Chapter 7 Chp 7 - He Is Still Breathing!

Mukhtar knew he would only make this matter escalate more if he kept responding to her the way he felt about her unfeeling statements. He gave himself a mental lecture to keep calm no matter what, at least till he could win some grounds for himself and Evie to act on.

"Mummy, come, come, let's start this all over again." He moved to take her seat.

"Leave me, leave me!" She said it grudgingly, trying to remove her hands from his grips as he seated her on the sofa opposite his chair." I know what you are trying to do but it will not work this time around."

"Mummy?" He called in a calm voice ringed with steel

"Yes, what?" She snapped

"You know I love you, don't you?"

She snorted, " You have a fine way of showing your so-called love."

He smiled. "You know I have always put you first all of my life, and I always appreciate all you've done for me all my life, even after Daddy's death and no help from his family?"

She folded her arms against her midriff in a miffed manner and didn't reply.

"You have taught me so well about the way of God and how to be a good human being and one of those teachings is that I should follow my heart when making important decisions that will affect my life." He paused to let her acknowledge that fact, but she just remained mute.

"Well, you also teach me to be a man who keeps to his word and never be a coward, shirk my responsibility, or let people who believe in me down. I am not about to forget any of your teachings now that it matters most, Mother."

No reply

"Evelyn Chidiebere Onwurah is a distinguished, beautiful, adorable lady that I love so much, Mother; she truly complements me, and I am sure you've noticed some positive changes in me as well since she became a part of my life, and she's about to be the mother of my child, mother, and your grandchild!" He said this excitedly while rocking her so she could smile or even give any indication that she understood, but she only looked stonily at him, and he resumed his impromptu speech.

"I want to create a family with her, mum, a beautiful family that will comprise of you, me, Evelyn and our children, and I believe you will come to love her as much as I do if only you can give her a chance, mother, please."

After a deafening silence, they both engage in a staring contest. She spoke so softly that he could barely hear her.

"So what you are saying now is that no matter what I say, think, or even feel, you are hellbent on marrying that nonentity into this family, right? She inquired softly.

"Her name is Evelyn, Mom, and I am not saying that I will not consider your feelings; I just want you to accept."

"Get out," she ordered

"But mu...."

"Get out, I say, you ingrate!" She shouted and rose from the sofa: "Am I the one you're sitting there all self-important and listing out virtues for? So in other words, you are calling me selfish, right? I, your mother, the one who gave birth to you, am a vain woman, abi? That's what you're saying, am I right? That I am a cruel woman, ain't that right?"

"Ah no, Mother, you know I can't say that; no way will I..."

"No, you're not saying it." You are merely implying it. I thought you this, I thought you that, right? I suppose you forgot the part where I taught you to trust your mother to know what's best for you and to respect her, didn't you?"

"All your epistles end up with the fact that you will do what you want as you're now an adult, am I right? That's fine and good! Just get out of my home and go marry your "wonderful" girl! Just know that you are severing all ties with me from that moment on," she threatened

"Mother, you can't do that now; is it because of this matter or something else? How can you just

"I already told you that it is over my dead body that you'll marry that girl, and you already made your stance clear. There's nothing else to say. Get out of my house!" she shouted

"Mummy, I know you are still upset right now, so I will get back to you later; we really need to talk."

"Noo, there's nothing to say again; go and marry your Evelyn! Bo sita! Get out!" She ordered

With no further word, Mukhtar got out and entered the company car that had been given to him just that week at his workplace.

The news and that of his unborn child were what he intended to celebrate with his mother, but look how that turned out. He thought while navigating.

"How exactly am I going to explain this to Evelyn now? I was so sure that Mother would see the reasons that I have given her so much hope. I am sure she is waiting for me right now with so much anxiety. I can't tell her this news at all because of how mercurial her emotions have gotten these days, and the doctor warned me against stressing her out! No, I can't tell her; I have to avoid discussing this with her at the moment." He was mulling this over and over in his mind while navigating to the other lane that leads to Evelyn's area.

"I sure have to..." A screech made him look sharply to his leg, where a mother was screaming at the top of her lungs because her child just ran after his ball, the ball that'd rolled right in front of Mukhtar's car. He swerved sharply to the left to avoid running the kid over and...

More screams from the woman who scooped her child up from the part of danger just as she and others that have converged saw Mukhtar's car collide head-on with a heavy-duty truck that is trying to maneuver its way into the lane

"Somebody please help o, help him please, help him! He was trying to save my son's life. Please help him!" The woman shouted while clutching her child to her bosom and turning her face away from the gory sight.

Passersby and the driver of the truck rushed to the wreckage, where Mukhtar lay unconscious and crumpled at a very uncomfortable angle while blood trickled out of his right ear. The men were able to pry off the seatbelt after some effort, and one of them leaned close to Mukhtar.Oh, thank God, he's still breathing! Someone call an ambulance!"