Chapter Seventeen

It was with the little self control she possessed that she had been able to overcome the urge to tell Tade how big of a douchebag he was today. She hated that he pretended that nothing had happened between them, and hadn't even made eye contact with her, even though she could have sworn that he must have felt her gaze on him. No! She didn't want anything to do with him, but couldn't he just be his former funny self as he was last week and the week before? Maybe he regretted what had happened between them, but it's not like it was his first time. Or maybe he didn't fancy making out with his staff. But, still...! She was the one who should be ashamed, embarrassed and disgusted with herself. She was the girl who had initiated the second kiss, which led to her being carressed for the first time, and damn! It was beautiful. She should be ashamed that she had let her hormones control common sense. Why was he getting so worked up? Not to sound sexist or something, but females are more emotional, and she should be the one giving the stupid attitude he was dishing out. Kate was right. She should just serve him what he was doing in his own coin. Maybe...just maybe it would work. 'Arrrrghhhh!" Bukunmi said out loud, trying to hush all that was going on in her mind. All day, she had just been thinking about Tade, and shamelessly, she had just been staring at him. Thankfully, he hadn't shot a look in her direction as well. If he had, she knew it would have been a glare, that screamed: 'Stop staring at me. You're creepy as fuck!" She laughed out loud at her thoughts, and said aloud: 'Then, he'd be like, if you don't face your work, your salary will be deducted at the end of the month," She said, and chuckled. 'Are you fine?" Mummy Agnes, her mother's friend with nine kids, who lived in the compound next to theirs asked, scrutinising her with her eyes from head to toe. Bukunmi bit her lower lip. 'Yes, I'm fine. I just umm... remembered something... something funny that happened at work to...today, ' She stuttered. 'Are you sure?" She asked, looking concerned. Bukunmi nodded and gave a forced smile to buttress her point. 'Okay. How's work? Hope it's not too stressful," Mummy Agnes inquired. 'It's okay, thanks for asking, ma," Bukunmi said, wondering how to get away from the conversation. 'That's good to know. I'm very happy for you. After staying at home for years, may God be praised." She said. 'Yes, ma. We thank God," She said, still struggling to keep the smile on her face. 'You know, my daughter, Patricia, is getting married soon. Both of you are age mates, so, now that you have a job, you should be thinking of settling down with a man and having your own kids. Your mother deserves grandchildren. You know, ever since your father died, she has refused to remarry, so, give her companions. I'm sure she must be very lonely. Ah! Thank God Papa Agnes is still alive, I wonder what I'd have done," Mummy Agnes said. Bukunmi knew that was an insensitive comment to make, but she also knew Mummy Agnes actually didn't mean any harm. 'I understand. Speaking of getting married, I hope Patricia doesn't marry someone who beats her up the same way Agnes did. It's sad to see that Agnes has returned home with her kids to live with her parents. Poor thing!" Bukunmi said. The look on Mummy Agnes' face showed how pained she was that Bukunmi had uttered those words. 'Anyways, I'm sure you must be enjoying your grandkids company. I'll tell my mum you said hi. Take care of yourself, your husband who is alive, and your grandchildren," Bukunmi said and walked away, without waiting to hear if Mummy Agnes had anything else to say. She knew what she had said had been insensitive, but she hadn't meant any harm. She was only saying the truth. Two can play, right? She walked into her own compound and entered inside. She was just returning from work, and for the first time in a very long while, there had been no traffic on the road, which she was extremely thankful for. All she wanted to do now was go into her bedroom, have a cold shower and read tips on how to make a guy crave your attention. To be honest, she knew it would take the grace of God for her to follow Nneoma's advice and start ignoring Tade. As to how she was going to get tips from the internet, her neighbour had finally returned from the village, and she was back to using his Wi-Fi. Their compound had three houses which were all old and were owned separately. While one of them was unoccupied for reasons best known to the owner, the other was owned by the father of her neighbour, who was always at home. According to him, from the few conversations they had had, he worked online, and was very introverted. She knocked on the door, and realising it was unbolted, she took off her shoes and opened it, entered inside, then closed the door softly behind her. Sitting on the couch was her mother, wearing a worn-out t-shirt that she had gotten when Airtel was having a promotional event, with a wrapper tied loosely around her waist. 