It was just another Friday. The day had been anything but pleasant. It was a drag. As I dragged my feet along the undulating winding road that led to the house, I hoped to God, mummy would be In a good mood. This is a hope I carry every 13th day of March since I was five.
As I got close to the house, I made all effort to put some life into my slumping body. I remember four days ago when I had come home all broken like that before, the 13th had come early. Getting to the living room, it was empty, 'Mummy must be in the kitchen cooking, I thought. I staggered out into the passageway that led to the back of the house, but she wasn't in the kitchen. I just thought, maybe she went to see a friend, not that she had a bunch of them.
Normally, I would have gone to have my bath immediately, but I was just too broken, I needed to rest a bit. It was long before my sight became all fuzzy and hazy. By the time my sight became clear, two hours had passed; I had slept for two hours! On jumping off the bed, I began to collect new information from the room that I had somewhat missed.
Mummy never left her house this scattered. Her bag lay on the ground open with her day's earnings visible. Seem like she got them good today. As I made to remove the bag from the floor, that's when I saw it on top of the fridge; it was a note written in her hand.
"My dear Itua, you are a rare gem, a blessed child. Your brother is no less special. I had such high hopes for you guys when I had you in my womb. You were going to go to the best school and have your university education abroad. I had it all planned; how I was going to give you tips on how to land that girl you would be crushing. Who would have thought?
I know that some of my actions over the years have been questionable, but I have loved you both with the whole of my heart. But you have also been the source of my pain. Every time I look at you, I see his face, those well-arched eyebrows, those dimples and that smile of his that use to make me feel like a teenager. Initially, the memories helped dull the pain, but they soon became something else.
You remember it, don't you? Him going out the front door with the one luggage after withdrawing all of our life savings; telling us as he did "I'm never coming back". There were days I sat patiently on the balcony and look as far as I could, hoping to see him returning. How naive of me.
Image Source: https://depositphotos.com/39171729/stock-photo-tired-grey-hair-man-in.html
I have done my best to try and give you guys a good life and I have failed. God knows I tried. By now, you should be in the university studying, not breaking your body and future working at this age, just to help out. I have always told you he was a deadbeat of a dad, but no one will talk about how he failed, just how he left, but in my case, that's what will be said.
If I can't help, I won't add more burden to what you already live with. That's why I'm doing this. You would hate me for this probably, but someday you will understand. However, as I go away, I implore you to grant me this last wish, for no one will reward or acknowledge me for the years I had to be both father and mother. Do that which I've always asked you, this day every year; honour and reward me by dropping your father's name and taking mine.
Know this, my boy, If you do not, my soul will never find peace. Yours lovingly, mummy".
I stormed out of the house and looked all around, but she was nowhere to be found. I went in and pour myself some water to bathe. 'She must be at Mrs Kim, she needs to explain this. As I walked toward the bathroom, it kept ringing in my head, "I will never find peace". Lost in thoughts, I flung the bathroom door wide open without knocking, and there she was, laying lifelessly on the ground, a bottle in hand, with drools on the sides of her mouth. It all made sense in that instant. Immediately, I was overwhelmed with a floating dizzy feeling, and that was the last thing I remembered or saw.
Question: Is the mother right for asking the children to drop their deadbeat absentee father's name?
