My Wicked Step Mother
Episode 9
My dad stood frozen at the door, his gaze was still fixed on his broken wedding pictures. He squeezed his fists and l knew he was seriously àngrily.
He does that whenever he had been upset by someone. “This is so wicked of you. Is this the woman you’ve brought into your house? Is this the way you quickly want to forget my daughter who had loved you with the whole of her heart? I’m ashamed,” grandma spat out àngrily as she made to hold me to herself.
“Honey…are you okay?” Sandra asked as she suddenly started to fidget. She left her son and went walking towards dad. Dad outrightly didn’t say anything.
“Honey…erm.. erm…” Sandra went stammering all the way as dad still kept on looking at the broken pieces on the floor.
“Who did this?” dad eventually spoke as he looked into Sandra’s eyes. She couldn’t say anything and she made attempts to touch my dad by the shoulder.
My dad looked at grandma and me and he went shaking his head. Sandra eventually touched him and dad immediately removed her hand from his body. I saw the shock in Sandra’s eyes, I loved what l was beginning to see.
A sudden crash broke the silence. Teddy had suddenly collapsed to the floor. Sandra went screaming at the top of her voice as she went running towards her son. Dad was shocked as well, I didn’t understand what was going on.
With the speed of light, Sandra went running up the stairs. Dad went to where Teddy who had fallen on the floor and he started beating his chest but no response.
I could see shock on grandma’s face. She stood like a statue watching what was going on. My body suddenly ran cold, I was really scared as l saw Teddy lying in dad’s hands like a dèad person.
Sandra went running down the stairs, she was holding something in her hand. “Give me my son,” Sandra screamed with a teary voice. She put a small plastic container in Teddy’s mouth. It was an inhaler.
She pressed it continuously into his mouth and the boy went jerking up. He was obviously dizzy, he was staring as if he didn’t know where he was anymore.
I felt a whole relief as he had finally opened his eyes. It was obvious dad had a lot on his mind. “What’s wrong with your son?” dad asked so perplexed. Sandra’s face wasn’t a welcoming one.
“He’s an asthmatic patient. I know I should have told you…” she began cryîng, those tears were real this time around, her whole body were still shaky. I felt some kind of pity for Teddy, he could dîe at any slightest mistake.
“But you shouldn’t have kept this from me, anything can happen to him. He’s living under my roof and I have every right to know,” my dad said àngrily as he looked at Sandra’s face.
Sandra wailed the more and I could see the sudden change in dad’s face. He drew nearer go her and he hugged her. I took a look around the house, my heart ached as l saw my mom’s pictures shattered on the floor.
It had ruined everything. Teddy had given room for dad to go gentle on Sandra. It was really the perfect opportunity for Dad to unleash his anger but Teddy had ruined everything.
“Anyways, we thank God for your son. Joy, come and show me my room, ” grandma said as she kept eyeing my dad and Sandra. Mr John had stood by the door watching all the drama.
He followed grandma and l upstairs as he made to dad’s room in order to drop his briefcase.
Grandma was to stay a week with us. Her presence in the house had brought peace of mind to me. I didn’t even want her to leave. I had discussed with her about my eagerness to know how to cook.
Grandma had been the one preparing delicious meals only for me. When she’s gone,I wouldn’t want to go back to the junks l usually eat.
It was on a weekend, grandma was already preparing to cook lunch. Dad had gone to work and Sandra was busy with the laundries while Teddy kept monitoring me and grandma with his extra large eyes.
Grandma and l made to head towards the kitchen when a voice suddenly called out to Grandma. “Grandma, can l also join you in the kitchen,” Teddy asked in a timid tone.
Grandma looked at me and l made to shake my head, telling her know. She looked at Teddy and signalled for him to come over with smiles on her face.
I hàted the fact that Teddy was with us. I know grandma didn’t want to make a small child feel bad by rejecting him, but I wasn’t cool with it.
“Now, Joy, go n bring out the frozen chicken,meat and per-boiled pepper from the deep freezer,” grandma commanded me to and I obediently went to bring them out.
“We want to cook soup now, a very delicious one. The first thing is to choose a suitable pot size, rinse it and put it on the fire. Then you pour your groundnut oil, let the oil be heated first then you pour in your perboiled pepper.”
Grandma finished saying and her phone suddenly went ringing. “Arhh, it’s your grandpa,” grandma said as she made to excuse herself from the kitchen.
Teddy stood without saying a word and l decided to proceed with what Grandma had said. l placed a pot on fire and I poured in half bottle of groundnut oil.
Teddy began to make disgusting sounds with his mouth and then began to whistle and laugh. I ignored him and continued with what I was doing.
I made sure the oil had been heated for long then I poured in the pepper. The mixture made a loud sound on the gas. Some of the pepper splashed on my hand and l prevented myself from screaming.
l didn’t want him to make jests of me. I started turning the pepper in the pot and I began sneezing constantly. The smoke was becoming unbearable, I had overheated the oil.
Teddy began holding his chest and I snorted at him. He started coughing really hard and l thought it was part of the silly noises he had been making to distract me.
He went down on his knees as he still kept on coughing. I dropped the spoon in my hand and I quickly went over to him. “Jeez, you are ashmatic, you shouldn’t have stayed here in the kitchen,” I said hastingly as l went near him.
He fell on the floor and it was as if he had passed out. I screamed at the top of my voice as l was extremely scared. Like flash, his mom dashed into the kitchen and she saw me beside her son.
“Joy! What have you done to my son ooo?” Sandra screamed as she went rushing at me. She pushed me away and l almost hit my head on the wall.
She immediately carried Teddy out of the kitchen and l followed her immediately. “Go and get me his inhaler on his table,” Sandra screamed at me.
I ran up the stairs and went into his room to get the inhaler. I rushed over to Sandra and l handed it over to her. She sprayed it into his mouth and he didn’t open his eyes.
Sandra got up and landed a shot slap on my face and went squeezing my blouse. “You wîtch, what did you do to my son?”
Grandma came out of the door leading to the backyard, she was surprised at what was going on. Sandra left me and went calling out her son’s name. I could see he was breathing fine already.
I didn’t know what to say but I just stared at them. I moved closer to Teddy and Sandra went pushing me away and l fell instantly to the floor. Grandma walked up to Sandra and gave her a hot slap.
“How dare you treat my granddaughter like that? Are you okay?” Grandma thundered aggrèssively at Sandra. Sandra held her cheek and got up to her feet.
She grabbed grandma by the neck and went screaming at the top of her voice, “nobody dares to slap me. Not even in my husband’s house.
I was still on the floor when dad walked in. Things were getting heated, I didn’t plan for all these to happen.
ROSANLA SEYI
