“If it costs you your peace, it's too expensive.”
—Anonymous.

The sun had barely set when a knock came to the door. The woman outside was getting impatient when nobody came to open it. She knocked again. This time using both hands to hit the door brusquely.

May and Bella came out of their rooms at the same time. They stared at each other for a while.
Bella looked at her with hatred while May looked back with sad, bored eyes.

When a hard knock came to the door again, they both diverted their eyes to the door. Bella
flipped her hair backward and majestically sashayed to it, shaking her round butt in an attempt to make May jealous.

May yawned loudly, stretching her hands and body. Not even paying her attention. PHCN had
restored the power earlier, so she decided to charge her phone.

Bella's eyes instantly widened when she opened the door. She gasped, "Mama?"

Mama Edric; a surprisingly tall, chubby, dark-skinned woman in her late sixties had a black
turban tied tightly around her head. Her red blouse with its gold sequins and stones shone with multiple colors that matched with her judge wrapper and her red wedges that fit her feet perfectly.

Mama looked beautiful and bold. If it weren't for her grey hair and wrinkles, one would think she
was only forty-years-old. The energy she carried and how healthy she was, was a surprising
thing. Lastly, Mama was a no-nonsense woman. She's very sharp-tongued and wouldn't hesitate to strike if you ever crossed a line.

Mama eyed Bella and then hissed. She was expecting May or her son to open the door and welcome her in.

Bella moved to collect Mama's bag from her hands, feigning a respectful lady but Mama pushed
her aside. It shocked her.

"Do I know you?" Mama asked. "Please, don't come near me. It's my daughter-in-law and son that I am here to see. Not some cheap prostitute."

Bella tightened her lips and rolled her eyes. Mama’s words offended her. She took her seat and turned on the T.V.. Deciding that it was best to watch the morning preaching of Pastor Wale Feso than pay attention to Mama.

Mama looked over at May who was standing still and looking at her like she had just seen a ghost.

"My daughter, what are you doing there? Come on, come and greet your mother-in-law." She
called to her jovially, gesturing with her hand that was left hanging in the air because of the bag she was holding. May walked robotically to her, dragging her feet as she was still wondering
why mama decided to visit today.
Maryam hadn't told her about the call.

Getting to Mama, she dropped her knees halfway to the ground in a polite manner of greeting
and said, "Mama doh o. E koi dei. (Welcome, I greet you.)"

Mama patted her shoulder lightly as May collected the bag from her. "Thank you, my child."

As May was about to turn away, Mama pulled her back as she just noticed May's swollen eye and cheek. She touched her face lightly, in total shock.

Mama was flabbergasted. She'd known about her son’s behavior but didn't know it was this bad.
"My son did this to you?"

May only nodded in response.

"Ah!" Mama exclaimed, raising one hand to her head. "Edric has killed me. So he has turned into
something else. Today he will tell me why he has decided to turn into the devil himself. Why does he want to kill me before my time? His older and younger brothers are doing well with their families. What is wrong with him?!"

"Mama please lower your voice." May pleaded quietly. She didn't want Edric's wrath. Again.

"Lower?! Lower what?! Tell me! In fact, where is he? Where is he?!" Mama kept shouting.

Before May could tell her that Edric was in his room, Edric came out upon hearing that familiar voice. He squeezed his eyes shut and reopened it to be sure if he was really seeing his mother. Since he rented this apartment, Mama had barely stepped foot in here. She was only talking about paying a visit. Only when she had brought a pastor to pray for the house before her son and his family fully packed in had she actually entered.

"Mama? What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Ini bebe gban!" She yelled at him in her native dialect, Ijaw, telling him to shut up. "Is that a question? So I cannot come to my son’s house? And can't you greet? Is that how I raised you? eh?"

"Sorry, ma—"

"Sorry for yourself," she snapped.

Everyone became quiet. Watching and anticipating what would happen next.

