As my Uber driver approached the airport, I could feel my heart in my mouth. I had every kind of emotion you can imagine: anxiety, excitement, cold feet; nervousness washed over me.
Two weeks earlier, I was in the bathroom when my phone rang, I walked to where it was and it was an unknown number calling. I didn’t pick it but after the third ring the second time, I answered the call. A voice came through and after asking who I was unto, she said she was my mother. I scoffed. “How on earth is this normal? Who the hell does this person think she is? Oh, this one thinks she can call a random person and pull stupid pranks on them?” These questions ran through my mind in a split second. But wait, how did is lunatic get my number? I was losing it and after a quick breath, I asked how she got my number. She started with the explanations and for the few minutes she was doing it, anger was taking the most of me; I had sharp breaths and couldn’t hold it any longer, so I screamed at her and asked her to answer what I asked her.
You might think I was angry because she said she is my mother. No, I was agitated because I thought she was pulling a prank on me with an issue that has been like cancer in my body. But still, I couldn’t place why I didn’t hang up on her and block the number. She told me where she got my number from- my uncle gave her.
I hung up there and then to call Uncle Mezie; I was going to rain thunder and brimstone on him and he would explain why he gave a random person my number to pull a prank on me, not just with any issue, but this! He wasn’t picking up, so I sent him a text to return my calls as soon as he sees them. My day was ruined, thanks to that lunatic and my insensitive uncle.
Later in the night, my uncle called. He sounded sober and unusually quiet; my normal uncle would have screamed at how I repeatedly called him when no one had died. I didn’t want this stunt he was pulling to get to me; I didn’t mind this strange act, I didn’t acknowledge it. Instead, I started ranting about what had happened and told him all sorts; he was silent throughout and when I was done, he let out a deep sigh. I was confused. Uncle Mezie is never like this; even when I’m annoyed with him and I rant about it, he will chuckle or even laugh at me. This is looking real. He let out the bomb without hesitation- she is the mother.
Fast forward to 6 days ago, she called again and this time I was patient with her; I had to. Uncle Mezie had spoken to me and pacified me. He was my confidant- I love this man. He reassured me again, that he is going to be with me through everything. I and this woman spoke. I asked a lot of questions and she tried as much as possible to give satisfying answers. They weren’t so good but they held water. We ended the call. A few hours later, my uncle called and suggested that I should meet the woman- my mother. I refused at first but my uncle persuaded me. I agreed and she called a few minutes later to talk about our meeting; she said she will come to my city. I said I’ll come to meet her at the airport. It was settled.
As I entered the airport hall, trepidation set in. I sat down to get myself together. Some minutes later, I raised my head to look sideways and I saw her. Her long, not so dark hair; the hazel eyes, and the hairs on her legs, I have them. She hadn’t seen me yet. I stood up slowly to face her direction. She saw me and she stopped in her tracks- the truth is, I couldn’t move either, our eyes locked and time stopped.
