Listen To Me

Chapter 12

Hope shivered as the harmattan breeze blew, howling as it went. She tightened her jacket around her body before proceeding to deep her brush in paint. As she stroked her canvas, her mind wandered.

It was last week when she blurted everything to Mama Ola. How her mother, Mama Unique, refused to listen to her when she had complaints about Efe. How nobody at home heard her. Mama Ola had lent a listening ear to her. She did not dismiss Hope's words like Mama Unique would do. For once in Hope's life, she felt relevant. Important.

Mama Ola had catered to her wounds. She told Hope to report the incident to her parents but Hope refused. Mama Ola had to swallow her anger. How can a child be so afraid to speak to her parents about her predicament? She had to endure being molested because of a mere business deal. What was a business deal compared to a child's life?

"I am going to report this incident to your parents." Mama Ola had said with conviction. "The boy that did this to you has to be arrested."

"Ma, please don't. My mom would kill me if anything happened to my father's business deal. This is a very important project." Hope pleaded.

"So, important that they don't mind you being raped? Is that family the only people that can fund their business?"

Hope knelt on the floor blocking Mama Ola who was about to rush out of the house, "Ma, please. I will make sure to be extra careful around him from now on. Just until the project is over."

Mama Ola stared regretfully at Hope. She sighed in resignation before going back into the house and taking a seat. "From now on, don't go anywhere without my son, Damilare." She said with no room for argument. Hope nodded in agreement. "What is that boy's name anyway?"

"Efe. I don't know his surname but we call his father Mr. Edosa."

"Mr. Edosa," Mama Ola drawled, "That name sounds familiar. I will tell my husband to help me dig into this." She reassured Hope. Hope nodded in gratitude.

Ever since that day, Damilare followed Hope everywhere except to her house. He would have if Mama Unique would let him in but she would not.

Thankfully, Efe has not shown his face in her house ever since Damilare beat him up. Mr. Edosa told her parents that he was mugged and beaten up by armed robbers but she knew better. Hope was not sure if Efe lied to his father or if his father was aware of what he did to her and decided to cover it up. Either way, Hope was wary of him.

Hope was in the middle of accentuating the curve of Akinjimi's eyebrow when she heard Mama Unique slam the front door, stumping to meet her outside. "Hope, why are you here idling around? Who is going to wash those plates on the sink?"

Without looking away from her painting, Hope answered, "It is Unique's turn to do the dishes."

"Can't you find another chore to do instead of doing this nonsense?" Mama Unique retorted. She paused when she realized something, "I never bought you art supplies and neither did your father, where did find these art supplies?"

Hope hesitated but she still answered, "Mama Ola bought them for me."

Mama Unique could not believe her ears. Come to think of it, is it not Akinjimi that Hope was painting? "Osanobua, woe to all my enemies. They will not put me to shame. Hope, repeat what you just said. Tell me why you are painting that village woman's child."

Hope was fed up with her mother's antics. She started packing the art supplies, "I said Mama Ola bought them for me as a gift and I am painting Akinjimi as a gift for her birthday." She said as she stood up to leave.

Her action aggravated Mama Unique which elicited her to give Hope a sound slap. Hope stumbled to the floor and her paint and brushes spilled on the ground.

Hope pushed back her pain and anger as she carefully picked up her things. Mama Unique was further annoyed that her daughter was ignoring her so she smacked her on the head, "Since when did you become so disrespectful? As I speak to you, go and return these things or better still throw them away." She said, sternly.

Mama Unique was about to walk away when her daughter's voice stopped, "I am not throwing them away neither am I returning them. They are mine." Hope retorted.

Mama Unique stared at Hope, baffled. She pointed to herself, "Are you talking back at your mother? As that woman bewitched you? If she has, I will beat that witchcraft out of your body." She said, taking off her slippers, hitting Hope all over her body. Hope squatted on the floor blocking her face from her mother's hits.

Papa Unique and Unique rushed outside when they heard the ruckus. Papa Unique held his wife, stopping her from inflicting any more injuries on Hope while Unique went to assist Hope.

"Ah, Mama Unique, what has Hope done to deserve such treatment?" Papa Unique exclaimed, his voice laced with fury. "How dare you beat her indiscriminately like that? Do you want to leave a scar on her beautiful skin?"

Mama Unique hissed, "Papa Unique, please do not yell at me instead you should yell at this devil child."

"It is your father's family that are devils." Papa Unique countered.

Mama Unique retied her wrapper around her chest, "God forbid, my father's people are not devils. It is this child," She said pointing at Hope, "That is a devil. Do you know that she has been accepting gifts from that wretched woman and she even dared to tell me that she is painting Akinjimi for her birthday? I will break her hands before she paints anything for that family."

Papa Unique shook his head at his wife in disdain, "So, you want to kill her because she accepted gifts from our neighbor? Why?"

"Why does that woman want to turn my daughter into her slave?"

"You are the one who has turned me into a slave," Hope exclaimed. Unique tried to stop her from saying anything but she struggled, "You are the one who has turned me into a slave in this house. You are never satisfied with anything I do."

Shock was an understatement, Mama Unique was jaw dropped, "Hope, are you seriously talking back at me?"

"Mummy, I am not talking back at you. I am talking to you. You asked why I'm doing things for Mama Ola and her family. Well unlike you, Mama Ola does not hit me for the most irrelevant things, she does not pressure me to do anything I am not comfortable with, she does not drag me while I'm eating, and she actually cares for me and regards my feelings. She gave me a gift. Mummy, when last did you gift me anything?" Hope said in tears. Her fair face was red and bloated. Snort was running down her face. Mama Unique was silent.

Hope continued, "Mama Ola is fond of all her children equally, she is content when they are successful and encourages them when they fail. She does not pamper the eldest and mistreat the youngest-"

Mama Unique cut in, "Are you calling me a bad mother?"

Everyone held their breaths as they anticipated Hope's response. From the look in Hope's eyes, it was not going to be a good response.

Hope stared at her mother dead in the eye, "You are not a bad mother." Everyone heaved a sigh of relief, "You are a terrible mother." she concluded before packing her things, and walking away. Leaving her parents lost for words and her sister shocked. Mama Unique gazed into space as if they told her that the Earth was a triangle.

Papa Unique was the first to wake up. He glanced at Mama Unique before walking inside shaking his head. Unique followed soon after leaving Mama Unique alone outside.

____

Happy Thursday y'all.

Thank you for giving my book a chance and a big thank you to all the amazing people who have shown support so far. I love you all.

Stay blessed,
Jenna❤️