To Mum With Love

A story submitted in response to the prompt: Write about two characters who’ve gone through something so intense they now feel like family.

By

Norman Musiiwa

Little Daniel darted from the house, shirt in hand and panting. He kept his head turning back to check if his assailant was not pursuing. He paused at the edge of the yard with subdued sobs that kept his head nodding like he was agreeing to an emphatic instruction. The boy put on his shirt with such speed that made sure his head would not be kept buried. Eye freedom was necessary to ensure visibility of his ferocious and furious step mother, Melisa. The three and a half year old boy had bed wetted a capital crime for the hurtful woman who had not yet tasted labour pains. The boy crouched on the green lawn and began nipping the grass with his nimble fingers. He started humming a discordant tune that sent him dozing and slumbering. Soon the boy lay crumpled and snoring profusely upon the dew wet grass. Poor Daniel; so young yet already hardened by the iron hand and ruthless treatment. 

“Daniel!” his father, Edison’s thundering voice startled the little boy into automated attention. Edson was returning from an impromptu visit to his office.

“Good morning father!” the boy greeted his father in a quivering voice that reported both dread and discomfort.

“Why do you sleep in the open in this chilly weather? And what happened to you?” the father asked tracing the belt beating ridges that had made a criss-cross pattern on Daniel’s tender legs.

“Your child is a rascal! How can he bed wet knowing how difficult and time consuming laundry work is?” Melisa interrupted as she advanced to give what she believed would be a fitting explanation for the child abuse. 

“Get into the house Daniel!” Edison ordered his son visibly disturbed by the whole incident. The boy trotted back with an involuntary limp on his left leg. “Melisa, you have definitely gone beyond the limits this time,” Edison spoke with a hashed voice albeit the offence. “I have failed and am done with you. This marriage cannot work. Barely two weeks have passed since Daniel recovered from your injurious beatings. Pack your belongings and leave right now!” Edison said this with marked finality. All Melisa’s attempts to seek recourse fell on deaf ears. This marked the demise of the two’s romance.

****

Melisa and Edison’s marriage had lasted for three long years. These were hell on earth for Daniel. The couple’s home was characterised by incessant altercations and verbal missiles that denied them peace and harmony. Edison thanked God that Melisa had remained barren for all those troubled years. Daniel was Edison’s only child from a previous marriage. The innocent boy’s mother had passed on just after delivering. Melisa had to come early into Edison’s life to look after his boy, an assignment she had failed. 

Esther Dambudzo came from the same village with Edison. She was an orphan who was brought up by her no nonsense aunt. She grew up to be acquainted with sorrow and suffering and new well the curse of losing both parents in childhood. Esther was an industrious and loyal girl of twenty-six. She was rather introverted, the kind that minded her own business. Indeed she was well built, tall and slender; girls whose expensive smile warmed and illuminated darkened hearts. She had a pronounced love for children and would always be seen with one on her back as she made the morning rush to the shops for breakfast items.

Edison’s love for his son made his mind explore the possibility of an immediate replacement for Melisa. He was not going to make another mistake this time around. As soon as Esther came into Edison’s home, conditions changed for the worse. Daniel had grown to hate any women who showed in his way. He associated them with haters of humanity. The boy had become accustomed to little thefts he had learnt to alleviate occasional hunger. One day Daniel returned from the shops empty handed instead of carrying the anticipated grocery items.

“Where is the bread I sent you?” Esther inquired surprised.

“You forgot to give me the money,” the boy retorted with a tight face and an emphatic voice.

“I actually opened my purse and gave you the only five dollar note I had,” Esther said reminding the boy. She entered the house and brought her purse and shook it mouth downwards to prove to Daniel what she was saying was true. “There is no money in this purse Daniel,” Esther said showing desperation for honesty.

“Liar! You did not give me any money!” Daniel insisted with no sign of remorse and started moving away.

“Stop!” Esther moved briskly towards Daniel. “What is this in your pocket?” Esther inquired searching and squeezing the little boy’s back pocket. 

“My sweets! I got them from my friend at the shops,” the boy said forcefully breaking free of Esther’s grip. She watched him half trotting from her. The woman shook her head and went back into the house. She removed the boiling kittle from the stove and sat on the kitchen chair head cupped in her two hands. 

“That was the same money meant for the day’s relish. What am I going to do now? Edison returns from work very hungry and he should find food ready,” Esther was virtually soliloquizing since Daniel had left. She stood up and gathered the courage to do her household chores as if nothing had happened.

****

 Edison parked his Twin Cab Toyota Hilux in the cabin as usual, closed and locked both the car doors and the cabin doors. He flung his jacket on his should and secured it with his left hand, holding the day’s paper in his right, he headed for the house door. Daniel hesitantly moved towards him for the usual evening greeting.

