Diary of a Single Mum Episode 78
EPISODE 78
The memories are still vivid as if it keep on happening every day. The day he proposed wasn't something I expected to happen any time soon.
I never understood why Isaac was so interested in how matters stood with my mother. I chose not to say much because my mother was a difficult woman and I didn't know what she wanted of me. The more I kept out of her life, the more I stay out of her way which was better for both of us.
" Babe what do you think of us visiting your mother over the weekend?" Seriously his question over dinner took me unawares. He had no idea my mother wasn't somebody he would want to be in the same room with, not for now maybe later when things took a serious turn in our relationship. Introducing Isaac to my mother meant I had made myself vulnerable to her criticism and demeaning. This could be the third man in my life and to her it either meant I had serious problems on how to keep a man and make him put a ring on my finger or I simply wasn't woman enough for having two kids outside wedlock.I don't know why she made such conclusions on me. Can somebody make a man commit himself when commitment wasn't something on his mind yet? I don't think so.
" I don't think now is the right time to go there." I answered.
"Why not? I think it would be a nice surprise. Besides she will be happy to see her grandchildren."
Well my kids were not fond of my mother, until then I didn't realize that I was the cause of the gap between them.
I could see that Isaac was determined to go to Nkhatabay. It was a Wednesday so I only had Thursday to make preparations so that we leave on Friday evening.
Different thoughts were going through my mind at what drama tantrums my mother would throw this time. I hoped she didn't get to embarrass me in front of Isaac...
Friday came and when the kids went to school, I started packing. Isaac would pick us up at 5:30 pm and he hated to be kept waiting.
I prepared meals and set aside bottled water.
Beatrice didn't go to South Africa with her husband as they had planned because her pregnancy was in advanced stage and she couldn't travel. She had a baby girl a month later and I named her Ulunji wa Chiuta. They found a house for rent which was two bedroomed but it couldn't accommodate the other two wives and each of their two kids. They had to be sent to the village while awaiting for the husband to find a better paying job so they could afford a bigger house. Beatrice couldn't keep down her joy at having the man to herself after she had suffered bitterly at the hands of her co-wives. I told her that she had wished for herself to be tangled to a polygamous man so she didn't have to complain.
That Friday afternoon when I was waiting for the kids to be back from school, Beatrice came and wanted to join us. I told her not to because I didn't want her husband to think that I in anyway was enticing her to visit the village at such a short notice thereby undermining his authority.
I made a mental note to visit Joy's children at the village. I was prepared to face Peter's mother with whatever criticism she could throw at me.
I made the kids have early dinner. I didn't want any trouble as we had to start off on such a short notice. Right after eating Laurent fell asleep. It saved me from chasing him around the house as he had developed this habit of throwing the ball inside when I wasn't watching. He refused to play outside for fear of having it stolen by other kids.
Amanda was an angel relieving me the duty of picking plastic water guns and cars back into their toy box that found themselves scattered when Laurent was awake. I found this job tiresome as I had to be doing it everyday. Laurent only knew how to play but putting the toys back in order was a taboo. Sometimes I was tempted to hide the toy box, but when I did, his puppy face and adorable eyes would melt my heart with love as he begged me to give him the toys with promises of putting them back in order. I always gave in. # joysofmotherhood .
When Isaac came, we were ready. He picked Laurent to the car as I started loading the bags. Twenty minutes later we were good to go. I didn't see the need to call Ben and tell him that I was taking the kids away for a weekend because we weren't going to stay long.
We chatted and listened to music along the way until Amanda fall asleep around 11. Isaac needed me to continue talking to him so that he shouldn't fall asleep while driving. He took energizer drinks until ten hours later when we arrived in Nkhatabay. It was so quite with a full moon. The lake was also calm and standing at my mother's house looking beyond, we could see the shimmering lake lazily hitting the shore and sparkling like an outstretched slate of diamond.
I knocked while Isaac was unloading our bags and it seemed like my mother had been waiting for us all night. She took Laurent from my arms. He was awake now and looking puzzled at the woman who I told him was his granny. Amanda had some memories of her but she was also not used to seeing her around.
I put our things in the room which she had prepared for us. When I was back I found her kneeling at the far corner while she greeted Isaac. I watched in fascination because my mother had never kneeled when greeting Ben or Peter.
"Ma we will talk later. We just want to go to sleep... and please don't inform people early in the morning of my arrival. I don't want the whole village waking us up."
I told her because she had now started telling Isaac the history and gossip of the village. We went to bed.
******
I woke up from the sun blinding my eyes. Isaac wasn't beside me and neither were the kids in the bed next to ours.
I got up and made my way outside. Nobody was in the sitting room but voices could be heard outside. I smiled to myself.
