Sometimes, the past doesn't really leave. Sometimes, you have to confront it so it doesn't ruin you.
********
It was two days to my traditional wedding and I had gone down to my village, in Benue state, for it. Jacob arrived a week ago, but he was back at his old house before he moved away. His younger brother, Ben had been living there , after finishing from uni. When I had gone to visit his mum with my mum, my mum widened her eyes at the sight of him.
"Good afternoon, ma" Jacob greeted, flashing a smile at her.
"Your face looks familiar" She said, ignoring the greeting. "Very very familiar" . She squinted her eyes to get a proper look. "Where did you people meet?"
I was about to answer, but she said.
"No, wait I remember. Come, is he that Late Pastor Shittu's son? That your head boy?"
I was not ready to start blushing at the fact that she remembers, but his mum came in, saving us from this awkward moment.
"Yes he is, my dear. Her boyfriend from secondary school" His mum came. Jacob snickered behind me.
Mum looked at me, amusement in her eyes. "Oh, so he was your boyfriend even"
"Um, mummy-"
"Yes, she was. But for only a while" Jacob added. What's this mans problem? Adding the pepper to the fire. I shot a cold glare at him, and he kept smiling at me, putting his arm around my shoulder and pulling me close.
"I think, we need to continue, with the plans" I said, shrugging Jacob's arm off my shoulder and walking further into the dining room. I heard them all laughing at me.
My heart stopped at the fact that, this was the same house, where, during secondary school holidays , so many moons ago, I used to sneak in to see Jacob, locking doors behind us. Hot afternoons , where under the air conditioned room, I'd lay bare skinned next to him, under the duvet, watching him even while he read, or just to talk. Those afternoons where nothing really happened but the touch of skin, heat of his skin, was more than enough comfort.
I shrugged out of my thoughts. His mum looked at me.
"Are you okay, honey?" She asked. I nodded .
********
When I had arrived my village, I was surprised to see that there were already people at the family house. People filled the chairs, some greeting me, complimenting me, congratulating me. Quotes like 'small girl of yesterday, finally getting married' flew in the air. I smiled and answered to the best I can, them my mum helped me to sneak out the room before I got run over.
I took a short nap in the room I shared with Mariah, before freshing up and going downstairs to greet some more of my extended family.
It was then I saw him, locked eyes with him. Him.
Uncle Fidel.
*******
I greeted his wife. I have never seen her before. She was short and a bit more plump. She had the smell of sweat and white powder when I greeted her, and a sleeping baby tied to her back.
"Congratulations, my daughter" She smiled, and I noticed her gap teeth. Her skin contrasted with her yellowed teeth. I bent a bit to greet her.
I locked eyes with him, venom rising.
It took me back to the time where I was seventeen years old and barely piecing my life together before he came and tore it apart.
Now, staring at him, I was still seventeen years old, with venom in my tongue, ready to sent down poisonous words. I wasn't ready to see the pity in his eyes. And I'm sure his poor wife didn't know the kind of man that he was. I walked out before I could say anything, and out of the visitors sight, I started running, to the second floor of the apartment, slamming the door behind me, and exhaling hard.