“Evening daddy!” the boy said with a quivering voice.

“Hallo my prince! Why do you look vexed today? Have you been mischievous again?” Edison said looking Daniel strait in the eyes. The boy’s face showed something was amiss. “What went wrong today? Have you been fighting running battles with your mum again?”

“Not at all! We have had a wonderful day together. My Daniel has tremendously reformed these days. How was your day honnie?” Esther intervened to save the boy who was beginning to falter before his father’s imposing presence.

“Fine then; I thought he was at it again. I’m really tired and hungry!” Edison yawned as he threw himself into the sofa.

“Will you have a drink?” inquired Esther.

“Just a glass of cold water please! I need a really hot meal.”

“There is no food,” Esther said in a shrill voice.

“What happened? Why didn’t you cook?” Edison asked surprised.

“I lost the money you left me and had nothing for the food items,” Esther lied to her husband even if she knew the consequences would be nasty.

“You are joking! How can you lose such big money in such a season? Get out of my house and bring back my money!” Edison barked with a voice that threatened to crack the house’s fourteen inch brick wall. “I said out!” It was getting dark and frightening for a woman to be in the open alone. Esther left the sitting room, went outside and sat quietly behind the house. Temperatures were hostile but the woman knew that Edison always meant what he said. He was a stern man who cared little for the safety of an offender.

Daniel had scrambled himself in a sofa corner like a dog in cold weather. He was not sure whether Esther’s stance would last long. It was a wonder for the little boy to see his step mother opting to lie to her detriment. Esther knew the possible cruel hiding Daniel would have to undergo if Edison had discovered that the boy was the reason behind the day’s scarcity. 

Edison burst out, reversed his car from the car pot and sped off into the dark. He was back in a little under fifteen minutes. He found Daniel still in the sofa actually sobbing from pity. He could not gather enough courage to plead for his step mother. He shielded his tears though and pretended as if all was well.

“Eat and go to sleep,” Edison handed the boy some food and left for his bedroom. The boy could not eat, but instead sneaked stealthily outside to where he had heard Esther cough. 

“Let’s eat,” the boy whispered to his step mother. This was a shocking miracle for Esther. Daniel had made Esther’s life a living nightmare ever since she came to live with Edison. This was the first show of any form of sympathy for her from Daniel. She determined to turn the boy’s attitude and character through unconditional love.  

“I know you are hungrier than I am my son. You can have the food,” Esther said. She continued to refer to him as her son although the boy had never wanted to call her mother. He began eating but still throwing occasional gazes at his step mother. A dozen questions were summersaulting in the little boy’s small head. 

“You can go and sleep, otherwise you will catch a cold,” Esther implored the boy helping him to stand up. Daniel did not resist because he was starting to shiver from the chilly weather. He moved a few steps and looked back at Esther. He finally left and went back into the house for the night’s rest. Only when Edison had gone through his favourite articles in the daily paper did he remember that he had not locked the main door. He stood up, closed all the windows, locked the main door and switched off the sitting room lights.

As the first streaks of dawn shot their arrows in the eastern horizon and light began to order darkness off the land, Esther stood up and began to sweep the yard. Edison unlocked the main door and saw her busy on her chores.

“Good morning. Where did you sleep? Did you bring my money?” the man asked the questions nonstop.

“Good morning Edison. How are you this morning? I slept at the back of the house. You know as good as I do that there is no hope of finding that money,” she answered in a soft voice. Edison did not answer back but instead proceeded to the car pot where he unlocked and started to clean his car. Esther knew that the previous night’s mood had subsided. She took advantage of the calm and went into the house where she prepared breakfast and all that her husband needed before he left for work. After breakfast Edison handed some money to Esther and left. The woman went into Daniel’s spare bedroom where she awakened the boy and took his wet blankets, quickly washed them and spread them in the midmorning sun.

“Let’s go to the shops Daniel,” Esther invited the boy cheerfully. When she saw that the little boy was not resistant, she tenderly held him in her right hand and left for the shops. After picking a few grocery items the two were soon on their way back. Daniel had not said much all this time. He thought Esther wanted to go and investigate the authenticity of his story at the shops. His joy only revisited him when he realised that his step mother considered the previous day’s saga as water under the bridge.

