Taking up the gauntlet?

Mom kept screaming, hitting the car seats and vibrating with anger in the back seat of the car on our trip back home, she was livid and embarrassed after what transpired at the new Matriarch's son's wedding as read in WAR OF ATTRITION and it was only natural for her to react that way, Karl who was behind the wheels kept urging her to be calm while I, quietly seated beside her at the back seat, calmly looked on at her, allowing her vent her anger out, she was so emotional and her eyes tearful but obvious she was trying her best to pull herself together.


Once we were back home, she jumped out of the car and hurried inside the house and through tears, she narrated what had happened to Hamz and QT who subtly chastised me for not slapping the new Matriarch,

"I couldn't do that"

I protested, going on,

 "If she (the new Matriarch) had acted like a complete maniac, you don't expect I meet her in the middle now, do you? She humiliated herself and her son and the entire guests were witnesses, this would make her new daughter-in-law very prepared and aware of the kind of mother-in-law she's coming to meet...so let's just get past this and allow sleeping dogs lie...after all, what goes around, comes around",

Mom stood up and went into her room to change and shower. Afterwards, I heard her barely audible voice talking to someone on the phone as I walked past her room door which was left slightly  ajar which I guess she was reporting the new Matriarch to a few relatives as I sighed and went into my room. The day went by pretty fast and whilst having dinner later that evening, Mom's phone began to ring and on looking at the phone's screen, it was a random number, she swallowed her food and went ahead to pick it,

 "Hello!",

The soft, feminine voice called out from the other end,

"Yes?",

Mom responded, the caller went ahead,

 " Yes ma, I'm amina, the new daughter-in-law of the new Matriarch, I just wanted to apologise on behalf of my husband at what his mom did to you ma, it was embarrassing for us all , we are so sorry ma",

Mom sighed and said it was ok, that she had forgotten all about it and wasn't quite shocked at her behaviour, the lady went on,

 "I know...I've heard horror stories what yourself and other daughters-in-law went through in the hands of the late Matriarch and honestly, I can't take that from no one, hence my calling you so we can form an alliance, I definitely won't want my home to be ruled by this witch!",

 Mom sighed as she seemed to digest and ponder over what Amina had just said, her semovita smeared hand hanging in the air, while she looked on ahead of her.

The new Matriarch had declared war, here's her new daughter-in-law calling her (Mom) to form an alliance, should she let sleeping dogs lie as I'd advised or should she be taking up the gauntlet?

KEEP UP!