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I was a gentle boy and obedient to my mom .
When children are asked who they're scared of most between their mom and dad, their reply is always dad but for me I always chose my mom.
My dad wasn't a problem at all, he's cool, loving and caring and the exact opposite of my mom.
My mom is a woman of steel, a liquid metal and a lioness.
My mom's hand had a metal installed into it that when you receive a slap from her, you might lose hearing ability for a whole week, all you'll be hearing in your ear is a screeching sound. I remembered the day my teacher gave us an assignment, after giving us simple example that made everyone of us thought we already know it, the useless aunty na gave us work that was meant for higher classes.
I even had to recheck if it was the same thing that we're thought.
My mom always boast about been great in mathematics, tho I had to think twice before approaching her but aunty has promised all of us cane if we fail the assignment.
I made the wrong decision of approaching my mom to teach me the work.
I was first welcome with a slap that made me start seeing everything in double as she accused me of not paying attention in class.
Instead of her to teach me, she took my textbook and took from the simple example to teach me again and after she was through, she gave me classwork from the textbook instead of helping me to solve the ones that was given to me as assignment.
To cut the long story short, I partially became deaf for two weeks. During the two weeks, I always startling wake up in the midnight as I always felt someone hitting my cheek in dream.
Ever since then, I'll rather copy from my friends who had done their own rather ask my mom to teach me my assignment.
I always thought my mom to be a witch but I didn't have proof. The day I got the proof was a day I'll always live to remember.
It was a cool Saturday morning and we decided to eat bread and beans for breakfast.
Since we're short on foodstuffs, mom gave me money to go get a dirika of beans and three hundred naira bread from Iya Dami's shop that was closer to our house .
When I got to Iya Dami's shop, she didn't have what I wanted, so I decided to go get it at baba igbo,s place.
On the way to baba Igbo's shop was a small clearing where we always play football.
I saw my friends there, they just wanted to start playing football , I waved at them as I proceeded on my journey.
Baba Igbo had all I wanted, I bought everything and placed them inside the white polythene bag mom gave me and returned home.
" Pelumi, our team is yet to complete, we need just one person, come and play for us " my friends started pleading to me as I got to the clearing. It was a match between another neighbourhood against ours.
I love football but the fear of my mom is the beginning of wisdom.
" I can't, my mom sent me on an errand " I replied them.
" just once na, it will soon end and after they score us, you'll start going home " Lekan my bestfriend at home told me.
" just once ni oo and if we didn't score within five minutes I'll leave " I said and they all agreed. Little did I know that the devil was already soaking my cane inside water.
I dropped the polythene bag in my hand at a corner and joined them as we started playing football.
I was always regarded as little Messi because of my dribbling skills.
It was really fun as I dribble and scored the first goal for my team.
It felt like I scored the goal within the period of two minutes which means I still had three minutes left.
We continued playing and I bagged another goal, it was two zero down.
By this time, my brain had lost it functions as I was more engrossed in the match.
We stopped the match after we trashed our opponents fourteen goals to three , out of which I scored ten out of the goals.
My mumu friends were hailing me as we head to baba igbo shop to buy sachet water because the sun was now showing how wicked it could be, which we all drank to our satisfaction and mumu me was also feeling myself.
I was still drinking the water when I suddenly remembered that I was sent on an errand, I suddenly got choked by the water and I felt the ones inside my stomach coming out through my mouth, nose, eye and ear.
Like someone who was been chased by a Corona patient, I ran back to the clearing and met another magic. The polythene bag was nowhere to be found.
I ran back to my friends like a mad man and asked them if they had seen it and they claimed they didn't.
" could it be that the losers had taken it with them as a revenge for what I did to them " many thought was going through my mind as I also think of the size of the grave that will be dug for me before the end of the day.
I was still small to fit in six feet, maybe four will be enough.
I started sobbing as I thought of what I could do.
I saw one brother passing and asked him what time it is and he told me it was few minutes past two.
" is it in the afternoon " I asked the brother.
" no, it's in the midnight " he hissed as he continued with his journey.
I looked back and none of my friends was in view again. Even Lekan that pushed me into this calamity was gone.
I thought of killing myself instead of going home to die. At least it will be swift and lest painful.
I head to the bush closer to our camp nou stadium and pluck some leaves from the shrubs there and started chewing on it, but it was too bitter and could contain poison ,so I spit it out.
Maybe I should go in front of a moving truck, I thought to myself as I head to the main road, but I couldn't do it because the vehicles and trucks were moving at high speed, I'll die if jump in front of them.
I was completely soulless as I started parading the neighbourhood.
I felt like going to church and plead to our pastor to follow me home and beg but decided against it. The man will only add fuel to the fire.
I didn't know how the time fastforward itself but the sun suddenly disappeared and evening was drawing closer.
I decided to man up and return home to face the consequence of my action.
I was sure those passing beside me will be hearing the sound of my heartbeat, it was beating faster and louder.
" ahh, pelumi, where have you been since morning, your mom has been looking for you " Iya Dami whose shop was closer to our house clamoured as she saw me.
