Clash

It started with the Whatsapp message
She was swamped at the office
She didn't have enough time to 
spare to check her phone
He had sent her a message
His mother came to Lagos to 
check on him
He had dropped the key to his
apartment with her
They were dating
His estate had a constant supply
of electricity
So she did her laundry in his 
apartment every Saturday
She would stay over 
They would go to church together
on Sunday and spend the time after
church watching a movie or hanging
out
Then she would return to her flat
by 7pm with dried clothes
They were sexually active
They were born again Christians 
It is how their own Christianity was
They didn't care if it was right or wrong
That was who they were
That particular weekend
He had to attend a training in 
Port Harcourt
He dropped his keys with her
She went to his apartment as usual
She did the laundry, slept over and
returned to her own apartment on
Sunday evening
She had his key with her
He was supposed to return sometime
on Monday to pick it up at her office
That was the agreement 
Then his mother arrived in Lagos
unannounced
He sent her a message immediately
to give the key to the despatch
rider in her office and make sure
it got to his mother
She had never met his mother
His mother was a big deal to him
His mother raised him and 
his siblings as a single parent
after the death of his father
They had the best of everything
She even paid for his Master's
degree programme abroad
Her office was being audited that week
It was the busiest week of all
She didn't see the message
He called her phone over thirty times
She didn't pick
Around 5pm, someone called her
phone
A colleague brought the phone to her
She picked the call and couldn't
make sense of what the person was
saying
The voice said "Hello, is it good that
you people locked me outside since
10AM?"
She didn't make any sense of it
So she said "Wrong number and
cut the call"
The number called again
She didn't bother to pick the call
She switched off her phone!
When she closed around 9pm
She switched on her phone and
all hell was let loose!
He had sent her voice messages
Called and sent messages of all
types
He pleaded, begged, appealed
got angry at a point etc
She quickly sent him a message
and took off to his house
When she got there
She knew it was over!
He didnt say so
His mother said so without
mincing words
"You are the one who locked
me out of my son's apartment
and switched off your phone when
I called you!
I spent eight hours on the street
I sat with Mallam at the gate and
then i had to go and sit down at an
eatery for hours!
I was told you had a busy day at work
What if you had a baby at the creche
that was dying or convulsing?
You would have thrown your phone
away and claimed you were busy?
I raised my children as assets!
None of them would ever be a liability
None of them would be a leech
I didn't raise them for myself
I raised them for strangers who would
marry them and benefit from my
labour of many years!
But if the stranger cannot show me
the courtesy I deserve after all i did, 
then such a stranger does not deserve
to be in my son's life!"
She was shocked by the finality
of his mother's words
She didn't know she was supposed to
fall on her knees and beg her
She got carried away somehow...
He was already apologizing
to his mother on her behalf by the
the time she realized what she ought 
to do!
It was too late
His mother saw her hesitation
When she eventually tried to kneel
down, his mother's eyes hit her
like daggers!
She sensed it was a waste of time
She was tired and all
She really didn't know how to beg
a mother-in-law she had not met
before
Who does that?
She had been dating him for three
years
They had a mutual understanding
She was educated and independent
What happened was a mistake
It could happen to anybody
Why was his mother making a big deal out
of it
It was denigrating to beg his mother
it would practically mean she was
begging to have him in her life
She cannot beg to keep any man
The worst-case scenario would be
a break-up
She kept up with the charade for a 
few minutes and then told his mother
she needed to go home
She could have stayed over in his 
apartment
Slept in the guest room till the next day
Made his mother some juice and done
the 'good wifey' thing
But she didn't want to
She just wanted to leave!
So she left!
When she got home she showered and 
slept
She went to work
She waited 
The whole day dragged slowly by
He didn't call
He didn't even call to show his anger
or express his disappointment at her
conduct
He just ignored her
She should call him, call his mother
She didn't 
She didnt want to massage anybody's
ego
Day two, she got to work
At around 1 PM, the despatch rider
from his office arrived
He delivered a package to her
All the things that she left in his 
apartment had been carefully packed '
and returned to her
Not a word
He didn't call
She didn't call
But it hit her badly!
He had taken his mother's side
He didn't even try to smoothen things
up or make her understand 
He just caved to his mother's will
The following day was a Friday
She went to her parent's house
She spent the weekend holed up
She didnt leave her room
Monday came she still remained in her
room
Her parents went out
When they returned she was still there
She remained in her room the whole week
no food, no drink, no television, no book
Just sleeping, staring into space and
wishing death would come
She was practically submerged in misery!
On Day 10, her parents called in a doctor
She was bundled to the hospital
She was diagnosed with depression!
She didnt care anymore by this time
She just wanted to die!
She spent a week in the hospital
She didnt tell anybody what happened
The psychiatrist tried her best
She just couldn't admit that the
breakup was killing her
She was a strong woman
What is a break-up?
Fried rice and beef burger
Why would she break because of love
She kept her pride
She told herself she would snap out
of it
She would get better
But she didnt 
After two weeks!
Her mother invited the Brother in
Jeans and T-shirt
She told him everything
My daughter is 32 years old
She is suffering from depression
She is not getting better 
She is not talking
Please help!
The Brother in Jeans and T-shirt prayed
The Holy Spirit said "Give her music"
The brother in Jeans and T-shirt drove
to a supermarket
He bought the most expensive Bluetooth
MP 3 player
He went home and loaded the memory card 
with worship music
Then he went to the hospital!
She was just looking, not speaking
He switched on the MP 3 player
and the voice of Donnie McClurkin
filled the room
He sat down at the foot of the bed
She watched the MP 3 player for
some time
Then she stretched out her hand
The Brother in jeans and T-shirt gave
it to her
He spent an hour with her
The following day he went with a
basket of fruits
They listened to music and ate apples,
peaches, banana and pears
The third day she went for a drive with
the brother in Jeans and T-shirt
They drove around Ogba, Agidingbi axis
By day five, she was eating again
She told him everything that happened!
The following Saturday, the Brother in
Jeans and T-shirt drove her to her
boyfriend's house
His mother was still around
When her boyfriend saw them, he ran 
to her and hugged her!
The Brother in Jeans and T-shirt had
coached her what to do in the car
"When we get there, hug his mummy
very tight!
Just do it"
She went to his mummy and hugged
her very tight 
Suddenly the dam broke
She was crying profusely
Her boyfriend's mother who had watched
her son suffering from heartbreak for 
over four weeks started crying too!
There are no hard women
There are women who hid their soft side
The Holy Spirit knows our buttons
We can't form "hard guy" or "hard babe"
with him!
We can't even form "hard dad" or 
"Hard mum"
After the lengthy hug, she fell on her knees
and apologized
His mother beamed!
The matter was resolved!

Ps: They got married in 2018
She got another job soon after the wedding
She left the bank and started working
with a consulting firm in Lekki!
His mother traveled a week after the
wedding to spend some time with his
elder sister living abroad who had a baby
He said his marriage to her was the
best thing that ever happened to him!

PS: Feminism is your enemy, run from it!