She woke up late! She knew it was late when she opened her eyes and the rays of the sun attacked her pupils through her open window.

Anna closed her eyes briefly, sighed and sat up, she knew the surprise plan wouldn’t work anymore, if the sun was out, then her son was up.

She felt the yawn starting from her inside but as she opened her mouth to let it out, it disappeared! Another yawn started and this time, she opened her mouth and quickly let it out before it disappeared again, she hated letting yawns escape!

Anna rose from the bed and knelt, clasped her hands and closed her eyes, it was her son’s 12th birthday, it was also her 12th anniversary of becoming a mother. A single mother.

The words formed in her heart and head but her mouth remained sealed, she unclasped her hands but her eyes remained shut as she thought of her son… Ẹbun.

Just yesterday, she had been Pregnant with Ebun, helpless and homeless and hopeless.

It had taken her many years to get her bearing and even now, she still struggled.

The early stages were quite easy but not as easy as she would have designed for herself.

In a year, Ebun would become a teenager and things might take a new turn, or not.

She sighed and clasped her hands again.

“Dear Lord, thank you for my son…”

She prayed and stopped again. She felt a presence in the room…

“Thank you for twelve years of grace…” she continued, knowing it was her son joining her on his birthday morning.

Although she wouldn’t be able to surprise him as planned, but she would surprise him all the same!

Anna quickly said a few more words and rounded up her prayers.

She opened her eyes and smiled lovingly at her son. He smiled back at her shyly.

Without rising she beamed at him and started to sing, she had never been able to hold a note, but who cared!

“Happy birthday to you… happy birthday to you… happy birthday…”

He was shy, she could see it in his eyes before he dropped them. She also saw the smile.

Her son.

All grown up at twelve.

The son she had suspended her life for! The son she would kill for! The son who she had chosen to have despite all odds. Her one love, her only love!

The son who would make her proud one day!

They had gone through some tough times together, ha! Plenty rough times, this boy of hers had fasted with her not because it was Ramadan or Lent, but because their store had been empty.

He had cried with her, not tears of joy or victory but of anguish and pain.

She had refused every man, real or unreal who sought her hand in any form of relationship! She had devoted all of twelve years to nurturing him. Now she was 40 and she didn’t even know how to start again.

But it didn’t matter, she had him.

As she sang, a memory engulfed her and brought tears to her eyes.

It was her most horrific memory of motherhood, her son, her poor hungry son had fed himself from a neighbor’s trash while she slept… he was just seven and he claimed the bread was not bad! He cried as she cried, but his tears were angry tears…angry because he saw nothing wrong!

“Mummy stop crying” he had repeatedly said angrily but she could not erase the memory of finding him, eating that bread and his response when she asked how he got it.

The tears fell to her folded hands and Ebun looked at her as she finally stopped singing.

“Some people are looking for you mummy” he said, in his already deepening voice.

Anna finally rose with a small groan, she had been on her knees for more than twenty minutes.

“Who?” she asked as she reached behind the curtain and brought out a new phone still in its box!

“Happy birthday Ọkọ mi…” She gave him the phone, his eyes lighted up. He hugged his mother.

“Ẹbùn don’t tell me you invited your friends, there is no party” she said as she grabbed a branded T-shirt and wore it over her wrapper.

Ẹbùn was busy with the phone already.

Anna walked out of the room.

—

She stepped into the room and froze. She recognized them.

All four of them.

In her dazed state, her door opened and Mama Ghana, her mother came in with her brother.

She narrowed her eyes at her mother.

“Iya Ebun” she said in greeting and apology.

She would never forgive her for this, but first, she needed to send all of them out!

She looked away from her mother and her eyes stopped on the good looking and well dressed man in the mix of the earlier visitors.

“Get out”

She said as quietly as she could, she didn’t want her son hearing her raised voice.

The man looked up at her and she saw no remorse in them. The woman sitting beside him cleared her throat and opened her mouth.

“Get out”!

This time, it was not a whisper, her voice was raised, the woman closed her mouth and turned to Mama Ghana.

“Iya Ebun” it was Anna’s mother calling her, but Anna heard nothing as she shouted again.

“Get out!”

Ebun ran out of the room, scared, holding his new phone.

Anna grabbed him and tried to push him back into the room.

“Mummy…”

“Ebun, this is your father…”

Anna felt Ebun freeze in her grasp. It was one of the men who spoke.

Ebun turned around fiercely to look at the unwanted guests

The man who spoke earlier touched the good looking, well dressed man and nodded slowly, his eyes on Ebun.

“This is your father.”

Ebun looked at Mama Ghana, the old woman looked away, the boy looked up at Anna, her eyes were fire.

“Ebun go back to the room…”

She said with a voice laced with every possible emotion… anger was the most evident but there was also fear.

He did not move, his eyes were on the man who was also staring at him…

There had been no previous meeting.

He had denied responsibility.

He had slut shamed her.

He had wounded her.

The voice, over twelve years ago still rang in her head!

She had been helpless.

“My daddy”

It was Ebun’s voice and before she could react, the twelve year old boy had walked to stand before the man who called himself “Daddy”

“Yes” he answered, there was a hint of unmistakable victory in the small sound, then he sniffed, brought out a hanky and wiped some tears.

To Anna, they were imaginary tears.

Then he grabbed Ebun and enveloped him in a fierce hug…

The others looked at her and shrugged as if to say…

“The deed is done”

She looked away from them, Ebun’s arms were now around this man… he was sobbing into his well ironed shirt.

“I missed you daddy, you left me”

“Sssh, I’m here now…”

She was right about the imaginary tears, for in that moment, while holding Ebun, he had winked at her.

Anna’s rage rose, she looked around the room, blindly reached for a heavy vase and hurled it at them…. she saw the blood before she heard her son’s cry.

Then chaos.

…

“Mummy! Mummy! It’s my birthday”

Anna opened her eyes, her eyes fell on Ebun who was looking down at her on the bed.

She was sweating profusely but her son was grinning.

“It’s my birthday mummy, I’m an adult”

Anna smiled lazily at him happy that it was all a dream… There were no unwanted visitors.

“Ok adult, what do you want for your birthday?”

Ebun looked at her sweetly…

“Can you take me to my daddy?”

End.

Written by La’bos ©