Bed Of Lies (Domestic Violence)

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The shrill sound of the doorbell alerted Remilekun's attention to the door. He paused the movie he was watching and made a fast dash to the door. He unlocked it and came face to face with his Mother

"Welcome mom." He hugged her and felt her stiffen slightly like she was in pain. He stepped back inside so she could come in and he noticed that she walked with a lopsided gait

"Are you okay mom?" He enquired with concern for his mother's health

"Yes Rhan, I am fine." She replied slowly

"You don't look fine" He persisted

"Who inflicted these marks on your body mom?" He looked bewildered

"Don't bother me!" She snapped at him and tossed him the car key. "Make yourself useful and bring in my bags from the car."

"Not before you tell me who did this to you mom?"
Remilekun replied unmoving

"Remilekun Olusanya Justice!" Mrs. Olusanya snapped at her son once more

"Who are those turning my home to a roman fighting arena?" Granny BJ asked authoritatively as she came in from the kitchen, holding a small brown spatula which had grains of cooked rice stuck to its body. She was a stoutly energetic old woman of Sixty-five with thinning short gray hair marring every inch of her scalp. She looked at her daughter and grandson with a disapproving look.
"Omodara, we weren't expecting you. Please come to the kitchen and have a drink.'' She beckoned to her daughter. "Go and do what your mother asked you to, son." She said to her grandson before turning back into the kitchen with her daughter trailing slowly behind her

Remilekun didn't say more and turned to do as instructed; he was still baffled that grandma BJ didn't say a word about the marks all over her daughter's skin. He opened the car boot and was surprised by the number of suitcases she had packed; clearly, she was not here to take him home like she promised three weeks ago after dropping him here. The number of suitcases told him she had come to stay instead.
He picked up the first heavy suitcase and began to pull it laboriously inside

Meanwhile, Mrs. Olusanya and Grandma BJ were conversing in the kitchen in whispers

"What do you mean by you want stay here for a while?" Grandma BJ enquired from her daughter while carefully turning the rice she was cooking with her spatula. "What about your husband's house?"

"Nothing mother, I just want to cool off here for a while." Mrs Olusanya said as she took a cold bottled water from the chiller

"Your son has been cooling off here ever since he was born." Grandma BJ dropped the spatula on the kitchen table and faced her daughter "and now you? I won't allow it child."

"Mother, you know I am doing everything possible to see that my son comes home, but you know how hard it is" MrsOlusanya pleaded with her Mother

"Maybe you aren't trying hard enough Child." Granny BJ said stubbornly

"Here's what I get for even trying Mother." Mrs Olusanya said as she dropped the bottled water on the table. She pulled off her blouse and showed her Mother her chest and bare back which was covered with big blotchy marks

Granny BJ frowned. The marks looked nasty enough. "He did that to you?" She asked

"Yes Mother." Mrs Olusanya said as she pulled her blouse back on

"Only an animal does this to a woman, and you're his wife." Grandma BJ said with a look of distaste. "Why don't you just divorce him or better still make him seek psychological help?"

"You know I can't do that Mother. Family scandals are hot News; it could ruin our careers if News like that gets into the tabloids. I can't imagine the horrible things people would say. I'm a Medical doctor and a health counselor for crying out loud Mother. I advise women and children to speak up against any act of violence and unhealthy relationships meanwhile I'm a victim suffering in silence. You can imagine the shame once people find out."