The Dreams Of My Mother – Episode 15

Episode 15

Damilola woke up suddenly, not by the alarm clock, but the shrill noise of his phone, someone was calling and he wanted to ignore that person, but the ringing was incessant. He crossed his hand over his sleeping wife to the dresser, and collected the buzzing phone.

Damilola: “Hello mother” he said in a sad voice. He did all he could as a son, but he rarely called his mother because, whenever he did, he was taken back in time to Oshogbo and Khadijat.

Damilola’s mother: “Khadijat’s father is dead, he died this morning. I tried all I could to bring some sort of succor to him, but nothing can comfort a man whose family has deserted him and whose conscience is beating drums for him to dance.” She said sadly, and sighed. After coming back from the States, where he travelled to after India, he was already married to Tania, and his mother did not care about Tania, all she wanted was a grandchild to heal the pain of the one that was lost. But the more time stretched with no child, the more impatient his mother got with everyone, she reminded him that karma had come for him, and always told him she was praying for him. Many times, he had asked to move her to Lagos so they could be closer, over the years he spent in America and with what happened with Khadijat, he and his mother had grown apart, but she refused. It seemed she was rooted to Oshogbo and the flat, and leaving it would be a disrespect to Khadijat. He was so lost in thoughts thinking of what could have happened if he had done things differently, one single night of pleasure and a moment of cowardice had destroyed a family. His mother had to ask if he was still there, to which he replied in the affirmative.

Damilola: “Now, that he is dead, who will bury him, you told me he stopped going to the mosque”

Damilola’s mother: “I called his wife and children; they will give him his last rites. I just thought I should let you know. But don’t even think of coming here, the brothers might just kill you, their family has never been the same since that incidence, Khadijat was the light of their life” she said and would have continued if Damilola had not rushed her off the phone and hung up.

He put the phone down and heaved a sigh, his mother’s call always put him in a bad mood. He held his head in his hands and for the first time since everything happened, he cried, so much that it woke his wife, Tania.

Tania: “Baby, what is going on, you are crying” she said surprised because, she had never seen Damilola in this state.

Damilola: “Just hold me” he replied and hugged her tightly.

Bella stayed at the motel for days but couldn’t get the manager; she angrily checked out and was on her way to the airport to catch a flight back to Lagos. She was in the taxi, and like most chatty taxi drivers, the driver began to narrate a story no one asked him.

Taxi driver: “This life eh, it is good to have a good heart. A good heart will always do the right thing at every given situation, no matter how hard the circumstances are.” He said and paused for effect. Bella shifted uncomfortably in her seat, wondering if her conscience had suddenly found a mouth piece, she wanted to shut him up, but later she would praise herself for not shutting him up.

Taxi driver: “An Imam just died, he was a great man for most of his lifetime, but he made a wicked decision that drove his daughter to her death, and the town has not forgotten. His daughter got pregnant and the only decision his wicked heart could come to was killing her. I don’t know what the Quran teaches them. Fine, she really messed up the family’s reputation, but she didn’t stop being their daughter, did she?” he turned back to the passenger side to ask for Bella’s opinion, but the latter just nodded her head.

Taxi driver: “Hmmn, Khadijat, she was such a sweet girl, who would have thought” he said and Bella thought that it was possible he only heard the story and did not know the family personally. But then the name hit home, and she jerked upright in her seat.

“That name, I have heard that name before” she muttered under her breath. Taxi driver: “The wife even left the Imam’s house, and all his children deserted him, but now they are back to bury him. This life eh, chai” he said, gingered by Bella’s sudden interest in his story. He had not missed the way she sat upright, and he knew soon she would ask him questions. Of course she did.

Bella: “Please, tell me about this Imam, where does he live?” she inquired.

Taxi driver: “I can take you there” he said and without hesitation, he swung his car around. This was the fifth passenger he was telling this story, and even though they all showed interest, only this one had requested to see the residence of the family whom this tragedy had happened to. It was a curious thing to him though. Question:what did you think Bella will use the new information she got for? To be continued..