‘I fear a great deal, I do not see him at these times. I learnt he is in the city. He does give me calls, threatening me and Ribadau I don’t know how he got my number. Live him if you will listen to me. He is a baddy in every story’. She added.
“Listen mom. You are not too old to know when there is danger. Pius as much as I know is a security threat. I want you to keep your eyes wide open and let me know if anything suspicious will come from him, I mean something outside the usual except his usual threatening calls. He vowed not to take chance with us anymore. He is hardened now.” Replied Uka.
Mrs. Zack nodded continuously and her face brightened. She had been told what she wanted to hear. She asked no more questions. What she heard from Uka had made her to think all through that afternoon to many unborn days. They found common subject to talk on and conversed vigorously, with all happiness and pleasure, yet Pius and his many problems made the talks unpleasurable.
“I wanted him to see reasons why he should be real, reasonable and helpful to us as he claimed to be, but he said there was no need, and the sooner he disassociates himself from us, the better. He has lost none of his mystique, still sumptuous and handsome as he was while he was young. I was too happy that I found him a handsome adult. I asked for his address and line of his introduction to him, and his only instruction was that I have lied again. I seemed not to understand any of its meaning”.
“ I wish he could just understand how we feel about him all these years. You know from the many times we spoke over the phone that we will not be complete without him. We need him home, but he is not showing up. We still need him home. A mother hungers for her own child as long as he lives. While I am still alive, I pray and hope he will come home someday”
After a short while, the only thing that comes into his mind was how to get hold of him at all cost as if Pius had put himself into a center for hunt. He thought too that it would be easier as his mind made him believe that he could easily be caught or rather too easy to accept any condition to be reunited to the family. Such hunger for unity does not make him feel.
For weeks nothing bad happened. She had kept her eyes wide open, and at vigils over calls and threat as instructed but it was not forthcoming.
It was a mere threat.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*
Early the next day, Uka drove in and met Mr. Ribadau eyeing on his woman. Now a mother and a wife. A son and a step father. They share something out from the woman. Time and attention. Emotion and care. Everyone had a given time for her. But the choice was clear. Mother would just like to follow the son of the man she loved before his death. It was the only thing that reminded her that she was a productive woman when she was young and that the fruit which she bore had grown to produce a visible and quality resul. They were talking out something in regards to Mr. President madness for ruling. He seemed not to be tired at all. He was really crashing and crashing with many days of regret about the decision he had taken to marry Mr. Ribadau. It was her worst. Everything seemed not to be working out fine again.
The man was at home that afternoon. He sat with a standing security man in the end side of the compound at the garden close to a small river, where he loved to spend his hot afternoons. It was a hot afternoon and any moment now, he would entertain a visitor. He was a man of the people who could not spend an hour without a visitor. His pipe was filled and he sat cross-wise in arm chair with his legs dangling over his arm. The smoke was snaking its way to the cloudless sky. That was what he eats to forget stress and troubles of the mind.
Uka entered. He simply greeted and responded to few usual questions and made way to her mother’s room. His mother sat up and joined him. Loyalty was at work now. She had shown who her choice was. It was clear.
At the sitting room, the old lady was busy waiting to accept him in while he was still taking a short walk in her mother room.