BEFORE DECEMBER
Chapter 4
….Lady Gold was smiling as they walked to us,one of the men,hugged her, apparently, that was Jackson, mother,it’s been ages,I am so glad to see you again,you look so amazing,oh my son,you look good too,nice to have you around too sweetie,by the way meet my friend,Madam Ngozi,goodday ma,it’s so nice to have you around,oh thank you very much my son,it’s nice meeting you,sorry for the troubles of coming to fetch me at the airport,oh my son, that’s nothing, your mother and i are like sisters,there isn’t anything I can’t do for her,by the way my son,meet my beautiful and amazing daughter Chimamanda,but you can call her Amanda,if that’s still too long,Ama is just perfect,,oh Ama,nice meeting you,am Jackson,nice meeting you Jackson,hope you had a stress-free flight,can we really help the stress,but thank God we are here,,,ehennnnn my son,mother cut in,my daughter is a graduate,infact she’s done with her Master’s,and she’s currently a bank Manager with one of the biggest banks we have in the country and she’s single,,wooowww I love ladies that are so hard-working,good one Ama,you have done well for yourself,,,thank you my son,mother said smiling like a new bride..
Mother,please meet my Fiancee Cherry,the beautiful lady by his side came closer,,I was so ashamed of myself for what mother had done,,oh Cherry welcome dear,nice meeting you mam, madam Ngozi my fiancee,mother was so disappointed,and she couldn’t even hide it, hello,she said to the lady without a smile,oh my God,mother is just making a fool of both of us with her attitude,and this his her brother Joseph,is he single,mother asked,oh my God, I almost died,no mam,he came to spend his leave with his family in Nigeria,,hmm okay,mother said…
Let’s get going,lady Gold said,,,okay Mom I can’t wait,I have really really missed you cookings.i know right,let’s go Ngor,lady Gold said to mom,oh I am so sorry lady Gold,I just remember there is somewhere I should be, please,i can’t follow you home,but I would definitely make out time, to come see Jackson,but how would you go,since you didn’t come with your car, oh don’t worry Gold,we shall get a taxi cab,okay then,if you insist,she said,oh I insist,oh take care of yourself,and you too Amanda,bye ma,okay Ama,take care of you, hope I’d see you before I go back, most definitely…bye lady Ngozi bye Jackson,and then they left…
What rubbish,what nonsense,will Gold tell me she didn’t know her son is engaged,so she allowed you and I come here,only to make a fool of us,chai Gold,I shall deal with you,but Mom,I don’t think she’s aware,she didn’t know the lady,she even asked who she was, oh shut up,all those were all an act,she knows everything….
And even look at the girl,with her bended legs,big eyes and flat nose, oh my God,she is so ugly,,,mom are you talking about Cherry,that girl is beautiful, infant very beautiful,chia Chimamanda,who did this to you,you don’t have sense at all,see how you are praising an enemy,chai,you are finished, enemy,who made her that, please mom,she is not an enemy Biko.lets go,you don’t know who an enemy is,so you don’t know any girl that has your man is an enemy,my man?what man, Jackson issss,wait Amanda,this journey may not be fruitless after all, that young handsome man,is starring at you, me,who?I turned around and saw a young man walking towards us,,oya Amanda start smiling, smile for what,what is funny,chia chineke,oginibuka, Amanda I say smile, what’s wrong with you, mother please stop this,i am not a child,stop all these and let’s leave here,leave here for what,a man is walking to you,and you are saying let’s leave here,mom what if he just wants to ask us questions, questions, because we are on uniforms na,shebi we work here,
Goodday ma, the young man’s voice interrupted mother, goodday my son,hello gorgeous,he said as he turned to me,I am Edosa,but please call me Edos, what’s your beautiful name,so am supposed to tell my name to anyone I see,I asked,chineke,my son don’t mind her,she is Chimamanda,we call her Amanda for short,but if Amanda is still too long you can call her Ama,ohhh Ama,such a beautiful name I must say,oh my son, thank you,I was about leaving,I just came back from the state,when I saw this beauty,if you don’t mind,I’d like to take you to your destination,as a cab man or what,well Mr Edos,we mind,so please leave,,,,my child don’t mind her we don’t mind,,,We are going towards Surulere,oh no problem ma, anywhere is okay by me, I’d just have to look for hotel and pass the night, I shall be leaving for Benin by morning…oh chimooo,you are such a good child, God bless you….
He opened the car door for mother and i, he’s such a gentleman,mom, he’s a stranger,keep quiet and enter the car, every one who becomes husbands and wives,best friends and the likes of that,were once strangers,,I reluctantly went in.
I didn’t say a word all through the journey,mom had told him my history apparently,,, thankfully we arrived at our house,so Ama,have you seen that I don’t bite, I’d like to see you again, thanks for the ride,I alighted from the car and went inside, leaving mom and Edos…..
Written by
Rejoice Igbinovia Aluyi
