IT HAS NO GENDER

CHAPTER 3

Sandra got a job a month later, as an editor in a publishing company which was among the top 10 in the state. She was excited about it, because it was better than she hoped for. A week ago, she and Dare had agreed on having children after their marriage clocked two years, more like Dare suggested and she agreed. She was fine with having children anytime as she was already done with her education and would have enough time to focus on her family and work. She knew even if she was pregnant she would still go to work until it was the second month in her third trimester, she would also only be home for two months after birth before leaving the child for both grandmothers to take care of. Her mother had always told her she was not cut out to be a housewife, if the idea dared cross her mind, she would bang her head on a table until she was sure she was delivered of such absurd idea. If she wanted to be a housewife, she would have declined education as she would be of no use to the family as her job is to clean and take care of the home.
She woke up as early as 5 am to prepare for work, she made breakfast and kept Dare's tightly covered on the table, he was to by 8 or 9 am and she by 7 am. By 7:30am, the rush hour begins as school children and workers tried to beat time, creating a traffic jam in the Benin-Lagos express road until 9 am when everyone is at their respective places. She didn't want to be caught in traffic on her first day of work and so like an early bird, she drove off by 7am.
When Sandra eventually went out for lunch, she saw she had a missed call from her mother an hour ago, the rule at her workplace stated that no cellphone till break time. It was a rule meant for lazy employees and not someone like Sandra who was a hard worker.
She immediately called her mother when she was out of ear shot.
'mummy good afternoon, I just saw your missed call...what?! I'm sorry I couldn't pick up...I started work today..oh Abigail came to pick you up...thank goodness...okay, I'll see you when I close from work...by 6pm...mommy it's not too late...mommy I'm supposed to be eating lunch o...okay bye...I hear ma" she ended the call. Her mother was around, she saw her three months ago and they haven't spoken much since she got back. And she missed her mother and was glad she is around. When she was younger, she had said she wouldn't get married because she didn't want to leave her mother, looking back now she laughed at how silly that had been.
She quickly bought a snack before time was up as she spent half working and the other half on the phone with her mother. The rest of her day quickly wore off as she anticipated meeting her mother, she was the only immediate family she had left both maternal grandparents were dead, her grandfather before she was born and her grandmother only 5 years ago. Her paternal grandparents she had not seen since she was a teenager as they had an issue with her mother who refused to be a co-wife with her sister. Her father was not someone she would be caught dead calling family, she hated him with her life and that was that. Her aunty was married to her father and her uncle left the country for greener pasture long ago and no one has heard from him ever since, you could say her family was cursed and she would agree, knowing the curse ended with her mother. The other of her relatives were extended family whom she met on once in two or three years depending on the occasion.
She left for home immediately it clocked 6pm although she closed by 5pm but she had to clear up everything for the day so she could officially Begin work the next day. Due to the evening rush hour, she got home almost seven in the evening. She mentally praised herself as she had prepared stew, and 2 different soup during the weekend which were now frozen solid in the freezer,  all she had to do was heat them up and dinner was ready. But she doubt she would go through the stress as her mother would have a steaming plate of food waiting for her now, she smiled at the thought of that.
Her mother was waiting in the sitting room when she got home, Dare was not home yet she noticed. Immediately she hugged her mother who was reluctant to return the hug, she started scolding her, reminding her she was a married woman who was supposed to be home as early as 5 to prepare dinner for her husband. Sandra tried to convince her mother that she and Dare were perfectly okay with the time but her mother still insisted she should have gotten a job which dismissed as early as 4, Sandra almost laughed at that. In what part of Edo state would you find such, some jobs closed by 7pm and hers closed by 6, she should be happy. After convincing her mother she'll try to get home early so she can take care of her husband, her mother let her get refreshed.
It was already past 7 and Dare was not yet home so they both had dinner without him. Sandra and her mother caught up, she found out her mother actually came for the wedding of a friend's son which was to be held that Saturday and she would return to her home by Monday. When Sandra complained that her mother was leaving too early, she received a scolding and a long sermon on why she should spend more time alone with her husband as the marriage was still fresh and also how she should start producing children. When she told her mother of she and Dare's arrangement, she received a smack to her head. Her mother called her a fool and reminded her that if she didn't give birth now, another lady might do so for her. To that statement she openly shouted a loud God forbid before she burst out laughing and reminded her mother that Dare would never cheat on her. Her mother reminded her of the strange pictures she has been getting, which has stopped since she got back. She brushed it off and told her mother of her conclusion which she accepted. By then it was already 9 and Dare was no where to be seen, Sandra had called him countless of times and he only answered once and told her he was stuck in traffic and that was an hour ago. Her mother went to bed while she remained waiting for him.