[STORY] TRAPPED IN THE MIDDLE (Episode 03)

TRAPPED IN THE MIDDLE by Moshood Avidiime

Episode 03.

The longest, Mama and I had ever been apart were the times I spent away, in school. Besides that, it has always been Mama and me. We’ve always been a team, leaving under the same roof, going through life’s struggle as a unit.

Then I graduated, got a job and after a while, my first transfer to work out of town, came.

For the first time in a very very long time, Mama had to experience what it felt like, to truly be by herself. She had to settle for hearing my voice, only over the phone for the time being.

You needed to see Mama crying at that airport terminal. It was as though her son was leaving, never to return again.

I shed a tear as well, because It was more than certain that I was going to miss my “best friend” too.
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We were usually on the phone everyday, talking about anything and everything. I’ll always catch Mama up on all of my activities for that day and she’ll do same.
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Mama knew everything about all my girlfriends. She’ll usually vet them to tell me which is good for me and which one isn’t.

No matter how much I tried to discard Mama’s counsel at first, she was always right about all of the girls she’d ever asked me to do away with.

Her shoulder was always there for me to cry on, after every heartbreak. An aftermath of every advice I refused to take.
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Most people who’d experienced how close Mama and I are, thought our bond unusual, while others envied what we shared, wishing they could be half as close to theirs.
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Tricia as expected, didn’t find this sorta closeness funny at first. I could see it in her eyes, glaringly, everytime I was on the phone with Mama.

I was pissed at first that Tricia would even even feel that way about my relationship with “my mother” but eventually, I understood where she was coming from. I understood her jealousy. I understood her sense of reasoning in that regard.

I’d had to sit Tricia down one day, to explain to her why Mama and I are as close. “I am LITERALLY the only one, that woman has in her life. Being GROWN shouldn’t be a reason I suddenly distance myself from her you know. Plus, we have been this way, long before you came into the picture, the fact that I am trying as best as I can to still ensure Mama and I maintain the same level of connection is honestly for your sake baby. If the flip in my change in attitude towards her is sudden, you’ll be blamed for it, even though it has absolutely nothing to do with you. Its classically the African mother’s mentality”.

“I am not saying you shouldn’t have a good relationship with your mum Greg, but..”

“…but what babe? Put yourself in this old woman’s shoes. How would you feel, if with our son, a time comes when you suddenly feel that he’s being overly distant from you and his reason for this, is GROWTH. How would you feel if to make matters worst, you suspect his wife has something to do with it?”

“Errm, I…”

“She is your mother too you know. You could be that daughter she never had. You could make her understand that you are not a threat to her relationship with me…”

“You should tell Mama that, Greg, not me. I am not here to take you away from her but you are a married man now for crying out loud…”

“…I know babe, and I shall. Its just that it is easier to make you understand this, than it’ll be with her. She is getting older by the day you know and her sense of reasoning and understanding in this sorta affair cannot be compared to yours…”

Tricia and I, had a long and healthy conversation that day and ever since then, even when I think Mama is “over reaching”, Tricia has become my sense of reason.

To be continued…

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