TORN UP

PHIL

“You're not going to marry that girl!” Mum yells from the kitchen. “She's bad news and her rich family ain't honourable. She will make your life miserable. She will make you her slave!”

“Mum, can't you just let me worry about that? I'm the one who's in love with her, not you!”

I say calmly as I tie my shoes laces. I'm meeting Tabby for dinner and I'm running late, all thanks to my ever yelling mum.

“I won't sit here and watch you destroy your life.” She says as she walks out of the kitchen, drying her hands on the apron. “My only son, my only child won't make the mistake of his life while I'm still alive!”

She sits next to me on the couch and places an arm over my shoulders.

“I love you son. I'm old enough to know what is good for you and definitely, not that girl. Her family is bad news. She might be good and of the best behaviour but just look at her family. Her father is a womanizer, a drug dealer and a murderer. Her mother is a community wife, a gossiper and she fights every woman she suspects to be having an affair with her husband. Her brother is a drug addict, the estate drunkard, a thief and a rapist. The list is endless! Do you want me to talk about her sister who's a school dropout and she's now selling her body in the streets? Tell me son, would you still want to marry from such a family?”

“I must marry Tabby mum. She's different and she doesn't support whatever every other member of her family does and you know that mum.”

I say as I stand up to leave, grabbing my car keys from the table.

“Good night mummy, see you later.” I say as I spare her a kiss on the cheek. “I love you.” And I exit.

“You will regret this son! That family is cursed! They're all possessed!”

She yells behind me but I don't look back. I'm already climbing on my car and as I ignite it, I see mum standing at the door step, shaking her head in doubts.

“I'm not marrying her entire family mummy! Bye.”

I wave at her and drive out of the compound.

Agggggr!

What do I do now?

My mum has been against our affair for the longest time. She thinks Tabby won't make a good wife because of her entire family members rotten behaviour.

Atleast, Tabby is different and I love her for who she is not for who are family are!

I'll be picking her from her office because she didn't drive to work today. Her car had some mechanical problems and she blatantly refused to use her siblings cars. She's such a principled girl and I love her for that!

One thing I like about her though, she doesn't carry herself with so much esteem like every other girl. She's so composed, humble and hard-working. She just graduated and unless you hear from someone else, she wouldn't tell you that she's now the CEO to her wayward father's establishment.

My mind drifts to the first time we met. I was on my third year in the university. The lectures had just ended and I was heading home. I never lived in the hostels. I loathed them due to the ill behaviours which enacted from every student who lived in there! That time I hadn't secured a car so I wanted to board the bus home. As I walked out through the school gate, I heard a car honking and I looked back.

The occupant had just stopped and parked by the roadside. It was this beautiful damsel and she lowered the window, smiling at me and signalling me to walk to her. And I hesitated!

This one must be one of the many prostitutes who lure men into their traps by offering rides! If she turns out to be one of them, I'll just walk away!

I walked towards her car and said hi. She was still smiling.

“Phil...”

She! She already knew my name. I wasn't even famous in campus?

“Hop into the car. I'll drop you home.”

“Who are you?” I demanded, avoiding her gaze which was boring into mine.

“I am Tabitha, but you can call me Tabby. I'm a first year student in this university and I live in your estate.” She replied.

“Hop in, we can catch up while in here!”

She already knew my name so there wasn't any need to introduce myself.

I hesitated but her pleading eyes which portrayed her innocence made me change my mind. I walked over to the passenger's side and let myself in.

“You're so shy Phillip.”

She observed as she drove off towards our hesitate.

“I've never seen you in our estate Tabby.” I said.

“That's because we just moved in there. We bought a house a few days ago and we relocated there. We live three houses away from yours. I've seen you walking to the bus stop severally and seen you alight at the stage to our estate. I've seen you walk to the front of your house and mostly use your keys to let yourself in. You live with your mother in that house. I'm so sorry for the death of your father!”

“Wow! You really know me! Thanks for that. He's now resting in a better place!”

“Here we are.”

I was shocked to find out that she was already parking at our compound. As usual, my mum was in the office so I climbed down, asking her to come in but she declined.

“I must rush home. I need to do an assignment. See you tomorrow!”

She said as she ignites her car to drive off.

“Your number please!”

Wow! I've never asked a girl for her number before!

“Tomorrow!”

And she drove off!

That was the beginning of our escapades together.

We would meet in the school cafeteria, have snacks, have lunch, drive home together and even go out to dinner together.

I'd invite her over to my house and she's do the same. Most of the times, I'd be pissed off by her siblings behaviours but I couldn't do anything. I had started falling deeply for her. She had an exemplary behaviour. An ever positive attitude and composure.

However, asking her to be my girlfriend wasn't that easy. Her family was filthy rich while my widowed mum was just struggling to make ends meet. I'm glad my late dad had bought a house for us so we didn't have to worry about where to lay out heads at night.

Many people thought we were rich but we weren't. All of my dad's assets which were in my name were grabbed by his brothers but they couldn't dare touch the house which was under my mum's name.

There was nothing to salvage since they had squandered everything, leaving them poorer than church mouses. Now they were back to the village, farming and drinking cheap liquor.

My mum on the other hand secured a job in dad's friend's office and that's where she's working till today. Atleast, whatever she earned was enough to cater for our bills and school fees.

As time went by, I managed to ask Tabby to be my girl friend and she accepted. I was the happiest man in the world. I'd accompany her to her house but whenever any of her folks disrespected me, she'd scold them and tell them off, warning them never to repeat such again!

I wondered how she managed to stay sober in that fucked up family where she was the only person of sound mind.

I remember how her sister Vicky winked at me and whenever Tabby was out of sight, she'd forcefully sit on my laps and start caressing my crotch!

Her brother Mike on the other hand would come home from wherever, high as kite and hand a bag if white substance to me. He'd advise me to consume it if I wanted to be top in my class.

And her mum? Oh my! Madam Dinah! She'd arrive home from her escapades, walk into her bedroom, add layers of make up on her already powdered face, paint her lips blood red, wear skimpy dresses then walk out again without any cares in the world.

Tabby used to condemn her behaviour but she wouldn't change.

All those days we dated, I had only seen her dad, Mr Fred only twice. During one of the family dinners when Tabby had invited me and recently when I went to ask for Tabby's hand in marriage. To be sincere, he didn't seem to care whoever dated his daughter! He talked less and ate more...he too took liquor like a shark!

*****

I'm already at the huge building which houses the Fredrick's Corporation. My fiancee is already at the parking lot, her eyes scanning the whole place, probably looking around for me.

I hoot and she smiles as she walks towards me. She's grinning from ear to ear.

She lets herself in the car and sits shotgun, leaning in for a hug. I hug and kiss her, letting the fragrance in her official dress linger in my nostrils. Oh my! Don't I just love this girl?

Despite protests from mum, we've been strong together since college days and now that I'm working, I threatened my mum to leave her house for her and secure mine where she wouldn't be telling me who to date.

However, she was initially happy with me dating Tabby but all the bad blood started that day we went to ask for Tabby's hand in marriage.

Her moods changed when she saw Mr Fred and his wife. They all looked shocked to meet her and I later learned that they knew my dad. However, I didn't ask more. Anyone can know your father, isn't it? She barely touched their food. However, she didn't stop me from stating my intentions but once out there, she warned me against ever bringing *that girl* to her house!

She never told me why the sudden mood change, however much I pronged her to tell me. When she couldn't say anything, I decided to let it rest and concluded that no one was going to separate me from my fiancee...not even my own mother!