Sequence 27
‘I am sorry I am not going anywhere with you,’ Van said ‘Are you f**king kidding me?’ ‘I am serious mum.’
‘What nonsense have you fed her?’ she asked Mattie ‘She is old enough to make her own decisions mum.’
‘She has been in this marriage for Years now, why would she wanna leave now?’ ‘Because I am pregnant!’ Van said tears streaming down her cheeks
He mother gasped in surprise,’ you are pregnant?’ ‘Yes.’
‘Does your husband know?’
She shook her head, ‘No.’
‘You need to tell him.’
‘No mum, this is why I finally left I have to protect my child.’ ‘And you think I will allow you to raise this child on your own?’ ‘Mum?’
‘Shut the f**k up Mattie this is none of your business.’ Mattie kept quiet.
Trinny held her hand she couldn’t understand why her grandmother was yelling. ‘Go to the bedroom baby I will join you shortly,’ Mattie said ‘Okay.’
‘Can we get going now?’ she asked Van
‘I said no.’
‘You are seriously not coming back with me?’ ‘No.’
‘When I walk out of this house, I swear to God I will cut you off.’ ‘You can’t do that,’ Van stood.
‘I swear on your father’s grave, when I walk out of the house without you, stop counting me as your mother, delete my number and just move on.’ ‘That’s unfair Mum,’ Mattie said
‘I already told you to stay out of this conversation.’
‘So what is it going to be Vanessa?’
Vanessa wiped the tears from her eyes and sniffed, ‘I will go with you.’
A large smile played across her lips,’ I knew you would make the right decision. Now put on your shoes and let’s get going.’ ‘Van! You don’t have to with her,’ Mattie said
‘It’s okay,’ she said walking to her bedroom to get her shoes.
‘And you? Your days of finding a husband are numbered very soon Thomas and his people will be coming to pay your bride price.
Mattie’s heart slammed hard in her chest, she could never marry Thomas even if he was the last man on earth but with the kind of mother she had anything was possible.
‘There won’t be any need of Thomas and his people coming over.’ ‘Why?’
‘I have someone,’ she the words rushed out of her mouth before she could stop them.
‘Did I hear you right?’
‘Yes, I am seeing someone and he wants to marry me,’ she lied Her mother laughed out so hard, ‘You are not kidding?’ ‘No,’ Mattie maintained a serious face.
‘Okay, congratulations,’ she said in a mocking tone.
‘Thank you.’
‘I would like to meet him.’
‘Huh?’
‘I would like to meet him that’s if he exists.’ ‘Okay.’
Van walked out of the room, she had tears in her eyes, ‘I am ready.’
‘Shall we.’
‘Yes.’
‘You don’t have to do this,’ Mattie insisted ‘It’s fine,’ she said
Mattie pulled her into a warm embrace and held her tightly. ‘Don’t hesitate to come back when things don’t go as planned.’ ‘Thanks sis.’
‘You are welcome.’
‘I will be waiting to see this boyfriend of yours,’ her mother said before she turned and marched out of the house while Van followed closely behind.
Mattie sank to the floor, she felt helpless, if only her sister could stand up to their
mother like she did.
****
She was sitting on the couch in her living room, a bottle of whiskey on the table in front of her, a glass of whiskey in one hand and a cigarette in the other.
She had makeup smeared with tears running down her face. She was a mess.
The door opened and her best friend walked in.
She stopped in surprise.
‘Babe! Are you okay?’ she asked
She responded with silence.
‘What’s going on?’ she asked walking closer to her.
More silence.
‘Talk to me.’
More tears raced down her tears, she couldn’t control the pain in her heart. ‘Hey, who hurt you, talk to me.’
She sniffed then she placed the cigarette on the side of her mouth and inhaled deeply. She puffed out; the smoke seeped through her mouth and nose as she breathed out. The smoke formed a cloud in her face. She waved it away before taking another pull.
Her best friend snatched the cigarette from her hands. ‘What in God’s name is going on?’ she asked again ‘It’s Chard,’ she said, her voice choking with emotion. ‘What about him?’
‘I think he is in love with this new woman he has been seeing.’
‘Oh.’
‘Yes.’
‘Babe you need to forget about Chard, you need to move on already.’ ‘No, if I couldn’t have his heart then no one will.’ ‘That’s ridiculous.’
‘I am serious; I won’t allow him to be happy while I am still heartbroken over what he did to me.’
‘You have someone who loves and cares about you, forget about Chard.’ ‘You know I am only with Charles because I can’t have Chard.’ ‘This will not end well,’ her best friend warned.
‘Of course it won’t, the battle line has been crossed I am ready for war.’ ‘Why now?’
‘I was waiting for the right time to take my revenge, all these women he has been with, he was just using them like he did me but with this girl, Chard is different, he is soft spoken, I saw it in his eyes.’
Her best friend shook her head she knew there was no need in talking to her about this her mind was made up.
‘So away from Chard, how was dinner?’
She rolled her eyes, ‘Fine.’
‘Stop being gloomy.’
‘I am irritated, how could fall in love with another woman.’
‘Chard again?’
‘Yes! Who else?’
‘You are obsessed with this guy.’
‘I am love.’
‘Okay, I need to take a shower please pull yourself together.’ ‘Okay.’
She picked up the bottle in front of her and emptied the remainder of its contents into his glass.
‘The battle line has been drawn, I am coming after you soon,’ she mumbled under
her breath.
*****
The drive to Kafue was a long, quiet one, Vanessa seemed to be afraid of what lay ahead of her, she had wanted to stand up to herself but she couldn’t disobey her mother in such a manner.
She didn’t want to go back to her husband’s house but she couldn’t risk being cut off by her mother, the one had single handedly raised her and her siblings after the death of her father, she her mother her life.
‘I know you are angry with me Van but I am doing all this for you.’ Van ignored her mother and stared out of the window.
‘I might seem like a bad mother today but some day, you will appreciate all I am doing, I have talked to your husband about his behavior and he will change, that man loves you it’s just that he gets carried away sometimes.’ ‘Okay.’
‘If you leave your matrimonial home now, that man will marry another woman and probably fight for custody of your child then what will remain of you?’
Silence
‘Marriage is shipikisha club, you need to endure all this someday all will be well.’ ‘Until when Mum, until when?’ she snapped.
‘I will talk to you when you calm down.
******
TBC
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THE CLOCK IS TICKING
Ella❣