TRAPPED- Episode 2
“David…David…David…” Mama tapped me trying to wake me up.
I could remember I came back to our room but couldn’t sleep immediately. I just sat down on the floor feeling very disturbed and later fell asleep.
“What are you doing on the floor…eeee…bare tiles…do you want to catch cold?” Mama said using the back of her palm to feel my body temperature
“I was feeling itchy” I lied.
“It’s 6:00am already…your daddy is waiting for us in the living room for morning devotion”
“Mummy Migwo” I greeted her
“Vrendo my son” she responded with a faint smile while she tapped my younger ones
I could see the misery in her eyes; she failed completely at trying to hide it from me. Morning devotion was the usual routine in our home. Papa never joked with it. As I heard Papa’s voice singing choruses in the living room, I suddenly remembered what he did to Mama at night.
“Mummy I don’t want to go for morning devotion” I voiced out
“Why” Mama’s face widened with surprise.She urged my younger ones to go ahead, turned to me and asked again.
“David …why don’t you want to go for morning devotion?”
“Papa is a bad man; I don’t want to go close to him”
“No David…your father is a very good man…don’t say that again…I have always warned you never to speak ill of your father”
“But he slapped you yesterday” I blotted out
Mama’s face changed immediately.
“Were you watching again?” Mama asked quietly
I nodded my head.
“Were your younger ones awake too”?
“No Mummy”
“You see David…. Just because your father slapped me yesterday does not mean he’s a bad man. He was trying to correct me …okay” she drew me close to her as she tried to convince me.
“What about the other times even the last time he used wire to flog you and you had injuries all over your body”
“It’s still the same thing David…your father wants me to be a good mother….so he corrects me each time I don’t act well” She tried to convince me further in a subtle manner.
Mama already knew I was a wise kid. She was always careful in her dealings with me. She knew I wasn’t convinced. That was not the first time I had such discussion with her. She was always quick to defend Papa. I didn’t want to argue with Mama as she had brought me up never to argue with her.
“Okay Mummy”
“Please don’t wear that look to the sitting room…I don’t want your father to feel I told you anything”
I quickly rearranged my facial expression as we joined the rest of the family because I didn’t want Papa to hurt mama again. Papa made faces at us as we came in; he was obviously angry that we had taken so much time to come out. Since he was in the spirit, he didn’t say anything.
TO BE CONTINUED…
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Written by Evelyn Ivie Ojo