My mother was sitting on a bamboo mat while Isaac sat on a stool not very far from her. Amanda and Laurent were sitting on the ground eating fresh mangoes.
" Morning sunshine." Isaac said as he beckoned me to sit next to Him.
"Morning love." Then pointing to the kids I said,"don't tell me that you will be finishing that whole basin."
"The way they are carrying on I'm sure those mangoes are in trouble."
I laughed. My mum said she had prepared breakfast boiled yams and bananas as well as roasted nuts. She had a pot of tea on the fire. I went to freshen up before joining them again to eat.
Later on when the kids were outside with others, fascinated by cattle and goats that one of my uncles owned, Isaac sought for a word with my mother.
"I'm sorry if it will take your time mama but I have to ask you of this thing that has brought me this far."
My heart started beating because Isaac had not first discussed with me whatever he wanted to tell my mother. I didn't say a word.
"Go ahead my son I'm listening."
Wonders shall never end. These two were already on mother and son basis.
"I know sometimes things are hard but that doesn't mean we have to give up in life." He began.
"Trust me that I have made this decision with a sound mind and its how I want things to remain for the rest of my life. Life may give us lemons when we expect apples but we won't feel the pain when we learn to make lemonade."
I had no idea where this conversation was driving to.
"What I'm trying to say is er...er would you be kind enough to consent for me to have your daughter's hand in marriage?"
The bombshell had been dropped. Immediately my mother stood up and started doing a dance around the house while singing and ullulating. I thought I was dreaming for I had no idea things were this serious. Personally I thought his decision was full of maturity and he wanted me to take him seriously by coming to my mother.
I was short of words as he came and gathered me in his arms. I was so happy.
*******
My mother called my uncle from my father's side and they set a date with Isaac when his people would come to pay lobola. My uncle loved money and alcohol so when he was offered a bottle of wine and some money, he was all smiles. He assured him that he would personally make sure nothing went wrong during the negotiations until Isaac had his bride in his house.
The date was set in three months time and I felt buoyant inside. My mother who looked like she had been waiting for this all her life as she couldn't stop smiling and she couldn't stop telling me how proud I had made her as her first born.
God is a God of second chances and He has great plans to bless us and make things right for us in His own divine time. I for one I'm one of testimonies...
wht's yours? if it's not here yet keep praying until God will do it.
The memories are still vivid as if it keep on happening every day. The day he proposed wasn't something I expected to happen any time soon.
I never understood why Isaac was so interested in how matters stood with my mother. I chose not to say much because my mother was a difficult woman and I didn't know what she wanted of me. The more I kept out of her life, the more I stay out of her way which was better for both of us.
" Babe what do you think of us visiting your mother over the weekend?" Seriously his question over dinner took me unawares. He had no idea my mother wasn't somebody he would want to be in the same room with, not for now maybe later when things took a serious turn in our relationship. Introducing Isaac to my mother meant I had made myself vulnerable to her criticism and demeaning. This could be the third man in my life and to her it either meant I had serious problems on how to keep a man and make him put a ring on my finger or I simply wasn't woman enough for having two kids outside wedlock.I don't know why she made such conclusions on me. Can somebody make a man commit himself when commitment wasn't something on his mind yet? I don't think so.
" I don't think now is the right time to go there." I answered.
"Why not? I think it would be a nice surprise. Besides she will be happy to see her grandchildren."
Well my kids were not fond of my mother, until then I didn't realize that I was the cause of the gap between them.
I could see that Isaac was determined to go to Nkhatabay. It was a Wednesday so I only had Thursday to make preparations so that we leave on Friday evening.
Different thoughts were going through my mind at what drama tantrums my mother would throw this time. I hoped she didn't get to embarrass me in front of Isaac...
Friday came and when the kids went to school, I started packing. Isaac would pick us up at 5:30 pm and he hated to be kept waiting.
I prepared meals and set aside bottled water.
Beatrice didn't go to South Africa with her husband as they had planned because her pregnancy was in advanced stage and she couldn't travel. She had a baby girl a month later and I named her Ulunji wa Chiuta. They found a house for rent which was two bedroomed but it couldn't accommodate the other two wives and each of their two kids. They had to be sent to the village while awaiting for the husband to find a better paying job so they could afford a bigger house. Beatrice couldn't keep down her joy at having the man to herself after she had suffered bitterly at the hands of her co-wives. I told her that she had wished for herself to be tangled to a polygamous man so she didn't have to complain.
That Friday afternoon when I was waiting for the kids to be back from school, Beatrice came and wanted to join us. I told her not to because I didn't want her husband to think that I in anyway was enticing her to visit the village at such a short notice thereby undermining his authority.