May looked at her feet, not wanting to exchange eye contact with Edric before he'd accused her of asking Mama to visit.

"Where is my granddaughter?" Mama finally broke the lingering silence with a calm voice. Her
question directed to no one in particular.

Edric and Bella looked at May expectantly for an answer.

May spoke up. "She's still asleep. Last night, she caught a cold and catarrh."

"My daughter is sick and I am not aware?" Edric asked.

May snapped her eyes towards him. She protested in a quiet voice. "Even if I had told you,
nothing would've changed. You don’t care."

Edric's jaw tightened. "What did you say?" he asked, taking a few steps towards her. He looked like he was going to pounce on her but Mama stepped in front of her and raised her hand as a sign to stop.

He stopped.

"Edric. What do you think you’re doing? So you want to beat her in front of me? If you try that you will have to beat me too." Mama stated defiantly. Edric said nothing. He wasn't surprised that Mama was supporting her. It was a typical thing for her to do.

"I have heard about everything you've been doing. So you've decided to live a reckless life?" She pointed at Bella with distaste. "You choose this round thing you picked from the village over
your wife? Edric are you out of your mind? Who do you juju?"

Edric sighed in exasperation. "Mama are you here to insult me or are you here for—"

"I have come to take my grandchild." Mama interrupted him. "She's no longer safe here."

"What?" Edric asked.

"You heard me right." She turned to May. "Come on go and wake Maryam up. Tell her grandma is here. Pack her bags, she's leaving with me."

This was all too sudden for May. She didn't want her daughter to be taken from her. "What about
school?" she asked. Hoping that mama would take the hint.

"She will attend school there. Don't worry about that."

When May left, Mama turned to Edric whilst untying and retying her wrapper, as if to give him a
final warning.

"Whatever you sow today, remember you're going to reap it. You better sow a good seed so it
will bring forth good fruit."

Edric didn't read much into what she said. It sounded like a parable.

She shook her head pitifully and walked passed him to join May in Maryam's room.

"In my house Maryam, there is nothing like tea or indomie noodles for you to eat, o." Mama told Maryam playfully as May folded Maryam's clothes into her bag.

Maryam pouted. "What would I eat then?"

"Ah! We have Eba." Mama stated with a wide smile while counting with her fingers. "Fufu, starch, semovita, pounded yam, Ewedu soup, Kekefia, Amala, yellow soup—"

Mama was ready to go on and on but May cut in. "Ma … ma" May drawled. "Maryam isn't familiar with all those meals you're listing."

"Eh ... It's because you're always cooking noodles for her." Mama retorted and then turned to Maryam again who was now smiling. "Don't worry. After you stay with me for about a week
you'll get fat. Your mom and dad won't even recognize you when they see you again."

"But Grandma, do I really need to eat Eba?" Maryam asked, squeezing her face like only the
thought of it could make her puke.

Mama nodded in affirmative.

"Noooo Grandma, I like only golden morn."

Mama’s nose twitched. "Golden morn, ke? Are you a tata? Cause only newly born babies eat golden morn."

May laughed.

Mama then raised her two hands like she was about to flap it like a chicken. "You need to swallow Eba. It makes you strong. That's what Grandma has been eating."

Maryam laughed and Grandma laughed too.

A figure entered the room, disrupting their giggles and Mama looked up at her son with disgust.

"Mama. You cannot take Maryam away," he said matter-of-factly.

She raised her brows, questioningly. "And why is that?"

"You can't just come into my house and take away my daughter like that. And you didn't inform me before coming ..."

"So I need your permission first before coming to take my grandchild to go and spend some time with me?"

"Of course Mama."

"Okay fine. I am here now and I will take my grandchild to spend some time with me."

"But you did not inform me—"

"I just did. Case closed."

Edric glared at May before walking away. Leaving her to wonder why he did that. Was she the one that offended him?

"Am I Mama? Is Mama me?" she asked herself.

