Sam drives in silence. His face in a perpetual frown. What’s my own? As long as he drives carefully, he could knit his face into ancient African version of scar face! She settles better into her seat and closes her eyes. I hate long drives. I’m beginning to wonder if I didn’t make a bad choice of a life partner.
Ladies who get married to men who have private jets do not have two heads! Gosh! Was I thinking at all? Why didn’t it occur to me then to try net a PJ owner? She drifts off to sleep.
Sam runs into a pothole and the impact jars her awake. “Oops…were you sleeping? How come you didn’t see the pothole,” she asked him. “If you were not sleeping as if a paid driver is behind the wheel, you’d have noticed that the road is ridden with potholes,” he replied, barely taking his eyes off the road. “We need a driver,” she told him. “A driver? What for? To drive which car?” Sam asked.
“To drive this car. Soon, I will need someone to drive me around town. You don’t expect me to waddle around town driving myself when this pregnancy gets bigger, do you”? she replied. Sam spares her a glance. Are all women like this when pregnant? He concentrates on driving. Suddenly, the weather changes, thunder claps and the heaven opens.
He has to concentrate. Visibility has become so poor. Kim sits up. The sleep has disappeared from her eyes. Her eyes widen in fear as Sam maneuvers the car on the busy road.
The heavy wind makes it more frightening. She shivers. “Baby, drive carefully. Baby, how do you manage to see clearly? I can hardly see my nose…baby…baby…” she said in an endearing tone.
Sam smiles inspite of himself. So she can get frightened? So despite all her grandstanding, she could be cowed by mere weather change? He wishes that she could be in this state more often. It sure makes her more like a human being. “My dear, just try and relax. Close your eyes and try to catch some sleep. I’m being very careful. Don’t want anything to happen to us,” he said gently.
“Thanks baby,” she said. But her eyes shine like stars. Sleep in this weather? Not in this life! Four hours later, they arrive the village. Mama had gone for a meeting in the church.
She won’t be back till late evening. It’s perfect for Kim who wants to just hit the pillow and sleep. She takes a shower, wolfs down a hot meal prepared by Sam’s uncle’s wife and retires into the room. She’s not in the mood to meet Sam’s mother -her mother in-law to-be.
*****
Sam’s mother looks like she will faint the next minute. She stares at her son, willing him to tell her he is joking.
But Sam looks into her eyes and tells her, “Mama, it’s the same lady I came back with for Ben’s wedding.” And she asked, “So, you mean to tell me that you couldn’t get a wife in this whole town?
You couldn’t even pick one of Agnes’ three daughters who have been helping me since your sister left for the university? Okay, even if you think that you are suddenly too good for our town girls, you couldn’t get a better choice from the neighboring towns? And if you must pick a city girl, is there no one from a decent home? Or your life despises good thing?
You couldn’t…” Sam cuts in, “Mama! Kim is going to be a good daughter to you. She’s a nice girl. She’s respectful…” “She’s a good girl. She’s respectful… and she is in the room sleeping. Is she not supposed to wait and greet me when I return from church? How else can she show her respect?” Mama asked. Sam sighs.
He knew it won’t be easy to convince mama, but he didn’t know it would be this difficult. “Mama, she’s tired. It was a long journey from Lagos to the village. She needs to rest,” Sam explained. That seems to infuriate her the more and she explodes: “She’s tired!
Did you not drive the car? How come you are not tired? How come it’s your passenger that is so tired she cannot wait up for me? And wait o…is she not that irresponsible girl who flaunts her nakedness? Is she…” “Mama! Keep your voice down. I don’t want people to hear what we are discussing here,” Sam told her quietly. “Oh, I shouldn’t talk in my house again? I shouldn’t?
You want to gag me in my own house? Heeeeeeeeeee! Haaaaaaaa, Elijah where are you? Can you see what your children are making me to go through? You left me to go through this alone,” she singsonged and burst into tears. Sam stands, confused.
****
Kim yawns and checks the time on her phone.
She must have slept for over three hours. She wonders where Sam could be. He must be watching the family television in the sitting room. Mama should be back and in her room by now. She is most likely sleeping now. She will see her in the morning. Village people go to bed early. Sam should be in the room now. After driving through that rough weather, he should have an early night so as to rest enough.
She throws a ‘Spag’ top over her bum shorts and struts out of the room to go get him. She walks into the family living room just in time to see mama burst into tears. “Good evening mama. What is the problem…”
She said hesitantly. She is shocked to see mama there. She has not prepared herself for this meeting. Sam turns around, takes her ‘shorts and spag’ appearance and turns white.
The cry dies in mama’s throat. “What is good about this evening? Why did you bother to wear anything at all? You should have come out naked the way you are in the city. You have ensnared my son with your nakedness, but it will not work for you.
Whatever you used to hypnotise my son will not work. I gave birth to him and you won’t take him away from me,” mama said, eyes spitting fire. Those words shake Kim to the marrow. She has expected some resistance from mama, but not this unveiled hatred.
“Mama, I’m sure I didn’t offend you in any way. Your son loves me and I love him too…” she begins and mama cuts in. “Who is your mother? I’m no mother of a harlot who throws herself on responsible men. I trained my son very well and will want him to get married to an equally well trained girl from a responsible home. It’s obvious you’re not from a good home.
You lack home training. Your mother should be ashamed of you,” mama said. Now that hurts. The expression on Sam’s face is indescribable. He stares at both women, speechless. He swallows hard, trying to say something. “Mama!”
He manages to say but nothing else comes out. Kim boils. She tries to restrain herself but it’s of no use. “Mama, I’m sure I didn’t offend you. I did not run after your son. It’s your son that ran after me.
It takes an irresponsible son to run after an irresponsible woman. I had a mother. Please, if you must say anything to me, don’t bring my mother into it! If you do, I may not be responsible for my reaction.
For your information, I’m not desperate to get married. If not for a stupid mistake, I don’t think I’d stay here and accept this insult from you. I’m still trying to imagine how I’m going to manage your son’s inadequacy. If my mother had a son, he would have been a normally endowed son,” Kim spat and walks back to the room. Sam turns white with embarrassment. His mother stares at him. “Sam…” mama’s voice is a croak…
*******
What exactly does Kim mean? I’m as confused as you are, dear readers. Let’s meet here on Sunday to find out…
