LOVE IN TIMES LIKE THIS (Episode 20)

Didi was barely two months old when her mother Atimma resumed work at the office.

Most times she was always with her grandmother; She bathe her, fed her and watched her sleep before she could wash her tiny clothes. While her father Harry cuddled her at midnights when she was awake.

Didi didn’t have a bond with her mother.

Harry became Worried as Atimma always came back home late, mostly at midnights.

He had resumed his pure water business, and most times he went to the markets and schools to sell them.

He thought of his daughter each time someone insulted him, abused him or made him feel inferior. he will hawked them to sell, so that he could afford her milk.

And every night, when he came back from selling water, his mother watched him lament about leg pains, headache and backache.

****

Rushing inside the house, Atimma found Harry’s mom in the kitchen. She had Didi girl tied to her back with a wrapper; she was holding a feeding bottle and hot water in a kettle, she was about to make Didi’s food.

“Mama what are you doing here in the kitchen with my child?” She asked rudely.

“I want to make her food.”

“She is too little to be tied to the back mama. That is why I bought baby roller and bouncers.”

“When I place her on those white people’s seats, she cries so much. She prefers my back Atimma.”

“No she doesn’t!” Atimma yelled and grabbed Didi girl out from her mother inlaw’s back. She pulled her into her arms.

“Come my little princess.” She teased.

When Didi opened her eyes and saw that it was her mother who was holding her, she cried out so loud. Atimma became surprise that her daughter doesn’t know her.

She put her hand at the back of her neck and tried to cuddle her, but Didi wept even the more.

“Give her to me!”Harry’s husky voice came in, he grabbed Didi from her and held her to his body. “Don’t you ever, talk to my mother like that Again! If you love your child so much, you should be coming back home early to cuddle her, feed her and bathe her!”

Atimma became silent for a while, she didn’t know what to say. She smelt of vodka and masculine perfume…Harry perceived it, but didn’t ask her about it.

Didi girl relaxed in the comfort of her father’s hands.

Harry’s mom walked into the room immediately with Didi’s formula in a feeding bottle. Harry handed Didi to his mom and she took her away to the sitting room.

“When is mama leaving my house, I am tired of seeing her face.” Atimma broke the silence, as she tried to remove her earrings from her ear.

“You must be insane. How can she leave, who will take care of my daughter?”

She gasped audibly. Harry’s face crumpling like a child.

“I will get a nanny.”

“A strange being will never ever take care of my child. My mother will. I wake every morning, toiling, walking around streets and hawking water like a child…for you, for my child, for my mother. At her age, she is suppose to be resting and enjoying the fruit of her labour. 

But she made the sacrifice of taking care of my child and you’re here blabbing nonsense.” He clenched his fists and anger suffused his features.

“Stop telling me your life history Harry. I am tired of always getting to hear of your pathetic life stories. How you hawk around the streets, how you do this and that…and blablabla..I wonder what you would have said if you were in my shoes. If you were the one who owned this place, or the car…maybe the world would have been at your feet…

but thanks be to God, he knows what you have become, if he had blessed you with wealth. He made you this way!” A faint light of a smile, tickled the corners of her mouth.

Anger burned Harry’s heart, he pushed her to the bed and almost landed a slap on her face.

“Don’t do that!” His mother’s voice came from behind.

A shiver, like a cold rigor, slip up Atimma’s spine. She shifted slowly out of the bed and walked to the kitchen.

“I curse the day I met you Harry. Take your daughter and leave my life!” She said in a choked voice, splashed water on her face, took her car keys and drove out.

You can read the next episode 21 here

By Vicky Bon

For previous episodes, click below:

Love in times like this (episode 1)

Love in times like this (Episode 10)

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