Chapter Seven

“Grandma, Grandma”, Mia went running.

“Ooh, Mia”, she proceeded to hug her.

“How have you been Mia, are you okay”, she asked as she rubbed her hands through Mia’s hair.

“Yes grandma, i am okay”, Mia replied with her cute little voice.

“That's good princess”.

“Nora you can take Mia to change”, i said as i turned my gaze and looked at Nora.

“Does she know”, Mother asked with a straight face.

“No she doesn't”, my voice was low and serious.

“So when are you telling her”, she continued.

“Not now”, I responded.

“Until when are you going to hide it from her, she has a right to know”, she stated.

“A right to know!, So that it destroys her like it destroyed me, I won't let that happen”, my voice grew more urgent.

“Mia needs to face the reality Emily”, she said.

“For as long as i can, i am willing to protect Mia from this reality”.

Mother locked her eyes on me as though she was in disbelief.

“What did you do?”, she broke her silence with a question.

“Mum please, why do you always think it's about me? I did nothing wrong”, I responded.

“If you did nothing wrong, why are you here?”she lashed out.

It was the most difficult question to answer. A look of confusion and uncertainty washed over my face. I stammered, searching for words , I was left speechless, unsure of how to respond.

“Tell me Emly, I need answers”, she continued.

“Mum stop”, i shouted, “i said i'm not ready to talk right now”, i said as i walked away from her.

She quickly rushed in front of me and lamented, “We have to talk now”.

“Emily what did I tell you about losing your marriage,”her voice was low and serious.

I shifted my gaze, evading her questioning eyes.

”Do you know the consequences of a failed marriage, especially for Mia”, her voice rose.

“I do”, I shouted, “no one knows better than me”,my words trembled with emotion. “But what could I do mom,I tried my best but things didn't work out”.

“Well that means you didn't try hard enough, because if you did, you couldn't be here,I never thought you could abandon your marriage just like that,why do you give up so easily”. She said, her torn firm and her brow frowned.

My mouth hung open and my eyes grew wide as I stared at her in disbelief.

“Ooh really, I didn't try”. I said as I matched to the entrance and began yelling, “Dad…Dad…,it's Emily,Dad are you there”, my shouts echoing off the walls. I walked up to her, “Mum ,no one answered,has Dad gone somewhere”.

“Emily….have you gone crazy”, her voice full of concern.

“Oops, sorry,I almost forgot. Dad doesn't stay with us”,my voice transitioned from playful to serious.

“Emily……”, her voice shifted from calm to furious in an instant.

“When it was your turn mom,why didn't you try”, my voice soothed out.

“Emily…”, she shouted, "my situation was different, you won't understand,you know nothing about me and your dad”, her eyes blazing with intensity.

“You don't understand mine either, I tried mom,I did,I tried everything I could and I still failed. Mia,my daughter will never have a complete family, just like I did, I murmured as my eyes welled with tears.

“You know mother, " I continued , “I am not the first person to do divorce in this family, so stop judging me for something you're guilty of too”.

As her eyes met mine, her lips trembled, and then like a storm bursting forth,tears overwhelmed her. No words were needed,her eyes spoke volumes of hurt and vulnerability. I knew at that deepest point she was exposing her deepest pain. I felt my heart shatter alongside hers.

“The anger you have always had for all these years and the pain I had to suffer silently, I didn't want any of that to happen to me and Mia, I always hoped she would live a happy and normal life different from mine”, Tears streaming down my face, I managed to say.

Without uttering a single word, she turned and moved away.

I managed to comfort myself and walked towards the room to meet Mia.

******

“ Mom, are we going back to see daddy tomorrow”, Mia asked happily as she jumped up and down on the bed.

Nora turned and looked towards me, Our gaze met.

“Uhmmm, Baby you know”, I stammered.

“ Mia”, Nora interrupted as she moved closer, picked up Mia and placed her on her lap.

“Baby you know, your daddy has gone on a business trip, so he won't be home for some days, that's why you and mummy will stay here for now”, she said as she rubbed her hands through Mia’s hair.

“Okay auntie Nora, so when will daddy come back”, she continued with her questioning.

Nora lifted her gaze and looked at me.

“Baby don't you want to stay with auntie Nora and grandma”, I interrupted.

“I do mummy, but i want to stay with daddy too”.

“ I told you we are going to stay here”, I shouted.

“Emily….!”Nora interceded, “ what are you doing, she’s just a baby”.

I stumbled back and forth, almost losing my balance, I couldn't believe I just yelled at my daughter.

Mia just stood there, crying and trembling. For the first time, I saw fear in her eyes. She was scared. Tears overwhelmed me as I watched Nora trying to comfort her.

“Am i becoming just like my mother”, i murmured barely above a whisper.

“Mia you can go to grandma, okay baby”, Nora said to Mia as she patted her shoulders.

Mia nodded her head in aagreement and left.

“Emily….., what did you just do?”, Nora asked, her voice serious.

I just stood there like a statue still in disbelief of what had just happened.”

“Just a while ago, you were promising to not let any of this affect Mia, and now , what happened”, Nora yelled, her eyes blazing with intensity.

“Please Nora, don't make me feel more guilty”, my words trembled with emotion.

Suddenly we were interrupted by an incoming call.