#CASSANDRA
Episode 51
On Tuesday of the following week, my mother showed up on her way to see Nora. I quickly offered to go with her, with the hope of using the opportunity to see my son whom Nora blatantly denied me the privilege of seeing.
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Nora was very happy to see my mother who was all smiles as they hugged strongly. She really was overjoyed to see my mother but her happiness never stopped her from showing her resentment towards me.
‘’mum you know David isn’t allowed in here. Why bring him along?’’ she quickly asked my mother, ignoring me.
‘’my dear, I do understand your position but please you can’t continue denying him the right to see his child. You have to allow him my dear, even if it is for once’’ she said to the angry girl who eyed me, breathed deeply and shrugged in resignation.
She quietly took us to her room where her little sister was playing with my boy.
‘’he was baptized on Saturday and I named him David just like you requested’’ she said to my mother who smiled with satisfaction.
‘’you are a very good and noble woman. I can’t believe you honored my request’’ my mother praised her as she carried my son while I silently watched on like a stranger, so touched but unable to contribute to the conversation.
I really was extremely touched and shaken as I heard my son’s name for the first time. I couldn’t believe Nora could be loyal and submissive even with the strong hatred she now felt for me. I couldn’t even make a move to touch my son. It was just as if I was scared of touching him, scared of staring at his face, scared of everything. My conscience really worked wonders on me that very moment.
‘’you no longer want to carry your son?’’ mum quickly asked with a smile. I composed myself, reached forward and carried little David, smiling foolishly as Nora, her sister and my mother watched me keenly.
Oh I was very, very nervous.
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‘’we have to talk’’ Nora suddenly said to me after some minutes. I nodded in agreement, handed over my child to my mother and followed her to the kitchen.
On getting to the kitchen, she stopped and faced me with a deeply colored face. I swallowed hard as I stared back at her, wondering what she intended to tell me that couldn’t be said before everyone.
‘’listen David, I don’t like the way you always show up here with the slightest opportunity you get. I hate embarrassing anyone but if you continue with the attitude, I won’t mind embarrassing you in front of your own mother. Please stay away from me and my child. I don’t want him to have anything to do with you. Respect yourself and stay away. I beg of you’’ she said seriously while I stared at her, unable to say a word. I just couldn’t say anything to her. She had every right to be arrogant and disrespectful, but I felt she was taking things too far.
My silence however kind of touched her. She breathed deeply, smiled and drew closer to me.
‘’I know I’m not in the best position to advise you but I can’t help it. You have reduced a lot. You are no longer as big as you used to be. I know things are not going well with you. But the worst mistake you made was falling in love with Cassandra. The girl is just something else. You can’t believe my sister has been seeing her all over the place with one doctor that just moved into this neighborhood two weeks ago. I don’t know how she can have the mind to hang out with another man in the same city you live in. Well maybe the guy is her relative I don’t know but you have to be careful. I don’t see Cassandra marrying a guy like you’’ she said softly, throwing me back with the news. I couldn’t believe my ears. I couldn’t believe her for some seconds. My heart simply froze as my head quickly did some calculations.
‘’I shouldn’t have told you this. I would have allowed you to find out things for yourself but I just can’t keep quiet anymore’’’ she added softly as I shook with rage.
‘’Cassandra was in Lagos two weeks ago. Yes she told me she travelled to get money from her cousin. Has Owerri now turned to Lagos?. How come she has the mind to be with another man in this city, knowing full well that this is a small world?. No, something isn’t adding up’’ I breathed furiously.
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I really wasn’t myself all through the rest of my stay at Nora’s house. My head was just full of thoughts and ideas. i badly needed to find out the truth. I badly needed to catch Cassandra red handed.
‘’But after catching her red-handed, what next?’’ I asked myself over and over as I drove to my shop, almost running over an old woman who was crossing the road without looking properly. I narrowly missed running over her because I wasn’t concentrating in my driving and had to stop to shout at her, but just couldn’t because she was too old to be shouted at. Instead I decided to caution her.
‘’please madam you have to mind how you cross the city roads. You almost put you and me in a very big danger’’ I advised. She smiled and looked at me.
‘’my son the danger you should be wary of, lives within you’’ she replied and walked away, leaving me guessing the meaning of her words..
To be continued
