My journey [Episode 2]

I woke up this morning with a lot on my mind, Mama didn't need to come to my room to wake me up.I did my house chores and got myself ready to go to Mama's shop, I needed to see my friend who was leaving for the city today without mama's knowledge,if I tell mama,she won't let me go instead she would start with her lectures about me focusing on my own life,this I have heard a lot of times.

"Enohor,are you ready",Mama called out from her room.

"Yes mama".

"Oya,carry this and make sure you start peeling the yams immediately you get to the market, I don't want that old witch to cook her yams before mine", She said as she brought and lifted the basket of yams on my head.

The old witch,that is what mama calls her rival, Mama karo, she also sells boiled yam in the market, she and mama always quarrelled over little things.They have always accused one another of stealing customers.
I left the house and walked quickly towards Ajiri's house, Ajiri has been my friend right from childhood,but she continued her secondary school education while I stopped,now she is moving to the city with her aunt to further her education.Immediately I entered Ajiri's house, I greeted her parents,dropped the basket of yams and went straight to her room, she started grinning from ear to ear immediately she saw me.

"Eno,  you came to see me", she said as she hugged me.

"Yes" I said as I stared at her box full of her things on the bed.

"I only came to say goodbye, I need to get to Mama's shop on time because she has no idea I came here"

" Thank you Eno,i will really miss you ", she said as she hugged me tightly.

She helped me with the basket of yams I dropped earlier and I immediately headed to the market,On getting to the market mama Karo was there already cooking her yam,mama would be disappointed if she know mama Karo got to the market before me.As I was peeling the yam, I noticed mama Karo and another woman whispering to each other about something. I paid close attention  to what they where saying that is when I discovered they were talking about mama, this made me pay more attention because I wanted to know what they where saying about my mother.

"Do you know that that old witch slept with the agent yesterday again", I heard the other woman say in a very low tone.

"I always suspected she sleeps around especially with that agent but I was not sure" mama Karo replied in a similar tone.

Immediately I froze, my hands became heavy from holding the knife,my eyes became blur,i couldn't see clearly as I tried to fight the tears  that was going to roll down my cheek, mama would not do that,i know for sure because my mother isn't that desperate, I m fifteen years old but I understood clearly what they meant and kept on trying to convince myself that it is not possible. I didn't even notice when Mama Karo and her friend stopped talking, I peeled the yam slowly and tried not to think of what I just heard.
Mama came to the stall later in the day but I didn't say a word to her,The day went quickly than I expected,she asked me repeatedly if I was alright as I looked moody since she arrived but I told her I was alright.
That night I went to mama's room to ask her if what I heard was true because I didn't want to doubt my mother.

"Mama, where did you get the money to pay that agent yesterday?",I asked  as I stood right in front of her.

" I begged him to give me more time",she said without looking at me,she kept on folding the cloths on the bed.

"Mama,don't lie to me, you and I know that this man is wicked and your pleading won't have mattered",I said getting frustrated

"Why are you questioning me like this"

"Mama did you sleep with that disgusting man?".
I wasn't expecting the words to come out of my mouth like that,immediately it came out I got scared of nothing in particular.

"What did you say?"
I couldn't repeat my question because all of a sudden it seemed hard to say.

"Mama answer me,tell me the truth or else I would scream for the world to hear".I said but to me sounded like a threat.

She looked at me with that sorry face,and gave me a nod.

"Am sorry"

I froze immediately, I opened my mouth, no words came out.Tears just rolled down my cheeks.