MY YEARS WITHOUT YOU

Part 34- Beaten😞

        Welcome back my lovely people.
Let's begin....

It was almost Christmas, the 12th one without Nathan.

I tried to figure out fun ways to spend it this time around.
Previous times, I would spend it visiting Nathan.

But this time, he obliged me to find ways to make my life more interesting without having to think about him first and that's what I've planned to do.

Maybe a vacation would do the trick.
Probably with Nma.

That could have been possible only if Nma was still single.

That John Casper would not hear of it.

We would just have to hang out somewhere cool in odure or better still, I could travel back to stay with my mum.

I just pray she wouldn't start again with her usual remarrying topics.

"Yes, hello Nma" I said as I answered my phone.

"Please , Aunty Amara my mum is dying" he said amidst tears.

I sat up in my chair as my heart began to beat very fast.

"Danny? What's wrong with your mother?" I asked hurriedly.

"My mother" he said as the call ended.

I was uneasy .
what was wrong with her?

I rushed to get my keys and made for the car.

As I drove , I couldn't help but pray that she was okay and that whatever it was would be something I can deal with.

Getting there, I saw Nma struggling on the floor. She was holding her belly and crying bitterly.

Danny who was just 10 years old was trying hard to make her sit up while his little sister Cynthia was crying bitterly.

They were still on their school uniform.

"Nma, Nma what's wrong?" I asked when I got to her, but she didn't answer.

"Danny, what happened?" I asked tears forming in my eyes.

"I don't know,
The bus dropped us and when we came in, we saw her like this " the little boy stammered as he cried.

"What about your father? Have you called him?"

"He is not around. The phone was saying switched off"he replied.

"Nma, can you stand?" I said trying to lift her.

She just moaned in pain.

I managed to get her and the children into the car.
There was no one to drop them with so I had to take them along.

I tried reaching John, but his phone was switched off.

I drove to the hospital and they got her admitted.

Cynthia who was just 7 had stopped crying now.
I held her close and consoled her as I waited for the doctor to come out.

"Aunty Amara, I don't want my mother to die" Danny said so concerned.

"Don't worry, she is not going to die. Your mum would be fine" I said rubbing his head.

"Maybe it's my daddy that beat her again" Cynthia said crying.

I turned to her with my mouth wide open in surprise.

I was shocked.

Danny was giving her a look that read "talkative "

"Your Daddy beats your mum?" I asked almost shouting.

She nodded as she cleaned her eyes.

"Please aunty Amara, don't tell anybody. My mother would kill us if she finds out that you know.
She told us not to tell anybody" Danny pleaded with me.

I looked at him and I just couldn't resist the tears that were forming in my eyes.
How innocent?

"Ah,
that son of a bitch!" I cursed under my breath.

I was breathing heavily in anger.

I had to use this opportunity to get more information from them because Nma wouldn't speak about it.

"Does he beat her every time?" I asked Cynthia .

She hesitated as she looked at her brother for his consent.

"Not every time" Danny answered.

"But they are always quarrelling" he said  looking down.

"Most times, when we hear them shouting and come out, my mum would take us back inside and lock the door"

"But sometimes I would hear her shouting and crying" he continued.

"She would be saying don't kill me, don't kill me" Cynthia added.

There words made my anger grow more.

Was all these really happening and for how long?

"I hate my father.
Everything is always good when he travels for business, but when he comes back home, my mother becomes afraid."Danny confessed.

"He doesn't allow us to play. He even shouts at us every time. And sometimes he would beat Danny with his belt" Cynthia added.

And I looked at Danny who looked away.

"Does he beat you too?" I asked Cynthia.

"No" she replied.

"Why are they always fighting?" I asked.

"I asked my mummy and she said married people always fight" Danny said shrugging.

I looked away in disbelief.

I wondered how long this had been going on without my knowledge.

I looked at her children and thought of how much they have had to see under that roof.

Nma had always been one to grow annoyed about domestic violence.

Whenever we watch movies of abusive marriages, she's always screaming of how she would pack out if she was the one in such situation.

To think that she has been going through all these for years and continuously feeding me with lies.

I couldn't believe all I had just heard.

I had suspected such when I started seeing strange wounds on her body, but as always she denied.

I felt hurt.

To think that I even had something to do with that beast of a man.

My anger was growing and my heart pained me.

"I would deal with that fool if I ever lay my eyes on him" I said to myself.

"Have you guys eaten?" I asked them as I cleaned my eyes of the forming tears.

"No" they replied.

"Let's go and eat something" I said taking them to the hospital canteen.

I couldn't get all they had just told me away from my head.

I had to wait for a weak Nma to wake up first before I question further.

Hmmm,
I still wonder why people in abusive marriages find it so hard to walk away.

What can you say might be the reason?

Say NO❗ to all forms of abuse, be it physical, emotional, verbal, just any type.

Abuse can be very demeaning.

Women too abuse men, just so you know.
✌