The Old Woman Final Part 2 (Short Story) – Fau Zy

The Old Woman Final Part 2 – Fau Zy

Mama wiped off a single tear and sighed.

That was all she could do to keep herself from breaking down in tears.

“Tell Ben that his mother wants to see him. Tell him she has something to say to him. Tell him she wants to see him even if it’s the last time. And tell him she promises never to bother him again after this time. Tell him…”

The gate suddenly cracked open before she could finish and a bucket of water rained on her, completely drenching the clothes she had on.

Mama stood in shock for a while as her wet body dripped, the force of the water making her face stay peeled to the earth for sometime.

Then slowly, she lifted her eyes to behold the most venomous glare sent her way from a very familiar face.

“Helen…”

“Shut up! Don’t ever mention my name with that cursed mouth of yours!” The younger woman fired, making Mama’s words stuck in her throat.

“The last time I checked, my husband made it clear to you that he doesn’t want to see you anywhere close to us yet you still perch around like a stubborn fly. Don’t you ever learn with that old skull of yours?” Helen quarreled.

“Forgive me for whatever I did to you, my child. Please let me in. I have to see Ben,” Mama pleaded, almost going on her knees.

The young woman let out a loud hiss.

“Like he wants to see you. Well, I can see that the water has dried on you. Seems like it didn’t affect you at all. Just wait let me go and fetch more,” she turned to go back.

“My daughter, please wait! At least listen to me…”

“I’m not interested! Let me repeat this in case you’ve forgotten; Ben doesn’t belong to you anymore. You lost him to me that moment I got married to him. Prior to our marriage, you must’ve thought I was one of those daughters-in-law who tolerate meanness from their mothers-in-law but no, you never imagined that I’ll make the first move by completely separating you from your son…”

“Helen dear, you clearly made a mistake. I was never going to be mean to you. I still don’t hate you. I’ve always loved everyone,” Mama said.

“You’re lying! All mothers-in-law are cruel. You’re no different. You too are wicked! So listen to me carefully, I don’t want to hear your knock on this gate again else I’ll come back with not just any water but scalding hot one. Just go. Return back to the village and never bother us again. That’s an advice.” She shut the gate on the old woman, leaving her standing in her wet clothes.

“And you…the next time I go outside I don’t want to find that ‘thing’ standing there unless you don’t want this job anymore,” she strictly warned the gateman who immediately nodded.

“Yes ma. I… I’ll send her away, now.” He hurried away.

As she made her way towards the house, her phone rang. She stopped moving, glanced towards the house and turned away to answer the call.

“Hello, sister. You called at the right time, how did you know I needed to talk to you?” Helen asked.

“Really? What a coincidence!” Her sister’s cheerful laughter resonated over the phone. “I guess our minds work just the same. We’re sisters after all. I just wanted to hear from you, are you okay? You sound worried by the way.”

“I’m not okay. I’m so confused. I… I…”

“Calm down, please. What is it?”

“It’s my mother-in-law! She’s here again and…”

“That old woman again. Why is she always showing up at your gate? Is she not tired yet? Or maybe you’re yet to humiliate her enough.”

“That’s not the case at all. I’ve humiliated her several times. I’ve done many bad things to her. The other day, I slapped and pushed her. I even spat in her face on three different occasions. Today, I threw water on her. I’ve called her terrible names countless times but nothing seem to affect her. Infact I’ve run out of ideas. And you know what?”

“What?” Her sister asked.

“I’m beginning to feel guilty. Just now when I poured water on her, I expected her to feel angry and try to hit me, insult me or even curse me and maybe that would have made me feel better and my actions justified.

But instead, she asked me to forgive her and allow her see her son. She begged me to allow her see her own son! She asked me to forgive her but you and I know that she did nothing to me. My heart was touched when she asked me to forgive her after pouring water on her but I couldn’t let her see that. I even tried to provoke her by insulting her but she never frowned or insult me back. I feel pity for her, sister and I’m thinking about…”

“Don’t you dare!” Her sister panicked. “Why will you think of asking her to forgive you? Do you know what that means? Are you crazy?”

