I was surprised. I was confused. I had no idea what mother’s game was. But I was too scared of her to speak up and ask her questions. Not with the other two big aunties present, my questions, if I dared to ask, could earn me a stinging slap for sure.
“Aunty, come in and sit down, please,” Aunty Florence said. Then, she turned to me, ”Rosemary, how are you?” “I am fine, ma,” I answered, looking away from her gaze.
“Hope you’re okay?” she asked, her gaze still fixed at me. I nodded in response. She turned to the other lady. “My friend, this is my young niece that I told you about, the one that was raped and now she’s pregnant.”
“Oh, my dear, so sorry about what happened to you, don’t worry, everything will be alright,” she said to me, putting her arm around my shoulder. Again, I simply nodded.
“Aunty, I am surprised to see you, hope no problem?” Aunty Florence asked, a puzzled look on her face.
“There is a new development, Florence, and only you can help me deal with the problem,” mother returned, her voice low and laden with grief.
“What is it this time, Aunty?”
“Rosemary’s father wants to take her to the doctor….” She topped.
“Okay, so, what’s the problem, I’m listening,” Aunty Florence urged her on.
“He wants to take her to the doctor for a D&C and he wants to do it the moment he returns from work today!”
“And you don’t want the pregnancy terminated, Aunty?” Aunty Florence’s friend asked.
“Of course, I don’t want it terminated. What if something happens to her? What if she is never able to conceive again?”
“But it will also be a big problem for her in the future when she is set to settle down and marry or is the boy who raped taking responsibility for the pregnancy?”
“For where? He has disappeared,” Aunty Florence replied.
Mother did not say anything. “So, Aunty, what do you want me to do now?” Aunty Florence asked her, breaking the silence.
“Please, let Rosemary stay here with you till you’re able to talk to your husband and take her with you to Lagos…”
“Ah! Aunty, that won’t be possible o! This is not my house now. And besides, what will you tell her father when he gets home and can’t find his daughter? Where will you tell him you took his child?”
“Don’t worry, I will take care of that, will you help me or not?” mother said with finality, turning to her sister.
“But, sister, this thing may not be as simple as you’re making it look like, her father will not…”
“Will you help me or not,” mother interjected before Aunty Florence was done talking.
I know Aunty Florence. She rarely liked to upset my mother. She never liked seeing her disturbed or unhappy. She was always looking out for my mother. But this was a much difficult situation for her.
“Okay, sister, so exactly what do you want me to do now?” she asked mother, her arms akimbo.
“Let her stay here with you and your friend for a while till everything cools down at home,” mother replied.
“Okay, then after that, what happens? Will she return home or she stays here to have the baby?” asked Aunty Florence. It was a good thing she asked, I was starting to wonder too what mother’s game plan was.
“I really don’t know yet,” mother responded. “If I am able to convince her father, then she returns home. But if I am not, she will probably end up with you in Lagos!”
“To have her baby?” Aunty Florence exclaimed, outraged at the way mother already had her script all laid out.
“But you and I already talked about this, Florence, why are you now sounding like you’re hearing this for the first time?”
“But I also told you, sister, that I will have to discuss with my husband first before I can take any decision on the issue. He pays the rent, not me!” Aunty Florence said to her sister. “And even this place that you’re saying she can stay, I don’t pay the rents either. We really need to sit down and evaluate this situation critically, it’s not as straightforward as you think.”
Mother was quiet. She was probably realizing for the first time that her plan may not be as simple as she thought.
“And even if somehow, you get away with this whole plan, how do you hope to keep her father quiet? How do you think he will take all of these?” Aunty Florence quizzed mother. All of her bravadoes had gone down now, she was scared she might not get help from her sister after all. And she was her only hope.
“I have told you I will handle her father. I will let him know of course that I took her away she knows she’s safe.”
“So, you don’t think he will give you any trouble if he suddenly realizes you have taken his child away from under his roof?”
“Of course, he will raise a lot of dust about it, but I will handle it. The question is, will you people let her stay here for a while or not?” she fired at her sister, and apparently including the friend too.
At first, there was some silence. Then, Aunty Florence’s friend cleared her throat and said, “It’s okay, ma, she can stay here for a while!”
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