03 THE BETRAYAL

BINTA

"This is wicked!" a loud voice woke me from sleep. It was morning, but it was still dark outside.

"Even you? After all, I have done for this family?" it was my mother's voice; she was arguing with someone. I did not want to get involved unless I had to, so I stayed put and listened to their conversation.

"How could you do this to me? This situation is not my fault! I have been nothing but a good submissive wife and daughter-in-law," I heard my mother sobbing.

"But you knew it wouldn't work that way." I heard my uncle say, trying to calm the situation down but clearly against my mother.

"You people are wicked. I regret marrying into this family. All this union has brought me is pain and sorrow. Now that I am no longer useful to you, you now do this." My mother continued lamenting.

"Why will you say that? You are my sister and the mother of my favourite niece." I heard Gogo trying to console my mother.

"Even you? So you knew about this all along, and you kept it from me. You are wicked. You say you love my daughter. Does she know what you have done?" My mother questioned Gogo angrily.

"You have to believe me, dear sister. I know nothing about this situation. I am as shocked as you are," Gogo answered.

"Please stop trying to blow things out of proportion. You make it sound like it's not normal practice here," Mimi shouted at my mother.

"Do you know anything about promises?" my mother asked her.

"Then you are the wicked one to ask for such dedication. What about our name, our lineage? Clearly, you do not care, so why should we waste our time trying to convince you to accept the situation?" Mimi said.

"I told my son that this woman would be nothing but trouble, but he wouldn't listen. See how selfish and inconsiderate she is. Instead of her being happy that her husband left a substantial part of him behind, she's here pointing fingers and cursing at everyone. If it weren't because you are the mother of my grandchild and your sacrifice, I would have had you thrown out this instant." My grandmother said.

I realised the situation was getting out of hand. Why would they gang up against a woman that was still in mourning? She was hurt, she was sad, and she was bound to say hurtful things. I wanted to go out and try to diffuse the situation, but something held me back. I waited to listen more.

"I don't blame you, Nana. I blame myself. I should have been selfish and thought of my security instead of making that sacrifice. If I had done that, we wouldn't be having this conversation today. As for Haliru, may his soul never find peace for breaking his promise and covenant with me." As my mother finished her statement, I heard someone being slapped.

It had turned physical, so I had to rush out. What I saw broke my heart and angered me. Nana and Mimi were attacking my mother. Gogo was trying to stop them, my uncle not doing anything, and the woman from last night was standing beside my uncle, watching the drama in front of her.

"Why are you beating my mother?" I screamed, "stop! What has she done to deserve this? Beating her in the presence of a stranger? And you Kawu!" I directed the question to my grand uncle, "why are you not stopping them? We have just lost my father, and look at how you all are behaving. Beating his widow. Is this what we do to the widows of this family?" Then I looked at the stranger and directed my anger towards her for being a spectator, "and you, what are you still doing in our compound? I know you are Nana's guest, but it still does not give you the right to be present in a family meeting."

"She is family too," Nana said.

"How is she family? In all my eighteen years on earth, I have never met this woman before. How is she now family?"

"She is your father's second wife." Gogo finally told me, "those two boys she came with are her sons, and they are your brothers."

I was suddenly in shock. This couldn't be happening. My father had a second wife and two sons we knew nothing of? Why will he keep this from us? Why would he do this to us? Tears started falling down my face. I now understood my mother's pain. Although I had never fallen in love, I could understand the feeling of betrayal. All I could say was, "why? Why did he do this?" but everyone kept quiet.