What to do?

Stephen's brain nearly exploded with anger, at her declaration. He gritted his teeth painfully as he glared at her, not knowing what to say to her, while she also stared hard at him, daring him to say anything that'd anger her.

At that moment, Wura, Rahmah's mother walked into the kitchen.

"What's this bickering back and forth, for? Have you guys forgotten you've kids in this house? Do you want them to be hearing that kind of vulgar words you're exchanging with each other?" Wura asked them, sternly.

Rahmah was surprised to see her mother. She wasn't expecting her as they even talked on phone the previous day and she never mentioned anything about a visit. Even though she lived in the same city with them, Wura had the decency to respect the couple's privacy and only came around, to visit them, once in a blue moon.

Rahmah suspected it was Mama, her mother in-law who would have gone to bring her over. The latter had gone out of the house very early that morning.

"Thank God you're here at the right moment, ma. Rahmah is becoming something else, Ma. She's becoming something else...something not good!Mummy, Rahmah wants to leave her kids and go stay with a man, outside, all in the name of preparing for exams, and she is telling me that I've got no say in that!" Stephen blurted out to Wura.

Wura could see how worked up, he was.

"Good afternoon, ma!" He added, respectfully, after remembering that he hadn't greeted her. He felt a bit embarrassed for behaving frustratedly like that. Rahmah simply watched the scenario without uttering a word.

"C'mon, let's hear word. Can't you guys sort out your differences in the corners of your room, instead of yelling at each other here where the kids can hear you? What are you teaching them?" Wura replied him, sharply.

"I'm sorry, ma. My anger got the best of me." He admitted.

"Let me leave you two to talk, then." Stephen added and left the kitchen. Then, he took his car key and went out of the house, to go and unwind.

"Good afternoon, Mummy. Your visit is surprising, I must say. We talked yesterday and you didn't mention anything about visiting. Hope all is well, ma?" Rahmah greeted her mother and inquired.

"Of course, all is well. However, we need to talk." Wura stated calmly.

Rahmah heaved a deep sigh. She knew she'd guessed right.

"Okay, ma. Please go and sit down, let me quickly put this on fire. I will join you soon in the sitting room." Rahmah replied her. Wura shook her head, in disapproval. She dropped her handbag on the deep freezer behind the door, and moved closer to her daughter.

"No, there's no need for that. Since we're the only ones here, we can as well talk about here." Wura maintained, firmly.

Rahmah knew her mother very well. She knew she can't be persuaded to wait for another second whenever she had something to say. So, she simply nodded, urging her to start talking, while she continued peeling the potatoes.

"So, what's this that I am hearing about you, from your mother in-law?" Wura inquired.

"Did she report me to you? What did she say I'm doing that is displeasing her?" Rahmah asked her mother, feigning ignorance on the matter. Wura eyed her scornfully.

"You know what you're doing. She came to tell me to come guide you aright since you're refusing to listen to anybody else. She said you're about taking a decision that have the tendency of breaking your home apart. What's going on?" Wura informed her.

Rahmah had finished peeling the potatoes by then, she washed her hands and faced her mother.

"Mhmmm... I was actually planning to tell you about everything when I'm done writing the exams and I've gained admission, to surprise you, but now, I have no choice..." Rahmah paused to see her mother's reaction.

"Exams? Admission... Oh!" Wura exclaimed, surprisingly. Rahmah smiled.

"Yes, mummy. I'm going back to school. I know you were really disappointed in me when I got pregnant and dropped out of school.. I'm ready to do the right thing now. For myself!" She announced.

"Hun, that's good. It's a great decision. I must commend you for making such great decision." Wura commended her.

"But my dear daughter, why now? isn't it too late? I mean you have kids already who are in school... Who definitely need you to be there for them. Who will be taking care of them when you're not there? Do you think housemaids will take care of your kids like you would do? Will they show them the love and affection you would show them? Then there's your husband too...if you're no longer available, won't that create some kind of distance because you two?" Wura pointed out.

"My husband? There's already a distance between us. When I was available to tend to his needs and all, slaving away for him and his mother, he has been cheating on me. What more can he do? Someone I abandoned my future plans for, someone I dedicated my whole life to, is cheating on me and is not remorseful at all. He even says I'm to be blamed. When all my time is dedicated to serving him, his mother and our kids, and I have no time to spare for myself." Rahmah revealed to her mother. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"This same person insulted me that I'm uneducated, he said I'm the one who pushed him outside because of my local way of life and classless lifestyle. Imagine that! I'm pained, mummy." She added, and a stray tear rolled down her left cheek. She hastily wiped it off with her left palm.

Wura sighed deeply. She was upset.

"Why didn't you tell me all these earlier? You found out he was cheating on you and told nobody? Did you report him to his mother?" Wura demanded to know. Rahmah shook her head.

"And why? His mother stays here with you guys, yet you couldn't let her know?" Wura inquired.

"I just felt it's our business to sort out as a couple... I didn't want to involve our parents. I didn't want to burden you especially, with my marital issue when you already have things to worry about." Rahmah stated.

"Yet, you shouldn't have kept everything bottled up inside you. Talking about it will make you feel relieved and get the help you need. Now listen, I know about this now, his mother is going to know about it too, we will then call you guys together and sort it out for you. He is going to have to choose between his concubine and his family, which is you and the kids. I didn't give you to him for suffering. I won't condone maltreatment, no matter how little it is. And there he was saying you're going to stay with a man outside, whereas he is the cheat! That snake!!!" Wura spat out, angrily. She wanted to walk out of the kitchen angrily but Rahmah stopped her.

"Mummy, that is not going to solve the problem, trust me. That man do not respect me anymore, not to talk of care or anything. He hasn't touched me intimately for more than a year. He's always complaining that I stink, I do not dress well, I do not take my bath twice a day, I do not do this, I do not do that! Even when I cook for him, he will still have some complaints. Nobody knows my worth in this house. I'm being looked down on!" Rahmah revealed to her mother.

"Can you now see that I'm insignificant and valueless in his sight? I'm tired of being an insignificant full housewife. I'm tired of being a lowlife! I admit I'm also at fault too, for neglecting myself. My crime is neglecting myself just to satisfy others, as a wife, as a mother! That's why I'm now willing to do something for myself too, I want to do something meaningful with my life... Something that will command respect so I won't need to beg for respect or affection anymore. I'm choosing to change for better and see whether that will be enough to make people around me see me in a positive light, because I do not want to get a divorce, for the sake of my kids." Rahmah stated, sullenly.

"I hear your reasons and I can imagine how you're feeling. I'm glad you admit that you've wronged yourself by neglecting yourself totally. I'm happy to know you're now thinking of doing something for yourself too, instead of only for others. I commend you for choosing you first but as a mother, you will still have to consider how that will affect your kids." Wura began calmly. She placed a pacifying hand on Rahmah's shoulder, before continuing her speech.

"Going back to school at this time might not really be the best thing to do. When youngsters with no responsibility of kids or husband, go to school, they feel stressed and get their limits stretched, not to talk of a mother of two whose head is already hot and her feeble shoulders, sagged from shouldering responsibilities. Instead of going through the stress of school and all, why don't you just ask for money from your husband and start a business?" Wura suggested.

"Is it not work that you're going to be looking for, after school? Are you not seeing graduates out there roaming around the streets tirelessly in search for jobs? Look at you, you can speak and write English, it's not as if you're an illiterate. You just didn't finish school, at least, you went to school." Wura expatiated further.

Rahmah pressed her lips together, tightly, trying to digest what her mother had just said.