Consequences

Chapter 43

"Mum, come and sit down." She quietly obeyed me like she understood what I was doing. I sighed as once again, I couldn't get the information I needed. I wasn't bothered about it anymore, I only cared about how my mother felt. 

"As I see it we all have pains, mum. And you, like me are not handling it well. And while I want answers to my pain, you are only suppressing your own pains." She looked at me as I got up and went to my room. I locked myself inside and went to lie down on my bed. 

I closed my eyes thinking about what transpired between me and my mother. It was the first time I had really challenged her. I slept with the thought of it until the next day.  I woke up still heavy with the thought of what happened. I wasn't in the mood to have breakfast, and so I decided to go out like that but my father called me.

"Tola?" I had to answer even though, I wanted to hurry out. When I got to the kitchen I greeted my parents and stood.

"Tola sit down and have breakfast before we go out." My father told me. I looked at him and then looked at my mother.

"I'm not so hungry but...,"

"At the company there is no restaurant so you just have to fill your stomach now." He interrupted.

"Okay, I'll just drink some tea." I replied. I sat down and drank a cup of tea. And while I drank my tea, I noticed my mother staring at me.

"Tola, did you sleep well?" She suddenly asked me. I turned and stared at her. 
"What type of a question is that?" My father asked, before I could reply.
"Did I ask you?" My mother asked back.
"But can't you see how bright her face is? That is evidence she slept well."
"Yes, but she didn't have dinner with us." I gave my mother a severe look, and she knew I wasn't happy. I sensed she wanted to bring up our little discussion to my father's knowledge. I didn't want a discussion so early in the day. And so I quickly drank my tea and got up.

"Dad are we going out together or should I take my car?"
"I think we can use my car. That is, if you will not leave earlier."
"Okay, then I'll wait for you in your car." I left my parents and went to sit down in my father's car. Finally alone I could only think of the discussion I had with my mother. Something about her behavior convinced me she was hiding something.

Deep in thought I hardly realized my father had got into the car. I was only aware of his presence when I heard the sound of the engine as he started the car.

"Tola, you are absent-minded this morning. Didn't I tell you to eat?"
"Yes, but I had no appetite." I replied. He sighed, like he didn't believe me.
"You were avoiding to speak to your mother at the breakfast table." I was startled.
"I wasn't." I answered.
"I noticed the look you gave her and felt you guys must have had a misunderstanding." I looked out of the window trying to decided whether to tell him what went on or not.

"Tola, always know your mother loves you. But she may not be like me who will listen to you. She will always try to anticipate you."

"I don't think I understand you, dad."
"I mean, for example, if you ask me a question I will try and give you an answer. Your mother will first want to know why you asked that question."

"You mean for her there's always a  hidden reason behind that question?"
"Something like that. But you don't have to blame her. That's who she is."

"And how have you been able to put up with her all these years?" I asked trying to figure out if there was something that happened in the past to make her be like that.

"Well, she's my wife, good or bad as it may be. I'm used to her way of doing things. And besides I'm the man of the house." I bent my head still worried about her attitude.

"Dad...," I paused as it was hard for me to ask him the question I had in mind. We arrived at his work place. As he drove into his parking lot, I decided to make an attempt and ask him, if she was troubled about something.

"Dad can I ask you a question?" He looked at his watch.

"Well, we still have five minutes before we go in so ask."
"I mean did anything happen to mum in the past?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Well considering what you just said about her, I was wondering if something happened to make her be like this."

"I don't know of anything that might have happened. But why?"
"Okay, shortly after I left you and went home, we had a discussion. She got angry and decided to call you."
"But she didn't call." he said
"I know. But that's because she had difficulty dialing the number."  The thoughtful look on his face told me perhaps he was trying to remember if something similar had  happened in the past. Then he shook his head.
"It's something I've never seen her do. But now that you've told me, I will keep an eye on her." I got down from the car and walked up to the entrance of the building.

It took him a few minutes to come down from the car. I waited for him so that we could go into the building together. Once inside, he told me he had arranged an office for me.

He then called one of the female staff to take me to my office. I got in and thanked the female staff and closed the door. Alone now inside the office, I walked up to the window and pulled back the curtains and looked outside.

It was a  bright new day outside and here  I was about to have a brand new start. I had to give myself peace and move on. But peace was something I could never have, until I had found out what happened to take Ola away from me.