The Boy In Her Dreams

🌺 CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE 🌺

I watched mother and Jokpa as they stared at each other in silence. Mother sighed again and leaned backwards on the sofa.

Poor mother looked exasperated!

"It is a lie." Mother said. "Mr. Achebe just failed to trust his wife but outsiders.".

Jokpa immediately wore a small smile and leaned his head deeper into mother's stomach.

Sure, happy moment. I was still mad at mother!

I rolled my eyes. "Mother you haven't answered my question." I said.

"I have just one question, mother... Why?". I asked.

"Why did you keep hiding things from me, things you knew I deserved to know?". I asked.

Her gaze softened and I saw tears gather round her eyes. She immediately leaned her head backwards and took in a deep noisy breath, then exhaled.

She brought her gaze back to me and wore a ghost smile. I almost wouldn't have seen it, but I did, and it held nothing near happiness.

"I was trying to protect you, to prevent you from feeling the pain I managed to suppress when your father died, when you lost your memory, when you started having continuous nightmares, when I found out your father secretly had another family in another part of Nigeria." She paused. "And when I found out the cause of your nightmares.".

"If you thought you were in this alone." She continued. "You never were.".

And at that moment, I felt guilty, and so very stupid.

All this time, I kept hiding things from mother myself just so wouldn't have to feel the pain she just confessed she feels. And I let negative emotions blind me, I failed to actually reason about the fact that mother possibly felt hurt when she discovered the things I found out.

I didn't say anything, but rather embraced mother in a hug as I let streams of tears flow down my cheeks.

"I'm sorry for misunderstanding you, and for losing trust in you." I apologized.

"It's not your fault sweetie." She said. "But I accept your apology.".

                                   •°•°•
I stepped into the classroom with Jokpa's phone hidden in my school bag.

I had come to school early in the morning, so the class was scanty. My joy was that Evan and Sharon were in class too.

Nnadzwa and I would talk later.

I sauntered towards Sharon's desk located at the front of the classroom as Evan chatted away with her, seated on the top of her desk.

Their laughter rang through my ears like a harmonized song, and to me, it sounded like genuine happiness.

The times when we were all happy and laughing. Together.

I smiled widely as I hugged Evan from the back and stared at Sharon.

"Hi guys." I smiled. "What's up."

"We're good and I'm soo happy to see you. I can't express my gratitude enough for helping me find my brother." Sharon smiled warmly.

"You don't have to thank me." I smiled.

I brought my gaze to Evan, still resting my head on his shoulder, but my smile instantly fell on seeing the visible frown on Evan's face.

"Evan, what's wrong?" I asked.

He muttered a 'nothing' and pulled my hand away from shoulder, then shrugged my shoulder off.