One thing Edric forgot was that if Mama sets her mind on something she won’t rest until it's done. No one can stop her easily.

"Mama, let me go with you."

"Yes Mama, let Mummy come too." Maryam sided with her mother.

Mama took May's hand and looked into her eyes. "As much as I would love you to follow us so
you could take care of Maryam yourself, but I don't want you to. Please you have to understand.
Marriage is for better or for worse. All these things happening to you now are the ups and downs of marriage."

May's eyes were filled to the brim with tears, she kept shaking her head sideways indicating she
wasn't in support of what Mama was saying. She wished Mama would understand.

"Don't leave Edric I beg you. I want you to stay with him. Try your best to be a good wife for
him. I know if you do all this, he will realize his mistakes and he'll come around."

May broke down. Maryam's eyes shone with tears too at seeing her mother hurt like this.

She wished Mama would take her mother too. Suddenly, she didn't feel like following Mama all that much anymore, but she knew she had no choice but to. Even her dad couldn't stop her
Grandma from taking her.

"Clear your tears, my child, please." Mama pleaded, using her handkerchief to wipe them away.

"Before I leave, I'll have another word with him." She assured. "I am sure he would listen to me.
He will change. Don't worry."

Maryam wrapped her arms around May's neck, hugging her. May buried her face into Maryam's hair, sniffing.

"I'll miss you. Be a good girl."

Maryam nodded.

May sat on her bed, watching Mama and Maryam leave the room. She wiped away each tear that rolled down from her eyes.

Still in her position, she heard voices vibrating through the walls and into her room. It seemed like Edric and Bella were having a silent argument.

She tried to listen to what they were talking about but couldn't pick out the words coherently. She decided to peek through the door.

Edric was looking outside the window, watching Mama and Maryam leave while Bella sat down with crossed legs and remote in hand. She was turned away from May so she couldn’t see her face.

"You stood there and said nothing—" She started but was cut off.

"This again? I thought that wasn’t a problem." He asked, not looking at her.

"Why wouldn't it be a problem? You’re supposed to defend me and you did not. Your mother
called me a round thing in front of your wife and you just stood there and said nothing. Why—"

"Stop it! Bella just stop." Edric shouted making May shake like she was the one being shouted
at. Bella didn't even flinch.

He turned to her now. "Weren't you there too? Did I stop you from talking? Why were you quiet? You could have said something if you needed someone else to."

There was a prolonged silence. Like Bella was thinking of what to say next.

"Fine," she raised both hands up in defeat, standing up and dropping the remote on the chair. "I am done with this. I am leaving until you come back to your senses. Don't come running to me like that cause I won't accept you until you transfer that money I asked from you to my account." She hissed and entered her room.

May wondered how it was so easy for Bella to talk back to him like that and even walk away
without getting the beating of a lifetime.

May gulped down the lump in her throat once Edric spotted her peeking. She decided to walk to
the kitchen and pretend like she was going to drink some water.

Edric words stopped her. "Who called Mama?"

"I don't know." She shook her head.

He took heavy steps towards her, his eyes burning with fury. She knelt down without being asked to.

"You're lying." He clenched his teeth so hard that his jaw hurt. His fingers dug into the creases of his palm and the veins in his neck and forehead bulged out.

"I am telling the truth," her voice quivered.

He wouldn’t believe that of course. All he knew was that she called Mama on the phone and told on him to her, and that's why she decided to show up today. Since this single visit from Mama has made him and Bella separate, he was furious at her.

He raised up his fist to hit her.

"Please. Edric I beg you." She continued pleading, raising one hand, trying to protect her face
from any further bruises.

Tears leaked from the sides of her eyes.

~~~~~

Glossary:

Juju means voodoo
Kekefia means Plantain with peppersoup.
Tata means baby

I dedicate this chapter to, LogicalYetDaring. She's been supportive. I love her so much.

The media above was done by Pat_is_positive. She has a book cover shop on her profile. Go request from her.

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