I Don't Have A Child

“Mom, how could you be so careless? How could you even do such a thing to your fellow woman? Are you not just so evil? Where was your conscience when you were doing that to that poor woman? Or haven’t you done enough to the daughter you had to extend it to the mother?” It was Anita. She sat across from her mother. She had come to visit the woman in cell. It was her first time coming. And she would not have of not for her husband Michael who insisted that she come see her mother.

“Shut up Anita! Shut your dirty mouth! How dare you talk to your mother like that? I am your mother, you should be taking my side. I am trying to build a strong network for my family. I made you marry Michael and I was going to make Ify marry Kehinde. But Lanre was in the way. Worst of it all was that she dared to attack me by implanting hard drugs in my bag. I got arrested for carrying hard drugs. What I did to her mother was just side dish. I will soon dish out the main dish in the menu for her, so that next time she does not try to fight me”. Mrs. Okafor said to her daughter.

Anita scoffed. She told her mother that making her marry Michael was the only good gift she received from her as her mother. And that although the gift had come with a lot of challenges, it has turned out to be the best.

“But I do not owe you anything. The gift became the best only after I had put in efforts to get the best out of him”. Anita said. Then she told her mother that she will get her a lawyer since her father has refused to help her get one and she has been restricted from making calls.

“But he will not be fighting for you to get released. You have to plead guilty. He will plead for your sentence to be reduced. If we always get away from our punishment and refuse to become responsible for our actions, then the world will be more brutish than it already is”. Anita said. She stood up with her bag in her hand and turned to leave.

“You are such an ungrateful child! You are just like your wicked father. In fact, all of you are like your father. I doubt I was the one that birthed you. I do not have a child”. Mrs. Okafor cried out loud. Anita told her she also wished for the same thing that what she just said was true. At least it would have saved her the stress of coming to see someone in cell. After saying this, Anita left.

“How is she? What did she say to you?” Michael asked when he saw his wife walking towards his direction. Anita rolled her eyes.

“I doubt I was the one that birthed you! I do not have a child! Bla bla bla shit! She can go to hell for all I care”. Anita said to Michael.