And right there, I saw my spirit moving out of my body.
" I no follow you they inside this one " the traitor said as it picked race and ran away.
My body suddenly became too heavy for my legs which now felt like cooked spaghetti to carry.
I dragged it as I head inside. I was trying to tiptoe but every of my footsteps felt like hitting hammer on a metal.
I didn't know our door was very noisy until that day as it creaked loudly as I opened it.
I made a cross sign and offered my last prayer before I entered .
I saw my mom sitting down on our three sitter with her legs on the table.
She was watching film, on the table was the polythene bag I took out to get the stuffs with the bread which was just remaining quarter of its size placed on the nylon, and beside it was a covered plate.
" she must have disappeared to the field and in her invincible form, took the nylon from the field without anyone seeing her " I concluded in my mind.
" ahh, Pelumi " my mom said standing up as she saw me, I felt like running outside to call our neighbours for help but my leg wasn't obeying my brain again as its stood transfixed to the spot.
" omo mi, where have you been since morning " she said moving closer with a caring tone.
I was left in a confused state as I stared at her
" you must be hungry, that's your food on the table " she said as she held my hand with care and made me sit on one of the chairs in the sitting room.
She placed a stool in front of me and placed the bread and the covered plate on it.
She uncovered the plate revealing the beans inside it. She even gave me water.
" omo mi, oya eat " she said as she returned to the three sitter and continued watching her film.
I've never for once thought that bread and beans could taste like bitter cola and bitter leaf extract , I couldn't chew but swallow.
After I was through with the food, I cleared the plate and sat down. My mind was telling me to run out of the house but one was telling me that she has forgiven me because if she hasn't, then she wouldn't have given me meal. Or she must have poisoned the meal and I'll die in no time.
Tho I knew my dad was travelling that day and would return on Monday but I felt like he should just disappear back into the house, if mom was still going to beat me, dad would be able to help me reduce it and if it was poison, he will demand antidote from her.
I couldn't stand up from the seat till it was night time. She asked me what we should prepare for dinner and I told her I was okay.
" alright " she said as she prepared rice for herself and ate it.
When it was nine, the stipulated time for me to sleep, I bid her goodnight and went into my room, a mistake I vouched never to commit again in my lifetime.
I prayed as usual and thank God for touching my mom's heart before I slept.
I was already long gone in the wonderland and had a dream that rain was falling but the funniest thing was that I was the only one getting drenched by the rain, all those beside me didn't get wet by the rain.
" wake up " someone said to me beside me and I opened my eye to see my mom in front of me with a bucket of water and a bailer in her hand.
I was thoroughly wet from head to toe and my bed was also wet.
" oshey, Mr Ronaldo the player " she said smiling as I opened my eye.
She dropped the bucket and bent down to pick some stuffs on the floor.
I knew that death had finally come knocking when I saw the weapons of mass destruction in her hand.
When the bible said Jesus will come back like a thief in the night, I didn't know that my mom was the jesus been referred to in the bible.
In her hand was belt, koboko, turning stick, one of her high heel shoe with a pointed tip, slim canes and a plank.
" mommy please " I started begging as I moved to the last angle of the wall.
Like Commando, she edge towards me with her weapons.
" shey you said I will not have peace, you too will be in pieces " she repeated as she hit me with all her weapons, and to worsen the case, she was also using her greatest weapon which was slap.
getting trashed in the midnight should be added to one thousand ways to die. No one will come to plead for you.
I finally shut my eye and woke up in a strange room.
I was on a bed with a small pipe attached to my wrist. The smell of the room wasn't normal at all.
I felt pain surging through every part of my body.
" you're awake " I heard someone said beside me and that was when I discovered that my right eye wouldn't open, I tried to forced it open but it felt like a big stone was placed on it.
I tilted my head to the right side so as to use my left eye see who it was . It was sister Zion my mom's sister.
" after five days, you've finally woken up " I heard sister Zion said shocking me.
The door suddenly open and I saw my mom enter with a doctor beside her.
" I'll make sure I pay the bills, just make sure that he wake up because I've not yet beaten him to my satisfaction " I heard her telling the doctor and I swiftly shut my eye back.
" sister mi, he has woken up " sister Zion with the tap mouth said.
" it's like thunder want to help me and fire your mouth " I said in my mind.
" who " my mom asked.
" Pelumi " she replied her.
" is like aunty you want to run mad abi " I said in my mind as I made sure my eye was shut.
" seems you drank pami before coming " I heard mom said probably to sister Zion because my eye was still shut.
" as I was saying jare doctor, make sure you give me a call when he wake up, he passed out even before I could do half of what's in my mind " I was shocked as I heard that.
" I just have to take him back home and continue from where we stopped , if he pass out again, I'll bring him and pay another money" she said before she and sister Zion left the hospital.
Ever since that day, I've been living at the hospital, I'll rather be in coma for the rest of my life than return home but Lekan, my God will judge you for asking me to come and play ball.
Written by Horluwa~P1
The end
©️ Horluwap1
