DEAR MOTHER
Chapter 11
…….We got to my grandparents place and explained all that had happened,grandpa was suprised as to how evil uncle Clement is, nevertheless they decided they were going to see him and ask why he had thrown mother’s things out.Granma made food for us,and asked us not to worry ,that everything was going to be fine.
The next day,my grandparents, accompanied by some of mother’s uncle,mom and I,went back home to see uncle Clement.Upon our arrival,we met his absence,we were told by neighbors he had gone out,but they said he was looking very casual,hence he probably didn’t go far from home,we decided to wait, we waited for about three hours before he came.when he saw us waiting for him,he wore a long face and Managed greet granny’s and mother’s uncle’s.grand pa was about going in with him,when he (Uncle Clement) asked him to wait outside, that he didn’t want them inside.grandpa was very embarrassed,but he managed to stay calm.soon uncle Clement brought a plastic chair and sat with us outside.my Son, grandpa began,our daughter came to us yesterday saying you had sent her out with her belongings littered outside,we decided to come and hear from you as it isn’t nice to conclude form one side of any story.so my son,what happened,as we can see our daughter’s belongings are outside,why is this…
Well,I don’t have time for explanations neither do I have time beating about the bush,I am no longer interested in the marriage ,so I want your daughter out of my house.uncle clement said.oh come on my inlaw,you can’t possibly just wake up and ask your wife out without a good reason .grandma said.
Madam,marriage is not a do or die affair,I can not continue living in the same house with a woman who doesn’t respect my decision or stands in issues,he said.what exactly is this decision of yours that my daughter had refused to respect, because I didn’t bring my daughter up to disrespect you her husband, I have never disrespected my own husband,so from whom did she learn this,mother asked….
Well, I married your daughter and not Christabel, I had asked her to take christabel away but she refused .so if she cannot obey me as her husband she cannot be my wife either. Uncle Clement said. But my son you were aware she had a daughter before you married her, moreover she had respected you once but taking her child away to Abuja. if you had asked her what happened in Abuja and why Christabel was back to Edo state she would have explained to you. christabel my granddaughter had suffered a great deal all because her mother Sarah was trying to be a good wife to you,christabel was abused ,went through h’ll and back, you can’t expect her mother to give her out again. Christabel is broken and needs to heal and her mother wants to be around to help her back to her usual self. when you know you will not be able to live with Christabel after marriage you would have told Sarah from the onset that after the wedding her daughter would not be living with the two of you and I believe it would have been a decision of hers to make whether to go on with the marriage or to say no.but instead you made her marry you only for you to ask her to keep her daughter out.having a child it’s not a curse but a blessing .Sarah and her daughter have been together for so long, but all of a sudden you want her to send her child away, that is so not right grandfather explained.
Well sir this is my home and I know what I want. if she cannot send the child away, the marriage is then officially over and I want the return of the bride price on her, I have nothing to do with her anymore, uncle Clement said. come on my son grandmother said, it hasn’t gotten to that we can talk this through and be able to resolve all this ,no madam we cannot resolve this the only solution is for Christabel to leave my house, uncle Clement said.
At this point mother was really angry ,well Clements if that is what you want no problem, I cannot throw my dog away because I had found a dead lion, because no matter what a dog is still better than A dead lion .my child is my everything ,I cannot throw her away or send her out because I met you. so if you insist that this matter cannot be resolved unless my daughter is sent out, then your wish shall be granted. my father and his kingsmen shall return the Bride price you paid on me. Mother said and asked all of us to live. She was able to get a bus and took
Our things that were outside
When we go to grandparents home ,grandfather called for a meeting again in the evening. Sarah is this what you really want? do you really want to leave your marriage? your mother and I are still alive ,and by God’s grace in good health, we can take care of your child. why not allow christabel live with us and then you can be with your husband grandpa said. Father,mother I sincerely appreciate you kindness and encouragement but the truth is a man who cannot love my child cannot love me either, I have tolerated enough from Clement , he’s not my God, I have failed my daughter once ,I am not ready to feel her again. I will do my best to take care of her because I will not forgive myself should anything happen to her.
again my daughter does not deserve any of these, she deserves to be happy and grow up like every other child, I was better off with my daughter I only thougts she needed a father that was why I agreed to Mary Clements but unfortunately Marrying Clement has been the biggest mistake of my life ,and so if this is the way he wants it to end, It shall be .thank you very much baba.
ok my child grandmother said ,if you have really made up your mind your father and I are with you on this, my grand daughter deserves to be happy and I know she would feel betrayed if you give her out the second time because of Clement, I just pray that you find happiness at last because you two deserves to be happy.
grandmother’s words encouraged mother, she was happy to know that her parents were solidly behind her.Grandparents also at last learnt their lessons, that a child needs the support of the parents when the outside world rejects them, they had changed for good.
Some days on grandfather was able to reach his kingsman and they went to uncle Clement to return the Bride price,he paid on Mother. mother and uncle Clement were officially and traditionally divorced. auntie Stella was really sorry that it had to end that way,mother told her it wasn’t her fault that she was only trying to be a friend and help.
Mrs Williams heard what had happened she was really sorry for mother, but she knew mother was right especially because of what I had gone through, so she decided to help the little way she could .she sent Mother some money to put her life back on track, mother was very grateful .
Mother is a fantastic Cook and when she operated the little restaurant she had before Clements came into the picture, she had many customers who loved her cookings, so mother decided to go into food business once again. but this time she made it a little sophisticated. she even had a name. Bella’s Foods and catering services. yes she used my name. Soon she had customers patronizing her every now and then, and people wanted her to be their caterer for their occassions.
things were going well for Mother one day at a time. We moved out of grandparents place and rented our own apartment . though we always go visiting granny’s of course. I was in school and I was doing well .mother was doing fine, she had peace of mind so to say.
indeed being a single mother and happy is better than being in an enslaved marriage, nevertheless my friend, I pray you find that man who deserves your Love and who would love you back and of course love your child aunty stella would always say, but mother will insist she didn’t need a man all she wished was for me to keep growing and doing well academically.
Some months later after we had moved out of grandparents place we were at home one Sunday evening watching a movie together,when we heard a knock at the door, mother went to get the door, lo and behold she saw someone she least expected. she was shocked and shouted what are you doing here, I had to rush to the door to see who it was…..
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