The Dreams Of My Mother – Episode 19

Episode 19

Tania was especially doting, with Dayo, she kept telling herself that if things had been different, she would have loved Dayo for real. Damilola took the opportunity to take Dayo to the bank to set up a scholarship fund for him accessible to him only when he got admission into any higher institution of learning in Nigeria or abroad. Dayo: “With this, nothing can stop me from being a doctor” he said excitedly as they exited the bank.

Damilola: “Oh really, why did you decide to be a doctor?” he asked, thinking the boy was going to say it was because he, Damilola is also a doctor.

Dayo: “I want to be a doctor because it is my mother’s dream, and I won’t rest until I am one” he replied passionately.

Damilola: “That is some strong determination there” he quipped and patted the boy on the shoulders. But he stumbled in his steps because he thought he heard a voice. “I would have been a doctor, if you had not deceived me, taken my pride and abandoned me with a baby” the voice had said.

He turned, searching for Khadijat in the crowd, but not one face, but every face was Khadijat’s. He held his head muttering under his breath.

Damilola: “Khadijat I am sorry, please forgive me and give me back my peace of mind” he kept muttering this over and over again, standing on the stairs of the bank, with people going and coming.

Dayo: “Uncle Damilola, are you alright?” he touched him and that was how Damilola gained back himself. He wiped his face and gave Dayo a smile, but the tumult was yet from over.

When they got home, Tania rushed to meet them, she kissed her husband on the lips and Dayo on the fore-head.

Tania: “Dayo, today you have gone out with uncle, tomorrow is my turn oh. I promise we will have lots of fun and eating. But now, I made delicious Banga soup, heard it is your favorite” she said.

Dayo: “Yes, it is, thank you aunt Tania” he replied, in his heart he was wishing that his mummy Bella was as nice as Tania was.

The family gathered at the dining table to settle to Tania’s banga soup, as they ate, Tania watched Dayo, and Damilola. She saw the scholarship fund as Damilola’s move to care for his son, without arousing her suspicions.

“Men are wicked. So you would be taking care of your son and be fooling me that we are looking for a child, at the end, your child will come and reap all that we sown together. I would be the one at the losing end. Thank God for Bella, now I am a step ahead of you, and when I am done, everything will return to the status quo, if God gives us our own child, fine, if He doesn’t, we both die childless” She pondered as she chewed her food.

The next day was Saturday, Bella woke up early and kept watching her phone like she was waiting for a call. Her husband, Gberan even asked her if she was expecting a call, of which she replied in the negative. Since Tania called her to ask for Dayo’s favorite food, she had been expecting an alarming call from the family to tell them that something g had happened to Dayo. She expected that her friend, Tania wanted to poison Dayo, that was the reason she was asking for his favorite dish. But until now, she had not gotten any calls.

“What if you read her wrongly, what if she hates Dayo, but is trying to love him anyways? What if she found out that her husband doesn’t know and intends to keep it that way. Oh no, I have to take matters into my hands, but what do I do?” She jumped out of bed and rushed into the bathroom to have her shower amidst protests from her husband, asking where she was preparing to go to, so early in the morning.

Damilola woke up early to make breakfast for his wife and Dayo. Weekends were the days he was extra romantic, he served his wife breakfast in bed, and took her

out. But she had opted to take Dayo out on her own today, to his surprise. While he was in the kitchen, Dayo came in to take his morning milk from the refrigerator. Damilola: “Dayo, hope you are enjoying your stay with us?” he quizzed