HOW I MET MY CHEATING GIRLFRIEND

Episode 39

"Mom, for how long will Peter be in jail?" I asked.

"He can be there for even the whole year if he doesn't change."

"What! Mom, how about his admission in the university?"

"I don't care about that! As long as he doesn't change, am not ready to entertain nonsense with my own child who can't understand the labour pain I had gone through and am still struggling for you."

"But please mom don't torture him that much. He had apologized and I know he..."

"Oscar, know very well that if Peter doesn't respect me as his mother, then he won't respect you as his elder brother. I know the pains I have and taking him to jail wasn't my wish, but he pushed me hard. I will visit him the following day and probably see how he's faring on with his new home."

"That will be better. I know now he has regretted why he had to disobey you."

"That's up to him! Now tell me what you think about Betty, because that's what has brought all these." Mom asked. This was like a closed door meeting and I could also risk finding myself in the police station if failed to trade well.

"Mom, without hiding you; am in love with her. And since we broke up with Sweeney, it's now about two months."

"Do you see her as someone who's serious and not as unfaithful as this other one?" This question was like an indication that something good was following. I smiled.

"Yes! That lady has helped me a lot mom. Even this month's rent she was the one who paid for me. She has also bought for me clothes and even promised to help me get a new phone because this screen had cracked."

"That means she loves and cares for you..."

"Yes!" I responded quickly.

"But my concern is on her faithfulness. Because that's why you've left Sweeney."

"She had told me her story and have also looked at her closely; she's doesn't have a dirty eye. She had introduced me to her parents." I said. If cooking lies could make mom get satisfied, then I was ready to feed her with a lot of them.

"That is good. But you did a wrong thing."

"How Mom?"

"How could you do such introduction with her parents and haven't seen her myself and give you a go-ahead? Now what if I don't want her? Where will you take her to?"

"I'm sorry. But because you had seen her before, I wanted to first tell you about the changes before letting her talk to you." I said. Mom looked at me as if she was in agreement with my sentiments, and also somehow confused whether to accept or reject Betty.

Mom admitted that she had no problem with our relationship with Betty. However, she was worried considering the fact that she had been pregnant for Peter, who was my own brother.

"Oscar, am talking with you as a grown up person and as my own son. I also don't want you to mess up with your life. Am happy of your relationship so far. However, there are two things that are very important for you to note," she stated.

Two things? Well, that wasn't too much to worry me. If they were things I could change, then I was more than ready for that. It was my prayer that she accepts Betty as her daughter-in-law-to-be even though she had earlier confirmed that she wouldn't accept her into her home. She cleared her throat and continued.

"By fact and nature, Betty is like the wife to Peter. Why do I say this? Peter had slept with Betty and a pregnancy occurred. If suppose she never aborted the baby, that could be today Peter's child. Now, if by any chance you marry her, it will come out to Peter like you have snatched his wife from him. All in all, it can't be justified because no proofs that they had been together."

"Up to that point, is it bad if am with her?" I curiously asked.

"It's not bad. The problem would arise only if it was the vice versa. Peter can't inherit or take away your wife from you because he's younger than you. You're now like his father and he can't take his mother. However, you're free to inherit his wife because you're his elder brother." Mom said.

This alone made me feel like I was already in God's Kingdom! To me, I thought that could be the reason as to why mom could be against Betty. And did she say that there's no problem dating Betty? I guess I heard something of the sort. It was now 12.43am and I was winning the case time by time. No one was having heavy eyes that night.

Out of the two important things I was supposed to note, one of them had been noted very well. I was eager to get the second one to weigh if the game was meant for me or not. This was also the opportunity I got to learn more about the our traditions.

"Thanks for teaching me on this mom. Am now aware of some of our traditions." I said.

"That aside! My another worry is now on her capability to bear for you children..."

"But if she had been pregnant before, it means she's okay." I said.

"That's true. However, who knows whether she was to have only one child in life or more?"

"Mom, but we can't judge her because of that. Yes, nobody knows, not even herself. It had happened and the only thing we can do now is to pray and believe that she will be able to sire more." I advised.

"I don't want you to risk by marrying someone who have done an abortion, Oscar. I need to see my grandchildren. I want you to give me a son and I'll name him after your late dad, Alex. So, what if she fails to give birth?"

"It's also my wish to have you see your grandchildren. These days most of these ladies we even meet in campus, you'll get them having babies back at home. But how sure are we that those who doesn't have babies had not done abortions before? And if this is not the case, then they are under family planning, which Betty wasn't and is still not part of it. Mom, better the devil you know than the angel you're just hearing of." I said.

She leaned back on her chair, crisscrossed her legs and slowly moved her head up and down; an indication that she was in agreement with me.

"Now you want to convince me?" She asked and laughed out loudly. I also laughed and for once, I began to see a happy woman I was used to. Convincing her was never like dancing to the tunes of ABCD.

"Okay, I see you love her. I can't deny you the peace of being with the one you love. But I don't want to hear anything that she's cheating on you. If this happens, finish by yourselves and don't tell me," She continued.

"I promise you mom that you won't get that. Betty is much focused! Furthermore, she's a grown up and has a family mind. Have shared a lot with her and at every time, she would tell me how she wants our future life to be."

"That's a lady worth being kept!" Mom confirmed.

"Because you've confirmed that, am now stronger than ever. I know have failed you in my first attempt with Sweeney, but I promise never to fail you again with Betty."

"You're also still young. Am just praying that you get settled. Exchanging girls is harmful to your health and your future, my son. And am not tying you up that you have to be with her even if she has destroyed herself like Sweeney. Just play your role well; be faithful and give her the attention she needs. If you feel she has some affairs with someone else, walk out my son, walk out." She said.

It was almost knocking 2am and we began to feel sleepy. Mom gave me her blessings and we prayed together that night before we could part ways to have a rest. I was happy the stress I had was successfully solved and I maintained the portion in my life that Betty was holding.

Peter's image and how he was arrested that night got stuck in my mind. I recalled how his head was hit by the gun and the way he was crying while being taken to the land cruiser. On my bed, tears rolled down and fell on it. It took me awhile to fall asleep. I promised myself to share my night's experience with mom and to make her go for Peter the following day.