“I’m sorry, Anita, but I must not let things get out of hand here,” he started to
explain. “It’s unfortunate things really got off on a bad note tonight, the whole idea
was for all of us to come together and bond like a family. Unfortunately, things
didn’t work out that way. But I promise you I will sort things out and then you and
Junior can come back here again and we can then work things out….”
I was no longer listening to him, I started packing Junior’s things on the couch
beside me.
“Junior!” I called out. One of the maids had taken him inside to go play with him.
“Junior!” I called again. And the maid appeared with Junior in her hands. “Come
Junior, its time to go home!”
“What! Jesus! You can’t be serious, Anita!” MD exclaimed, gazing at me with
shock on his face. “How can you even think of leaving the house at this time of the
day?” MD asked.
I was not even paying him any attention. I packed the bag, zipped it and picked it
up with one hand, and carrying Junior with the other.
“No, Anita, I won’t allow that. I won’t let you leave here with Junior at this time of
the day, its too dangerous,” MD pleaded.
“And I would rather take that risk than spend a minute longer in the house of a man
who doesn’t want me around! At least, I have a home where my son and I can lay
our heads even if his father hates him so much he can’t bear to have him under the
same roof with him for one minute!”
MD shook his head in response. “But you know that’s not true, I love my son, he’s
the only one I’ve got, remember? But I’ve also got to respect the woman who has
been with me all these years when things were rough for me.”
“So, because of her and what she has done for you, my own son has no place in
your life, right?” I threw at him. He opened his mouth to say something but
decided against it.
“You have nothing to say?” I asked him. When he didn’t say anything, I made to
leave but he jumped right in front of me, blocking my way and stopping me from
leaving.
“MD, please, let me leave your house, I want to leave this minute!”
“And I say it’s too risky, I can’t let you leave the house at this time of the night
with this boy in your hands!”
I was still trying to find a way to get past him when a voice shouted from behimd
me, “Let her leave if she wants to leave, you cannot force her to stay the night if
she doesn’t want to!” I didn’t need to turn to know who it was, Aunty Elizabeth
had come out to finish what she started!
Inside my head, I felt a loud explosion go off. It was like raging storm was going
on inside my head, propelling me to pounce on Aunty Elizabeth and tear her into
shreds. I was trembling all over with anger. I truly, really wanted to reach for her
and possibly strangle her. I could feel me veins rising with the rage I was
sytruggling to surpress inside me. And with fire in my eyes, I turned to her.
“So, you actually came out to finish what you started, right?” my voice was thick
with venom. I could scarcely recognise it myself. I moved forward, inching closer
to her, trying hard to resist the urge to grab her throat and strangle her till she
stopped breathing.
“Answer me! So, you actually came out to finish what you started, isn’t that so?” I
snarled at her. I could see the look on her face, the rage in my eyes startled her. She
could see I was coming for her. And she froze. She didn’t move an inch.
“Oh, so you want to fight me in my own home? Is that what it has come to now?”
she said, obviously too frightened to come any closer to me.
I took another step forward and MD quickly stepped in front of me. “Anita, calm
down, okay?” he said to me, holding my hands and preventing me from moving an
inch further. “Sit down and let us settle this like a family.”
I turned to him. “I am not sitting down,” I shot back at him. “My son and I are not
your family, that is your family!” I pointed to his wife. “So, sit down with her and
start talking things over with her. My son and I now know where we belong.”
I picked up my bag and reached for my son. “Anita, please, stay till morning, there
is no way I will let you leave my house at this time of the night. I won’t allow
that!” MD insisted, holding me firmly.
I don’t know why you’re begging her to stay against her wish, if she says she
wants to go, then ler her go and whatever happens to her is her……”
“Will you shut your mouth, Elizabeth!” MD did not let her finish talking. “Do you
have any idea what you’re saying at all? You want me to let her leave this house
withj my son at this time of the night? God forbid, what if something terrible
happens to them? Is that what you want? Will you be happy then?” he yelled at
her.
The woman was stunned. She was not expecting that sort of reaction from her
husband. And that made me feel really good, I must admit.
“So, you are shouting at me because of this….because of this….thing!” she
stuttered.
“And I will scream at you some more if you don’t go back inside right now and let
me handle this! Go inside this minute!” MD ordered her. Finally, MD is acting like
the man of the house…
…To Be Continued
