"You mean Caro and her family did all that to you?" Mama asked once I was done with narrating all that I went through in the city to her. Mama and I were in the kitchen at the backyard roasting corn. Papa had gone to the farm.

"Yes o mama. Lagos wasn't all fun and games. It was more like hell for me. To even think uncle Henry was nice when he used to come to the village! Such a pretender!" I said and bent forward on the stool I was sitting on to reposition the corn on the firewood. "But mama, don't tell them I told you this o."

"Why shouldn't I, eh? Is it until they kill you that I'd begin to take action?" Mama raised the tone of her voice as she asked.

"No. But mama, if you tell them, the suffering will get worse. They'll torture me the more." I tried to convince her.

"That's if they see you in their house again."

"But mama, you know I have to continue with my education?"

"I know. You'd continue it in the village. As long as your papa and I are still alive, we'd struggle to take you to school. But for you to go back to Caro and her husband's house, take your mind off it o." Mama said, as though she was warning me.

I felt relieved telling mama about my struggles in the city, but what I wasn't so comfortable about was the fact that she didn't want me to go back to the city. Although I was going through a lot in the city, deep down I wanted to go back there. Not because of anything but the wonderful friends I made, especially Peter. I was beginning to feel a sense of void without him. What could I tell mama that would convince her about me wanting to go back to the city?

"Mama—" As I broke the silence, mama spoke up too.

"I had the feeling Caro was going to treat you like her housemaid, that's why I wasn't so comfortable with you moving to the city with her."

I scrunched my brows quizzically. "But why? Why did you think aunt Caro was going to treat me like an housemaid?"

Mama took an heavy breath and curved her lips downward. "It's a long story my child."

My curiosity had the best of me now. I turned my stool, such that I was facing her squarely. "Mama tell me please."

"The fire is going out. Blow it." She said, gesturing at the corn on the firewood.

With the fan in my hand, I blew air on the firewood so that the fire can burn more strongly. When it did, I returned to facing mama. "So mama, tell me."

"I love Caro so much. I always have and always will. But while she was growing up, she thought I loved your father, Nonso, more. I haven't told you before, I had six children and out of those six, Nonso and Caro were the only ones that grew up to their adulthood before Nonso eventually died. Nonso happened to be the last born and the only male child that I gave birth to. Because of that, I showed him more attention so I wouldn't lose him like I lost the other girls. So Caro thought I loved him more than her and because of that she loathed Nonso."

I placed my elbows on my laps and rested my chin on my hands as I listened raptly.

"I noticed she was always making him cry while they were both growing up. Whenever I gave him anything and I didn't give her, she would hide somewhere to cry. She grew up with this bitterness and anger for her brother. Everyday, they'd fight. As a mother, I noticed there was no love between my children, so I called them and told them that I loved them both equally and that there shouldn't be strife between the both of them. Ah, check the corn o!" Her story telling voice was replaced with an exclaiming one as she pointed to the corn on the firewood.

That brought me back to the moment and I knelt down before the firewood, took down the corns and extinguished the fire.

I had my seat on the stool and handed mama one of the hot corn which I had wrapped in a newspaper.

"Thank you." She said and had a bite of the corn. "Hmm, the corn is sweet o."

I had a bite too and nodded my head in agreement with mama's compliment.

"Okay back to my story," Mama said, "So when Nonso gave birth to you, it looked like Caro was jealous because she hadn't bore a child yet. The hate grew even more."

"Please mama, don't tell me aunt Caro killed my father." I asked immediately.

"No no, I don't think so. I don't want to believe so. It wasn't Caro because she had moved to the city before your father died." Mama answered.

"Was he killed because he stole something from someone? Because aunt Caro and uncle Henry told that me my father was a thief before he died."

"They told you that?" Mama gave me an aghast look.

"Yes."

"Your father was no thief, don't mind them. He was a good and hardworking man. I have told you before, he and your mother died of food poisoning."

"Oh yes you have." Mama's account of that story flashed in my head again. How my father and mother went go a friends house together and when they returned, they started to vomit blood after which, they both died together. I hope karma had caught up with whoever was responsible for my parents death.

"So mama, please continue the story." I said, once I was done remembering.

"Well, I have told you the story of your father and your mother before. I'm not going into that today. But your father and mother died a year after they gave birth to you, leaving you in my care. At the time, you were terribly sick that you looked like you were going to die too. I had to take good care of you to ensure that you didn't go with your parents. I couldn't lose Nonso and then lose you to. I took it upon myself to ensure that you survived. Caro actually gave birth to the twins before Nonso died, so when she brought them to the village a year after—that was when I was taking care of you, she would always complain that I wasn't giving the same attention I was giving to you to her children. I even remember her saying that I didn't love her children. I tried making her understand that you were sick, so I had to take extra care of you, but she wasn't ready to understand that."

"It went on like that until she eventually left the village with her children. You wouldn't believe that was the last day Caro brought her children to the village. She would come with her husband, but never with her children. The last time I saw them was when I went to the city myself to pay them a visit and then, they were still very young. So you see my dear, I know aunt Caro is still pained because she thinks I love you more than her children, that's why I didn't want you to go to the city with her."

"But mama you should have told me this since." I said when I noticed mama was done talking. "I wouldn't have been excited to go to the city."

