“Mama, I… You…”
“Ehern… You can’t speak again?” My mother lashed out
“No… yes, no I mean.. it’s just that mum…”
I laughed sarcastically. This was the Winston I knew initially. So shy of my mother that he could barely form sentences in her presence. I grieved inwardly. I was in so much of a hurry to show Joey that I was okay without him. So much in a hurry to the extent that I picked the nearest person who showed interest in me. The drama and bickering drowned in my ears as I lay on the hospital bed.
Soon it was night and time to go home. But, to which home? I dared not go back to Winston’s. He had already left with his mother without batting an eye. I was left with my mother and a burnt house. To the saddest part, my savings couldn’t restore everything I had lost. Marriage they said, was not for the faint-hearted. Was I not brave enough? Or were my qualities not at par with what people call “marriage material”? These questions kept haunting me as we drove to my cousin’s side. I was wondering how I was going to cope with all these. Especially at my cousin’s house. We were never really close.
Opeibea welcomed us with a quizzed look. She took our bags upstairs and placed mum’s feet in warm water while stealing glances at me from time to time. I got fed up at a point and gave her and looked straight at her.
“Opeibea what is it?”
“Ahan! Now that you’ve asked. Let me spill it out. When we were advising you to get to know the guy before moving to the next step. Guess what! Someone was feeling butterflies in her stomach. Oh, where are the butterflies now? Did they suddenly fly away?”
Opeibea’s bickering was enough to give me hypertension. My mother scolded her immediately after she ended.
“Stop it, Opeibea. You two are my daughters. Why would you fight your way through childhood to Adulthood?” Mummy asked weakly amidst light coughs.
Opeibea gave her a glass of water and apologized, looking down. Such a hypocrite! What could I do, aside from sitting down like a fool who has just delivered herself to her enemies on a silver plate? That night, I kept vigil. I prayed hard. There were no more tears to shed. At the point I had reached, crying was not an option. My life was like a fleeting movie where I had no remote to control it. Everything felt unreal.
The next morning came in a haste, and waking up was like continuing a nightmare. I woke up in a luxurious room yet it felt depressing to be in it. I took my time to look around the room. My cousin, I learnt, married a rich man too. I also heard she is being treated like a princess. Indeed, it was not just hearsay. How I wished her was my story.
My mind drifted off to abominable places where Opeibea’s husband and I could be having fun. I quickly shook my head and did the sign of the cross. I cannot be thinking like this.
Amazing plots, at least they got a roof over their heads.