My Wicked Step Mother
Episode 1
The night was a gloomy one. I had tried consoling myself, I had to start thinking positively, reassuring myself that everything was alright.
My parents were the most lovely and lively love birds I have ever seen. One never went out without the other except if they were going to work or something of urgency came up.
I was the only child and momma was pregnant with a baby. We would talk to one another like two adults and l was just 12 years old. Our mother and daughter relationship was a beautiful one.
The rain suddenly began to fall and my mind came back to reality. I remembered an old school teacher once said that, if we were in trouble or having bad thoughts and the rain suddenly begins to fall, definitely something wrong had happened.
I held my head with two hands as tears began to flow down. Suddenly the house telephone began to ring out and I dashed like flash to where it was. I picked it up and I heard the greatest shock of my life.
I suddenly went rolling on the floor as l was thrown into confusion. Mom and dad had been involved in an accident, they had gone on their usual night dates.
I picked up myself from the floor and ran out of the house. I went to the security man’s quarters and I began banging on his door.
“Who is that? Who is that?” the voice of the security man blared from behind the door. “Sir, my parents have been involved in accident,” I cried bitterly as l could see the expression of shock on his face.
“Wetin happen…how come…where dem dey…” the security man bombarded me with questions and I gave him the details that had been given to me by someone over the phone.
He suddenly rushed towards our house and l immediately followed him like an obedient sheep. “Where is the car key?” he asked as his whole body began to vibrate. “It’s here, it’s here,” I said as l pointed to a table beside the television sets.
We had four cars, dad had gone out in one and it was remaining three cars. The security man picked up a key and we made for one of the cars.
He drove outside the house and went back to lock the gates. We headed straight to the hospital and we rushed into it. We met with a lot of nurses who were busy with work.
A nurse suddenly came to us and asked if it was one us that picked the call she placed to our house. I responded that I was the one. She suddenly went shaking her head as she looked at me with pity.
“What happened…where are my parents?” l asked with a shaky voice. She gently took me to a corner to sit and she went in with our security man.
I was impatient and l got up from my seat. I moved to the room where the nurse had gone in and l placed my ear on the door. ” The body will be arranged. I’m so sorry for the loss. The husband is under medical attention, he survived it.
I barged into the room and the doctor that was on seat was in shock. ” who didn’t make it?” I screamed at the top of my voice as the nurse came approaching.
She started crying and she held me on both shoulders. “Your mother has gone to rest,” she said as she held me tightly.
A knock came on the door and another nurse came in. “Sir, the body is ready to be moved.” she said as she took her eyes to me, I could see pain in her eyes as she saw me. My eyes had gone swollen, I had cried a lot.
They exited the room and l followed suit. A person was placed on a stretcher and was covered with a white cloth. I rushed towards the stretcher and I removed the clothe.
My mom laid emotionless with blóod streaming out of her nose. I went bitterly, I was already growing weak.
“Mum… don’t do this to me. Please wake up…” l screamed as l began dragging her body up.
A nurse suddenly placed her hands on me and gently took my hands off my mom. She began consoling as l watched my mum being taken away on a stretcher.
I suddenly saw someone by the door of the room my mom was taken out from. It was a familiar face.
She was smiling at the sight of everything. She saw me looking at her and she suddenly started crying.
I fought with my memory to remember where I had seen her from. Why was she smiling?
ROSANLA SEYI
