YASMIN.
"Damn you Toby," I muttered underneath my breath as Mama and I walked the length of the beach till we reached where we could find a rickshaw to take us home. Pain radiates through my entire midsection as we walk the entire distance. The pain was a constant throughout the ride home even though it varied in intensity and length. Sometimes it was sharp and short, other times it dragged. The rocking of the rickshaw wasn't helping.
By the time we got home, the skies had turned grey, and the bright morning sun that had been out a moment ago was behind them. The new weather matched my mood perfectly. Mama helped me inside the house and the moment my mother spotted us she began to panic. Together they cleaned me up and settled me on the bed where I would labour through the day and most of the night.
"Where is the doctor? call for the doctor," I cried during a painful contraction.
"I've checked, and everything is fine. We don't need the doctor," Mama said.
"Mum," I cried. My mother looked between me and Mama like she was confused about what to do next. I needed something for the pain so badly. My water hasn't broken and yet I was in so much pain. Mama was part of the school of thought that there was no need for such things as pain medication during labour. Mama won the argument between the both of us because no matter how much I cried and begged they both refused to call the doctor. They tried to keep me as comfortable as possible, massaging my back and rubbing it down with a cool cloth.
My water broke at around 8 pm and less than two hours later my son came into the world from between my thighs and Into Mama's hands. I was on my hands and knees drenched in sweat in a small pool of what was once clean water but now reeked of our blood and sweat. My hair was sticking to my face. I was all cried, screamed, shouted and cursed out. Dog tired was an understatement for how I felt but at the same time, I had never felt so powerful.
"What is wrong with you? I've told you to stop this," Mama chided when she entered the room and caught me doing lunges again. It had been a week since I had my baby and according to their archaic traditions I was supposed to be lying in bed and being fed broth. I'd eat the broth but I wasn't lying in bed all day for any reason, Yasmin Blake was coming back with a bang. I need to be in shape before the month runs out because I had a party I needed to crash. Mama just hissed when I didn't answer her.
Toby thought he could use and dump me but he had another thing coming. How dare he reject my pregnancy and accept hers. I wasn't going to let this slide, I would frustrate both of them and have him begging for my baby and me.
"Don't you think you should take it easy?" My mother asked when I came back from my walk. She was seated in a rocking chair in a corner of the room, she had my little cutie in her arms and a blanket was thrown over both of them.
"I'm taking it easy I said, I was out walking, not running," I said squatting down in front of her to take a peep at him.
"I know but these first few weeks as a mother, you should spend them relaxing. Waking up with no plans and just gazing at your child, that's the joy of it."
"I'm gazing at him right now aren't I? Look, I can feel the joy in all my plans, don't worry."
"You don't have to fight for any man's affections, you have your son and trust me he Is enough."
"Is that how you gave up on my father?"
"Don't you dare speak on issues you have no idea about?"
"I know enough, I know how alike we are, how you gave birth to me on this very island.
" Shut up!" She screamed at my words but I continued," you let me be raised as an illegitimate child but I won't let that happen to my child. We've spent enough time hiding, we are going back to reality next week and I will fight till the end."
"Fine! Do what you want then but just know that I've helped you plenty," she said, from the look on her face I knew I had struck a chord.
"And I'm grateful for all your help," I said. I was almost sorry about our heated exchange but I meant almost every word and I resented how alike we were and the similar situations we have found ourselves in.
The mood was sober as we packed our bags to leave.
"I would miss this place and Mama too," I said as I folded little onesies into my suitcase. My mother just hummed in response. She had been doing that since our fight a week ago, giving me non-verbal answers and one-worded answers.
"I'm sorry about the things I said during our little argument last week. I appreciate you and all you do for me and now all you're doing for my little one. I think you did your best with the whole Dad situation but now let's do mine."
"All is forgiven," she said with a sigh.
"Are you sure? I'm tired of the silent treatment."
"Think about that next time before you run your mouth," she said and I knew that all was truly forgiven. I flew across the bed and engulfed her in a hug..
I wore a baseball cap and glasses all through the flight and I insisted my mother do the same because I wanted the element of surprise to be in my favour with Toby. We entered two undetected and settled into our apartment with the baby. It was smart of me to get the place cleaned ahead of our arrival it would have been a disaster if we hadn't.
"Going out," my mother said from my bedroom door.
"Yeah," I said distracted by trying to get the right effect with my eyeliner.
"Please be careful," she said coming to stand behind me.
"I've got this," I said, making eye contact with her through the mirror.
I drove to the venue where Toby was holding his little get-together and just sat in the car for a while. It was the calm before the storm. Then I called him, "hey Toby, come to the parking lot, I have a surprise for you," I said.