Three years ago…..
Adira
"I said I need to see my son!" I was at Sebastian's place and his men won't let me in. "I can get all of you fired with just a snap of my finger."
One of the men in black stood at the front door, obstructing me from going inside. "Am sorry, ma. But boss don't see people when it's past 10pm."
Is he mad? What is this one talking about?
"I am his mother for goodness sake. Go in there and tell him that his mother is here to see him. This is not the first time I've come here." I pushed the guy but he didn't flinch. He was as solid as a rock.
I kept pushing them, trying to kick them out of my way but to no avail, they weren't ready to leave my sight.
One of the men entered the scene. I suspect him to be the head of the security team because I use to see him follow Sebastian around all the time.
He went over to the men obstructing me and whispered something into their ears.
Then I saw them making way for me to go in.
I was puzzled for a while. They suddenly wants me to go in—free of charge? Didn't one of them declined me from seeing Sebastian a while ago?
Anyway, the main reason why am here was because I needed to teach Sebastian some lesson. After what I heard from Sharon today, I think he needs some discipline.
"I'll still get you all fired." I angled my fingers at their faces as I walked in.
The housekeeper told me Sebastian was already fast asleep in his bedroom.
I ignored him and went straight to his room. Only for me to get there and find him lying in bed with two shameless women at his sides.
His arms engraved them like a king in the midst of two queens.
Look at him, sleeping so peacefully after trying to wreck my daughter's happiness.
I fasten for the bathroom, grabbed a bucket of water and poured the whole of it on him and the two young women.
"Shit!" He jolted wide awake. His eyes alarmed. "Mom?" He sat up, looking so confused. "What's the meaning of this? How did you get in here?"
"You better keep that question to yourself, Sebastian." I hit the bucket on his head. And hit the two women also. "Get out of my son's life, you shameless piece of trash. Leave this place now before I descend on you."
The girls quickly got out of bed and started picking up their clothes on the ground.
They were white polish women on bikinis.
"Shameless bunch of nauseous." I snapped. "Don't let me ever see you close to my son again. You're not ready to marry him but you're interested in wasting his money and time. Idiots."
"Mom, what's the meaning of this?" Sebastian whined. "You can't just barge into my house at this hour and do things absurd."
He still had the nerves to talk? How shameless. I gave him a resounding slap to help reset his brain.
He got startled by the unexpected slap as hold on to his cheek. "Mom, you just slapped me."
"And I'll do it over and over and over again if you don't keep quiet." I warned. "You think you can just ruin Sharon's happiness and come have a good night sleep? Never."
"Mom, whatever am doing for Sharon is the best. She doesn't deserve that guy." He mumbled.
"But at least, she's living a carefree life with her boyfriend. Unlike you, still foolish and stupid at Thirty-three. All your mates in the same age as you are happily married by now with five kids. Haven't you thought about giving your life what's best by getting married?"
His brows creased together, "I don't want to get married, mom. I love my life the way it is going."
Ha!
I threw my hands heavenwards, pacing about. "What has Mikolaj Jakub done to my son? What has he turned my son into? He was supposed to look after you, Sebastian not train you into a thug."
I look to Sebastian's side. He wasn't saying anything other than whine and rub his temples.
I stood in front of the bed, my hands on my hips.
I realise that even violence would not solve the problem. Especially trying to talk some senses into Sebastian.
"Sebastian, Sharon is happy dating the man of her dreams. Why is it so difficult for you to understand?" The tears were coming. "Nothing makes me happy other than seeing the happiness of my children. I don't know what has come over you."
"Mom… please don't cry…" he attempts to leave the bedsheet but I stopped him right away.
Knowing he probably might be naked under the sheets. "Stay right where you are. Don't come out of that bed until I leave this room."
I wipe my eyes. "I know you hate Nigerian men because I was raped during my college days. But that doesn't mean all Nigerian men are fake. Have you forgotten you're partial Nigerian too?"
"Mom, I'm sorry." He apologised, the concern shown on his face. "I overstepped my boundaries."
"You're sorry? You almost killed that innocent boy today, Sebastian. Since you're not ready to get married then allow your sister to." I sighed, frustrated. "You know what? You'll never know what it means to be in love because you have never ever fallen in love before."
"Mom—"
"Am still talking." I shut him up. "I kept praying everyday that one day you'll find the woman that would love and cherish you with all her heart. A woman that would tolerate all your nonsense and give you sense. That's my prayer point for you everyday, Sebastian."
I spur around to take my leave but stopped at the doorpost. I turn towards him one last time. "Let this be the last time you'll ever lay hands on Jide or try to wreck Sharon's relationship. The next time you do, I'll have you killed."
Oh god, I can't believe I let my anger say something out like that.
Sebastian was like; "What?"
"Yes. You heard me well." I shook my head, acknowledging my words. "I brought you into this world and I also have the power to send you back to the bottomless pit of hell where you came from, so don't dare me, Sebastian. Don't."
"But mom, I already apologised—"
"Your apologies are meaningless to me, Sebastian." I snapped. "It won't clean the damage you've done." I took a deep breath to cool down my nerves. "Don't ever show your face in my house not until you're ready to get married."
"Mom, at least hear me out….." he was trying to explain something but I wouldn't listen.
I threw the door open and dashed out grumpily.
Yes, enough was enough. Not until Sebastian was ready to man up and settle down, I don't want to ever set my eyes on him.
Let him go and get married.
*********
Narrator
That same night after Adira left, Sebastian found it difficult to sleep. His mind kept on reminiscing all that Adira had told him.
Something in him told him that he wasn't doing the right thing and he was hurting his mother at the same time.
He felt devastated for himself.
It wasn't as if he needed not to get married but he wasn't the submissive type to commitments. He wasn't sure if he would be a perfect match for marriage taste.
Most of his accomplice had long gotten married but though, all their marriages were in secrets. They were all met to marry and have children but never to put it publicly. Because, it would make it easy for their enemies to get them.
Even Sebastian was sure to be scared of that.
If there were ways he could have children but never get married, he'd have done so. Or rather, if there were things he could do to appeal his mother that he wasn't ready to get married then he would have done so either.
When he found the moment to close his eyes and sleep, the angel of the lord almighty passed something tangible to him.
Something he least expected.
A revelation.
In that revelation, the angel of the lord said; A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth.
It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart.
Frustration is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.
It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person than to listen to the song of fools. Like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools. This too is meaningless.
Extortion turns a wise person into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart.
The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.
Do not say, "Why were the old days better than these?" For it is not wise to ask such questions. Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing and benefits those who see the sun.
Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves those who have it. Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked?
When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.
In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these: the righteous perishing in their righteousness, and the wicked living long in their wickedness. Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise— why destroy yourself?
Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool— why die before your time? It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes.
Wisdom makes one wise person more powerful than ten rulers in a city.
Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins.
Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you—for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.
All this I tested by wisdom and I said, "I am determined to be wise"— but this was beyond me. Whatever exists is far off and most profound— who can discover it?
So I turned my mind to understand, to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly.
I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner she will ensnare.
"Look," says the angel, "this is what I have discovered: "Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things— while I was still searching but not finding— I found one upright man among a thousand, but not one upright woman among them all. This only have I found: God created mankind upright, but they have gone in search of many schemes."
You're living in a life of vanity. Be very careful.