The Dreams Of My Mother – Episode 12

Episode 12

Ken: “Mother, I am talking to you” he said stomping his feet, and shoving his mother. Bella shoved him away angrily, for he was disturbing her train of thoughts. Ken cried the more and ran out of his parents’ room.

Bella shook her head at his tantrums, she couldn’t understand why her son could not be like Dayo. At ten years old, he cried like a baby, and was the dullest in his class.

“Guess I spoilt him too much, or perhaps it is the fault of that Dayo, he makes my son cry too much and he overshadows my son. Truly, he has to go” she thought and stood up abruptly.

Bella went to her son’s room and knocked on the door.

Ken: “Go away, I don’t want to see you. You don’t care about me, just like everyone else” he shouted from inside the room. Bella heard the voice and her heart broke.

Bella: “I am sorry my son, who else would I love, if not my only son. Open the door for your mom” she said, and waited. The door clicked open and her son stood there with his puffy face.

Bella: “I promise you son, Dayo will leave this house very soon” she said and stroked his head. Ken gave her a smile amidst his tears.

That Sunday, Bella arranged a family lunch, a friend of hers was coming with her husband to visit., even Dayo was going to eat with them because, her husband would be home. She prepared assorted dishes, she even made housekeepers come to revamp the house because, she wanted to show off to her friend. She had always competed with Tania since they were course mates in America. It was in America that Tania had met her husband. The three were friends but he had fallen in love with Tania, even though Bella had been showing him all the signs. Coming back to Nigeria, Bella had quickly killed her crush when she met Gberan. But the three had remained friends, but that rivalry had remained between Bella and Tania.

Dayo was dressed in a cute denim top and trousers which Gberan had bought for him, to the consternation of Ken, even though he had gotten a clothe gift too. But he felt that Dayo’s was superior to his. When he came to the table, ken gave him a stink eye, he was vexed at the mere sight of Dayo wearing the cloth his father had bought.

“That should be mine” He thought, but consoled himself with the promise his mother had made him.

The visitors came and Bella rushed to embrace Tania. The women air kissed like they had really missed each other, but their eyes were roaming each other’s body to see who the better woman was. Bella still had her trim shape, despite the birth of her son, and for the occasion, she was garbed in an exotic velvet dress, which was embellished with little diamond studs on one side of the bodice. Tania, after trying and failing for so long to give her husband a child, she was beginning to let go, she had gained a birth of weight around her midsection. However, this was gracefully hidden in the empire waist purple gown she worn. The sleek fabric told of dollars spent, and her skin told of her husband’s care. Bella: “You look good” she said with a sly grin.

Tania: “You look good too” she said as she looked up and touched Bella’s hair, “ Is this hair human hair? It looks synthetic” she said with a frown creasing her smooth fore-head.

Bella: “God forbid that I should wear synthetic hair, this is Peruvian hair, which I got for a whooping sum of 500,000 naira”, “You look really great, except for that pouch in your midsection, and you haven’t even been pregnant before. I will recommend a tea for you” she said and beckoned to them to come in. The husbands shook their head, Tania’s husband was not surprised, he was used to them, they often gave each insults laced with pleasantries.

While they ate, Bella watched Tania and her husband, she wondered why he was still with her , after many years of marriage, Tania still had not given him a child.

She was still studying them when something struck her, it was the way the man was looking at Dayo. She dismissed it as the usual admiration the boy got from everyone because of his good looks. But just before she turned away, it struck her that Dayo was just as handsome as Tania’s husband.

Damilola: “Little boy, what is your name?” he asked as he watched Dayo with a smile on his face.

Dayo: “I am Dayo sir, dare I say, you have a beautiful wife” he said with his favorite smile, which was his mouth turned up to the side, with a dimple on his cheek.

Tania: “Such a charmer, aren’t you?” she said, already taken by the boy, who was already such a sweet talker at a young age.

Damilola: “You are a bright child, will talk to your dad about giving you a scholarship” he said, as his heart constricted.

“Perhaps God will forgive me, and smile on me with a child” He thought, he was pulled out of his thoughts by an outburst.

Ken: “He is not my father’s son, and he will never be” he exclaimed and ran out of the dinning.

Gberan: “Don’t pay him any heed, that boy is full of tantrums” he said and looked curiously at his wife who had not said a word, but had a devious smile on his face. “I think I have found the solution to all my problems” she thought wickedly.

Question: What does Bella have in mind, and does Damilola recognize his son? To be continued…