Stronger Than Pain

Chapter Fifty Two

*Adaoma*

A sharp knock on the front door had me scampering to it. Aunty Mma, Mum, Zara and myself were seated at the sitting room watching a repeat of The Johnsons on African Magic.

"Who could it be?" Aunty Mma asked sighing at the expected disturbance.

"Ken maybe?" Mum teased laughing. Aunty eyed her and keyed into the laughter.

I grudgingly walked to the door, my mind still fused into Pablo's silly remarks as his words echoed through the verandah. I unbolted the door, quickly twisting and pulling it open.

And there stood grandma.

I swallowed hard, pulling my cheeks backward to force a smile. Grandma was unaffected with the smile as she stared hard at me.

"Won't you greet me?" She asked, a bit warmly.

"Yes... No I will. Good day Mama. Welcome"  I muttered.

She smiled and nodded. "I'm sure your mum is inside" She said walking past me and into the house.
****
Grandma laid down her fork beside her plate on the dining, her eyes dashing round the table, giving each of us a firm but brief look.

"Thanks Mma for the meal" She began forcing us all to stare up at her, with surprise. Grandma is never kind to my aunt, and the fact she even agreed to dine with us was a lot surprising too.

Then she cleared her throat. "Nne sorry, this can't wait till you finish, so we'll discuss as you eat"

I raised my eyes slowly, swiftly moving from grandma to mum. Mum just blinked as she nodded to her mum's request.

"Good" Grandma added, adjusting on her seat.

"Nne as you know, I am not pleased with you, at all!" she began shaking her head left to right with all vigor. "You kept your pregnancy away from me, your mother eh nwa m, Maka gini? (why?)"

Mum was silent, her hands resting beside her plate with the cutleries tossed in it. She was face flat, as though the plate held answers to grandma's question.

"What do you think people would say? That I allowed you to leave your husband's house and have his kids outside his home?"

"Mum, you should have known that I do not care anymore what people say; they can talk and gossip for all I care. The only thing I desire now is my sanity!" Mum replied, forcefully lifting her head off the plate to face her mum.

"Now you have his kids, four of them; what are you planning to do?" Grandma queried.

"Train them!" Mum was blunt.

"For him? So they can go back afterwards?" She paused, searching Mum's expression which she was good enough to keep blank. "Come off it Nneka, this battle no matter how hard you fight it never favors a woman. This is a man's world, and I won't be alive to let you make this mistake" Grandma barked.

"Thank God it is not in your place to decide what I do with my children Mama, I have decided to give them the little I can offer in life...

"Little? When their father can give them the best?"

"So the best to you is money Mama? Beating and killing is also part of the best eh? So my tears are also part of the best nne m (my mother)? Tell me?" Mum exploded.

Zara seemed lost as she stared from mum to grandma, her young eyes seeking for explanation. Aunty Mma had stopped eating, me too. Zara was still holding unto her spoon but from the look on her face, she'd lost her appetite too.

"It's all part of marriage Nneka." Grandma responded. "Do you know why you see everyone smiling on the street? It is because no one wants to say openly what they face in their marriages. No marriage is perfect! Be realistic here. I have been in this union for 49 years, yes and I am much more experienced than you! Wake up Nneka, or do you want another woman to take over your home?"