A BATTLE FOR HIS HEART
EPISODE 8
The house was tense for the next few days. Mama Kunle barely spoke to Kunle and completely ignored Amara. Whenever they were in the same room, she would sigh loudly and shake her head, as if mourning a great loss.
Amara tried to act normal, but she couldn’t ignore the uneasiness in her heart. She knew Mama Kunle wasn’t done yet.
And she was right.
One afternoon, Kunle came home looking upset. His shirt was wrinkled, and his face was tight with frustration.
“Kunle, what’s wrong?” Amara asked as he dropped his briefcase.
Kunle exhaled sharply. “My boss called me into his office today.”
Amara’s heart skipped a beat. “Why? What happened?”
Kunle ran a hand over his face. “Mama went to my office.”
Amara’s eyes widened. “She did what?”
Kunle nodded, his jaw clenched. “She marched into my office, told my boss that I was under a woman’s spell, and begged him to ‘save me.’”
Amara gasped. “No!”
“Yes,” Kunle said bitterly. “She embarrassed me in front of everyone.”
Amara covered her mouth. “Kunle, I’m so sorry.”
Kunle sat on the couch, looking exhausted. “My boss was shocked. He called me in and asked if everything was okay at home.”
“What did you say?” Amara asked softly.
“I told him the truth,” Kunle said. “That my mother doesn’t like my wife and is making things difficult for us.”
Amara sat beside him. “Kunle, this is getting out of hand. She has no right to interfere in your work.”
Kunle nodded. “I know. And that’s not even the worst part.”
Amara’s stomach tightened. “There’s more?”
Kunle sighed. “After I left work, I got a call from my uncle. He said Mama has started telling the whole family that you are trying to separate us.”
Amara’s breath caught in her throat. “What?”
“She told them you insult her, refuse to respect her, and have made me turn against her,” Kunle said. “Now, my relatives are calling me, asking why I am ‘choosing’ you over my mother.”
Tears welled up in Amara’s eyes. “Kunle, this is not fair.”
Kunle pulled her close. “I know, my love. And I won’t let her win.”
Amara sniffed. “What do we do?”
Kunle was quiet for a moment. Then he said firmly, “I need to have a serious talk with her. Enough is enough.”
That evening, Kunle knocked on his mother’s door. She opened it slowly, her face blank.
“Mama, we need to talk,” Kunle said.
Mama Kunle folded her arms. “Talk about what?”
Kunle took a deep breath. “Why did you go to my office?”
Mama Kunle scoffed. “I was trying to help you!”
Kunle shook his head. “No, Mama. You embarrassed me. You disrespected me.”
Mama Kunle gasped. “So, I am now disrespecting my own son?”
Kunle ignored her dramatics. “And why are you telling the family lies about Amara?”
Mama Kunle’s eyes flashed. “Lies? Kunle, open your eyes! This woman has changed you! Can’t you see?”
Kunle’s voice was firm. “Mama, Amara is my wife. She is my family now. If you can’t respect her, then I don’t know how we can continue living together peacefully.”
Mama Kunle’s expression darkened. “Are you asking me to leave?”
Kunle sighed. “Mama, I don’t want you to leave. But I want peace in my home.”
Mama Kunle clenched her jaw. “I see.”
She stepped back and looked at him with cold eyes. “Since you have made your choice, don’t worry. I will leave.”
Kunle’s heart ached. “Mama”
Mama Kunle raised a hand. “Enough! I will go. But don’t come crying to me when this woman ruins your life.”
She turned and slammed the door.
Kunle stood there for a long time, feeling torn.
He loved his mother.
But he also loved his wife.
And no matter what happened next, he knew one thing.
Things would never be the same again.
TO BE CONTINUED…