"I didn't tell you because I didn't want to paint Caro in a bad picture in your head. I didn't want you to see her as a bad person, which she really isn't. She's just bitter."

I sighed heavily. "Now I see the reason she treats me badly." That said, silence ensued in our midst. We were both lost in our different thoughts. "But mama," I broke the silence. "I still want to go to the city and continue my education. I like the school setting and environment in the city than here in the village."

"Hmm, abi you have a boyfriend there that you want to keep seeing." Mama said like she was so sure.

I snorted. "Ah no mama." I denied strongly.

"Hmm." She looked at me skeptically. "So man never toast you before?"

I snorted in laughter. "Maaama! Of course they have, but I didn't say yes to any."

"Remember to keep your virginity for your husband o. That's a woman's pride." She dragged her ears as she warned me.

"I know mama." I said and laughed.

"Anyway, if you like the city, you can go back. But if you have any problem, be sure to call me o." Mama said.

"I will."

****

The next day, I was busy with hanging my washed clothes on the line in front of the house and a handful of little children were playing in the big compound. The next thing I knew, one of the boys that look the eldest amongst them slapped one of the little girls. The girl burst out in tears.

"Hey why did you slap her?" I scolded the little boy.

The boy couldn't answer. He looked frightened. The little girl that was slapped picked up a big stone and aimed it at the cause of her tears.

"Hey drop that stone!" I instructed, but before I could even take any further step, she had hurled the stone already in the direction of the boy, but fortunately and unfortunately the boy dodged and instead of the stone hitting him, it hit mama's leg who was just coming back from fetching firewood from the farm.

"Ululu!" Mama yelped and fell down, dropping the firewood she was carrying on her head on the floor.

"Jesus!" I exclaimed and rushed to meet her. I crouched down before her to help her up.

All the little children scurried away.

"Ukpu mo! My leg o." Mama cried as she was sprawled on the floor.

"Ndo. Sorry." I told her. "All this children and play eh! Let me not see them here again o." I said to myself as I helped mama up.

Papa came out from inside the house and rushed towards us. "What happened?"

"My legs o!" Mama kept crying.

"What happened to your legs? What happened to her legs Daniella?" Papa asked me, as we both helped mama to her feet.

"A child mistakenly stoned her on the leg." I said.

"Ah! Every time I will those small children not to play roughly around here, now see, they have injured somebody and ran away. Let me just see them here again..." Papa said menacingly as we both walked mama into the house.

***

Mama winced as papa used a wet napkin to massage the spot where she was hit.

"Ndo." Papa said.

"Sorry." I said.

"Let's take you to your room, so you can have some rest." Papa said and we both walked mama to her room and helped her lay on the bed. I was worried about her not being able to walk again. That would be terrible.

Later in the night, I was laying down on the bed mama and I slept on. Mama was fast asleep. There was no power so everywhere was dark.

At the moment, I was on my phone chatting with Peter.

How is Lagos?

Are you asking how things are going for me over here in Lagos or you're asking how Lagos as a state is? Cuz I don't get.

I rolled my eyes as I read the text.

The first one. Who cares about how Lagos is?

I'm not okay at all. Asides from the fact that I really miss your beautiful face, I feel so alone and lonely in this house.

Aww, I wish I was there to fill in that loneliness. But don't you like hang out with your male friends? You guys can play football and do those things normal guys do.

No. But I do hang out with my female friends tho.

I felt a pang of jealousy hit me when I read that. I wasn't one to share things that I valued with anyone, not to mention Peter. Peter was one person I really cherished with all my heart. Call me possessive all you want, but I just couldn't stand the mere thought of him with another girl.

Oh, okay.

I sent the text to Peter and he replied immediately.

Hehe, are you jealous?

Are you trying to get me jealous? Cuz if you are, you're failing woefully. The fact that I'm your girlfriend doesn't mean you can't have female friends.

Who was I deluding? The fact that I was Peter's boyfriend meant he had to steer clear of anything in skirt.

Like you weren't jealous when you saw me with Prudence. Anyways, just kidding. To answer your question, well yeah, I do hang out with my guys. But that doesn't take away the loneliness I feel inside. It only helps me wile away time. My life is fucked up Daniella! Fucked up!

What can I say? I feel so sorry for you?

That's the last thing I want right now—to be pitied. I don't want anyone's pity.

Okay first I'm not anyone. And secondly, who says I was pitying you? Sha just have it in mind that I love you Peter and I'll always be here for you.

But you're not here now.

Look at this big head o! I'm in the village now. But at least, I'm still chatting with you to make you feel better.

I wish you were here with me right now.

Why?

I feel like kissing those soft lips of yours.

Pervert.

I'm no pervert. I just really want to kiss you.

Kiss your pillow!

Mtshew! So that's all you can say?

What do you expect me to say?

Must you just hurt me.

Did I? I'm sorry honey!

Honey? Ew! That sounds so old-fashioned. Is there not a better name you can call me?

A better name like big head?

What did I do to you today to deserve all these weird names?

You didn't tell me you love me back after I sent you an I love you message.

Oh that's why. I love you Daniella, you know that. I love you so much and I'd always be there for you. Have that at the back of your mind.

...