The other woman

It must have been around three am in the dead of night,the bedside lamp left on,I was deeply asleep,my hands clasped together and stuck between my thighs to keep warm,I felt an enveloping cold permeating my skin,creasing everything in its path as it sinks into my body,coursing through my insides,feeling as though it was brittling  my bones creating a somewhat stinging feeling.


Still deeply asleep and in a bid to keep warm,I outstretched my hand,feeling for my duvet but it was nowhere near me,my face tightened into a slight frown in frustration, I opened my eyes which was blurred at first,trying to take in my immediate surrounding from the partial darkness created by the dim light of the bedside lamp ,I rubbed my eyes,looked beside me and saw Karl swath himself with the entire large duvet,I clenched my teeth in anger,held the edge of the duvet and pulled it towards me but Karl had his hands dugged in tightly,holding on firmly on the duvet,now visibly upset,I sat up,prepared to pull harder at the duvet when I noticed Karl shivering and chewing his mouth as though he was lip synching,I examined him all over,calling his name but he didn't wake up,I figured he was having a nightmare so I slapped him arms and shook him awake.

"Wake up bro! What's wrong with you?"


I asked a frightened looking Karl who quickly sat up,resting his back against the wall and covering himself up with the duvet,I knelt on the bed with my hands on my knees,looking him in the eyes,waiting for him to calm down

"What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"

I asked again,moving in towards him to hold him,I placed my arm around his neck but he slowly jerked himself off my embrace,I turned around to the bedside stool,picked up the remote control for the mosquito repelling airconditioner and turned it off.

"I had a nightmare...or maybe it's just a dream that simply rattled me or something"

Karl said as I settled down after turning off the airconditioner

"A nightmare? Tell me about it"

I demanded

"I think I..am not sure but I think I...I think Dad appeared and spoke to me"

 He said,stammering through his response,still in a state of disbelief,my eyelids fluttered rapidly and my brows arched with incredulity

"Daddy?...you mean my Dad?"

I asked as Karl gave me a quizzical look,I slowly recoiled from him in regret as it dawned on me how the question came out

"Our Dad Maj, I saw and spoke to our Dad"

He said firmly as I nodded in agreement and pouted my lips,still trying to take in Karl's announcement

"You know what,let's get back to sleep,we talk about this in the morning ok?"

I told him,he nodded in agreement and we went back to sleep.

The next day,while I boiled water for tea and frying scrambled egg all for breakfast,I kept on sighing,wondering what Dad had told Karl,the sizzling sounds of eggs frying caught Hamz's attention and he waltzed into the kitchen

"Hey brother! Wasup? Yummy meal this morning oo"

He said,tickling me by my sides to get me to lighten up,I smiled wryly and told him while continuing my chores

"Karl saw Dad in a dream,he's going to tell us officially at breakfast"

Hamz stepped back abit and tilting his head a little like he did not believe what I had just said. After a few seconds digesting the information,he asked why it had to be "officially" told at breakfast

"Well I don't know,I woke up and found him shivering and chewing his lips and I woke him up,he then said he saw Dad and we agreed to talk about it at breakfast"

I said with a shrug,Hamz had his hands on his waist with his head bowed as though he was pondering over the matter,I called out!

"Hamz...Hamz,what's wrong with you now? Don't tell me Gran pa is also having a tete-a-tete with you oo"

He broke into laughter and said that wasn't what he was thinking about

 "I just feel like Dad had just by this dream officially stamped and accepted Karl as his son and QT bumped to second son,he won't like this, I mean aside you and Mom and now Karl,he has never appeared to me!"

He said somberly which made me laugh

"Are you jealous? Cmon! Dad appeared to Mom shortly after his death that's  quite common and natural for widows to see their dead husbands in dreams,now Dad appeared to me I guess because,he felt I needed him at a time that I felt confused about who I am"

I said with a shrug,averting my gaze from Hamz,trying not to remember the phase I went through withdrawals and self-esteem issues,Hamz caught my expression

"You mean,finding out you were pretty,quite effeminate and different from us your brothers and other guys around...well,yeah! So because you starved yourself of food and was drinking all sorts of concoctions,in your hallucinations,Dad had to appear and chastise you before you do something silly and join him...guess I can understand"

He said so insensitively I gave him an icy look which immediately melted into a smile at the way he said Dad had to chastise me,he went on

"And he appeared to Karl to calm him down and make him have a sense of belonging in this family,so it's fine,he didn't even appear to me to warn me to stop being the black sheep and behave"

We both laughed at his statement

"Oh o! So you do know and admit that you're the black sheep of the family,oh lord! Hamz".

