"No, you can't marry her!" John's mom raised her voice, following him behind as they exited the room. "I am talking to you, John!" she cupped his arm with hers as they got to the sitting room.
"Let me be, mom!" he tried to get his hand out. "For God's sake, let me be," he said breathlessly, turning to the opposite direction, as perspiration of sweat stood out on his face.
"John ooo, ehn! Why not listen to me? Am I not your mother? Can't I---"
"Ohh, mama," he intercepted, frustratingly hitting his feet on the ground. "Why tell me that I can't marry Kate? Mama, I am sure you can remember what happened to me four years ago?"
"Ehn, yes, yes. About your health, yes," she released his arm and stood in front of him. "So?" John's mom had her arms akimbo.
"Look, don't pretend like you don't know that I had kidney failure. Mama, it was Kate who gave me one of hers for me to live! I---"
"Ehn?!" she held him by the collar, her lips quivering. "She? You...you mean the...the Kate that just left here?"
"Ehn, of course! Mama, I won't be alive today if she hadn't given me one of hers. Remember I was serving! We met at the camp! Why...why...why...tell me that I can't marry her?" tears blurred his vision as he sniffed.
"Ahh!" she got her hands off him. "Chinekeeee! Ahhh! John ooo! I am finished!" she fell to the ground, rolling.
"Mama, what happened? Why this?" he narrowed his eyes on her.
"John, and you said she is pregnant for you already? Tell me it is not true ooo?!"
"She is! Anything?"
"Ah, John! There is fire on the mountain! Chimo!" tears streamed down her face.
"As how? Mama talk o," he folded his arm, pouting his lips.
"John, ah! Many years ago, before you were born, I got pregnant for a man. He asked me to abort the pregnancy, but I refused. I bore a female child, then sold her to Mrs Richards, a very wealthy woman who had no child. I did because I was suffering. Hmm, before I sold her though, I put a cross sign on her neck, which meant 'forgiveness of sin,' because I knew I had sinned selling her out. When she came today, I saw the sign, na Kate be that, ahh!" she held her head.
"What?!" he squatted. "Kate...Kate na...na my sister?"
©Vikjtaar
Apata Victor
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