The Lives We Lived

33: On her Knees

A/N: Words in italics are spoken in Edo Language of South South Nigeria

Osa was ready to leave for Mayorkun's house when he heard the knock on the door. He uncrossed his legs, set down the newspaper and looked towards the door. Sandra beat him to it, running on her tip toe towards the door.

"I'll get it. It should be my friends," She explained.

Osa settled back in the chair and carried his newspaper. The business page was open but his mind was on anything but that. It had been a very long weekend. Everything thing he couldn't possibly have imagined has happened to him.

"Ahh.. mama," Sandra cooed. Osa's body tensed.  His skin stretched tight against his body. What was she doing here? He should have left for Mayorkun's house sooner, rather than wait for Kemi.

"Where is my son?" Mama demanded. He remained seated.

He wasn't sure that he wanted to call her his mother. "Sandra, shut the door."

Sandra gave him a strange look but she left the door open and mama flew in. Osa refused to raise his head from the newspaper to look at the woman who had tried to destroy his marriage. She didn't come alone. Her cohort, the one who had raped him under the guise of cleaning his bruises, stuck by mama's side like a sick puppy. She huddled beside mama and kept her eyes on the floor. Osa flew to his feet, anger taking hold of his tongue and seizing his speech. He wasted not time in walking to the offender.

He grabbed Ruth's hand and pulled her out her screams ricocheted off the walls. "Sir, please forgive me. Sir please."

His mother held his arm and tired to stop him but her plan against his resurrected the memories of the previous night.

"Mama, leave me before I do something I will regret. Leave me." He dragged a protesting Ruth out of the house and locked her out. She had the audacity to knock on the door. He  grunted, knowing that he would not let her in even if she was about to die.

He turned to mama now, ready to spew the words that had ruminated in his mind for a long time but staring at her now, all he could do was utter a painful mix of a grain and a deep gruttal cry. "Why?"

"What's going on?" Kemi asked, joining then in the living room as Efe parted the beaded curtain to gain entrance. Osa took one look at Kemi and forced back the tears that was building in his eyes. Kemi had always told him to be a man. To stand up to mama. If he had done that, he wouldn't be in this situation.

"Osa?" Efe called his attention but he refused to break his gaze on Kemi's body.

"Mama please." Osa's voice cracked as he shut his eyes, refusing to look at mama's wrinkled nutmeg brow skin. "Just go before I do something I won't like."

"Uyiosa, it's me. Your mother." He heard the tears in her voice. He hated this. He hated her begging like a pathetic person. It filed him with so much hatred. Hatred for the man who left then both. Hatred for Mayokun's mother who stole his father's love and hatred for himself for coming to the world too late.

"You are not my mother. No mother would do what you did. Did you think about me? Did you think about Kemi? Did you think about what that would mean for our marriage."

"Bro Osa, don't talk to mama like that." Sandra interjected.

"Shut up Sandra," he yelled. He opened his eyes to see his cousin flinch.

Mama's tears began to roll, one after the other in a race to reach her neck. She took a step closer to him and began to talk in Edo. "Osa, I did what was best for you. You are my everything. My love. The only one I have in the world. Remember. Remember."