I made a mental note to visit Joy's children at the village. I was prepared to face Peter's mother with whatever criticism she could throw at me.
I made the kids have early dinner. I didn't want any trouble as we had to start off on such a short notice. Right after eating Laurent fell asleep. It saved me from chasing him around the house as he had developed this habit of throwing the ball inside when I wasn't watching. He refused to play outside for fear of having it stolen by other kids.
Amanda was an angel relieving me the duty of picking plastic water guns and cars back into their toy box that found themselves scattered when Laurent was awake. I found this job tiresome as I had to be doing it everyday. Laurent only knew how to play but putting the toys back in order was a taboo. Sometimes I was tempted to hide the toy box, but when I did, his puppy face and adorable eyes would melt my heart with love as he begged me to give him the toys with promises of putting them back in order. I always gave in. # joysofmotherhood .
When Isaac came, we were ready. He picked Laurent to the car as I started loading the bags. Twenty minutes later we were good to go. I didn't see the need to call Ben and tell him that I was taking the kids away for a weekend because we weren't going to stay long.
We chatted and listened to music along the way until Amanda fall asleep around 11. Isaac needed me to continue talking to him so that he shouldn't fall asleep while driving. He took energizer drinks until ten hours later when we arrived in Nkhatabay. It was so quite with a full moon. The lake was also calm and standing at my mother's house looking beyond, we could see the shimmering lake lazily hitting the shore and sparkling like an outstretched slate of diamond.
I knocked while Isaac was unloading our bags and it seemed like my mother had been waiting for us all night. She took Laurent from my arms. He was awake now and looking puzzled at the woman who I told him was his granny. Amanda had some memories of her but she was also not used to seeing her around.
I put our things in the room which she had prepared for us. When I was back I found her kneeling at the far corner while she greeted Isaac. I watched in fascination because my mother had never kneeled when greeting Ben or Peter.
"Ma we will talk later. We just want to go to sleep... and please don't inform people early in the morning of my arrival. I don't want the whole village waking us up."
I told her because she had now started telling Isaac the history and gossip of the village. We went to bed.
******
I woke up from the sun blinding my eyes. Isaac wasn't beside me and neither were the kids in the bed next to ours.
I got up and made my way outside. Nobody was in the sitting room but voices could be heard outside. I smiled to myself.
My mother was sitting on a bamboo mat while Isaac sat on a stool not very far from her. Amanda and Laurent were sitting on the ground eating fresh mangoes.
" Morning sunshine." Isaac said as he beckoned me to sit next to Him.
"Morning love." Then pointing to the kids I said,"don't tell me that you will be finishing that whole basin."
"The way they are carrying on I'm sure those mangoes are in trouble."
I laughed. My mum said she had prepared breakfast boiled yams and bananas as well as roasted nuts. She had a pot of tea on the fire. I went to freshen up before joining them again to eat.
Later on when the kids were outside with others, fascinated by cattle and goats that one of my uncles owned, Isaac sought for a word with my mother.
"I'm sorry if it will take your time mama but I have to ask you of this thing that has brought me this far."
My heart started beating because Isaac had not first discussed with me whatever he wanted to tell my mother. I didn't say a word.
"Go ahead my son I'm listening."
Wonders shall never end. These two were already on mother and son basis.
"I know sometimes things are hard but that doesn't mean we have to give up in life." He began.
"Trust me that I have made this decision with a sound mind and its how I want things to remain for the rest of my life. Life may give us lemons when we expect apples but we won't feel the pain when we learn to make lemonade."
I had no idea where this conversation was driving to.
"What I'm trying to say is er...er would you be kind enough to consent for me to have your daughter's hand in marriage?"
The bombshell had been dropped. Immediately my mother stood up and started doing a dance around the house while singing and ullulating. I thought I was dreaming for I had no idea things were this serious. Personally I thought his decision was full of maturity and he wanted me to take him seriously by coming to my mother.
I was short of words as he came and gathered me in his arms. I was so happy.
*******
My mother called my uncle from my father's side and they set a date with Isaac when his people would come to pay lobola. My uncle loved money and alcohol so when he was offered a bottle of wine and some money, he was all smiles. He assured him that he would personally make sure nothing went wrong during the negotiations until Isaac had his bride in his house.
The date was set in three months time and I felt buoyant inside. My mother who looked like she had been waiting for this all her life as she couldn't stop smiling and she couldn't stop telling me how proud I had made her as her first born.
God is a God of second chances and He has great plans to bless us and make things right for us in His own divine time. I for one I'm one of testimonies...
wht's yours? if it's not here yet keep praying until God will do it.