Later at breakfast,Karl lightly hit his teacup with his spoon to draw our attention,Hamz and I smiled,stealing glances at each other,making QT wonder if we already knew something he did not,Mom's eyebrow arched in anticipation while chewing her food,Karl cleared his throat and started

"Um! While sleeping yesternight through this morning...I..em,I saw my father."

We all smiled wryly at "my father",I don't know why we can't seem to get over this whenever it pops up,Karl continued as Mom dropped her spoon

"He smiled at me and asked how I was doing and how my mom was,I recognised him as my dad but I was just too shocked to utter any word,he tried to move towards me,as if to touch me on my shoulders and tell me something when Maj woke me up"

Mom sighed,stirred her tea for abit and promised to ask one of her islamic clerics for interpretation of the dream

"Meanwhile,how is he? I mean,how did he look?"

Mom asked,her face brightening up and expectant

"He looked smooth,at peace and very calm when talking"

Karl responded,Mom nodded,she finished up her tea and wiping her lips with a serviette,she prepared to stand up to leave for work when Karl raised his hand to speak

"Mom,I was thinking since I missed out on having a relationship with Dad and his birthday coming up soon,I see this dream as a sign to mark his birthday,you know,throw a small birthday party and forge a posthumous relationship"

He said,Mom smiled and agreed,picking her purse and other essentials,Karl added

"And I was thinking of inviting my other mom"

"Natalie?"

Mom asked,Karl nodded,Mom thought it over quickly and asked if natalie would be ok to fly several hundred miles for just a small posthumous birthday party for her ex-boyfriend and baby daddy

"Mom knows how important Dad is to me and am sure she would love to come besides,she's always told me Dad was the love of her life"

Mom nodded rapidly,emphasing

"Was"

Mom picked her stuffs and as she made to move towards the door,she suddenly started falling,she screamed the name of God and we rushed to hold her

"Mom are you alright? What happened?"

We all chorused,asking differently but all having same meaning

"I felt a little dizzy! Oh lord!"

I quickly got a throw pillow and placed behind her head for her to relax,Mom stood up and said she was fine but asked Karl to drive her to work,insisting she was fine.

A week later and Natalie scheduled to arrive that day aboard delta airlines en route lagos,we were having dinner of wheat meal with okra soup for everyone except me because I don't take it,so I had prepared vegetable soup just for me with pieces of beef for everyone when Mom complained of pains in her lower abdomen and some dizziness,she snapped her fingers quickly for me to get her drugs nylon bag, she took her drugs while I waited for her to calm down before I reported Hamz to her

"Mom, I want you to please warn Hamza,please warn him oo,I asked him to wash the dirty dishes and clear the kitchen for me to cook this evening and the idiot told me straight to my face that he had already showered and powdered his face,waiting for his girlfriend and hence he would not wash the plates"

Mom made a sorry sign to me,asking me to calm down,I protested

"No mother,I won't take this,so I am the one who is not bothered about my own girlfriend finding me stirring wheat on the kitchen floor huh? I cook the food,do the house keeping,shop for the groceries,virtually everything and what do the boys do? Aside washing the cars which they have fun doing playing loud music on the car stereos,Mom,am tired oo,am really tired and maybe we should have a roster on who cooks on what day and who shops for the groceries,etc"

I ranted,breathing loudly and really upset,my brothers laughing,I was incensed,I made to move towards Hamz,who quickly stood up and ran off,licking soup off his hands,he shouted back

"Why didn't you go and hit QT or Karl? Why only me ehn,Maj,why only me,hahahaha"

Mom waved her hand for silence and implored me to calm down,she turned to Hamz

"Hamza,Hamza,Hamza, Maj is your elder brother and has every right,emphasis on every right,to send you on errands,have I made myself clear,I won't tolerate you disrespecting your elder brother,he does a lot to keep this house running and the least you can do is appreciate him and show support by helping out always,haba and this also goes to you both QT and Karl"

Karl quickly defended himself

"Ofcourse Mom,I do help Maj,I drive him to the mall,I help out within the house"

QT kept on eating,he looked up when he sensed Mom gazing at him steadily,waiting for his own defense

"Well,I always tell him "weldone"

Hamz and QT laughed,Mom cuts in

"It's not funny and Maj,for all your efforts in keeping this house clean,preparing our delicious meals and getting all our essentials,I would pay for you to have a relaxing spa tomorrow ok?"

