Page 80 of Cursed Daughters
“Whoa! How did you get my prescription?”
“A woman doesn’t reveal her secrets.” And she laughed as the lenses morphed from light to dark.
—
That Sunday, Zubby arrived early. He was wearing a cream button-down shirt and army-green trousers. He had added cufflinks and his new glasses.
“Looking good, Z,” Eniiyi told him as she led him to the east living room and settled next to him on the couch. “Relax,” she whispered, putting her hand on his thigh to still his jiggling leg and squeezing.
Her mother walked into the living room carrying a tray of tea and biscuits. She was talking as she walked, something about wanting Eniiyi and Zubby to herself for an hour before the grandmas appeared. Zubby stood to help, and her mother looked up, a wide smile on her face, but then the smile was gone and the tray was falling to the floor. Eniiyi watched the tea hit the cream carpet. She looked up at her mother, whose hand was now covering her mouth. She was shaking.
“Mum? Mum, are you okay?” She closed the gap between them and laid a hand on her mother’s arm. “Mum?” But her mother had not taken her eyes off Zubby. He was on his knees, gatheringtogether the biscuits, trying to mop up the tea with his handkerchief.
“What’s your name?” The voice was different from the mum she knew. This was deeper, strained.
Zubby looked up; he was clearly confused.
“Mum, I told you. This is—”
“I’m not talking to you. Has the cat got your tongue, young man?”
“I’m…I’m Zubby.”
“Your full government name, please.”
He gave it to her. Ebun took a step backwards, and Eniiyi thought she heard a sob. Just a single sound of despair. “I suggest you go home, Zubby. I need to talk to my daughter.”
“Mum, he just got here.”
“He has a driver, abi?”
“Well, yes.”
“So it’ll not cost him anything.” She took the tray from him and left the room.
Eniiyi felt herself trembling. She was furious. The three of them went on and on about her meeting someone, and the moment she did, they behaved like patients at a mental ward. She couldn’t stand them. Any of them. It was a miracle that she had turned out normal. She needed tobe—
“Eniiyi. Hey, Eniiyi.” Zubby took her hand and squeezed it hard. “It’s okay. I’ll go home. Just call me when you find out what I did.” He gave her a peck on her cheek and then he was gone.
V
She found her mother in her room, folding clothes and laying them on the bed. She did not pause or turn around as Eniiyi entered, even though the door creaked announcing her presence. Eniiyi tried to figure out what to say without losing her temper, but her mother beat her toit.
“Sit down.” The words were barked at her. Eniiyi bristled and was about to say no when her mother surprised her. “Please,” she said.
There was a stool at Ebun’s dressing table, so she sat on that. She waited until her mother eventually stopped folding clothes and turned to face her.
“I want you to stop seeing that boy.”
Eniiyi had expected something absurd, but still her breath caught in her throat.
“What?! Why?!”
“He isn’t the right one for you.”
“Mum…”
“I know this is a shock for you. Trust me, I know. But you’d be better off with someone…different.”
