Chapter Three: The Mother's Anger
956 Words
The afternoon sun shone brightly over the village of Umunek as Isaac and Malika walked happily toward his family compound. Their fingers were intertwined, and laughter escaped Malika’s lips as Isaac whispered sweet words into her ears.
The moment they entered the compound, Isaac spotted his mother sitting under the mango tree. She was weaving a local mat carefully with dried raffia materials while humming softly to herself.
A bright smile appeared on Isaac’s face.
“Mama!” he called excitedly as he approached her with Malika beside him. “I brought someone special to meet you.”
Malika adjusted her wrapper proudly and forced a smile.
“Good afternoon, Mama.”
Isaac’s mother looked up slowly.
“Afternoon, my child,” she replied calmly.
Isaac grinned.
“Mama, this is Malika… my girlfriend.”
The older woman paused in surprise.
“Your girlfriend?” she asked slowly.
“Yes, Mama,” Isaac answered proudly. “The woman I love.”
Isaac’s mother forced a small smile.
“Oh… you are welcome, Malika.”
But instead of responding politely, Malika looked around the compound with slight disgust before turning to Isaac.
“Isaac, are you not going to give me a chair to sit on in your house?”
Isaac quickly nodded.
“Of course, my love. Let me bring one for you.”
He hurried inside immediately.
The moment he disappeared, Malika wrinkled her nose dramatically.
“Mama… what is smelling in this compound? I keep perceiving a terrible odour. Something smells like a dead rat.”
Isaac’s mother slowly lifted her eyes toward her.
“Are you referring to me as a dead rat?”
Malika pretended to look shocked.
“No, Mama. I didn’t mean you. I’m only saying something smells unpleasant. Please don’t misunderstand me.”
Isaac’s mother continued staring at her.
“Hmm… I thought you were insulting me.”
Malika laughed lightly.
“No, Mama. How can I insult my future mother-in-law?”
Isaac’s mother frowned immediately.
“Mother-in-law?” she repeated. “Has my son married you secretly without my knowledge?”
Malika smirked carelessly.
“Mama, you shouldn’t stress yourself too much. You need to focus on your aging.”
The words pierced deeply into the older woman’s heart. She felt insulted and humiliated, but before she could respond, Isaac returned carrying a wooden chair.
He placed it beside Malika carefully.
“Sit down, my love.”
Malika smiled sweetly.
“Thank you my love.”
The moment she sat down, she suddenly touched her shoulder dramatically.
“Ouch, Isaac… my shoulder hurts badly. Please massage it for me.”
Isaac immediately bent toward her with concern.
“I told you to stop stressing yourself too much, you are always over working yourself.”
He began massaging her shoulders tenderly while Malika relaxed comfortably.
Isaac’s mother watched the scene in disbelief.
Her face hardened with anger.
“What is the meaning of this nonsense?” she snapped. “I am sitting here, and both of you are behaving without shame!”
Isaac looked uncomfortable.
“Mama”
“I want to speak with you privately,” his mother interrupted angrily.
But Malika quickly spoke up.
“Mama, anything you want to say, say it here. Isaac is only helping me because I’m in pain.”
She pretended to wince dramatically.
Isaac’s mother scoffed loudly.
“Oh, I can see that both of you are shameless.”
Malika folded her arms and looked at Isaac.
“Isaac, is this how your mother nags all the time? Just like my own mother?”
That statement was the final straw.
Isaac’s mother stood up angrily and grabbed Isaac by the arm.
“Come with me!”
She dragged him a few steps away from Malika before lowering her voice.
“Isaac, what is the meaning of this?” she demanded angrily. “What are you doing with that bag of nonsense called Malika?”
Isaac frowned immediately.
“Mama, don’t insult her.”
“I will insult her!” his mother fired back. “I don’t like that girl. She is rude, disrespectful, and arrogant. Send her away from my house!”
Isaac shook his head stubbornly.
“No, Mama. I love Malika. I want to settle down with her and spend the rest of my life with her.”
His mother stared at him with disappointment.
“And that life of yours will never know peace if you marry that girl,” she warned. “That girl will bring you nothing but trouble.”
She pointed angrily toward Malika.
“Take her out of my house immediately!”
Malika rolled her eyes.
“Mama, stop shouting. It’s not good for your old age.”
The older woman froze.
Then suddenly, her anger exploded.
“Okay!” she shouted. “I will not shout!”
She stormed into her hut furiously.
A few seconds later, she emerged holding a long, thick stick.
Isaac’s eyes widened.
“Mama!”
“You two should get out of my house!” she screamed, charging toward them with the stick.
Malika jumped up in fear.
“Isaac!”
Isaac grabbed her hand immediately, and both of them ran around the compound while Isaac’s mother chased after them angrily with the stick raised high in the air.
“Leave my house!” she yelled repeatedly.
Villagers passing nearby stopped to watch the dramatic scene as Isaac and Malika finally escaped through the compound entrance like two frightened children being chased by a mad spirit.
Breathing heavily outside the compound, Malika turned angrily toward Isaac.
“Your mother is crazy!”
But Isaac remained silent, torn between the woman he loved… and the mother who raised him.
- Writer
