UNCONDITIONAL LOVE – Episode 7
I got to the living room and found everyone settled, Alicia was comfortably seated next to Jeremiah so I went to sit alone in a corner and I knew Mother was observing everything that was happening from the time she arrived
Me: I’m sorry for the delay, we may proceed
Mother was looking at Alicia
Mother: ba mayo, you’re here again?
Alicia: yes ba mayo I’m here
***She said it confidently***
Mother: why?
Alicia: Jeremiah?
Jeremiah: aaaaaargh Alicia
***He sounded angry***
Alicia: well, I’m his woman he brou-ght me in here to live with him so I have every right to be here
Mother: my daughter, can I have a glas-s of water?
Me: yes Mother
I stood up and started walking then reached where Bertha was seated near the exit and she st©pped me
Bertha: Mumba, wait
***I looked at her annoyed***
Bertha: what’s this?
Me: what’s what?
She was pointing at my pocket and when I looked at it I saw a white piece of paper and she attem-pted to t©uçh it but I st©pped her
Jeremiah: you can see very well that it’s a piece of paper so why do you want to t©uçh her pocket?
Bertha: it’s not a piece of paper Jeremiah
She re-moved it while I was looking at Jeremiah and quic-kly threw it on the floor then a packet of c0nd0ms scattered, everyone was shocked and what I felt was undescribable because I never bought any c0nd0ms and them landing in my pocket was just something else but the embarras-sment I felt was out of this world
Bertha: and a picture
She re-moved a picture from the same pocket and Jeremiah quic-kly left his seat and went to Bertha, I looked at the picture and it was taken when I was at school seated on the bench and leaning on Amos’ shoulder
Me: h…..how…..how did they get in here?
Jeremiah sl@pped me so ha-rd that I saw stars in the ceiling
Mother: Jeremiah sit down and let’s resolve this like adults
Jeremiah: NO MOM, SHE’S CHEATING ON ME
Mother: don’t act like the holy one here, now sit
He sat and the room was filled with silence until Bertha decided to speak
Bertha: I have something to say
Alicia: yeah, you’re now next to confess that the doll you’re carrying in there isn’t his
Mother: be quiet coz you’ve got no say or whatsoever in this matter
Alicia: really! I don’t? I mean….. look at all the drama…..
Jeremiah: SHUT UP ALICIA
Bertha: I’m sorry Mumba, I thought after catching you with that guy last night ma-king out in the kitchen when everyone was asleep was reason enough to get rid of all that
Jeremiah: YOU CAUGHT THEM WHAT?
Bertha: yeah and the guy told me to my face that it has been happening for some time now and he leaves his clothes in her be-droom
Mother: this isn’t ma-king any s-en-se, how can she bring in a man when she shares a be-droom with her husband?
Jeremiah: we don’t share the same be-droom with everything that’s going on
Mother: what’s wrong with you Jeremiah? are you even listening to yourself?
Bertha: you won’t deny it Mumba
Me: ENOUGH BERTHA!!! I had Sekela’s milk in my be-droom last night and never went to the kitchen after supper besides I don’t know what man you’re talking about
Bertha: how could you stoop so low? let’s check your be-droom then
Me: yes, let’s check it if there’s any man’s clothes in there
I led them to my be-droom and opened my wardrobe which was messed up with Amos’ clothes, shoes and even bo-xers lying everywhere and his black biker jacket which had his picture on the back was hanging on a hang wire. Jeremiah laughed sarcastically and gr@bb£d all the clothes and started packing them in suitcases
Mother: Jeremiah, what are you doing?
Jeremiah: she’s leaving my house, I can’t have a pr©st!tût£as a wife
Me: Jeremiah, plea-se believe me I’ve never brou-ght any man to our house and I’ve never cheated on you
I was on my knees begging and I could see Bertha from the corner of my eye smiling….
*****************
Mother took Alicia and Bertha out of the be-droom and I tried reasoning with Jeremiah begging him but he held me by my n£¢k and threw me on the be-d where I coughed hysterically, Sekela woke up startled and started crying then I got her and took her in my arms trying to make her st©p but it wasn’t working as Jeremiah kept swearing at me on the t©p of his voice. He dragged my bags to the living room then returned and gr@bb£d me by my weave leading me to the living room and Mother immediately c@m£ to my rescue when she saw that
Mother: Jeremiah, this isn’t how you treat your wife, a woman deserves respect this isn’t how I raised you and you can’t listen to a girl who just walked in your home yesterday throwing everything your wife has said into thin air. You should know where your loyalties lie and sit down with your wife to discuss this, what you’re doing clearly shows that even a child Sekela’s age can just come in here and destroy your marriage
Jeremiah: I’ve made up my mind, I won’t have a girl with loose p@n-ts as my wife a………
Mother: loose p@n-ts!!! really Jeremiah? I won’t get involved but sit down and discuss this, whatever nas-ty decision you’ll want to make know that you aren’t the holier one and I don’t want to find any of these two liabilities in here the next time I come. I have spoken, I’m leaving I think I’ve overstayed my visit
Mother left and Alicia bur-st out in a loud laughter sipping on her jui-ce
Alicia: wow!!! just wow so much drama for a day
She put her legs on the couch and started watching TV then Bertha walked to us
Bertha: babe, this girl is too good to be true just do the right thing coz she’s pausing a danger to our baby
Me: Bertha, you did this because I……
Jeremiah: Mumba, get up and leave never step foot in this house and I’ll file for a divorce. BRING MY DAUGHTER HERE
Sekela was resting her head on my che-st while su-cking on her thumb then Jeremiah pu-ll-ed her away from me and she started crying
Jeremiah: LEAVE MY HOUSE NOW
Me: yes I’ll go but I gave you my all and this is how you repay me, God will surely fight for me. Alicia and Bertha know that you’ll pay so dearly for putting ap@rt what God has yoked together, my God is not asleep and know that KARMA is a b***h and it never forgets an address
Bertha: blah, blah, blah boring speech
I looked at her and wheeled out my bags and the rain looked promising, Sekela kept crying and raised her hands so I could get her. I k!$$£d her cheeks and she went quiet
Me: can I take her with me?
Jeremiah: I won’t let my daughter be a victim of your promiscuous ways
***I slowly nodded trying to digest what he had said then I turned to Sekela***
Me: baby know that mama loves you okay? (she nodded) be a good girl and don’t cry or else mama will be hurt, I love you
I took my bags and headed to the gate then heard her crying which broke me, I got a taxi and went to aunt’s house before it could start raining hailstorms as it looked. I got there and found her house help Tamara who I knew as a decent and humble girl wearing a bu-m short and sports br@, she eyed me when she c@m£ to get my knock and I heard Uncle Aaron, Olivia’s husband speaking on the phone
Me: hey, can I come in?
Aaron: Tamara, who’s there?
***He shouted from the living room***
Tamara: it’s Mumba
Aaron: oh!!! let her in
I got in and greeted him then he responded looking at my bags, Tamara headed back to the kitchen
Me: I’ve been trying to reach aunt Olivia but her phone is off
Aaron: yes, she went to Nakonde to order clothes for her shop
He offered me a seat and I explained to him what happened then welcomed me showing me to my be-droom, Tamara kept throwing daggers at me but I ignored her. It was finally 18:00 which was her knock off time and uncle Aaron called her to the living room
Aaron: here’s your transport money you should go now
Tamara: I thought I was spending the n……
Aaron: No, now go
She packed her belongings and left then Uncle started watching a soccer match while I prepared supper, when I was done I set the table and we ate in silence….
To be continued…