When I got back home that evening, my mother was surprised to see me. I don't know if it's because she wasn't expecting me to come home that evening, or because I came back early.
"Coco what happened? Why are you back? Didn't go for the date again?"
"Of course I went mummy" I sat down on a couch opposite my mom.
"If you went for the date, then why are you back this early? You left the house barely two hours ago"
Okay so she is actually surprised because I came back early.
"Mummy that man has a wife and a child"
"No that's not true, he is a widower, his wife is dead and they didn't have any children"
"Well, while we were having lunch, a woman came in carrying a baby" I know you guys will start screaming liar! the woman didn't come with a child, but if you have a mother like mine, you would understand why I need to tell that little lie to make my story more convincing.
"she introduced herself as his wife and he is actually the father of the child she was carrying"
"Are you being serious? What did he say about this?"
"He didn't deny it, kept saying he could explain"
"So did you wait for him to explain?"
"Why would I do that? what does he have to explain? I left him and the lady there"
"You should have allowed him to explain now, why did you leave just like that?"
To say I was shocked at my mother's reaction, is an understatement, after what I just told her happened, she still expects me to stay back and listen to what that cheat has to say? I knew if I say anything right now, it's not going to be something good, so I quietly stood up and went upstairs to my room.
"Coco you need to call that man and hear him out" my mother called after me.
"You can call him yourself, because I'm doing no such thing"
The next day when I got back from work, I met my mother in the living room watching TV, something she rarely does, I was surprised.
"Mummy good evening ma" I greeted her, the surprise look on my face, very evident.
"Good evening my dear, welcome back, how was work?" She beamed at me.
"Work was okay"
I kept looking at her to find out, what has put her in such a good mood.
"Come sit with me"
I sat on the couch, staring at her. Whenever my mom is this good to me, that means she has something up her sleeves and it never ends well.
"So I talked to Ejiro's sister this afternoon, and she has shed more light on the situation"
"Ejiro? Which situation?" I asked confused.
"Ejiro now, the young man you went out on a date with yesterday"
I can't believe my mother is still hung up on me seeing that man again, the man is a cheat, what other reason does she want before she agrees that I shouldn't see him again?
"Mummy what about him?"
"So that woman who came to disrupt your lunch yesterday, claiming to be his wife, is actually not his wife because he hasn't married her legally"
"But the child is his?"
"Eh... yes the baby is his"
"No problem then, he should just marry her, do whatever, I really don't care"
"Which one is he should just marry her? Haven't you been listening to all I have been saying?"
"No, because I don't understand what you driving at"
"That man wants to marry you Coco, he confirmed it to his sister that he really likes you, and would like to marry you" my mother announced cheerfully. "Is that not a great news?" She asked clapping.
"Mummy I don't understand, he wants to marry me, how? Why?"
"He wants to marry you because he likes you, what other reason do you want?"
"That man is clearly a cheat, his wife died only few months ago, and he has a baby mama with a child who is almost a year old, mummy do the math, he has been cheating on his wife even while she was still alive"
"Ehn.. he is a man now?"
"And so if he is a man and so what? Does that give him the right to cheat on his wife?"
"Louisa the earlier the accept that it's a man's world, the better for you, he is a man and men are bound to cheat"
I can't believe my mother is saying this, same woman who left her husband the moment she sensed he was cheating on her. Now she wants me to settle for a man who cheats, the irony of life.
"Mummy you want me to marry a man that cheats? I can't believe you are the one saying this"
"Louisa, I know you have this feminist spirit, but you have to lower your standards if you want to get a man to marry you"
"Mummy I'm not desperate to get married, I can't settle for less, simply because I want to get married like my mates"
"No man is ever going to meet your standard, you have to lower them so that you can see a man to marry you"
"Mummy like I said, I'm not desperate to get married"