****

Days turned to months and moths graduated to years. Each year brought one dramatic event after the other. Squabbles and altercations remained the order in Edison and Esther’s house. With the passage of time God blessed Esther with a boy and two girls. Daniel grew, studied and excelled exceptionally well due in part to home support she got from Esther. He however continued to call her Esther despite the resilient support and protection he cherished. Sometimes Edison brutally punished Esther on account of Daniel’s stubbornness. Daniel temporarily felt remorse and pity but would soon delve into youthful arrogance. Even in Edison’s eyes, Esther was impartial in the way she treated her biological children and Daniel. It would be Daniel who sometimes tended to be bully to Esther’s biological children.

Daniel was increasingly getting jealous for Esther’s children as they grew up. He hated Charles most, Esther’s first born boy. One Christmas season Daniel was caught red handed shredding Charles’ new trousers to rugs.

“What are you doing Daniel?” Esther asked in a forlorn voice. The boy dropped the pair of scissors he was using and left the room. He was by then at high school yet his stubbornness was growing even worse. The family of six was programmed to eat out on Christmas day. The rest of the members were in their new Christmas attire. Charles was the odd one out. Esther had hidden the torn trousers in her monarchy. As the children stood ready to board the car, Edison recognised Charles’ strange outfit.

“Are you mad? What is that you are putting on? Go and dress properly!” Edison commanded in utter ignorance of the situation. Charles looked at her mother who shook her head to prohibit him from saying anything.

“I have tried to look up his pair of trousers in vain. I really do not know who took it from where Charles had kept it,” Esther tried to cover up. Without saying a word Edison shot back onto the house where he emerged some five minutes later with the remains of Charles’ trousers raised in both his hands as if he wanted to spread it on the drying line.

“What is the story? I found it right at the bottom of your monarchy,” Edison looked at Esther with eyes that seemed to have suddenly overgrown his face. “Tell me what happened? Is it because you didn’t like it for your son?”

“It’s not that Edison! I found Theresa razor blade in hand and the trousers already ripped into shreds. I failed to gather the courage to tell you,” once again Esther had saved the already unstable Daniel. Theresa was only two and a half years old and could not really be blamed for this “innocent” incident.

“Sorry my prince! I will make it up for you after holiday. Theresa is your little innocent sister. She doesn’t understand these things, does she?” Edison said this caressing Charles’ head to reassure him. The boy nodded in acknowledgement of his father’s analysis of the issue. Daniel’s behaviour slightly improved when he was at college. He graduated and joined a science research company in the capital city.

****

“I grew up the hard way my friend!” Adrian gave the remark as Edison and he enjoyed their lunch. “My step mother often denied me enough food while she generously fed her three children. Every silly misdemeanour by any of her children was blamed on me. My father, who never cared for evidence, would give me a terrible hiding that hardened from crying. However, this coming month end I wish to make surprise gifts for both my father and step mother.”

“Why your step mother, cruel and biased as she was?” Brian asked in apparent disgust.

“I have learnt to forgive and forget. At least she did not throw me out of the house. I had nowhere to go. My mother did not leave any caring relatives.”

“But your father could not have allowed that, right?”

“He could not have cared the least. This is why he beat me black and blue at the slightest accusation.” Upon hearing this Edison was quiet for a moment. ‘A cruel Father and an abusive stepmother are receiving surprise gifts this month end,’ he thought to himself with tears visibly filling his eyes. 

“What’s wrong Brian?” Adrian asked.

“I am the worst rascal Adrian.” Brian responded shaking his head to emphasise his regret. “I have never been able to refer to my stepmother as mother. That woman’s life was hell on earth because of me yet each time I was mischievous, she was there to shield me from the wrath of my father. My first stepmother was heartless and cruel. When Esther came into my life everything changed. I became the villain but Esther remained my hero. I can only see it now. That woman deserved better treatment and fitting respect.”

****

“Mum how are you?” that was Brian as he addressed Esther the very month end that Adrian had planned for his parent’s surprises. The young man had seen it necessary to go and make amends with Esther. “But why did you have to suffer so much on my account? Your kindness spoke to my heart in a very unusual way. You came at a time when I had suffered cruel treatment and I poured all my bitterness on you.” Esther was both confused and surprised. It was the first time that she had heard the word mum from Brian’s mouth.

“I also came from a tough and painful background. I grew up an orphan from a tender age and have since resolved never to be an offence to any child in my life,” Esther commended. Adrian stood up and went straight to Esther and hugged her for a moment, their sobs and tears mingled to drown the animosity that once characterised their relationship. When their emotions had died down, Adrian handed his stepmother a parcel in a golden gift wrapper.

 “I wronged you mum! Find space in your heart to forgive me. From now on I will be there for you,” Adrian promised and the two closed into each other again in what looked like a perpetual hug. A wild turtle dove glided past them and landed on a nearby peach tree from where it cooed as if ululating for the miraculous reunion.  

The End