CHAPTER EIGHT

*

“Yes we have pictures of that too” The lawyer says

Emeka laughs “You all are pitiful, get out of my way, my mother needs rest, she is sick”

“You and that witch are no longer welcome in my house, never!”

‘You lie papa, you lie! this is as much my mother’s as it is yours and we will enter”

‘Dare me!!”

“You dare to stop me, not your bodyguards not your lawyer not your police dog, you father, stop me, then those fake pictures you have now I will show you what real cuts looks like Mr Ambross!“Emeka flares

“Emeka please” Mercy begs

“No mother, I am done, tired! he wants it, let him come stop me himself” he pulls his mother towards the gate and keeps kicking it,Adamu was pleading for them to go.

“Deal with him,have no mercy” His father orders

The guards pull Mercy away flinging her to the corner and descends on Emeka, beating him to a pulp as his mother screams and beg, she is held down by the police man

“Papa Emeka enough, AMBROSS ENOUGH!!!!’’ she screams “I will do anything you want,don’t kill my son, tell them to stop please, please!’’ she screams ''please i beg you in the name of God, do not kill my son, my son my beg you, my God!!'' she yells, ''I beg you i would do anything just leave my son alone, my son is all i have in this world. Papa Emeka i beg you, enough, enough ENOUGH!!!! I will do anything'' she cries and begs

“Anything?” Ambross asks

“Yes” she nods, eyes swollen from tears ''I swear it on my son's life''

''Good'' he smiles “Give her the papers Lawyer, I need you to sign the divorce papers and the restriction orders, I need you to sign there and then I need you to take yourself and your son and I never want to see either of you ever again in my entire life, will you sign??’’

Ambross comes forward

“Yes, yes, just stop them” she screams as they kept beating Emeka,she saw blood leaving his mouth, she screams louder

“Sign it first”

Mercy without thinking signs it,

“Stop, let the boy go” he orders “Get out from my sight” he tells Mercy Mercy runs to her son, crying, cradling him to herself…”GET OUT!!!!’’ Ambross screams “Throw them away from my gate now” He says to his boys who drags

Mercy in one hand and then drags Emeka by his leg and push them to the road, dumping their cloths on the ground next to them and leaves.

“My son, my son” she cries “OH God!! Oh God why?” she bellows touching every part of his body , wishing she could take his place and take on all of his pains

“Mama, mama..” Emeka coughs

“Sshhh,it’s okay, it’s okay…you father will come around, we would wait and then we would go beg him”

Emeka shakes his head, he painfully stands up, wiping the blood from his mouth,one of his eyes was swollen and so was his lips “I would rather die than go back’’ he says taking her hand

“Where do we go, how do we survive, where….we are good as finished…my son, we can’t go

anywhere else but home, how do we survive? we have nothing, nothing! You father had thrown us out, he has divorced me, he beat you, we have nothing..let us go and beg, accept the servants quarters…my son, your father isn’t in his right mind..God will change him. We can’t leave, what if he falls sick, what if..they ruin him..he needs me, he needs us. Where do we go if not home,we have nothing no money how do we survive how do we, how do we?” she begins to be hysterical

“Mama , mama’’ he holds her face in his hands, kissing her forehead, his blood smearing her “You have me and that is enough. I don’t care if I drop out d school, I don’t care if I need to push wheelbarrow or pack shit, I don’t care but mama, me Emeka Odinaka will be your blessing,your happiness and one day…all this pain would be a bad dream I promise you” he says holding her to him

He looks back to the house ..

And you father, one day…I will make you pay,I will make you beg and cry and then I would push the stool from under your leg and watch you fall..

One day papa, I will be in that position and power you wield I swear it,and I will pay you back coin for coin, tit for tat, blood for blood, I promise you.

“Come mama’’

“Where to?” she says crying

“Anywhere the wind blows’’ he holds her hand, with the other he carries what he could carry and they stagger down the road, walking into the night.

*