'Good afternoon, Mami," Bukunmi said, and proceeded to go to her bedroom. 'Good afternoon, òmò mi(my child). How was work today?" Her mother asked. Bukunmi stopped in her tracks, amazed at the fact that her mother could actually ask her how her work had been for the day. 'It went well," She managed to reply after a few minutes, making a resolve not to retort with a question, asking why she cared. 'Why did you take so long to just say that?" Her mother asked. 'Nothing. Right. I saw Mummy Agnes. Is she the one putting the idea of me getting married in your head?" Bukunmi asked. 'No, not really." 'Are you sure? Anyways, I gave her a piece of my mind. I'm sure she'll come to report to you later that I insulted her and all that. I've reported myself to you already. Please, don't come to yell at me if she tells you anything. T for Thanks," She said, and began to walk away. 'Bukunmi, what did you do again?" Her mother asked. 'Ask her yourself," She replied. 'Come back here!" Her mother ordered. 'What now?" She retorted. 'Is that a nice way to speak to your mother?" She asked. 'I'm sorry," Bukunmi said, knowing that this time around, she was wrong. 'Sit here," Her mother said, gesturing for her to sit beside her. In her head ran many thoughts, wondering what her mother was up to now. 'Are things fine for you at work? Is anyone being mean to you? Are you adjusting quite well?" She asked. 'Everything's good. I know the major question you want to ask is about what I said to Mummy Agnes. She was like she's thankful her husband is still alive..." 'She talks like that all the time. She's very insensitive," Her mother said, butting in. 'Why are you still her friend then?" Bukunmi asked. Her mum gave a small smile. 'Well, everyone has their own shortcomings. You just have to ignore their bad sides, and let their good sides make up for all their bad sides," She responded. Bukunmi heaved a deep and thoughtful sigh. 'True. Or maybe you've just found it easy to tolerate her, because both of you are the same," She said, then realised she shouldn't have said such. 'You mean your mother is insensitive?" Her mother asked, casting this look on her like she was hurt, definitely trying to guilt trip her like she always did. 'You're not going to blackmail me emotionally," Bukunmi said. 'I'm not trying to..." 'That's exactly what you're trying to do, Mami. That's what you do all the time, and there's no way things are different now," She said, the anger she had been trying to hold back in for years, surfacing. 'What? Is that what you really think?" Her mother asked, looking really hurt. Maybe it was because she was stressed out, or was unconsciously transferring the anger she had for Tade to her mother, but since she had already started spitting out all her frustration, she may as well do it and get it done and over with. 'Yes, mami. That's what I think," She responded. 'Why so?" Her mother asked, with a breaking voice. 'Mami, I thought that you were my number one supporter. You were always there for me, but all of a sudden, you changed towards me. I understand that things have been rough lately, but aren't you my mother? If the world isn't on my side, and you're also not on my side, what then is life worth? We are family, Mami. We should be there for each other, in good and in bad times, because the truth is that we only have each other...but Mami, what did you do? You frustrated my life, and made my world a living hell. I was depressed for so long, tired, angry, and sad, but you never even cared about how I felt, and kept on insulting me, and throwing derogatory comments in my way. Do you think that's fair?" She asked, tears falling from her eyes, not pausing once for breath. One look at her daughter's face, showed Arike Ketu that she had failed as a mother, and even though she tried to remain strong amidst Bukunmi's tears, she couldn't stop herself from feeling the guilt that had overpowered and suppressed the rest of her emotions, and broke down in tears. Bukunmi's heart ached, and she felt really hurt because her mother was shedding tears because of her. She didn't like the fact that her mother had been harsh on her because of her inability to get a good job, but she still loved her, and it broke her heart that the woman she loved most in the world, was crying so much. She stood, and went to sit beside her mother, then wrapped her arms around her, making her cry on her chest, patting her back, in order to comfort her. 