FATIMA – Episode 20

©Miriam Edem

Episode XX.

 

®Do not repost without due acknowledgement or permission of the writer.

 

“Where is she?” My mom asked.

“At Calabar, my sister relocated with her there and presently she’s studying Nursing” Loveth mother replied.

 

“So how is it going to be? Should we go to Calabar to see her or?” Pastor Ola asked.

“No you don’t have to, she’ll be visiting me soon, when that happens I’ll let you know about it, is that okay?” Loveth mother asked.

 

“No problem, just call us” My dad uncle said.

“Sure, okay safe trip and thank you so much” Loveth mother said and we waved her finally and left. My mom was so uneasy in the car after we dropped our family members.

 

“Mommy say it out” I finally said.

“What if she’s deceiving us? We will have to do a DNA test on her to be sure, how can we just accept like that?” She asked and I rolled my eyes.

 

“You think she will lie that Silas had a child with her? It was obvious on her face that its the truth, and it looks like Loveth made her promise your husband won’t know about her” Pastor Ola said.

“That’s true, her hands were shaking, she was still scared thinking Loveth will be angry with her. Mom she is not lying and we have to bring that girl home” I added and my mom was quiet.

 

I left my baby at the pastor’s side and I was relieved they took care of him so well. He was sleeping when we arrived and I thanked the pastors daughter and went home with my mother.

My mother was not still herself and I couldn’t help but smile, within months there have been so much change in our lives that we have to adapt to at all cost. I have to adapt to be a single mother at my age, and she has to accept she has a grown up step daughter and I wonder what’s her fear exactly.

 

After a week, my mom had a call from the village that Loveth’s daughter is in the village. We told Pastor Ola about it and he accepted to go with us, but Sadly God’sgift wasn’t feeling too well and I could not go with them.

I expected them to arrive that evening but my mom called that the car broke down and they will have to sleep there. I asked how it went but they replied they will be home in the morning, God knows I was so nervous.

The next day I was bathing Godswill when the door opened and who I saw almost made me fall my baby, but I was relieved when I saw my mom followed at the back together with pastor Ola.

 

What! How can Loveth drop her exact replica on earth before she died? I wondered with my mouth opened.

“Fatima any problem?” Pastor Ola asked and I blinked my eyes.

 

“Welcome sir, mommy welcome, hi” I said waving at her.

“Good morning” the girl replied.

 

“Sorry about that, I was not expecting you to look so much like your mother, please forgive me” I said.

“No it’s fine, people who knows my mother always react that way that’s why my aunt took me far” she said.

 

“So Fatima you have a senior sis now, Patience that’s your sister” pastor Ola introduced.

“Wow, can I hug?” Patience asked.

 

“Sure why not! Sorry my hands are messed up” I replied and we hugged laughing.

“It feels so nice to have a senior sister, nice to have you back” I said.

 

“Thank you” she said and carried God’sgift while they watched.

“Look at them as if they’ve known each other before” Pastor Ola said and we laughed.

 

“Okay let me go get something prepared for us to eat” my mom said.

“So i’ll be going now” Pastor Ola said.

 

‘Ahhhh sir not like that na, at least have something to eat nau” I said getting up to meet him.

“Nah it’s okay, am not hungry Fatima” he said touching my shoulder.

 

“Hey God how can I say thank you for everything you’ve done, God bless you” I said.

“Where is that coming from Fatima? I believe our paths crossed for a purpose and it was not a mistake at all. I am so happy I joined in this adventure, and I should thank you for accepting me” Pastor Ola and I was already teary.

 

“Safe that tears ooo, else God’sgift will give it to you” Pastor Ola said and I laughed and hugged him.

“I and my sister will come visit later” I said.

 

“The door is always open, alright I’ll be going now” Pastor Ola said.

“Let me drop you off” My mom said and left with him.

 

I and Patience bonded so well, and if being understanding, loving and caring is a person, then its her. Through her I believed aunty Loveth was indeed a sweet soul, most importantly my mom had no problem with her, we were one peaceful family.

My mom insisted my father should be laid to rest soon, and together we gave him a befitting burial at his place. I sadly looked at Patience as she stood at his grave the next day and I touched her,

“I was looking for you inside” I said.

“Sorry I’ve been here thinking, would dad have loved and accepted me if he knew he had a child outside?” She asked and I smiled.

 

“Dad would have swept this earth to find you” I replied and she sniffed.

“But I could only see him in his coffin. Grandma used to say I have his eyes, I always wanted to see it” Patience said.

 

“Of course you do have his eyes, am sorry you could not experience how loving of a father he is, if he’s looking down on us now, he’ll be so glad and proud he has a beautiful daughter like you” I said and she laughed.

“Oya lets go stop teasing me” she said.

 

“But its the truth na” I said laughing as she was dragging me away. Patience decided to stay with her grandma before going back to school, I personally didn’t want that to happen, I didn’t know having a senior sister is that sweet.

 

I won’t say being a mother to God’sgift was so easy, the stares I get from people when I take my boy outside broke me. I saw myself not taking him out anymore so I can hide that shame. My Mom told Patience about it, and she didn’t waste time to shout on my head,

“What are you doing? You have a special child, a strong boy who survived everything to be with you, now you’re ashamed of your gift huh? Because of what? There’s saliva coming out from his mouth and you think other children are better off than him huh?” Patience asked and I covered my head on my palm.

 

“Sis you won’t understand, sometimes I bump into my school mates and what they see me carry is an imbeci……. ” don’t you dare call that child an imbecile again Fatima! In fact I am coming home” Patience said and dropped the call.

“Why is everyone angry with me? Do you know what it feels that when someone is excited to carry your baby, he or she will quickly return him back to you as if they touched dirt?” I asked my mother.

