Broken | ✓

CHAPTER FORTY THREE: SCARES

                            Ireti

Since we came to Nigeria, Tife had been whining about going to the mall. He wanted to play some of his favorite video games. Dele was going to take him during the weekend but four-year-old kids lack patience. So, I decided to take him. I wanted Calvin to go with us but he had gone out with my dad. Surprisingly, my father was bonding with a white man that had asked for my hand in marriage. I knew my parents were going to accept him nevertheless but I didn’t expect the warm welcome they gave him especially my father who was off on a bonding spree.

“Isn’t that my necklace?” my mother asked, glancing at the shiny silver necklace hanging on my neck with an emerald stud.

“Yes, it is. It’s really beautiful” my hands caressed it.

“I didn’t know we were sharing things now” she rolled her eyes.

I chuckled. “Where did you get? So, I can buy my own and leave yours alone”

“I don’t know, Jide got it for me”

My hands stuck on the stud.

I took a deep breath “Which Jide?”

“Jide now, your ex-boyfriend, He is such a wonderful man. Did you know he never forgets my birthdays? He gets me something each year. The necklace was for this year. I still don’t know why you left him and decided to marry a white man” she stretched out the white man.

“Don’t get me wrong, Calvin seems like a really nice man but there are some things only Nigerians can relate to” she quickly added

Why did Jide never stop giving my mother presents? Why didn’t he forget her birthday? Why was he still in contact with her?

This complicated our situation because how was I ever going to tell my mother that the man who has filled her with so much glee was the one who rained terror in our lives.

“We should get going. Tife, Tife” I yelled, not wanting part in the conversation.

“Yes mummy” Tife came running in.

“Let’s go. Bye mummy” I said.

“Bye grandma” Tife echoed.

I held Tife by his hand, leading him to the car.

“Mummy, why can’t I sit in the passenger’s seat” Tife frowned.

“Because the instruction says, kids below twelve should not sit in the passenger’s seat. We have gone over this several times” when it came to Tife, I never took risks. Ever since, I held him that day and he smiled at me, it felt like I was bestowed with the overprotectiveness of a mother hen. He was my life; nothing was worth risking his life even the passenger’s seat.

“But Kendall gets to sit in front when his daddy drives” he retorted.

“That’s Kendall’s family’s business. Besides Kendall is a White kid and how many times have I told you white people are crazy”

“Uncle Calvin is White” he murmured with his hands folded at the backseat.

“I heard that” I looked at him through the front mirror.

“That’s a racist comment mum” he scolded.

“Where did you even hear that word? I asked, shocked.

“Nina told me. She heard her teacher call one of the parents a racist and she said racism is when you insult a race and that’s what you did now mummy” he spoke with so much confidence.