CHAPTER 1:
Hustling in Warri was no longer an option, especially now that Rebecca was planning on keeping the baby and Justina was demanding for increase in the baby’s upkeep.
Things were getting even more difficult. Walking around the house was becoming a dreadful idea, not with his mother looking at him as if being alive was a sin he was committing every day of his life.
Also, being out on the streets were becoming more unsafe. There is a kind of life you have lived that gives you a better understanding of how karma works. Seven of the boys he grew up with were dead. All killed during various gruesome fights. Many of them, Efe himself had indulged in. There was now this feeling, building right there in the corner of his belly, that one of these days, he was going to get into one of these fights and end up dead.
Luck has been his side these past years but even the luckiest men get killed too.
“You really are not disappointing me, you know?” his mother had asked a few nights ago.
“You see, right after the midwife finally managed to pull you out of my womb, I took one long look at you and all I saw was a very displeased infant. You really didn’t look as if you wanted to step into this world. It was there and then that I knew that you would have zero interest in making something meaningful out of your life.”
Unlike Justina’s, Rebecca’s pregnancy had been a secret. Rebecca was more patient and understanding. When Efe had explained to her that his mother would literally skin him alive if she learnt what he had done, she had agreed not allow his mother find out. That was, of course, until three months ago when she heard that Efe had gotten some other girl pregnant.
She figured since Efe didn’t respect her enough and had the balls to knock up some other girl, she too should not respect him enough to keep the baby a secret anymore. So one night, when Efe was in the kitchen doing dishes he heard a loud argument coming from the direction of their front door.
“Efefiom!!!” his mother screamed at the top of her lungs.
“Yes ma!” he answered running to meet her.
Efe took one quick look at his mother and then another quick look at Rebecca and her aunt who had appeared out of nowhere and were now standing in front of his mum and then he knew, instinctively, that tomorrow he would wake into a day that would begin the worst days of his life.
“Son. Is it true? Is that really your son the young lady is holding?”
“M…… mother I can explain…I…”
“So, it’s true then?” she said, looking for a place to sit as she was starting to lose her balance.
“Mother. it is not like that…”
“And to think I was telling your aunt last week that Efe doesn’t even know what a naked woman looks like.”
Rebecca who had been standing there with her aunt scornfully watching the drama between mother and son decided to jump into the interrogation at this point.
“Know what a naked woman looks like? I bet this one knows how many naked women look like. At least, I know for a fact that one of my friends Justina is carrying his child as we speak.”
“Efefiom?” his mother turned to him with tears swelling in both eyes.
“I am sorry ma, but your son is not exactly the saint you perceive him to be. Anyways, that is not what we are here to discuss. We only came to inform him that he will now also be taking part in taking care of this baby seeing how he loves to get girls pregnant. It is his son after all.”
And with that the two ladies turned their faces the other way and made their way out of the compound leaving Efe to stand helplessly a little distance from his mother who seemed to be lost in both her thoughts and the darkness that surrounded them.
Ejeh John Onuma 