"No Mom,just give me the money"

I replied,everyone laughed,Mom nodded and commanded Hamz to clear the whole plates and wash them as we got prepared to go and pick Karl's mom Natalie


The drive to Nnamdi azikiwe international airport was nice and smooth with the city brightened up by traffic lights and christmas lights. We got to the airport,arrival lounge and shortly after,the delta flight from new york arrived and soon,the passengers alight from the plane

"What's your mom's new surname again?"

I asked Karl,he smiled and said it's loughlin,I nodded. Natalie came into the lounge and we all excitedly exchanged pleasantries

"How was your flight mrs loughlin"

I asked,she smiled and asked me to either call her natalie or mommy,she said,flicking her long,brown hair off her face,as some airport porter helped pushed her luggages behind us towards the car.

We got back home and all trudged in,QT turned on the lights as we all sighed and settling down on the seats while Natalie walked around the house,admiring the aesthetics of the house and the decor

"Ahmed left you a nice house"

She said,referring to Mom who promptly responded

"You've been here before Natalie,the house has undergone a lot of renovations and refurbishment since Ahmed!"

While waltzing around the house,she saw Dad's large portrait on the wall,she paused and later,we saw her wiping tears,Mom's countenance was squeezed into a concerned look and placing her arms around Natalie,she consoled Natalie

"I know this evokes emotions,seeing his portrait but it's ok,he's in a good place ok?"

Natalie nodded,sniffing and wiping her nose with her handkerchief,she quipped

"Those lips of his,do you remember? How succulently wet and delicious his kisses were,oh Ahmed!"

We all shared furtive,shocked glances,Mom nodded and reminded her she was married.

" I know,I know but Ahmed would always be a part of my life,my family,I remember when we met,the times we shared,the love we made..oh! He made me believe I was his all in all and truth be told,I felt like his all in all,it was in 1985,a very good year"

Mom feeling a little stung by her statement,felt a need to shut Natalie up, told her that she and Dad were already an item before he left abroad

"I understand that as men,they have needs,I just think in my opinion,you were needed,not necessary"

Natalie freed herself from Mom's embrace,turned to her and as a clap back made it clear Dad had proposed marriage to her twice but she had turned it down because she wanted Dad to be through with his studies before they settled down

"If I'd agreed to his marriage proposal then and I found out later that he had a lover in nigeria,I wouldn't have allowed him come back,ever! So Habiba, you owe me,you owe me a lot because of my actions,Ahmed came back to you and you had all these boys"

Mom shut her eyes for a brief moment and when she opened her eyes,which were darting with fury,she gave Natalie a piece of her mind.

"When Ahmed got back here,he made it a point of duty to not make mention of you,not once,there was no picture of you lying anywhere or in his closets,he respected me enough to forget you,even in our bed,to not contact you,atleast not in my presence and also respected me enough to do the right thing,by coming back home and putting a ring on my finger"

She said sternly,showing Natalie the ring,we boys were choking with awkwardness,I had to step up and broke the ice

"Natalie,if I may,please,you've had a long trip,you need to shower,eat and rest"

"Oh it's ok,am not hungry but yes,a hot shower would be super"

She said in refined,american accent,Karl had admirably remained calm all through the bickering between Mom and his mom.

We all went to bed later and I went to meet Mom in her room to talk to her about what had happened in the sitting room

"I wouldn't take that from Natalie,she comes into my home,reminiscing about all the lovemaking she had with my late hubby despite the fact that she's now married and am not? It's disrespectful and I wouldn't take that"

Mom spewed,I urged her to calm down as Natalie was just overwhelmed with emotion at seeing Dad's portrait and what would have been her home,you know,if according to her,she was married to Dad and also the jet lag added to it.

"She should learn to keep her emotions in check,I found it extremely disturbing"

Mom quipped.

The next day,Karl,cladded in Dad's "agbada" that is,a flowing robe with cap and also his shoes on what was suppose to be Dad's birthday and gave a short speech,talking about how much he misses him,feels lucky to have been spawned by him and gave a toast in his capacity as the first son,which made QT twitch his lips,irritated,Natalie wanted to say something but waved her hand that she had changed her mind and wasn't saying anything again,probably because she thought whatever it is might offend Mom.

We all went out for some spot of retail therapy,relaxation and sightseeing and suya eating and that night,we all saw off Natalie to the airport and Karl and Natalie shared some farewell hugs which were so emotional,we were all teary,Natalie tore herself from his hug,hugged Mom and apologised for her conduct when she came,Mom nodded and we all said our goodbyes as she ascended the flight stairs on her way back to New york,we all turned back to leave when Mom gave a sharp cry and clutched her tummy and started falling, all shocked as some passers-by ran away for fear of ebola,we all held Mom as her eyes gradually shut close,we all screamed

MOOOOOOOM!

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