 

“Fatima, I never told you the journey will be so easy, you started so bravely and you’re letting people thought about you and your baby depress you why? Are we not encouraging you enough? What about your brothers, do they treat God’gift that way? You hear them calling on phone just to hear him cry and they are so eager to come home and play with him. What about Pastor Ola and his family, how do they treat him? Are you still looking outside to care about what others thinks about your baby when he is surrounded with love? Common Fatima, remember you said he’s God’s gift to you wonderfully created, always remember that my dear” my mom said touching me and I looked at my son and breathed out.

“Of course, I won’t let anyone bully my son or make him feel he’s not good enough” I said very determined.

 

“That’s my girl, go girl!” My mom said giving me a hi-five and we laughed waking God’sgift up while she ran away.

Just as Patience promised, she disturbed herself to come back home but something dropped in me and I shared it with her which she accepted it.

We took God’sgift to social media, we wrote inspirational things about him encouraging mothers who has children suffering from cerebral palsy to be strong and never feel ashamed of their baby. I was not ashamed to let them know am a young single mother, I got bashings also but its fine, but consistently we kept on pushing, taking God’sgift on photo shoots and my boy was already a small celebrity.

 

During his one year birthday celebration, I could not believe it. The love that was shown to my boy made me cry. I had so many calls because of him, gifts and people who came out to celebrate my imbecile child got my mom so shocked.

My baby became an inspiration to many and I was so proud of him. I began having invitations to speak on platforms encouraging women to unlock that child they think is not good enough, that child the society thinks is not important, and soon I was already writing books putting it up on online platform for sale.

 

I enrolled my child in the best school when he was 2, while Patience encouraged me to also go back to school. Before I could think about it, she registered me for Waec and I screamed my head off.

“Sis am not ready nauuu!” I shouted.

“Mom told me that I have an intelligent sister who kept beating the class back to back, you think I will let that go?” Patience asked.

 

“That was then nauu, a lot has happened and my brain don old” I said.

“Yet you sailed through them, who says you can’t do this also?” She asked and I smiled and hugged her.

 

“So mommy and son will be going to school? Sounds cool” I said.

“Of course, you know I have sense” she said hyping herself while I laughed.

 

3 years later, I was already in the university when I had a call from my mom that someone wants to see me.

Before then, there’s this generous anonymous person who keeps sponsoring I and my family to go on vacations outside the country. I didn’t know if its a man or a woman, and I’ve always wanted to know who this person is but rejected his/her offer on giving my son a scholarship. I wanted to be the one to take care of my son education.

 

When I got home, it was Daniel and a white woman I understood should be his mother. I just stood at the door laughing what I don’t know and walked up to my mother and greeted her.

“Welcome Fatima, you know them right?” My mom asked.

“For the guy yes, but for the woman I can only guess, but why are they here?” I asked.

 

“Fatima am so sorry, I.. I.. I don’t even know how to start explaining and there is absolutely nothing for me to explain I know, but am so sorry please” Daniel said going on his knees while I folded my arms looking at him.

“My dear, he told me everything and I wanted coming to see you but he didn’t have the guts to bring me to you. It’s painful and I am so sorry he put you through everything despite your young age, please we are so sorry” his mom spoke up.

 

“So he has the guts now after so many years because Fatima is a celebrity or what?” I asked.

“No Fatima, I didn’t know how to start apologizing so I thought sponsoring our son trips for vacation and paying his fees will give me a chance” Daniel replied and I gasped.

 

“Oh so its you? Oh my God I can’t believe this!” I said and wanted leaving immediately.

“Stop Fatima. You should know whatever happened in the past, it wasn’t your fault neither his fault. It’s okay to be angry, but its enough” my mom said and I looked at her.

 

“Are you serious? After all he did to me?” I asked.

“We all thank God for that, so what are you going to do now, will you continue getting angry or free yourself?” My mom asked and I breathed out.

 

“Fatima I can give you all the time in the world to think about it, I will understand” Daniel said and I looked at him.

‘I am too busy to think about anything, fine you’re forgiven, do you want to see your son?” I asked and Daniel gasped.

 

“You must be joking” his mother said.

“Unfortunately am not, I’ve just breathed it out now so life can move on freely” I said and Daniel quickly stood up.

 

“Thank you so much Fatima, I won’t take this for granted. Can I get a hug?” Daniel asked and I rolled my eyes.

“Sure” I said and hugged him and did same with his mother. Truth be told I can’t believe I can forgive Daniel like nothing happened and when Patience heard about it she was smiling all through.

 

“You know despite all dad did to my mother, she was not angry, she was only waiting for him to apologize” she said.

“Really? I seriously thought I will strangle Daniel if I set my eyes on him, stupid me” I said and fell on the bed laughing.

 

I and Daniel started afresh as friends, and I never knew he gat some daddy vibes in him. God’sgift became more happy with him, they went on trips together and his presence in our lives gave us a plus on our social platforms.

Soon Patience was already engaged and we had a wedding to plan, I couldn’t wait to be her chief bride maid, but just at the reception, Daniel gave me my pack of surprise…… An engagement ring!

When we returned, we only had a simple relationship and I never thought we can go back together so I won’t hurt myself, but its a lie, I said yes ooo!

 

They say God ways are mysterious, but I say its complicated yet wonderful. At first you won’t understand it, but at the long run it becomes clearer. Sometimes I wish my father were to be alive to witness all of this, it makes me sad but in all it thought us a lot and sharpened us for the best. I remember when I wanted ending it all, but MERCY SAID NO. Even when I didn’t deserve it, God showed me Mercy.

The wedding ended with praise with God’sgift with us, and we all lived happily ever after!!!!!

 

THE END

#milove