A Searing Affair

prologue

     I sat in my room wondering how to let the cat out of the bag.  How was I going to tell my mother about this without her killing me alive? I battled with my thoughts, which were interrupted by a knock.
      "Obasuyi, it's dinner time" My mother opened the door seeing me.
"Are you okay? You seem worried"
"I'm fine mother" I put on a fake smile. She buys it. She leaves the room and I follow.
  "It's now or never" I thought "be brave" I took a deep breath.
     "Actually Mother, I... Do have something to tell you" I said trying to keep it together.
"I knew it!" She proudly said. "You'll tell me over dinner" I just nod in agreement. The question now is, how do I start?
       We both sat in the dining room, eating Jollof rice with plantain and turkey. It was just us since my dad wasn't home from work and my siblings weren't home either. "So..." She broke the silence. "What did u want to tell me?"
I gulped my spoon of rice down my throat and a sip of water to follow.
     "Well..." I cleared my throat. "The thing is... There's this guy, I really like and we started... Dating" Me knowing fully well that all the things I'm saying is an abomination in an African home... Talk much of Nigeria. "And we... Umm... Did somethings" I coughed.
     "Somethings like what? Elaborate" she demanded. I froze like I didn't understand her. "Somethings could be anything you know" she added. She obviously knows what I'm talking about. "Ummm..." I coughed again trying to find the word. "We... We had s*x... Mother, and now.... Now I'm.... I'm pregnant" I whispered out. I finally got the load off my chest.
       My mother doesn't say anything for a minute. She goes back to eating her food like I just said nothing out of the ordinary. I tried to mirror the action but couldn't out of fear. She lets out a harsh laugh... "You slept with him and had the audacity to come back to this house!" She yelled slamming her hands on the table.
      "First of all... You had a boyfriend right under my nose. I didn't know. As if that wasn't bad enough you slept with him and now you're pregnant. And you think I'll sit back and allow you carry such an abomination as a child out of wedlock in my house? You're wrong! You are very wrong!!" She bellowed "I've always told you... What an elder sees sitting down, a child can't see it standing"
        "You will not have such an abomination in my house... You have bought nothing but disgrace to this home!"
I just sat there, tears rolling down my face. "I knew you were pregnant, I was just waiting to see if you would open up, and you did...." She said "Doesn't mean I won't still disown you".
     I  can't believe I thought if I told her she would rethink her decision, guess it's just the same as we see in the movies.... At least she didn't beat me to death. "Before your dad gets back... I want you out of this house!" She said
"But... But mother pls, where am I supposed to go?" I pleaded on my knees, crying desperately.
"I don't care! Just get out of my house! I can't even look at you!" She spat
    Just as she said, I packed my stuff and left the house that night, ordered a ride to take me to God knows where... But then... I remembered. "You're always welcomed here no matter what" l then changed my direction and told the driver to take me to.         .
      I got to the door, with my luggage in my hand. I rang the doorbell and someone answered after a few seconds. An old woman... My grandma.
     "Grandma I..." I tried to talk but my throat closed up, tears filling my eyes. She pulled me into a hug.
"It's okay child" she said softly
"I'm sorry" I whispered.
"You're safe now" she said wiping my tears and helping me into her house.