My Mother's Boyfriend

TORN TONES

BLESSING

I guess she was sent to pick me up instead of her mother. How circumstances compel each other into exposing secret things in this world! My mind is appalled. I am following her up timidly. She does not want me to catch up with her. She accidentally drops her phone and as try to pick it up for her, she almost falls down to reach for it before me. She trips and almost falls two times. My spirit is willing to laugh but my body has no inspiration to present the laughter to this sick world. 

"Blessing..." I carefully try to restore our blood ties. 

She smirks, shakes her head and walks straight forward. 

"I love you so much, I  am in deep regret right now."

"Just walk!" She shouts! 

Passers by stare at us in amusement. One old lady clad in goggles and an pink overall coat literally stops and turns to look at us. She raises her voice.

"Is everything okay young ladies?"  

"Yes granny." I respond.

"Take care of your friend." 

Her response irks me. The very person I am supposed to take care of is the very person I have pierced so painfully. It is going to be a pensive night considering that we are going to sleep in the same room, share the same clothes and beautification stuff. My hands are tied here. I can't ho back home. And I can't fail to go with her. My mind is racing and I have to come up with something compelling. Something touching. Something that will turn attention to me. 

"Blessing, when I get a boyfriend, you will be the first to sleep with him."

She stands and slightly turns her head to listen. I am rubbing my sweating palms and stealthily lifting my feet off the ground to approach her. She has turned violent and I know it. 

"Love, if beating me up could make you feel better...." 

She cuts in sharply.

"Nothing can make me feel better!"

"But I have offered the love of my love for your thighs."

"The love of your life that you do  not have? What type of man will you attract that would perfectly suit my oomph and style?"

"Tell me what you want me to do..." I beg.

"I am not a w***e like to sleep with just any Tom and d**k, especially d**k. I was cut from dignity."

"I am deeply sorry Blessing?"

"You are a w***e! You are loose! You are dirty!"

My anger is sparked. I am smiling but burning. Her voice is on rooftops. Strangers are staring at us. 

"You have to lower your voice please!" I stammer. 

"I will lower my voice when you raise your manners. You can raise your small titties on my man's chest like that and just expect mercy?!"

A roaring laughter turns me to the side of the road. Three cheeky girls are following up this roadside show! I cant stand this. It is more than shame. She is deflowering me properly, like an enraged wife to a maiden side chic. I briskly walk past her but she holds my crop top top stop me. My top is gets torn by the shoulder.

"b***h!" The girls shout in intervals. 

I try to hold back. But my feet are trembling, my veins are erect. I suddenly release a hot slap onto her pretty face. She raises her head slowly while her face is buried in her dreadlocks. She spits then laughs it off.

"You .....slapped.... me?" She takes calculated steps to wards me.

"I guess we should go home Blessing." I fill in.

I am watching her steps but I am not ready for this.

"We don't have to fight."

"But you started the fight.!"

"You angered me."

"That is why we must finish this."

The cheeky girls have crossed the road and moved nearer. They have grown into a crowd already. They are cheering on Blessing. They are hurling indescribable words towards me. I have to do something here. I am not used to public humiliation. She is being cheered on. They are standing behind her.

She is insulting me and its hysterical to them. All of a sudden, a bunch of girls run up to her and attack her with stiff hugs, the kind where you’re pulling away just as much as embracing, the kind Olympic gymnasts give, that say, “Great job on the high bars! Now I’m going to put poison in your face glitter!” It’s Blessing and those girls. She was kind of a loner, but she was dating the most popular boy at school, so the popular girls sort of took an interest in her.

She has whispered to them that I have laid him! I can tell it from the girls reaction. I take off. My feet save me!

The girls and their queen are right behind my back. The idea of public humiliation paints a scary picture in my mind. I I know I am not just running away from a fight, but from social media videos and hashtags. I am running away from cyber bulling and online trolling, that one is a fight I cannot win. That is a fight that could land me into a lasting depression and online blackout. 

"Stop b***h!"

"Why are you scared of facing your battle!"

"Stop!"

One of is really catching up with me. I am growing fainter. I do not want to stop but I do not want to run anymore. My nose are loosing breath. Strangers are getting attracted to all these mess and even boys are joining the 'chase' with their phone cameras ready. Some are already recording. 

I try to look behind and one boy come closer to me.

"Hey, what have you done?"

"They want to beat me." I barely speak these words. 

"Stop."

"I will beat them up for you."

"Just let me be."

I negotiate a corner on a college building ans he follows me up. He goes past me and stands at the front. He holds my hand and I temporarily stand.

"Stop, police might think you are a thief."

"I don't care!"

He holds my hand. The gang negotiates the corner and raise their voices on seeing me. They are enjoying it.

"Please, let my hand go. You do not understand."

"Follow me."

He dashes into a business building. I follow him up!