“Where is mummy?” my younger sister enquired. “Why is she not eating?”
I looked up from my breakfast of watery tea and a nearly spoilt loaf of bread to mum’s seat.
Empty.
“Recently, she has been skipping breakfast and lunch,” she continued. “Why are we even eating spoilt bread?”
“I don’t know,” I answered. “Maybe, there’s no money to buy a new one.”
“How can she not have money? It’s only six weeks of staying at home!”
“As a private school teacher, she doesn’t earn much!”
I stood up and strode to her room. She was not there.
Where is mum?
Her hushed voice answered me. Leading by the voice, I hurried to the backyard, stopping short to eavesdrop on her conversation, my heart throbbing.
“…Any amount, please. I’m running low on food supplies. I don’t want my children to starve…” She paused.
I saw her restraining sobs as she listened to the person on the other end of the call.
“Please, I don’t want to sleep with you…” she whimpered. “Please, just lend me some money. I will pay back. My kitchen is almost empty. If I starve my children, I would probably have a mental breakdown. It even hurts me to give them a miserable meal now.”
Mum listened again and finally gave a frustrated sigh. “If that’s what it takes, I will do it. My kids will be napping by 3 PM. I’m expecting you.”
I tiptoed back to the dining table before her call ended, feeling the throb of my heart transforming into a prickling sting.
Irritated, I couldn’t continue eating—my appetite was shredded.
How could mum agree to sleep with a man in exchange for money? Even though she was sacrificing her body for her kids, even though she was starving to feed us, somehow, I felt she stooped too low.
During nap, sleep eluded me. The thought of what would happen haunted me.
When mum’s visitor came, I tiptoed to her room, opening the door a smidgen, peering inside. My heart shattered as I beheld my mother pants down in her matrimonial bed with dad’s best friend happily performing his coitus to her.
She lay still when our eyes met. I could feel a mountain of shame suffocating her.
I turned the way I’d come, sprinting to our room, crying myself to sleep.
When I awakened, she had stocked up the house and was preparing dinner. I joined her in the kitchen, avoiding eye contact.
“I’m sorry for what you saw earlier. I never wanted to do it, but I had no other choice,” she said, her eyes teary.
At once, I understood more than her apology. I understood her love and the sacrifice she made for her kids. Even though my hug was rigid, she understood that I didn’t begrudge her. Coronavirus was to blame.
By the way, dinner was delicious, yet it tasted terrible in my mouth. But I ate it, feeling grateful.
© UCHENNA NDUKWE H., June 2020.
Image Credit@PIXABAY
This brief story did not only highlight the struggles of many families during the pandemic, but it focused on the sacrifice a mother had to make just for survival. Kudos to the writer????
In moments like this, only the Grace of God can save.
This brief story did not only highlight the struggles of many families during the pandemic, but also focused on the sacrifice of a mother to ensure the survival of her children. So deep!!. Kudos to the writer ????
The language and tone that this short story used to capture the grave effect of this pandemic on poor Nigerian family is highly commendable, great work sis????????
The Sacrifices of a mother cannot be overestimated..
May no mother lack to the extent of exchanging their bodies for money..
Nice piece and food for thought.
I was teary while reading this… Covid-19 has really dealt with many families. May God help us all and declare the extinction and expiration of this deadly virus… Amen
The story was quite impressive. I love the fact that it depicts real Love. It shows how much a mother can sacrifice for her kids and the amount of Love she can shower on her kids. what she can do for them. Kudos to the writer of this lovely story.
Quite an interesting short story.. Though mummy made a selfless service but she should her understood that by strength shall no man prevail, if only she believed in the efficacy of a fervent prayer. God is the only one to learn.. Nice one Uchenna
Short and direct to point…now I understand more on the risk of survival…mother’s are nation…kudos to the writer
An adage in my dialect says “ekwula ihe ị na-adịghị eri ruo mgbe ụnwụ dara”. ( Don’t say what you don’t eat until famine).
I’m not proving wrong or right but mothers go extra mile.
Very short and nice …..only God will help our families. This pandemic is really affecting so many families.
This story summarizes what Nigerian families go through even before this Corona period.. It’s so touching.. Nice one writer
What a story! Although short, it is greatly didactic and captures the dehumanizing conditions in which people had to live to survive the pandemic. A great writ!
Great work…keep it up.
Nice piece. The story shows the sacrifices mothers make sometimes just to ensure her children doesn’t lack. Welldone for throwing some light on the issue.
I grew quite emotional reading this work. The writer was able to relay raw emotions from the characters to the readers.
This is a story of sacrifice, betrayal, hunger, love and exploitation. That the writer was able to fit these in the story is a testament to her talents.
It is a pity what the mom had to go through. Nonetheless, this is a great story. Good work.????
The dexterity with which the writer smoothly navigates not only the burden of the pandemic on poor families, the sacrificial love of a mother but also the moral decadence of the society and the rich and powerful preying on the vulnerability of the weak and helpless for their own selfish gratification is very well done. Thank you for shining the light on these social ills as well.
Very nice, interesting and educating story.
Posted
Lovely…Very Present reality.
Very Painful Compromise.
Thank You.
Wonderful and breathtaking
This short but interesting story gives a hint about happenings in our society this trying time (the pandemic). W.H.O has recorded an alarming increase in domestic violence and gender based Abuse. If we can be our neighbor’s keeper,I think the world will be a better place
Nice One
This hurt to read. What hurt more is the fact that this is a reality for many. Very well written.
Mothers are always willinhmg ti make sacrifices for the growth of her loved ones (children mostly)❤️
Mothers are always willing to make sacrifices for the growth of their loved ones (children mostly)❤️
The sacrifices of a mother can’t be over emphasized. The difficulty that came with the pandemic made things worse too. Very touching story. Jisie ike nwanyi oma
This write created a real picture of a typical single struggling mum, kudos Ndukwe U.
This is another sad story of man’s inhumanity to man. Our world has sunk and settled perfectly into the dungeons of “nothing goes for nothing.” This story is a perfect example.
I can read and reread this flash fiction without getting bored. The writer by personalizing the experience presented other worthy themes like sacrifice, love, remorse, the necessary virtue of understanding the other and not being quick to judge.
The use of suspense in the early part is praiseworthy and absorbing. The writer respected the tenets of the first person narrative style. Kudos Uche. Keep writing. I admire this work.
A story that inspires emotion with the efficacy of a ‘sharp’ pen.
Thumbs up, Uchenna.