“Yes, I’m crazy! I’m going crazy. Maybe I should go and apologise to her and confess to my husband. Let me confess to him that I deliberately turned him against his mother. Let me tell him that his mother is innocent. You were the one who advised me to pay a fake seer to warn my husband not to give or take anything from his mother as she had plans to kill him.

The seer warned him not to accept even a pin from her or have anything to do with her at all as that was the only way her plans could work. You advised me to do all that because I feared that my mother-in-law would disturb my marriage. I regret taking your advice and…”

“What is wrong with you, Helen? Are you sure you’re my sister? That woman is pretending o. Don’t mind her crocodile tears. I mean, look at me now. That was the same thing I did to my mother-in-law and today, I’m enjoying my marriage in peace. I heard the poor woman passed away last year and her daughter was the only child who attended her funeral. Listen to me. In marriage, if you don’t snatch your husband, you risk him being snatched. You did the right thing, so pull yourself together and stop being a baby.” She advised.

“But…”

“No buts. I’m your elder sister, so I would never deceive you.”

“Okay.”

“Extend my greetings to your husband and children.”

“Same here. Bye.”

The call ended and Helen stood still, contemplating for a while. When she finally turned to leave, she froze in her steps as she came face to face with the most unexpected person.

Her husband.

She could see disbelief, disappointment and betrayal in their purest forms, right in his eyes. She felt afraid to stare at them, and she felt even more afraid of his biting silence. She trembled in fear and took a step back.

“Ben? I…I…” she stuttered stupidly. Could he have heard everything? But why isn’t he saying anything?

Maybe he didn’t hear anything at all. Maybe she was just being worried for nothing. She had been standing there for a while and the call ended long ago. Yes, he didn’t hear her. She forced a smile to ease the awkwardness before trying to go close to him.

“Darling, how long have you been standing behind me?” She asked smilingly.

“So long to have heard you mention all the horrible things you’ve done to me and my mother!” He fired, causing her to almost miss her step.

“Tell me this isn’t true. Tell me you’re joking?!” He held her shoulders and shook her violently.

“I’m sorry…” A sob escaped her lips.

“Excuse me! You’re sorry? You’re sorry?!” He suddenly let go of her and she landed harshly on the ground with her butts.

“You’re my greatest mistake!” He spat, brushing past her and heading for the gates.

Pain and regret bit hard on his heart as he walked. He couldn’t believe that he hated his mother for seven years because of a false accusation despite all the sacrifices she made because of him.

After his father’s death, life turned extremely hard for them. His mother toiled in the scorchingly hot sun and chilling rain so that he would live. So that he could go to school. So that he would have a good life. So that he could become what he was today.

But how did he repay her?

He bolted out of the gate but she was no longer there. He searched the corners where she usually sit down and weep whenever her request to enter the house was denied.

But she wasn’t there today.

He looked around in frustration before noticing a crowd was gathered a little distance away. Although he wasn’t interested in knowing what the problem was because finding his mother was his priority right now, he still couldn’t help but be attracted to the gathering.

“What is going on here?” He heard someone asked another person.

“A careless driver knocked down an old woman who was trying to cross the road. He tried to run but he was chased and brought back…”

“That’s terrible! But what about the old woman?”

Ben pushed his way through the crowd until he got a clear view of the scene.

“She’s dead,” people said painfully.

“Call the police! Call the…”

Ben’s breathing stopped as he stared at the body lying in a pool of blood. The background noises faded off his hearing as he moved closer to her.

It was his mother.

Tears struck his eyes as he knelt down and held her to himself.

“Mama…” He called, but it was useless as she would never hear him again.

“So he’s her son? Ahhhh, this is so painful!”

“Sorry for your loss.”

“Mama. It’s me, your son. You’re still alive, aren’t you? Listen, I am very sorry. I feel so ashamed of myself right now. Please open your eyes and see how sorry I am. Open your eyes and beat me however you want. I promise never abandon you again. I heard that you wanted to see me. Open your eyes now and see. You have something to say to me? Speak, I’m listening. Mama?”

But her eyes were forever shut, never to see him again and no sound was ever going to escape those lips of hers again. And whatever she was going to tell him, were gone with her.

She was gone.

Please, resolve whatever issues you have with anyone now before it is too late. You never can tell what moment is the last.

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