The Swirl

Ep. 10

3 days.
That's how long Mama had gone so far without saying a word to Mabea. Oratile kept pestering her, wanting information on why there was so much tension and animosity between her and their mother but she kept telling him to mind his business. Mama didn't ask for anything at all and she didn't even touch the KFC that Mabea brought the other day even though it was her favorite food. She went on as if Mabea didn't even exist anymore.

As she lay down on the couch for the third night in a row to sleep, the events of a few days back came back to her.

Mama had let herself in without knocking as usual and at that moment, Hiroto was spooning Mabea under the fleece that was always on the couch and they had been lost in their conversation and kisses.

As soon as Mabea noticed Mama who stood at the door with a shocked expression and her hands on her hips, she and Hiroto stared wide eyed at her. Then when common sense returned, they scrambled for their clothes and quickly put them on even though some were on the wrong way. They stood up and stared at the floor guiltily, their hair a mess.

Mabea completely refused to look her mother in the eye, her heart in her throat but Mama walked to the bedroom and shut herself inside.

Hiroto and Mabea looked at each other, none of them daring to breathe.

Hiroto broke the silence. "What the heck just happened?" he breathed, buttoning his shirt and putting the buttons in the wrong holes but Mabea was too dazed to notice.

"You have to leave," she whispered, already pushing him out. "That's my mama."

He looked at her as she pushed him out the door. "Will you be OK?"

"I don't know but I'll handle this. Please don't come here until I tell you to. This is really bad."

He nodded and stole a quick kiss before getting into his car. "Remember, all you have to do is call me when you don't want to work with Arty. I got my girl." He drove off.

Mabea prepared herself for the worst scolding and probably beating of her life. Mama was cooking some Pap and chopping cabbage when she got in. She sat at the kitchen table and looked at her mother who was humming to herself.

"Mama...I'm sorry," she whispered. Her mother continued with her work as if she had not heard her. "Mama-"

Her mother stopped humming and glared at her. Then she exclaimed to herself, clapping her hands in shock and going back to her work. Mabea had tried to apologise, to cry, to beg, to plead but nothing worked which meant that her mother was really upset and truly angry with her.

For 4 days now, no words had been exchanged between them and Mabea felt depressed. She had been talking to Hiroto over the phone and he had driven to her workplace in a rented car so that no one would see him.

"What's happening," he asked her as they sat in the car at their spot.

She leaned her head against his shoulder and tears sprang out of the corner of her eyes. "She still is not talking to me. It would have been better if she yelled, beat me or something but she's not talking. If mama does that, just know that you have reached a point of disappointment or disgrace that you can never come back from. She did this to my father after she found out that he had made someone else pregnant and that was the end of the relationship. I don't wanna lose my mom."

Hiroto kissed the top of her head. "It's gonna work out. Just give it time. I'm sorry for putting you in such an awkward position. I'm really sorry. Maybe I could talk to her myself and explain everything."

"That would just make things worse."

"I want her to know that I have good intentions with you. I didn't want to meet your mom that way and I'm really embarrassed. Also I want things to be OK between you and her."