Chapter Five
Louisa
On Monday evening, I got a call from my mother to let me know she has arrived Lagos and was at the park. So I went to go pick her up.
"Mummy. .. it's good to see you" I pulled her in for a hug.
"How are you my dear?"
"Mummy I am fine, how was your journey?" I took her bag from her as we walked down to where I parked my car.
"It was fine o except for the driver that was driving like he took weed before the journey"
"Mummy I hope you didn't quarrel with the driver sha?"
"No o I only told him my mind, that if I die in an accident because of his reckless driving that I would haunt him and his entire family"
"Mummy... You know all these would have been avoided if you will just agree to take a flight anytime you're visiting Lagos instead of coming by road"
"So that when accident occurs they won't find my bones abi? nor be me and you"
I decided to give up on the subject, there was no way I was going to convince my mother to travel by air, my elder brothers had tried their best to avail. We got into the car and I drove her to my apartment.
"I still don't understand how you people survive with all that traffic" she complained as we arrived my apartment.
"We have our way around it"
"Coco where be this?"
"My house na, come inside" I opened the door wider for her to go in.
"I nor understand, the last time I visited, this was not where you were staying?"
"Yes mummy and that was too years ago, I moved out of that place last year"
My mother surveyed the place as she went inside. "How many bedrooms does this house have?"
"It's two bedrooms mummy"
"Coco so you moved out of a one bedroom apartment to a two bedroom duplex?"
"Yes mummy, why do you sound surprised?"
"I'm surprised, because I don't understand why my daughter, a child I gave birth to will choose to be this foolish"
"Mummy I don't understand, what do you mean?"
My mother placed her handbag on the floor and then sat down on the couch. "Come and sit down" she said patting the chair she was sitting on. I sat down and waited for her to speak.
"Louisa how old are you?"
I knew where this was going, anytime my mother asks for my age, just know that she is about to say something really mean.
"Mummy I'm sure you know my age, you're my mother"
"Answer me Louisa, how old are you?"
"I'm thirty ma"
"I'm glad you still remember your age, are you married?"
"Of course I'm not married mummy what are you driving at?"
"What am I driving at? You are the one that went to rent a whole two bedroom duplex to yourself when you are neither married nor engaged to be married, Louisa what are you driving at?"
"Mother I don't get you, so because I'm not married I can't live in a two bedroom apartment?"
"No you can't, what do you need it for? So you can have a bigger space to cry alone when you feel miserable about your unmarried life?"
"Jesus Christ, mummy! Why would you say a thing like that?"
"It's the truth, or is it not? Don't you know that if you feel too comfortable being alone you may never see the need for a man in your life until it's too late? With you living in this kind of place, men will be intimidated and they won't want to come close to you"
"Mother please let's not start this now, I moved to this place because I wanted to and can afford it, I'm sorry but I'm not going to live below my means just so I can be able to get a man to like me or date me, if any man feels intimidated because by my success or because I'm doing well for myself then I don't need such a man in my life"
"You see, it is because of this your sharp mouth that is why you are still single, see your class mates in Warri they are all married with children, instead of you to concentrate on doing so yourself, you are busy moving into bigger apartments well-done o"
Remember how I said my mother always got on my nerves? This is part of it. I have had a very hectic day, from having meetings with different clients and going to the salon to make my hair and then driving all the way to the park to pick her up. The last thing I needed was for anyone to be on my nerves especially not my mother. So I decided to change the subject instead, because there was no winning with my mother.
"Mummy you've had a very long trip, I'm sure you must be tired, why don't I take you to your room, so you can shower and then eat?"
"If you like continue running away from the subject, that's your business"
I took her upstairs to the guest room, showed her to the bathroom and quickly disappeared before she starts another theory on the room being too big.
Thirty minutes later my mother and I were having dinner while she kept me updated about everyone in the village, how my mother manages to know everyone's business is beyond me, it's as if she has a book about everyone's life.
When her and my father were still married, that used to be an issue for them, my father liked to always keep a low profile but my mother is the exact opposite. Well he managed to live with it until he decided he wanted to marry a second wife. My mother refused to share her husband so she walked out on the marriage.
"Coco you hear wetin I talk?" My mother asked
"Sorry mummy what were you saying?"
"I say your aunty for village wants to speak with you, she said I should call her when I get here"
"Mummy not this night abeg, tomorrow we will call her, I'm tired I need to rest and I'm sure you do too. Let's call her tomorrow"
After I had convinced my mother to go to bed, I went to my room to get some sleep myself. But I couldn't, I was horny. It's been a while I had sex. Ever since I broke up with Adams nothing has been happening in that department.
I decided to relieve myself with my vibrator, I just turned it on when my mother opened my room door, I was lucky I had my hands under the duvet, but I guess I wasn't so lucky because she said;
''Coco stand up let us pray''