Can we try again?

Thirty-six

"Where do you think you're coming from young lady?" My mum's voice boomed. I stopped in my tracks and gently placed the car seat with Jay on the floor. And then my bag.

"Good evening mum."

Let's start all this with a polite greeting, shall we?

She ignored my salute. "What is good about this evening? Samira where have you been? Where did you go to?"

I didn't respond.

"How can you leave the house," she continued furiously. "with Jameel and not tell anyone or let anyone know of your whereabouts. Since when? Eh Samira? Isn't that just a stupid thing to do." Her voice rose with every word.

"Mum, I'm sorry. I didn't know I would be going out. I would have told you this morning." I apologized.

"And where did you go?" She demanded.

"I went to see Ijeoma."

""I went to see Ijeoma"" she mimicked me. "What happened to her legs? Eh? Why couldn't she come to see you? She knows you have a little baby to look after. What was so important that you had to go all the way to her house to see her?"

Anger was already bubbling inside of me. I suppressed it and kept my voice in check. "Mummy she's not feeling well." I explained. "And you know if she could come to visit me, she would."

"Ehen," She eyed me. "So whilst you were there you didn't bother checking your phone abi. Didn't you see any missed calls? I called you like a million times, even your sister too. Why didn't you pick?"

"I didn't see it, mum. I didn't check my phone until . . ."

"And your sense did not even tell you to call your family and tell them where you are and let them know you're okay and not dead somewhere or been kidnapped."

If I didn't end it here, right now, and leave this place, I knew I'd say something nasty I'd regret. "Mum, I'm sorry, it won't happen again." I simply admitted.

"Oh it better not Samira, it better not, if you know what's good for you." She warned. "I don't know what even possessed you to take this little child outside. Couldn't you have found another way?"

"What? Like leave him with Alhaji?" I was so tempted to say this to her, but bit my tongue to stop myself.

I remained silent instead. It was unnecessary to want to fuel her anger any further by replying. I understood where she was coming from though. I should have told someone instead of having them worry about me.

My mum noticed my silence and probably took it for remorse. "I got back home and saw you were not at home. I was so worried." The tone of her voice softened a little bit. "I called and called and called. I thought something might have happened. And Alhaji said you went out around 1."

"Mum I didn't plan on staying away for very long. But there was serious traffic on the way back. And I honestly forgot to call or text. I didn't even see your call until I was already in the taxi. I'm sorry."

After a moment of silence, she then said, "Please! I beg you in the name of God, don't ever do that again. Don't scare me like that. I don't want to die of a heart attack o."

I nodded in understanding.

"Bring him." My mum said, referring to Jameel. I unbuckled him from his seat and passed him over to my mum.

I went straight upstairs, slightly annoyed. I knew I was at fault, but I didn't appreciate being shouted at.
I didn't even know who I was more annoyed with; myself for not telling anyone where I was or at my mum for yelling at me in that manner.