SHATTERED

╣THIRTY-ONE╠

     As tears cascaded down Ethel's cheeks, her lips trembled as she sobbed while hugging her mother for the first time in fourteen years. Her mum looked so different, she was lean and wrinkles had appeared at the corners of her eyes and also her mum's hairstyle was now a pixie cut, she had streaks of grey in her blonde hair already. Her mum was just only fifty two years and apparently she looked like she was in her seventies.
It was seventeen years ago that her Father was arrested, it was also when she stopped seeing a mother in her own mother and that's when her molestation began.  She hated her mother with every fibre of her being.
She thought she had let go of her grudge against her mother but, she noticed that she still felt that hatred towards her anytime she thought about her.
    She had lied when she told Aisosa, her roommate while in university that she had let go. She forgave yet, never forgot.
    After she dreamt that scary dream while spending the holiday with the Okafors, she felt penitent and that was what prompted her to begin the thorough search to reunite her family.
“Mummy, I'm so sorry for not being there when you needed me. I can see you've gone through a lot.” Ethel cried, remorseful.
Thelma sat in bed hugging back. She tried to figure out who this lady was so, she had a stoic expression on her face.
    Logan who had been watching them, came closer to pat Ethel's back, gently.
“Give her time to heal, Ethel.” he said.
“I want to stay here, can I?” she blubbered, wiping her tears stained cheek with the back of her palm.
Logan sighed, “Uh,… it's not advisable right now, she's undergoing some therapy so she needs sometime alone to heal.” he smiled slightly.
“Sometime alone? I don't understand, Dad.” she sniffled.
“Can we talk outside for a bit?”
“Okay.”
Ethel stood up from the bed, looking around her mother's room. It was nice and comfy. Logan led Ethel to the balcony where they stood. Logan leaned on the railing drawing out a heavy breathe as he rubbed the nape of his neck.
“Your mum can't remember somethings due to the psychological trauma she had experienced in the past. That's why she can't remember who you are.” Logan explained to her.
Swallowing past the lump in her throat, Ethel folded her hand across her chest, baffled.
“So, how long is she going to be this way?”
“I don't know, although she has started psychotherapy.”
“Okay,”

                  ➰➿➰

     Ethel sat at the dining with her parents after she prepared porridge for dinner. She decided to sleep over at her mum's house before leaving for her house the next day. Logan also decided to sleep over for he was relishing the moment they were spending together.
    Watching her mother eat her porridge, Ethel noticed a scar on her mother's wrist and these made her alarmed.
She tapped her dad's thigh, drawing his attention.
“Mum has been inflicting pain on herself, do you think she's safe staying alone? See the purplish line on her left wrist.” she whispered.
Logan shrugged his shoulder, sighing loudly.
“I think I know what to do.”
He got up from his seat after gulping down a glass of water and walked briskly out of the dining room.
    After some minutes, Logan was back with a photo album.
“I want us to look at this photo album together. I feel it'll trigger something in her memory.”
“While she looks at the picture, I could remind her of the wonderful times we spent together.” Ethel chipped in.
“Good. Let's wait till she's done eating and you, finish your food.”
“I don't think I can stomach this, the food we ate at the restaurant hasn't digested, yet.” Ethel smiled, patting her belly.
“You can refrigerate it then.”
She stood up, picking up her plate and left for the kitchen.
    Flipping the pages in the photo album, a smile appeared on Thelma's face and Ethel was happy to see it.
“Mum, this is when dad, you and me went to Disney land.” Ethel said touching the picture with her forefinger while Logan nodded his head, smiling.
“Aw, that was when you and Logan Clifford got married.” she darted her gaze to her dad, then back at the picture.
“I know and I had a daughter for him, her name is Ethel.” This time Thelma was starring into space as she said this.
Logan and Ethel were both wide-eyed when she said that.
“So, where is he and where's your daughter?” Ethel questioned further.
“I don't want to talk about it. Anytime I talk about it…” Thelma trailed off, sobbing.
Ethel placed her mother's head on her chest, stroking her hair.
They were happy she was opening up but, she needed more time.
Logan who had been standing close to Thelma's bed,  where Ethel and Thelma had been sitting with their legs buried under a duvet, crawled to them, hugging them and he wept.