Mixed Tidings by Unoma Nwankwor

Author:Unoma Nwankwor
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: KevStel Productions and Publications
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Six

It’d been exactly a week and a day since Amari woke up to the perfect landscape of a snowcapped mountain expanse. He leaned against the banister of his cottage porch, clad in only pajama bottoms. He gazed out into the distance and still couldn’t find the right adjective to describe the view of the Drakensberg Mountain. The frigid air of the cool morning hit his bare chest, causing him to shudder. A smirk appeared on his face as he envisioned his mother’s face.

“Boy, will you put on a shirt before you catch a cold,” she’d say.

His eyes went to his mother’s journal that sat on the bench in the corner. Next to it was Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates. His aunt had given him the book earlier in the year. It was helping with some questions he had neither a father nor mother to help him with. He had pulled out his mother’s journal for a different reason. His cousins and their families were nice people. He needed to justify his continued deception.

The day his aunty handed him the journal came floating back through his memory. His mother had been gone a year and he’d graduated high school a few months earlier.

“’Mari, I wanna talk to you.”

Pausing the game, he set the controller down and gave her his attention. She held the worn-out journal.

“I don’t know any other way to say this than to just say it.” She rubbed her temple with her free hand. “Your mama knew who your father is.”

His ears rang and his heart thudded against his chest. There was no way she said what he heard. “Say that again.”

“You heard me, baby. Now, don’t be mad—”

Fire rose through him, anger jerking him to his feet. “Don’t be mad? How you gonna tell me don’t b—”

“Watch your tone. I know you’re upset but you will act like you have some sense. Now, sit down, I’ll tell you what happened.”

Hot air blew from his nostrils. He’d asked his mother so many times who his dad was. At first, she said she didn’t know. Then over the years, she would cry at the question. He loved his mother and didn’t want to stress her, so he stopped asking. How could she keep that from him? What kind of mother does that to her child? The years, the questions. How? He looked at his aunty and plopped down on the couch beside her.

“You’re too young to understand. Love can make you do some sick, sick things. My sister fell in love with a man who wasn’t available to be loved. Worst of all he didn’t love her back. Sometimes as women, we hear what we want to hear and make up fantasies.”

“This is not making sense.” He shook his head.

“Here.” She handed him the journal. “There’s a letter in there that will explain further. Also, her entries can tell you her state of mind.”

Amari took it from her and examined it. He pulled out the letter. It was made out to a Musa Danjuma.

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