Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite - 79

Monife was staring at the ceiling in her room when she heard her mother call her. She assumed it was because she had chopped the onions, blended the pepper and then floated out of the kitchen, forgetting to go back. These days, she was finding it hard to focus on any one thing. But her mother was not in the kitchen, so she went to check the living room. Her mother was not alone. Mo let out a breath.

‘Does Kalu know you are here?’ she said.

Amara, Kalu’s wife, was seated in the east living room. As was Kalu’s mother. In the first seconds, Mo noted a couple of things. Both women were dressed in pastels – Amara in a baby-pink and cream chiffon blouse and tweed skirt, Mrs K in a light green cotton dress – and both of them were wearing heavy gold jewellery; different colours and styles, and yet Mo had a strong feeling they had coordinated their outfits. The second thing she noticed was that Amara’s cheeks had filled out, but it only made her look that much more angelic. The third thing she observed was the intense way they were staring at her. They knew.

In addition to Kalu’s family, and Bunmi, her aunt and cousin were also seated. Aunty Kemi had served soft drinks and cake, probably as a matter of habit. No one had touched anything; it wasn’t that type of gathering. The air was still. No one had answered her question. Mo resisted the urge to run out of the house. She entered the room and sat on the only seat available, a lone armchair.

‘I suppose I should say good evening …’

‘He told us you are pregnant,’ Kalu’s mother began.

Mo raised her head and looked the older woman in the eye.

‘Yes.’

‘And you’re planning on keeping it?’

‘I think that’s none of your business, ma.’

‘How dare you?!’ Mrs K stood up so abruptly she almost knocked over the coffee table. ‘How dare you?! You have been after my son since day one. And even now that he is married, you will not let him go! You are an evil spirit. And now you want to use a child to hold him for ever.’ She turned to Mo’s mother. ‘Is this the kind of woman you brought up? Someone that wants to be a home-wrecker?’ Spit was flying out of her mouth. The features on her face had morphed into something quite terrible to look at.

‘She is not a bad girl,’ was her mother’s strained response.

‘She is sleeping with a married man!’

Her mother said no more, because of course there was no denying that. They were behaving as though she had drugged Kalu and climbed on top of him. Encouraged by the silence, Mrs K turned back to Mo. ‘Get rid of it.’

‘What?!’

‘I know a doctor. He is very discreet. No one will even—’

‘No.’

‘No?’

‘No.’

‘Monife,’ said her mother softly. ‘Maybe you should consider. Being a single mum, it’s not easy, I promise you. You can still meet someone else and start a proper …’

Mo stared at her until her mother’s words trailed off. What did she mean, ‘meet someone else’? The woman was talking as if they did not all live under the auspices of the curse. There would never be a someone else. If she hadn’t been able to make it work with the man of her dreams, she doubted she could make it work with some random dude.

‘Why do you hate me, ma?’ Mo said, turning to Kalu’s mother.

‘What?’

‘You have always hated me. And I didn’t do anything to you. Why?’

The older woman hesitated, then, ‘One day you will understand that you want the best for your child. It’s not personal.’

‘It’s very personal, ma. It could not be more personal. But I am not Kalu. I will not be bullied into doing your will.’

Amara stood up then. Her pregnancy was not so far along; and if she wasn’t resting her hand on her stomach, there would be no suggestion of a burgeoning baby. Even Ebun, who was almost done with her first trimester, had somehow retained her slim frame. ‘If you have this baby,’ she began, ‘I promise you, he will not see the child; you will struggle to get your child into the right schools, your child won’t have access to the things she would otherwise be entitled to, and eventually she will come to resent you.’

‘I see you’ve found your voice.’

‘I see you’ve lost your sense of shame.’

‘Enough!’ Ebun cried, startling everyone in the room. ‘Enough.’ There were tears running down her cheeks and Mo was genuinely surprised. Perhaps the hormones were getting to her. ‘Mo has said she is keeping the baby. I think you both should leave.’

Mrs K was already standing. Amara followed her gracefully – an angel with two broken wings. Once they had gone, Ebun came to Mo and wrapped her up in a hug. Mo tried to recall the last time she and her cousin had embraced; too long ago.

‘Did you know your people stopped by?’

Kalu was quiet. She could hear him breathing down the phone. ‘I’m sorry,’ he finally said. ‘They didn’t tell me where they were going.’

‘They asked me to abort your child.’

‘I’m sorry about that too.’

All the man knew how to do was apologise. She didn’t want to hear any more. She hung up.