CRY FOR ME: Part 1 – 10
Part 3
Franca Uwuigiaren
The love of a mother is priceless. I have always wished mum will show me an atom of love, just a little love.
I wanted her to smile whenever she looks at me but she scowls when her eyes meet mine. I wished she was like dad.
Mum is a tiger while Dad a lamb. I have never known mum to talk gently with him. No matter how calmly he tries to explain things to her, hmmm!, her voice is the loudest. She talks back at him and even demean him before us.
Although, this her attitude never stopped dad from showing her love. Whatever he buys for us, mum gets hers. If she asked for something and dad didn’t give her, the house would turn to a war zone.
“The whole community will hear us if you don’t give me what I asked from you.” She would threaten.
“But I don’t have the money now” dad calmly told her
“I don’t care. You can’t marry me from my father’s and make me suffer in your house.” She would tell my dad. “You keep asking me to manage. Listen dear, I can no longer manage”
“Honey, I am trying. I buy foodstuffs, pay rent, school fees, utility bills, medical bills, clothes and snacks. Apart from all these, I still give you personal allowance and another allowance to hold the family. Since I married you, what have you brought to the table? Tell me Chiamaka.”
“Enh…enh! Don’t insult me oo.”
“What did you do with the money I gave you to open a business? You squandered it. Again, I opened another business for you but you shop the shop and goods. According to my wife chiamaka, it’s not a thriving business but the person you sold everything to is doing well.”
“Well one can change business at anytime.”
“Use the money for the sales of the business to open anything but for me, I have no dime to give you.”
“What of money I told you for my hair?”
“Do you know what, you’re lazy. You want me to cough out fifteen thousand naira just to make your hair. Sorry I don’t have.
Mum would drag dad’s trousers and at the end, they would fight and turn the house upside down. Countless times, dad had caught mum stealing his money.
I have resolved never to be like mum. She doesn’t give Dad peace but just for peace to reign dad would still be the one to apologize.
I took the responsibility of washing dad’s clothes since I was 11 years old. At times too, he wash himself or take them to the dry cleaner close by. Mum also made it clear that it was my responsibility to wash her daughters clothes.
So, I have been doing it. Sometimes, my sisters assist me to do the laundry. That’s if mum wasn’t home.
CRY FOR ME: Part 1 – 10
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It was a beautiful Saturday. Dad went out and mum went visiting a sick friend. I and my sisters were home.
They assisted me in the house chores. We took our bathe and eat breakfast. They were watching television while I went to my room to rest a novel.
Somehow, I fell asleep and I had a dream about dad. He was angry with mum. He wept bitterly because mum deeply hurt him. I tried to console him but he could not be consoled.
I saw mum laughing wickedly while Dad took a knife to end his life. I woke up startled.
I was worried about the dream yet I didn’t tell my sisters for fear that mum might hear it from there. If she eventually hear, I will be dealt with for not telling her.
Am I not supposed to tell her my dreams? But I can’t! Why should I tell her? When I was in J.S.S one, I had a dream about her and I suffered for it.
Mum stood by a bus stop waiting for a bus. A young man approached her, gave her an unexpected slap, drag her handbag and ran away. I saw mum screamed for help then I woke up.
I narrated the dream to her and she dismissed me.
“I remember something mum. You were waiting for a bus at Jakande bus stop.”
“It’s not me you saw in that dream but yourself” she told me. “Get out of my sight” she thundered. I rushed to the room, pick my school bag and ran to school with my sisters.
When I returned from school, she welcomed me with a terrible slap.
“Susan the dreamer. Your evil dream has come to pass. The money for freezer has been snatched from me. You evil girl, you were not supposed to tell me that bad dream.” She said as she hit my chest. It was the first time I doubted if she was my mother.
“You will feel what I feel right now. One hundred and forty six thousand stolen from me. That money was meant to buy a deep freezer Susan but you connived with those me” she screamed at me.
“Go on your knees.” I dropped my school bag on the floor and went on my knees. She went into the kitchen and brought mortar and pestle. She placed the mortar on my head and I held the pestle with my right hand. Hot sweat broke out of my body instantly. My siblings were crying and begging her to release me but turned dear ears. I didn’t know what happened again because I found myself on Dad’s bed.
Blessing told me I fainted and daddy walked in when mum was confused, not knowing what to do. It was dad that saved my life. She also told me dad beat mum and she ran to her room. Dad called his office to be absent the next day. I didn’t go to school until two days later. Dad personally took care of me.
CRY FOR ME: Part 1 – 10
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I sat outside waiting for Dad to drive in so I can tell him the dream. Mum had gone to bed so it afforded me the opportunity.
Blessing had since slept while Cheta was still watching television. As soon as I saw dad, I stood up. He parked his car and came out. I greeted him with a tight hug.
“What is it angel?” He asked.
“I am afraid and worried about you. I had a terrible dream about you.”
*Ok tell me”. I narrated the dream and he breathed deeply.
“It’s just a dream angel. What do you think we should do about it”.
“We’re supposed to pray about it.” I told him.”
“Alright. I don’t know how to pray. Where do we start from?”
“I know how. Close your eyes”
“O God, don’t allow any harm to come close to my father. Don’t allow anyone hurt him. I want him to live long so that I can build a big house for him, in the name of Jesus.”
*Amen! Hmmm! Where did you learn that from?” He asked smiling.
“My teacher always say God listen when we talk to him. So we have done our part by talking to him. Let’s allow him do his own.”
I collected the nylon in his hand and we walked inside. I served him food. I expected mum to come and check if her husband has returned but her door remained lock. Cheta after greeting dad, slept off on the settee.
As dad was about to retire to his room, I asked him a question.
“Who’s my real mum. Don’t lie to me dad. Mum had drummed it in my ears that I am not her child. So who is my mother?”
Dad looked at me. He came close and held my hand.
” I don’t know her Susan. We were returning from an outing one night when we saw you. It was your cry that attracted us. We would have run away but we didn’t.
We took you in our arms. You were too cute. We took you to the hospital for proper check up then proceeded to the police station. Others are history. We named you Susan after your mother because her English name is Susan. We have loved you since then.”
“You love me dad but mum doesn’t” I whispered with tears flowing from my eyes.
“Don’t say that angel. You know she loves you.”
“I am telling you dad that she doesn’t love me and you know it. She treats me like trash and this is making me crave for my real mother.”
“Alright angel. Let me be both a mother and father to you. Agree?” He asked wiping my face with his handkerchief.
“Agreed!”
“I will protect you and I have taken care of you since you were a baby and you are still my baby. Come here!”
Dad gave me a big hug and a peck on the forehead.
“Go to bed angel, tomorrow is church.”
I went to bed with peace in my heart. I just love my dad because he understands me. He treats me like Blessing and Cheta. I closed my eyes in sleep with a big smile plastered on my lips…..
CRY FOR ME: Part 1 – 10
Written by Franca Uwuigiaren
Inspired by the Holy Spirit.
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