- Henry's POV -

I held mother like an egg as I took her up the stairs to my room. I got to the room she shared with my father and laid her down gently. After observing her a bit, I thought it'd be best to call Johnathan, the family doctor. "I'll go call Johnathan."

Mother stopped me as I was about leaving, by wrapping her hands on my wrist. I looked at my wrist and back at her if she needed anything. Water, maybe. "Son, you can't be with that girl."

I looked at my mother, "Why? Minutes ago you were all over her, praising her. Why all this talk all of a sudden?"

Mother let go of my wrist and then shook her head defiantly. "Y-you just can't date her, trust me."

I wish I could, but mother wasn't making sense at the moment. "I love that girl and she has gone through so much because of me. Got ridiculed and even got kidnapped."

"I don't care!" mother yelled, taking me off guard. This time, she moved her position to sit on her bed while resting her back on the bedboard. "You won't date her and that's final."

The door to the bedroom opened and dad walked in. He looked and mother then at me. "What's going on?"

"Ask your wife!" I knew my tone and language weren't appropriate but my mother was giving me very little to work with. "Why won't you let me date the one person I like?"

"Honey, I thought you liked her." My point exactly. I had never seen mum this way and she wasn't explaining her decision.

"Her family is no good," Mum turned to dad. "Their offspring won't be better."

"Mother," I sat beside her on her bed, with a gentle voice. "Can you please explain things to me? Why are you taking such a decision all of a sudden? I can't just call this off with Hope, I like her a lot. No, I love her."

Mother remained quiet, staring at nothing in particular. My eyes were filled with so much pain that it ached to see her in such a state. "Years ago far before I met you and your sisters, I was betrothed to a man in my village. Both he and my best friend betrayed me and had an affair behind my back. Hope is as a result of their betrayal."

        - Third Person POV -

Idara kicked a Pebble as she jumped happily down the hill to Essien's house. The latter had promised to braid her hair so she would look good for Ebong. She finally got to the cracked hut and clapped her hands four times to indicate her arrival.

"My very good friend," She kept clapping when Essien seemed to be taking too long, all this she spoke in Efik. "I wish my hair to be done before the night graces us with its black garment."

Ruffling came to the side of the hut and Essien revealed herself. Her hands were dirty because of the cocoa she'd been peeling in the backyard. "I could hear you from the back. Let me go wash my hands."

"Be fast, I need to look good for my betrothed." Essien's heart clenched but she was strong enough not to make it known. She lowered her body to fit the entrance of the hut, then brought out a smaller stool after she had washed her hands. Idara sat on the stool while Essien stood behind her so she could braid her hair beautifully.

Fifteen minutes into the braiding, Essien felt a disturbance in her stomach and her throat started to feel irritated. She quickly left the hair she was braiding and rushed to the side of the hut close to the bushes to empty her tummy through her mouth. Idara being concerned stood to have a look at her friend. "You are still sick?"

"I think this is a different sickness," Essien lied so her friend won't think about what the healer had said.

"What sickness is this?" Idara moved closer to Essien, to inspect her closely. "What if it's a dangerous one?"

"Don't worry about me," Essien reassured her friend. "I'll go back to the healer to get a mixture."

That day, both friends said nothing about Essien's case. Once Idara was done with her hair, she went up to her mother to give her a helping hand before deciding to give Ebong a surprising visit.

It was nightfall.

The Moon was full which gave everyone the delight to gather at the village square to play. Idara was tempted to join but she bet it'd be more fun if Ebong accompanied her.

She happily journeyed to Ebong's place, swinging her hands as she moved excitedly to show off her new hairstyle which was made by Essien. Closer to Ebong's compound, Idara stopped upon hearing familiar voices.

"You are the one I love and the one I want to get married to, my love." She heard her heart's voice. "This child is here to change my fate, our fate."

"I feel bad, Idara is my best friend." Idara knew the person talking. This was Essien's voice, this was her very good friend's voice. "Let's just tell her. Let her know the truth so our heart would be free from all this guilt."

