[STORY] IMPERSONATION (Episode 11)

Episode 11.

“And your father? What was his input on this?” I asked.
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“Father was quiet all through his wife’s speech. It was not until she was done talking that he finally spoke…”

“What did he say, K?”

“Moshood!”

“Moshood?”

“Yes. Those were his first words.”

“How do you mean?” I asked, unsure how exactly I was expected to react to this.
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In a flash, I remembered all my time with Mr. John.

I remembered everything we’d spoken about that faithful day. I could still visualize Mr. John’s facial expressions to every single word I spoke. But I honestly couldn’t pinpoint something I’d said that could have been responsible for everything Kate was trying to give me credit for.

If it was indeed something I’d said during that “sit out” with Mr. John that’d resulted into his change in “stands”, then it is verified, that man was smart. Smart enough not to have made me realize I’d stroke a cord when I did.

He’d probably kept a straight face all through this particular talk.
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“So, what did he say I’d done?” I asked Kate, very curiously.

“He didn’t go into details with me but whatever it is you’ve done, it was more than enough to bring out a side of my parent’s I’d never seen before, not since I clocked twenty five anyways…” Kate said, with a facial expression that clearly denoted peace.
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“…Father said you opened his eyes to things he was blind to, even in his old age. He kept singing your praises, man. He said you are the kind of son-in-law he’d have loved to have for real, but then, he knew that you and I weren’t truly an item…”

“…huh? He said he knew that you and I are not really together? How?” I asked, muttering, ashamed at how terrible my impersonating skill was.
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Kate giggled at the sight of my facial expression.

I suppose it was pitiful.
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Then again I began to wonder, “If I’d acted so woefully in my attempt to make Kate’s parents believe I was who I’m not, how then could I have been responsible for any of these?”
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“What did he say we did wrong? I mean, what sold us out?” I mumbled at Kate, who simply shrugged off my question.
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“Father told me to take my time. He said he knows for a fact that only God gives a life partner and at HIS ordained time, he is certain that HE shall give me mine. A man that will love and cherish me like I deserve…”
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I watched keenly as those words parted Kate’s lips, with a lot of excitement splattered all over her face.
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“To my utmost amazement, Moshood, mother sat there, affirming to everything her husband was saying. She would even go ahead to chip in a word or two in-between. I swear, I didn’t know how to react to all of these. It was a lot to digest, especially since it was the last thing I expected to hear. I’d gotten so used to being scolded for my inability to keep a man, that all of these sounded strange to my ears. I have always been made to believe that it was my fault the whole time. I just sat there, glued to the sofa, staring into empty space. At a point, I didn’t even know when I started crying sef…”

“Crying ke. You sef too do. Na everything dey make you cry?”

Kate giggled, waving me off with a gesture she made with her hand.
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“Common now! You no go blame me. I suddenly got overwhelmed by everything. The emotional, mental and even physical torture my mother had put me through all in the sake of say, I never still marry o. As if it’s my fault. I practically had to condescend, Moshood. Do you know that because I didn’t want to go back to being single, because I wanted so badly to prove my mother wrong, because I wanted to prove to myself that I could indeed, keep a man, I had to condone things unimaginable, in the hands of Samuel, my ex-boyfriend? Hmm! Guy, you nor go understand” Kate said, now with a dampened mood.
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“So what exactly did you say to my dad, Moshood?” Kate asked with folded arms, her eyes piercing right through my soul in a manner I understood very well meant, “start talking”
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“I…I honestly have no idea, K.” I muttered. “We spoke about a lot. I told you he kept asking me questions na. Questions, most of which we didn’t even prepare for. I made sure I answered them to the best of my ability, while still trying to maintain my cover. Besides the only time I had to tell him that one story about my aunt, he did most of the talki…”

“…what story?” Kate cooed.

“Story?”

“Yes, you said besides that one story you told him about your aunt…”

“…oh! Yeah. He’d asked to know about my family. One thing led to the other and my aunty became the topic.”

“The same dead aunty I know or another?”

“The same one, K”

“Oh! Okay.” Kate said, incoherently. “You actually went on to tell my father Aunty Haj’s story? Ho…how did you mana… I know how much you hate to talk about her, Moshood. Did you really have to.” Kate asked, in a murmur.
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Kate struggled with her choice of words because she knows how very sensitive it becomes for me, when the topic of discussion features my dead aunt.
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Kate knew my aunt.
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Kate happens to be one of my very few friends who got the opportunity to experience the “goodness” that was “Aunty Haj”.
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The day I told Kate about her demise, she wept as though she was the bereaved.
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In more than one occasion, I’d attempted to tell Kate Aunty Haj’s story, but I’ve always been able to tell this story to a point, until I get so emotional, I couldn’t go any further.
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“Yeah, I told him, K. I felt like I needed to. I felt like Aunty Haj would have wanted me to. I’m sure she would have wanted your father to hear her story and as a result, not push you to what society pushed her to. Even though I have no iota of doubt that all your parents want for you is the absolute best, I just strongly had this conviction that your father needed to hear this story, to probably have a rethink in strategy…”

“…and from all indications, it worked.” Kate uttered, softly.
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“Moshood! Please, it’s about time I hear this story.”

To be continued…

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