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 behind 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 struggling to suppress 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 let her go and whatever happens to her is hers……”
“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 with 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…
I wanted to pretend I didn’t hear what she called me but I decided not to let it go without me throwing in a little drama. You cannot call a big girl like me ‘thing’ and expect me to keep quiet.
“Aunty Elizabeth, I have tried very hard not to disrespect you but you’re making it very difficult for me, ‘ I said to her calmly.
“Anita, please, ignore what she said and let me handle this….” MD tried to plead with me.
“No, MD, I’m sorry but I won’t ignore this one!” I shot back at him.
I turned to his wife. “This is not the first time you will be calling me names tonight. You seem to be enjoying the fact that I’m in your house so you can throw any insult you like at me, right? No problem!”
“So, what do you now want to do, fight me?” she’d fired back.
“Lizzy, go back inside the room this minute!” her husband ordered her.
“No, please, hold on, don’t leave just yet,” I said to her as she made to turn and head back inside.
“You called me a thing, I am not upset. You know why? It’s this thing that has been able to give your husband, our husband, the child that you couldn’t give him after decades of marriage! Not only did I give him a child, I gave him a son! I gave him the heir to his business empire. But you, ma, what did you give him? What have you got to show for all the years you fed fat on the wealth of your husband, our husband? So, tell me, who is the thing now?”
Her face was red with rage. She couldn’t believe I had said what I said to her. She took two steps forward, apparently to come charging at me but MD stopped her, stepping right in front of her.
“Go back inside, my dear, this nonsense has gone far enough. Go back inside, please, and let me handle the situation…..”
…To Be Continued
