Time stopped, the air became thick as Dalia stared at her phone, lost in thoughts and trembling till her phone lit up in her hands ringing.
It was her mum.
“Mum?” she answered at first ring.
“How are you? Are you at home now?” Her mum replied.
“Yes, I just got home and about to enter my flat” she replied as she picked up her keys that fell to the ground, for some reason speaking with her mum made her feel somewhat safe.
“Good, I’m downstairs I will ring the door when I get to your floor.” Her mum said with glee.
“Now? You’re here?” Not to sound ungrateful because she was deeply needing company but her mum taking her by surprise was not on her mind.
“Before? Since you don’t want to come to visit me, I said I will come and visit you”, her mum replied before hanging up the call.
Dalia quickly opened her flat then closed it behind her, looking around the apartment to be sure everything was in place, she sighted some clothes on the bean chair and with her bag and shoes in hands she moved towards the chair to pick the clothes up before heading to her bedroom. Forget being an independent woman, her mum had a way of making her feel like a child whenever she came visiting and complaining about the state of the house was her thing before suggesting she moved back in because she could not maintain a home.
She got out of her wrap dress and while she was changing into her robe the bell rang, she rushed back to the living room to open the door for her mum.
“Mummy, good evening” she hugged her mum, and dwelled in the embrace a bit longer.
“Good evening, how are you? Are you okay?” Her mum asked when she felt her daughter linger in the embrace.
“I’m fine, I just miss you mum.” Dalia replied coming out of the embrace and collecting the two big bags she held then walking her to the couch. She could feel her mums gaze on her while she led her to the couch.
“You miss me, you miss me yet it’s your father you call the most, even when I call you’ll tell me that you’re busy and will call back but never do” her mum said in her tone when she was about to blackmail, Dalia was used to the tone that her automatic response was to roll her eyes.
“Don’t roll your eyes oh, on Sunday did I not call you? Did you not say you would call back when you got home? Did you? Rather I had to sit in the parlour and listen as you and your father went on about the date, that I asked you about oh!”
“Ah. Mum! I’m sorry I completely forgot!” She really did forget.
“Why won’t you forget when it’s only your father you know, how can a woman bring her child that looks like her into this world and yet her child chooses to be closer to the Dad instead, it’s only your Dad you know na”.
“Ok mum, I’m sorry I should have called, forgive me” Dalia sighed as she apologized.
“Anyways I came today to discuss certain things with you, because….
Their talk was interrupted by a call from Dalia’s phone, she looked at it and saw it was not a familiar number which triggered her to remember the text message she had received earlier, she felt instant chills again but shoved it aside as she picked up the call.
“Hello” She replied to the phone with hesitation.
“Hello Ma, my name is Bukky from Spancare luxury, am I speaking with Miss Dalia? Came the cheery voice from the phone
“This is she” Dalia replied with a sigh of relief.
“I was calling to inform you that the masseuse will be at your location in under 30 minutes, I also want to know if she will be requiring a passcode to get to you.”
“No she won’t, but I will drop the name with the security so they expect her.”
“Alright ma. Thank you and enjoy the rest of your day.”
Dalia ended the call to meet her mum staring at her.
“Mum, what is it?”
“Tell me about this date, you never tell me anything” her mum replied.
“It was just to the movies, it was not a date.”
“Ehen, since when is going to the cinema with a man not a date, is he your friend?”
“Yes mum, he’s a new friend.”
“So you don’t know what he wants yet?” Her mum quizzed her with doubt in her tone.
“No mum” she wanted to end it there but she proceeded “we did go out to eat on Saturday though.”
“So it’s a date!” Her mum replied excitedly as she slapped her thighs, “you say you people went out on Saturday and then on Sunday?”
“Yes, we did”, she stood up to enter the kitchen “mum I don’t really have food at home but I have drinks.”
“I knew it, I knew you won’t have food, I brought you some food in that bag”, her mum reached for the bag she brought with her and followed Dalia to the kitchen.
“Awwww, mummy! Thank you! You’re the best” Dalia replied as she brought out the items from the bag.
“Then treat me like the best”, her mum retorted “if I didn’t know any better I would think you were not my daughter, why did I have to hear from your father that you had a minor accident?
“Mum I said I’m sorry na”.
Her mum kept silent as she brought out the plates from the bag, Dalia peeped in, saw moi-moi wrapped in leaf and smiled. She went round her mum and hugged her, “Mummy thank you, I love you.”
“I have heard you.” Her mum replied as she shrugged out of the embrace and moved to the fridge. “You know I love you, but I don’t know why you treat me like this. Is it wrong for me to be interested in my own daughter’s affairs? Do you know how many children will want a mother like me?”
“I’ll do better mum, sorry.” Her phone rang in the sitting room again, “I’m coming” she said as she went to answer her call.
It was the food delivery company and by the time she was done answering them her mum was behind her.
“Who was that?” Her mum said folding the carry bag.
“Food delivery, someone ordered food for me so they are almost here” She replied.
“Okay” after a pause her mum added “the same person that booked massage session for you?”
“Mummy, how did you hear that one now?” Dalia replied laughing “Yes it is the same person.”
“Hmm, how long have you know this person, I’m guessing it’s a him” her mum said sitting down.
“It’s a 'him' mum.”
In order to avoid further questioning, she summarised the story of how she met Emeka to her mother. Her mother listened attentively, adding encouraging sounds along the way and occasionally asking for clarification to ensure she understood everything correctly.
“So, yh, that's it mum, that’s where we are” she finished her tale taking a deep breath in.
“Wow, So this man you met two weeks ago is already booking massage session for you and ordering food?”
Dalia rolled her eyes, trust her mum to get all that from she said.
“Mum, it’s just a massage and food, it’s nothing deep.”
“Okay, if you say so, but I would say you should not accept things from him just yet, know the knd of person he is, I don’t want to make you feel somehow oh, but please be careful, did you tell your father all this? What did he say?”
“I didn’t tell Daddy, there’s no need for it, mummy I only told you just because you said I don’t gist you things.”
“Ehn thank you for telling me, all I am saying is be careful, you can ask your brother, it’s too fast ehn?”
“I’ve heard, thank you ma” She was saved by the bell. “I think it’s the food or massage people” she said as she got up from the chair to check the door.
______________________________________________
Meanwhile in the VGC residence, Ese was on the floor, in a pool of her blood while she looked up at the figure looming over her.
Featured images: IG: @peniel_enchill
