Lost in madness

Chapter 6

Dabe

I walk into the house, calling out for my parents. The familiar scent of home envelopes me as I take in the comforting surroundings, it's been so long since I came home but nothing has changed,

"Mom, Dad?" I call out.

"I'm here." I hear my mom's voice from the living room, I make my way over to her in the living room, watching TV, and very surprised to see me.

"Ah, I didn't hear you come in! How are you?" she asks, looking at me.

"I'm fine, good afternoon," I sit next to her and take my eyes around, "Where's Dad?"

"He went to drop off your uncle?"

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes, something about their father's land but it's well. ..I'm glad you finally found your way home, I thought you were going to leave without coming to visit your parents." She says with a small smile, I return the smile,
"You look good, where are you coming from?"

"Sally organized a get-together, I was on my way there and thought to come and check on you and Dad."

"How's Sarah?"

"She's okay, sends her regards."

Mother lets out a heavy sigh as she stares back at me, "What?"

"Help me with a glass of water, I want to talk to you." She says and I get up quickly to get it for her, "I'm surprised you still know your way to the kitchen."

"Mom, c'mon."

I walk up to the kitchen grab a bottle of water, place it on a tray, and return to her,
"Thank you, dear."

I place the tray on the side stool beside her. "How's your cousin and her husband?" She asks out of nowhere again.

"They are fine, why?"

"I'm glad to hear...." She sighs and pauses the TV, then wavers for a minute, I know it's about to get serious when she does that, so I wait for the hit, "Daberechi, Daberechi, Daberechi. How many times did I call you?"

I sigh.

"Three times, ma."

I thought turning 30 meant I had gone past the age of being counseled by my mother but apparently not.

"Our people used to say, 'Okro anaghi eto kari onye kuru ya.' Do you know what that means? It means, that no matter how elevated you get in this life, you can't surpass the hand that groomed you. Your uncle's family has been very good to us, you're alive because of them, they adopted you into their family and made you who you are, try and pay them back with the same kindness."

I froze, caught off guard by her words. I felt a lump form in my throat as I tried to come up with a response."I know but why are telling me this?"

My heart raced as I stared back at her. I couldn't shake the feeling that she knew something,

"Do you think it was appropriate for you to be flirting with your cousin's husband at their wedding?" I almost choked at that.

"What, flirting? what are you talking about?"

"I don't want to know what kind of relationship the three of you have in America but it's not acceptable to let a married man touch your waist in front of the entire community, this is not America, before you know it, false rumors would spread that you are sleeping with your cousin's husband. God forbid!"

"First, what kind of daughter do you take me for? Secondly, what the hell?"

"I just said I should advise you as a mother and beg you not to bring any more shame to our family, the one your sister is doing is enough, please."