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Thirteen
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2020-10-08 06:42:30‘Small madam how you de? That your black friend and her mama come find you yesterday. Dey bin de like say you loss abi dem kidnap you?’
Ekpe spoke a marathon as he helped me carry my bag inside.‘Ekpe, I am fine as you can see. How is my mom?’
‘Madam de but e be like say she no well’. ‘Okay thank you’. I said and retrieved the bag from him, opening the front door and stepping in.My mom was right there in front of the door, hands crossed, standing at akimbo.
‘Good morning mom’. I greeted eyes boring into hers.‘Why didn’t you call, send a message or even write a letter? Look Amanda I know you think you are all grown up and can take care of yourself but I am still your mother and as long as I pay your bills, you have to play by my rules. The next time you decide to up and leave, be kind enough to leave me a message’.
She stopped and glared at me, trying to gather her breathes.
‘Call Abike as soon as you can, she was going to go mad with worry’. With that, she returned to her room and I dragged myself to mine. I had a quick shower before switching on my phone so I could call Abike.
‘Mandy! You are back, I’m coming over’. The line went dead. She didn’t even let me get a word in.
She arrived after twenty minutes and engulfed me in a hug after which she dealt me a killer punch.‘Ow!’ I groaned, cradling my arm.
‘That’s for leaving without saying a word, not even to me. We are supposed to be ride or die, I am supposed to know what everyone else doesn’t’. She queried.‘Sorry. I didn’t tell you coz I didn’t want you to talk me out of it. I had to go’.‘You didn’t think I would’ve understood that?’
‘Sorry’. I pleaded. Holding her shoulders and flashing her my best puppy look.‘You know I can’t stay mad at that stupid face of yours but you have to tell me everything from now on’.‘I will tell you every bloody thing, even when I drool on my pillow. Cross my stone heart’. I said, making a cross sign on my chest.
She chuckled and we lay on the bed.‘So, where did you go? Some students said they saw you leave with Rasheed. I knew there was something but I never knew it was that serious’. She teased and I smacked her fat belly.
‘There is nothing. I went to see Alade’.‘Ah, I should have thought of that. How is King Solomon doing?’‘Way better than I thought he would. A friend of mine has been helping him with chores. Honestly, I think I’ve been blessed with the best friends they can be, you guys are amazing’.
‘Awwn, that’s so sweet. I will let them know’. She said, making a stupid face.‘Come on, let’s go cook. I’m starving’. I said, dragging her out of bed.Abike and I cooked, ate, watched TV, slept, talked, sang, danced, argued and laughed until her mom came to pick her around 7pm. Then I went to bed early because she exhausted me.
I woke the next morning to the sound of loud music coming from my mom’s room. I knocked for minutes with all my might but she didn’t open up, then I realized the door wasn’t locked and stepped in. she was sprawled carelessly on her bed, the covers an entangled mess in her feet. There were one, two, three, four… seven beer bottles at the foot of the bed. I rushed and turned off the music.
‘Mom!’ I boomed but she didn’t stir.
‘Mom?!’ I tried again, a little louder this time but nothing.I walked to her side and shook her but she remained rigid. Her skin color looked pale. I lifted her hand but it fell back onto the bed. Panic set in and I began searching the room for something, anything. Then I remembered the phone in my shorts’ pocket. I got it out and placed a call to Mrs. Dapo.
‘Amanda dear, how…’
‘Aunty please can you come to the house right now? I don’t know what is wrong with mom o, she won’t wake up’.‘What do you mean she won’t wake up?’ I could hear shuffling on the other end.‘I think she drank too much, there are beer bottles everywhere’.She sighed heavily.‘Sprinkle cold water on her face. I’m on my way’.I nodded my head as the line went dead.I soaked my fingers with water from her shower and sprinkled it on her face. She shut her eyes tight and wiped her face with her hand before slowly opening them. Her eyes frantically searched the room before they landed on me and she breathed deeply in relief. Within seconds her eyes widened, she pivoted up and clasped her hand around her mouth.
‘Mom are you okay?’ I shook my head when I realized how dumb that question was.
‘What’s wrong?’ I inquired but she was already crawling off the bed and into the bathroom where she hurled her intestines out into the toilet.I stood by the door and watched her. She kept on vomiting greenish fluid from her mouth and holding her abdominal region. When she was done, she turned to face me but looked away once our eyes met. I heard the gate open and went out to meet Mrs. Dapo.
‘How is she now?’ She asked as we walked through the door.
‘She’s awake, vomiting her gut out in the toilet’.She gave me a sad look.‘Will you wait in your room? I need to have a private chat with your mother’. I nodded and went back to my room. Feeling distraught, I lay on my bed and began chanting my usual mantra of sweet potatoes.‘Amanda’. Mrs. Dapo called from the living room and I rushed there. She stood by the door, her left hand draped around my mother’s waist.
‘We are going to the hospital. Will you be fine by yourself or should I call Bike to come stay with you?’
‘No, I’m fine on my own’. I looked to my mother but her head was facing the floor, her whole body was. If Mrs. Dapo left her I was sure she’d plummet right there.‘Okay then. Call her if you change your mind, we shouldn’t take long anyway’. She said, opening the front door.
‘Okay. Thank you’.‘Oh don’t mention’. She smiled before closing the door and I moved to lock it before going to my room.As I cleaned the house that morning all I felt towards my mom was annoyance. I wanted to pity her, I wanted to feel sorry for her, I wanted to understand her but I couldn’t. I couldn’t see any reason why she’d drink herself to stupor, no problem in life is worth self-hurt.
Granted, things weren’t great between us but we could sort that out without alcohol or was she still sad about Eric? She never did mention his name again. It was funny because there was a time when she couldn’t make a sentence if his name wasn’t going to be a part of it. I didn’t know if he was still in prison or he got bailed or ran away and I didn’t want to know. Physically, he was no longer in our lives but his presence could still be felt in the rift between my mom and I, his smiles still haunted my dreams.
I was lying on the sofa, reading a novel when mom and Mrs. Dapo got back. Mrs. Dapo handed me a bag full of ingredients for chicken pepper soup and asked me to make it for my mom. I did and she fed it to her and left while she was sleeping.
‘My dear, I’m sorry you had to see your mom like that, she’s been going through so much but I talked to her and it’s never going to happen again. Just make sure she eats and stay away from alcohol, she should be fine’.
But she wasn’t fine, it only got worse. As soon as she woke up, she returned to the drinks and there was nothing I could do to help her. I just watched her slowly slip away until I had to go back to school.
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