Consequences

Chapter 15

Waking up to a new day always brings to me so much excitement and enthusiasm. And this Wednesday morning was no exception. I was in a good mood. I felt that way after the message I had sent to Ola during the night.

I convinced myself he must have replied and so I didn't bother to switch my phone on. I wanted to wait until I left the house. I prepared myself and went to join my parents at the breakfast table.

Having parents who are constantly watching your every mood is like being monitored 24 hours a day by a CCTV camera. At the breakfast table I noticed my mother stare at me from time to time, while I was eating. My father in his usual habit always ate quietly. He would only stare at me when he thought I had not eaten enough.

But my mother? She would stare and in her usual habit, make one or two comments. And right now, she was about to say something.

"Tola, you seem to be too happy this morning. Is there something I should know?" She asked. I knew where she wanted to go with this. Soon she would want to know if there was a guy who was taking advantage of me.

"I'm just feeling happy, that's all?" 

"Honey, she's a big girl now, she must have her reasons for being happy." My father said.

"Papa Tola? Don't you see how bright her face is?"

"So her face should look dull? You mean my daughter's face should look dull?"

"I mean it's too bright for my liking. There must be something wrong." I stood up from the table ready to go out.  I wanted to go out quickly to avoid any further observations and comments from my mother. But as I got up and greeted them and walked towards the front door, she called me. I turned and faced them. I noticed she was looking at my stomach.

"Tola?" she called, looking at my stomach.

"Yes mum?"

"Hope you are not pregnant?" My father looked at me and frowned almost to the point of getting angry.

"And how did you arrive at such a conclusion?" My father asked her, " My daughter, don't mind her, and go to where you are going."

"Papa Tola, no make me vex o."

"If you want to get angry, get angry. Tola, my dear go where you are going and don't listen to your mother."

I thanked my dad and went out. I knew my mother would insist on knowing if I was seeing someone. She would want to know who that guy was. And I knew until I gave her an answer, she would keep on insisting.

This eventually happened when I came back home. She was alone in the sitting room watching the television with her arms folded across her chest. Where was my dad? It appeared he wasn't in the house and this made me believe, she would use this time to talk to me.

"Hello mummy. " I greeted her. I was quickly heading towards my room when she stopped me.

"Tola, let's talk, woman to woman, now that your father is not in the house." she said

"Where did he go?" I asked not really wanting to engage in a discussion I already knew was about me.

"He went out is all I can tell you."

"Okay then, I'll be with you in a minute." I told her.

"Tola there's no time to waste come and sit down."

"Okay." I went to sit down beside her and waited for her to say something. But five minutes  passed and she didn't utter a word. Then she adjusted her voice and looked at me.

"Tola, you are a big girl now, but you are still my daughter. And besides you are not a man. So all this support you are getting from your father should not get into your head."