Mama
Risi told her that she did not notice any strange movement. Mabel hung up. They
flagged down a keke and left for
Mabel’s place.
“Do you need to buy
anything for the house?” Cynthia asked when they got close to the mini market.
“None that I can
think off,” Mabel replied. “Maybe when I get to the house, I will know what I
need.”
“Ok.”
“I will need to use
the ATM sef.”
“Which bank?” the
keke man asked.
Mabel
looked at Cynthia and their eyes met. They were wondering why the man was
interested in their using the ATM.
“I will do that
later,” she said.
They
got to Mabel’s place, paid the keke man and he left.
“All these people
sef,” Mabel said. “If he carries us to ATM now, he will stay in the keke and
call other people who will rob us.”
“See how he jumped
into the ATM matter,” Cynthia said.
“My dear eeh. It
pays to be alert o.”
They entered
the compound. They met some neighbours doing different things in the compound.
They asked Mabel where she had been for some days and she told them she had
been in her mother’s place. When they were done exchanging pleasantries, Mabel
and Cynthia moved on.
“Who knows whether
Mama Risi is around?” Mabel asked when they got to the staircase.
“She has to be
around na.” Cynthia replied. “Today is Saturday.”
“Her curtain is
closed.”
“You mean the one
she peeps through?”
Mabel
laughed and said “Yes, that one.”
They
got to Mama Risi’s flat and knocked. No one responded. Mabel knocked again.
“Who is there?” they
heard Mama Risi ask.
“It’s Mabel,” she
replied.
Mama
Risi opened the door. There was something about her countenance which told them
that all was not well. They noticed that her eyes were red like someone who had
just cried. They greeted her.
“Welcome my dear,”
she replied, forcing a smile. “How is your mother?”
“She is fine,” Mabel
replied.
“Why are you
crying?” Cynthia asked her.
“Who said I am
crying?” Mama Risi asked, still maintaining the forced smile.
“But your eyes are
red.”
She did
not respond. She just sniffed and looked away.
“Mama Risi, what is
going on?” Mabel asked her.
She
turned and went back into her house. They followed her. She sat on the couch
and they sat beside her, Mabel on her left and Cynthia on her right.
“Mama Risi what is
the problem?” Mabel asked, touching her shoulder. “Say something.”
She was
quiet for a while.
“Too many issues,”
she finally said, exhaling from her mouth.
“Like?” Mabel asked.
She
sighed.
“Since my husband
died,” she said. “Things have not been very easy for me.”
“I am aware of
that,” Mabel said. “Did anything happen that is making you cry now? When I
called you in the morning, you sounded normal.”
“I cry like this
sometimes when I feel overwhelmed by the situation. You met me at such a time.”
“What if your
children see you crying, how will they feel?”
“By the time they
come back, I will wash my face and pretend like all is well.”
“Oh, they are not
around?”
“I can’t let them
see me cry. I sent them out to get something when the heaviness was too much
and I needed to let it out.”
“Eiyaa. What is the problem?”
“A lot of money
issues.”
“The house rent is
not due na. Is it?”
“Not that.”
“I know it cannot be
that because I know you have paid for this whole year.”
“Thanks to my
brother abroad who has been carrying my financial burdens. But he was deported
few days ago.”
“O my gosh! What
happened? Why?”
“They said papers this, papers that.”
“Kai, that’s bad o.”
“It is not as if he
is very rich, but he had enough to help me out once in a while. Now they sent
him back, what will I do?”
“What about your
late husband’s family?”
“Those people are
not even an option. When my husband died, they said I killed him.”
“Why?”
“They did not like
me from day one.”
“Ah ah. What did you
do?”
“I am from a
different tribe.”
“What does that
mean? Is it not the same country we are in?”
“They said I forced
myself on my husband. My husband’s parents eventually changed their mind about
me but his siblings didn’t at all. During and after the burial, his brothers
dealt with me. Even though it happened years ago, the experience is still fresh
in my memory.”
“Have you tried to
make them think differently about you?”
“I have o but they
don’t want anything to do with me.”
“Even for the sake
of their nephew and niece?”
“My dear leave those
people.”
Mabel
shook her head and said, “People can be myopic and wicked o.”
“They have never
asked how I am training their niece and nephew in school. One time, I asked one
of them for money, he said I should continue with the prostitution I have been
doing which was the reason why I could not bear more than two children for his
brother.”
“Kai.”
“My dear, the life
of a widow is not easy o.”
“It’s well with you
ma. That reminds me, how far with Risi’s school fees?”
“That is one of the
major issues I am facing now. I have been able to raise half of it after
getting the insult of my life from the person who gave it to me. I am meant to
pay back before the end of the month. Where will I see money to complete the
fees, or even pay back the one I borrowed? And they are writing test this
coming week.”
“I was supposed to
give you something some days ago but my absence here made me forget.”
Mama
Risi got up and went to the window.
...to be continued
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