'I'm sorry, Mami. I shouldn't have said what I said," She said, making sure to conceal the sadness in her voice. Her mother raised her head, thus, leaving Bukunmi's warm embrace, and dried her tears with her wrapper. 'Why do you think you shouldn't have said what you said?" She asked, blinking back tears. Bukunmi shrugged. 'You're my mother, and I was taught not to challenge my parents," She said. Her mother shook her head, sadly. 'I think you were taught wrong. The fact that I'm a parent, doesn't make me free from wrongdoings. I went to your room to clean today, since I was bored, and I saw all your awards there, and found myself smiling as I admired each and every one of them. From a very young age, you always topped your class, and you were always the brightest student. Every teacher loved you, and they were always like I'm a lucky woman," She said. Bukunmi smiled. 'Yeah, I remember," She said. 'It got me thinking, you know. You're a good child, Ibukunoluwami, and you've never given me a cause to worry. You always do all that is asked of you, and when your father died, even though you had watched those robbers kill him, you didn't let it traumatise you, and you were so strong, unlike me. You didn't even shed too much tears. Instead, you took up the role of a first child, and as little as you were, you kept the family together. I lost my mind for sometime, and I couldn't function properly as a mother anymore, because I had lost my precious husband, and your uncle made life unbearable for me. 'You learnt how to cook, and would always serve me in my bedroom, you'd open the store and sell provisions to customers, you'd take your brother to school and bring him back home, you'd clean and take care of the house. Bukunmi, you did everything without being told to, and after all this time that I've been so mean to you, you still show me respect and love. Honestly, I don't deserve to have you as a child," She concluded. Bukunmi held her mother's hands and squeezed them. 'Don't say that, Mami. We're together because we deserve each other," She said. 'Bukunmi, I want you to know that I'm very sorry for everything I have done to you lately," She said. Bukunmi could not hide the shock that came upon her immediately, and she opened her eyes wide in amazement. 'Are you for real?" She asked. 'Yes, why?" Her mother asked. 'African parents don't apologise," Bukunmi said, still finding her mother's apology hard to believe. 'Well, not this African parent," She said, adjusting her head-tie. 'I still find this so hard to believe, but I'll take your word for it," Bukunmi said. 'You better do," Her mother said. 'Thank you so much, Mami. I love you so very much. You're the best mother in the world," She said, wearing a very broad smile, hugging her mother genuinely, for the first time in years. 'I love you more, my daughter. You're the best daughter in the world," Her mother said. 'Of course, I am," She said, with a wink, as she let her mother go. 'Since that's settled, please, go and have your bath. You're stinking up the whole place," Her mother said, covering her nose slightly. Bukunmi sniffed her shirt. 'I'm not smelling bad, Mami," She said. 'Are you trying to say your own mother is a liar?" Her mother asked. 'Here we go again. My African parent is back to normal. Okay, Mami, I'll go have my bath now. When I'm done, I'll come to your bedroom, and give you all the gist you've been missing about my workplace," Bukunmi said, with a smile. 'I'll be waiting to hear all of it," Her mother said. 'And you will," She said, then stood up, proceeding to leave the living room. When she was almost out of sight, her mother asked: 'Ibukun, how is your boss?" Bukunmi turned around, wondering why her mother suddenly asked that question. 'Why are you asking?" She asked. 'Nothing. He seems like a nice young man. I hope he is nice to you at work," Her mother said. A mischievous smile lit up Bukunmi's face, as she remembered the advice that Kate had given to her. She shrugged, in response to her mother's question. 'Even if he's not nice now, he'll soon be," She responded, and began to walk out of the room. 'What do you mean by that?" Her mother called after her. 'Nothing to worry about," She said, finally exiting the living room. She was glad that she finally made peace with her mother, and could finally get the old Mami back, hopefully. However, all wasn't settled yet, as she had plans for Tade that hadn't been achieved yet.