couldn't even imagine what could happen tomorrow but I was surprised how dad kept cool when he found out about Lola's pregnancy, he could have just hit me or threatened me more. Mum hugged me as if she knew what I was thinking.
     

        "Don't be scared Enny, everything will soon be alright." She said in a soothing manner.
     

        "But mum, dad hates me so much. He says bad things about my look, my pregnancy and about everything I do." I said as tears flow freely down my face. Mum shook her head and cleaned my tears with her fingers, in no time, she bursted into tears too.
     

         "You can't blame him dear, I caused it. Maybe I should have been a better mother or maybe I wasn't giving you enough attention, it's all my fault and your dad was right, I am a bad mother after all..." 
     

      "Mum stop it, stop making me feel guilty, I'm so sorry mum. I have caused you so much pain, I have given dad bad impression about you". I knelt down in front of her and cried, I wanted to shed all the tears I have tried to hide in the presence of my mum. I don't feel like a coward when crying in her presence but instead I feel like a sinner who was ready to repent all her sins and was ready to have a rebirth.  Mum covered her face with the duvet, I could see watery mucus sliding down her big shaped nose. She placed her right hand on my shoulder.
     

         "Enny...your father likes you alot, he was just disappointed about everything that happened. He had agreed to participate in the meeting and in your marriage with Alfred. Our fear now is, if Alfred refuse to get married to you and choose Lola over you. God knows the best my dear." She explained amidst tears. I looked at her with a confused look , so my parents are still after me getting married to that man? Oh Lord! Can't they figure out a better way? I know Lola will fight for Alfred's love and Alfred knew we can't live peacefully as husband and wife, I don't even need to protest, the situation itself will tell. I had a terrible night mare last night, I saw scary faces, horrible hands feasting in my belly, ripping out the foetus in my womb and sucking my blood. I woke up with a scream and since last night I hadn't been able to get a good sound sleep.
     

         "Mum, can I sleep here with you?" I asked, looking around the bed. I realised the room looked a little unkempt unlike the sparkling room it was before, the red and white curtain covering the louvres appeared dirty with a dusty brownish colour, I could see some of her cosmetics lying on the floor helplessly far away from the standing mirror and a little shelf beside it, the wine rug spread on the floor looked so dusty alongside the little flat screen dad placed on the wall, there were clothes hanging outside the cream colour wardrobe situated beside their bed, the odour from the  door leading to their toilet and bathroom was not good for the body at all, I wonder why she stopped using her normal Swiss flower air freshener.. It obvious mum doesn't have enough time to clean the room or  was in the mood to clean the house in general, not that she was becoming lazy but for the fact that she has started drifting into a state of intense depression.
       

         "Why do you want to sleep here? What about your father? Where do you want him to sleep? " She asked.
     

       "It's obvious dad hasn't been sleeping in this room since you had your last fight." I said with a frown. I was right, dad had been sleeping in the living room since they had the fight concerning my pregnancy and I was 100% sure he slept in the parlour yesterday.
 

         "Shut up! Says who? He slept in this room last night. You are allowed to sleep here for just tonight but why if I may ask?" Mum asked with keen interest, her tears had dried and she had cleaned up the mucus which dripped down her nose.
     

     "I had a nightmare mum, I was so frightened". I said softly like a child waiting for her mum to give her a hug.
     

       "Kneel down let's pray". She took the Bible which she placed beside her pillow. We both knelt down and mum prayed, I thought the prayer session wasn't going to end, I didn't even wait to find out when she stopped praying because I saw myself in another wonderland, I had dozed off.
         

         The next day was Saturday, I slept so well that I got frustrated when mum came to wake me up, it was until I realized the time was 12:00pm that I knew I deserve a spank. 
     

         "Get up and freshened up, our visitors are here already". Mum called when she got to the bedroom door. I looked towards the door with one eye open to view what was going on around me, I saw mum dressed in blue and white Iro ,Lace and Buba. I jumped out of the bed swiftly, Oh Lord! Visitors?...I quickly rushed to the bathroom to freshened up, mum looked at me and shook her head, she doesn't seems to have time for my naughtiness. She returned to the living room with a warning that I had to be done in the next ten minutes. I brushed my teeth and took my bath in a jiffy but the choice of a dress to wear became a problem, how can I even go to my room to pick a dress without going through the living room and as if mum read my thought, she came into the room with two dresses and I was glad she did. When I walked to the parlour, I  could see Alfred staring at me, he looked like a lamb trapped in a lion's cage, he looked so gentle and scared especially with the horror faces Lola's parents Mr and Mrs Williams wore talkless of the sad look written on my parents faces but Lola looked indifferent. I love the sitting arrangements though, my parents sat at the right side while Lola's parents were made to sit at the left side of the living room, Lola sat with her parents while Alfred the culprit sat in the middle with his hands placed in between his laps. It was a funny sight to see. I sat with my parents as expected.
         Mr Williams broke the silence, "We don't have much time to waste here. I was so disappointed when I heard that Enny got pregnant to the same man as my daughter.."
 

         "Point of correction sir, your daughter got pregnant for my daughter's fiance and not the other way round". Mum stood up to interject furiously, her wrapper got loose and she held it in an attempt to tightened it back.
   

        "Alfred was not your daughter's fiance". Mrs Williams replied sternly. I couldn't help but stare at them, the men were calmed but Alfred wasn't comfortable at all, it was obvious he wanted the ground to open and swallow him.
     

         "Calm down women. Let's hear the words from the horse's mouth. " Mr Williams turned towards Alfred, everyone watched on with Keen interest.
Mr Williams cleared his throat."Alfred, you caused all these commotions. I couldn't believe my daughter could stoop so low to fall for your tricks. Anyways I don't have anything much to discuss with you, what do you plan to do in this situation? Do you plan to marry the two of them or maybe you should tell us who you intend to marry." Mr Williams said. Alfred shifted on his seat nervously, he kept fumbling with his fingers like a boy who was caught stealing meats from his mother's pot.
 

          "I...I... didn't impregnate Lola, we had just a minute fun and..I was..."

           "Shut your dirty mouth up, a minute fun? You are an idiot, let's do DNA test to confirm the child's paternity". Mrs Williams said angrily.
   

         "Margaret, what's the meaning of this? I deserve a respect from you. I order you to keep quiet till the meeting is over." Mr Williams commanded while his wife sat down calmly. Lola saw me smiled and frowned her face, she saw my smile as an insult and I could see the hurt in her eyes. My mum heaved a sigh, she prays everything ends well. 
 

         "Alfred... You may continue your speech". Mr Williams said with a wave of hand. Alfred looked at me abashed, he kept staring at the floor for no reasons.
   

         "I'm not responsible for Lola's pregnancy, I don't love her and I can't..." Before he could finish his words, he felt a dirty slap landed on his face. We all stared in amazement.