SWITCHED: Walking in another Girl's Shoes

•Two

              "Money is not the root of     
                all evils, Poverty is"

                          Anonymous

                                  ๑    ๑

"Ammatome oo!" I yelled announcing my arrival before I stepped inside. The yelling was useless because my dad was always at work while my mum was still in the market, selling her wares. I just tell incase there was a thief inside so they will leave.

Foolishness I know.

I walked in and groped blindly for the torchlight, hitting my head against the wall and having a stupid rat run across my foot. I found the torchlight and switched it on.

And nearly had heart attack.

On the torn-beyond-repair sofa sat my mother.

"Mu-mummy? You are back early oo. Did you not sell today?" I asked. She rested back on the sofa but didn't answer. She had a grave expression in her eyes. By divine direction, my eyes saw the thick bundle of money on the table.

Blood of Jesus!

"Mummy, where did you see all this money from?" I asked, my heart beating fast. It was a bundle of one thousand naira notes and my brain told me that it could be up to a hundred thousand naira. I froze to the spot. That kind of money could change our lives.

"Giwa" she called gently. The hairs on the back of my neck rose up. I knew that when she calls me like that, it was either if I did something wrong or something bad happened.

And I didn't like any of them.

"Please sit down" she said again and patted the seat beside her. NEPA chose that moment to bring one of their irregular lights and shouts of UP NEPA filled the streets. I sat down a little farther from her just incase I did something wrong so if she wanted to beat me, I would Japa.

"Giwa, do you know where I got this money from?" She asked as If I knew the answer.

Me I know?

"No ma. I nor no" I replied.

"Giwa I-" she stopped and shut her eyes as if in pain and then she opened them again.

"I slept with a rich man"

Ehhnnnnnnn!!

Everything stopped. I couldn't think, smell, feel or even see. I expected her to laugh and tell me it was a joke, that she didn't cheat on dad.

"What?!" I screamed. She flinched and glared at me.

"Not so loud Giwa" she chided.

"What do you mean by "you slept with a rich man"?. Are you messing with me?" I asked angrily.

"Speak to me with respect girl, I am still your mother" I closed my eyes and took three deep breaths and opened them again.

"There is this rich man, his name is Chief Adeniyi. He seemed a very nice man and he patronized me a lot. He always wanted to know how I was faring."

"We became friends and soon we became close. I knew it was wrong but I couldn't help myself. I needed care-"

"Daddy cared for you" I interrupted.

"Yes. I know. But it wasn't enough. So we went to his house-"

"You went to his fucking house?!" I screeched.

"Language and yes I went to his house. Greatest mistake I ever made"

"The hell it was" I mumbled under my breath.

"When we got to his house, he actually asked what was going on in my family. I poured out my heart to him and he was sympathetic and consoled me. He told me to sleep with him and he will give me two hundred thousand naira"

"Two hundred thousand!!"

"Yes. Now I regret it"

"Ohhh" I moaned and held my head and started pacing round the room

"You cheated on your husband for two hundred thousand naira? Mum I know we are poor but how could you?" I asked.

She said nothing, just stared at me.

"What will we tell daddy? He will asked where you got that money from. Oh God, why?"

"Please Giwa, don't tell your father. Tell him Janet gave you"  Mum knew what Janet did for a living. It seemed like a good lie, but dad didn't know that Janet had boyfriends.

"No! He doesn't know what she does. Seriously I'm disappointed in you. You betrayed our family because of money"

Then she snapped, her eyes flaming like fire.

"Betrayed? How could you? I slaved everyday to make money. You think it doesn't pain my heart to see us like this? To see you tied with the ropes of poverty? It was a sacrifice I had to pay Giwa, I didn't like it. I only wanted to be friends with the man. God knows u didn't want to sleep with him!"

"Mum-"

"No, let me finish. I love your father more than anything. I love you too and I don't like seeing you guys suffer, so I had to do it. I'm sorry I let you down like this. It is the wrong type of sacrifice but it's still a sacrifice. So please...do-don't tell him. It will break him" She broke down and started crying. I now understood her position. I wasn't in support of what she did, but she did it for us and not because she wanted it. I felt sorry and placed my arms around her.

"It's okay na, you know I don't like seeing you cry" Her sobbing reduced to sniffs and hiccups.

"Giwa please, don't tell your father. I love him and it will break me to see him hurt" she pleaded.

"Mum, there dis no way he will not know. Two hundred thousand naira is a huge amount of money"

"Please my daughter. He mustn't know of this money"

"Mummy, just tell him. I'm sure he will understand. Dad has emphathy you know"

She kept quiet at that. Silence etched between us. I looked around, seeing the peeling furnitures and the torn sofas.

Two hundred thousand naira could change a lot  of things.

"So mum, what do you say? Should we tell daddy?" I asked. She sighed and relaxed her head on the couch looking sad.

"Yes. We will tell him next tommorow"

******

Oh boy, that was a blast...

Another poor solution to problems by Giwa's mum don't you think?🤔

Na wa for Giwa oo, this her Foolishness no get level😅, how will you be shouting ammatome oo! When there is no one at home?🤣🤣

Vote, share and let me know what you think in every line 📖

Ciao

A pic of Janet 👀😌

Danielle ©