"Boys...sit down." Mom gestured to the twin sofa adjacent to her. The seat was upholstered with dark red 'akwa-oche' material that had - gone out of style before I was born and - lost its softness. Sitting in it for prolonged periods of time resulted in an uncomfortable bump on the butt cheeks, sleeping in the sofa was totally out of the question if you don't want to get a hunchback.
Chinedu flopped into the seat, a bored look on his face. I approached the seat warily as if it was a coiled serpent that would strike at any moment.
Whenever mom called these meetings, then, she has put on her mother-hen costume and a thrashing is expected. Given what had happened yesterday, I wasn't under any illusion as to the subject matter of this particular meeting.
"Buchi, should I fry an egg for you before you sit?" Mom asked.
I sighed. And sat down beside Chinedu who looked too calm. I gave him the death-eye.
"I wanted to talk to you about the incident that occurred yesterday."
Chinedu gave me a snide look. He must be feeling 'holier than thou'. God, I hate him!
"Stop looking at me like that, moffo." I said harshly.
"Shut up, Obyebuchi." Mom snapped at me. "How many times have I told you not to use such language in my house?"
"But mom, you di-didn't see how how he was looking at me! Moreover, moffo isn't a cuss word." I argued.
"Oh! Save it! I don't want to hear that now. You're so easily irritated. That is why you insulted your father and I yesterday."
"But... But..."
"Buchi, save it. You are always trying to talk your way out of your problems. There is nothing that can be said to you without you retorting something in reply. Sometimes you have to shut up and admit your wrong doings. We aren't always right. Look at what happened yesterday, the way you went about the confrontation was wrong in all ramifications. Your father might not own a mansion or buy you expensive clothings or take you to exotic places, but he is the best you could have. He is patient, caring, hardworking and the best thing is; he loves you kids to pieces.
"Yes, he has encountered some financial set backs recently, what with the condition of the country, but he has been doing his best. He makes sure that there is a roof over your head, that there clothes on your back, that there is food in your belly, that there is something in that your skull, and that you are loved.
"Buchi, in your spare time, try and calculate how much your tuition and upkeep could have cost in the past six months. You can't repay his efforts with the attitude you pulled yesterday, insulting him. Have I made myself clear?"
I nodded solemnly.
"When your father comes back today, you will go on your knees and ask for forgiveness. As I would, okay?" She continued.
I nodded meekly again. "Yes, ma."
"Good. Now, you can return to your room."
She barely finished the sentence before I shot up from the chair. I wanted to be anywhere else but there, with my mother's eyes boring into me like diamond drills. I was about to leave when Chinedu said, "But mom, why would you be asking for his forgiveness? What did you do?"
I looked between Chinedu and mom. Trust the smart ass to pick up something like that. So mom had fucked up too?
"Um... I... Um, I used the money our father gave to me for food to do something else..."
My eye lids shot up above my head. Mom had starved us yesterday and not dad? ''Mom?! It was you?! And I thought dad was the bad guy here."
She changed her posture, averting her eyes from me to the wall behind me.
"Mom, this is really messed up. Not cool!"
"Buchi! Watch your tongue. I am still your mother and I can still smack you into oblivion. M ga amaye gi kiri kiri star n'anya. What happened is complicated. I just..."
"Moved money from point A to C. Misappropriation of funds." Chinedu cut in.
Mom rolled her eyes. "Yes, Albert Einstein. It was obviously an error in judgement, one that would never happen again. Now off with you. You better prepare a good speech for your father."
God, I hate her...
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