"I know," Her heart spoke quietly. "Once the child starts growing in your womb, she's bound to ask questions. You are right, it's best to let her-"

Her heart stopped talking once she made her presence known. Essien was short of words and at the same time, wanted to explain things to her friend.

"You are my best friend," Idara swallowed as she felt her eyes stink. "And you do this to me?"

"The ten seas and beyond would bear me witness on how much I love Essien," Her heart spoke, making tears rush down idara's face. "Please, do not throw your anger on Essien but me."

"We were betrothed," Idara spoke quietly.

"Before we were born," Ebong tried saying. "The both of us loving each other weren't certain."

"But I love you," Idara cried as she rushed to her heart, but stopped when Ebong wrapped his arms around Essien.

"And my heart belongs to another," Idara felt her world collapsing. She was filled with a rush of anger and sadness. She ran as fast as she could out of Ebong's compound and up the heel far away from everyone.

She fell to her knees and cried bitterly at the betrayal caused by the two people she cherished so much. Soon the tears stopped and what enveloped Idara was pure hatred. Pure anger. She stared at the full moon shining down on her before discarding her clothes. Starting from her long flowing gown to her underwear, till she was completely naked. She kicked off her slippers and cleaned the tears off her eyes.

"I swear in the name of our fathers that betrothed you to me," Idara yelled while staring at the moon. "Ebong, you shall suffer! Everything you own, every riches you've inherited and have gained for yourself would be taken away from you! Your hands will no longer touch wealth and all you'll see in life would be hard Labour with no fruit!"

Idara tried hard to hold her tears. "Essien, you shall suffer! You will keep giving birth non-stop even with your lack of income! That child in your room will search and search but will never succeed in life!"

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I stared at mother with wide eyes while watching the tears stream down her soaked cheeks. "Ebong started to lose every good thing he had while I left the village for Lagos. That was how I met your father."

"Why didn't you tell me any of this?" Father moved closer to mother.

"This was a wound I wanted to close forever." Mother held her chest in agony. "You see why I don't want you anywhere near that girl? She'll bring you nothing but bad luck."

"I love her," I whispered. I knew my mother suffered and I felt sorry after hearing her story but, I loved Hope.

"I got hurt by her parents!" Mother cried in agony. "They-"

"They hurt you, I know that now and I'm sorry. But I love this girl, mother." I tried explaining but mother seemed adamant.

"You won't understand," mother shook her head. "She's cursed."

"You cursed her," I felt so frustrated at this point. "You either accept her and bless us. Cause with or without your blessings, I'll still be with her."

I walked out of the room feeling anger sipped through me. I understand mother perfectly well but this was the past. Why should Hope and I suffer for what we had no control over?

I got to the living room to see my sisters, Hope and John, sitting quietly on the couch. Some family dinner.

Olamide was the first to notice me, "How's mum?"

I got to Hope and held her hand, "We're leaving."

Of course, it took everyone by surprise. But I didn't give my sisters any chance to question me. I led Hope towards our car. Once in, I started the ignition and drove out of my family's home. Hope and I didn't speak throughout the drive but I knew she was aware that something was wrong.

Once I got to my place, I pulled the key out of the ignition but neither Hope nor I got out of the car.

"Your mother doesn't like me, does she?" Hope voiced out and I lowered my head a bit. A sad chuckle came out of her. "I've watched a lot of Nigerian movies to know when a mother doesn't like the woman her son brings home."

"She likes you," I couldn't watch Hope feeling this way. "It's just... just complicated."

"I was known to be the best in my department in the school. Try me." I scoffed seeing how she could joke in such a situation. Nonetheless, I took it on me to explain things to Hope. I made sure she was aware of everything my mother narrated in her room. Hope made no emotion once I was done, but I knew a thousand and one questions were roaming her head.

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Wow, so it turned out the lack of birth control wasn't on purpose but as a result of a curse, same with Hope and her family's predicament.

What do you think of this chapter and Henry's mother?

And do you think Henry was reasonable with his mother?

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Word count: 1777

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Eddy