ABUSED. Chapter 5

Mummy is the closest person to me and I have never kept anything from her; even the day I lost my virginity. But even I couldn't tell her about Kayode beating me as I was too ashamed and thought of the pressure she would put on me to leave him.  She was very happy to see me and I didn't realize how much I missed her until I saw her.

"Iya oko mi" she rushed out as we alighted from the bike in front of the house. Kayode stayed back to pay the okada guy and when he finished, he came beside me and prostrate flat on the bare ground.

"Ekaasan ma"

"Ha, oko mi. Ekaabo o bawo ni journey" mummy greeted him, asking me with her eyes silently for who he was. I signified that we would talk later.

"Journey was fine ma'am, e ku itoju Ile ma" he replied as we entered the sitting room and got instantly surrounded by my siblings. I dropped my carry on bag into my room and came back to do introductions.

"Mummy, this is Kayode, Kayode, this is my mum"

Kayode laughed "You don't even need to say it. You're a split image of her... She's just older and more beautiful"  we all laughed as I playfully pouted and gave him a dark look. In the evening, Kayode and I left the house to go look for a hotel around for the duration of his stay. Mummy questioned our decision but I reminded of her daddy's principalities; she agreed and told me not to stay out late.


We got a hotel around my area, settled down and assured him that I would come over early the next morning to take you to grandma's place.

"So who is he?" Mummy asked as I got back home later that night

"He's my boyfriend. We've been dating for almost a year and I'm very happy with him. I've met his parents and they're very loving people" I told her

"Hmmm... Odaa o. But don't you think you're rushing into this? O mo pe oja okunkun ni igbeyawo. But if you say you're happy with him, that's all that matters. He looks responsible enough sha"

"Mummy, I'm sure. E shaa maa gbadura fun mi" We talked more about him and she seemed satisfied with my descriptions of our life together. The next day was the remembrance and by 6am, I already got boo to our house where we all moved to the family house.

"Daddy nko?" He asked when he noticed my dad's absence again and I assured him that he just went ahead to help with the preparations. They eventually met; daddy gave him a thorough stare down and after seeing whatever he wanted to validate, he pulled him aside to grill him about him job, family and intentions for being with him. He was satisfied and in turn, I was happy that he met the approval of my family as I did his. The only person that was openly bitter towards him was the uncle I stayed with in Lagos and I kept begging him with my eyes not to cause a scene.

The remembrance was flawless and he got everyone hooked with his charming personality. In fact that night, daddy allowed him stay over at our place but he slept in my younger brother's room. We went to check out of the hotel the next morning and got dressed for Lagos. Mummy was sad but I assured her I'd come to check her again soon. My uncle stayed back in Lagos but called me aside and warmned me to be careful; that there was something dark he couldn't place about Kay.

I was happy to spend more time with Kayode. We got back to Lagos and I went back straight to my uncle's place, where I packed enough clothes to last me for a week and went back to Kayode's house. We met up after work for the rest of the week to go house hunting. Everything was perfect.

It was the weekend my uncle was coming back to Lagos and I was washing plates in front of the room. Kayode came out and leaned on the door frame and told me there was something he wanted to discuss with me before I leave for home.

"Very  soon, I want you to quit your job and come to work for me. I want to start an entertainment blog and I'm sure you're going to help a great deal in making things come together. Your boss doesn't value you anyways, so it's a win-win situation for you"

"Huh!" I exclaimed then burst out laughing, cackling loudly until I noticed that he wasn't laughing with me. "Wait, you're kidding abi? You want me to quit a job I've been doing for two years because you want me to come work for you? A job that has sustained me for two years? Because of what? Your selfish interest?" I burst out angrily and held the glass tumbler I was washing so hard I almost felt it crack.

"Haha...Jummy,why don't you just chill and let me explain what I mean?" he interjected, frowning and barely hiding his fast developing  anger.

"I don't even care!" I yelled. "All I heard is you telling me to quit my job. How am I  supposed to survive? I understand that you love me but you're taking  me away from what I love doing. I can't let you do that to me" I burst out angry again, unleashing the bitterness and reservations I thought I had buried. I entered the room and he followed me, pacing up and down the room in complete agitation.

"Baby chill jare, I just don't want anyone to have any sort of control over you. You know I love you and believe me, this is a step towards making our future secure together. You don't want to sabotage that, do you?" he tried to calm me down again but I was way beyond that. I pried the closet open and took out my carry on bag, angrily shoving my stuffs into it and glanced around the room to make sure I had all my things. I walked past him and he pulled day arm back, enraged and pulled his other hand into a tight fist -  a sign of barely restrained anger

"Are you trying to walk out on me?  Jummy you're testing me o... And you know you always start it" he growled and I almost caved, suddenly chilled with the dark cloud behind his eyes. I didn't answer him and attempted to walk out again when he pulled me back inside, raised his hand to slap me but was surprised when I raised my chin defiantly and moved closer to him.

"What? You want to beat me again? Try it and watch me slap you right back" I said with a courage I didn't know I had

He widened his eyes and stepped away from me. I slung by bag over my shoulder and left without a backward glance. I didn't notice until I got home that I still had my hair net on. That was our first big fight since we started dating.