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| Courtesy: Wikipedia |
Today’s
Prompt:
You are 15 years old and, while still living
with your parents, you discover a secret room in your house. It is filled with
all sorts of strange things, but one thing in particular catches your eye. It’s
a love letter to your mom from someone who isn’t your dad. What’s more peculiar
is that it is dated five years into the future. Write a scene where you
confront your mom about the letter.
Word Count: 1,321
“It’s funny how when you’re
searching for what’s really important you chance on something else
not-so-important but all-too-significant to be ignored because it’s weird. And by that I’m saying way
outrageous,” Imo (/he more/) said.
“Yeah,” his mother, Toro (as in /Zorro/)
intoned. “It’s one of Fate’s secret recipes to guarantee we’re present for our
next heart attack. And that wouldn't be possible without clogging the gears
with frustration and perplexity, would it?”
‘Mo
smiled, his mother sure had a way with metaphoric language. Boy and mom were in
the kitchen where Toro was waist-deep in the evening’s dinner. Earlier before
we came upon them discussing, ‘Mo had trotted into the kitchen and announced to
his mom he had an affair to discuss with
her. Toro had asked her son if it couldn't wait until dinner was served. ‘Mo
had said no. It had to be before dinner. Especially, before dinner. Before dad came
home from the office.
“Why were you snooping around,
‘Mo? Let’s begin with that. It might be a pointer to why you found your treasure.”
Toro
threw a tantrum. “Do you have any idea the pains I went through to get your dad
to see reason and get a new one after you lost the one you had before? Do you?
Don’t just stand there and stare at me, ‘Mo. I ain't talking to the wall, after
all.”
“No mama.”
“No, mama what?”
“No mama, I don’t know the pains
you been through to get dad to buy me a new Xbox.” ‘Mo told himself he should
have known better and kept his mouth shut about the Xbox. “I found the Xbox,
mama.”
But
his mama wasn’t listening she’d gotten all preachy
as his dad called it.
‘Mo
let his mama talk. Once she switched to that lane, no police cruiser could make
her ease her foot on the pedal let alone, get her to pull over.
“So, what were you going to tell
me?” Toro said after she was spent.
“You ain’t gonna believe this unless
you see it for yourself, mama.”
“Try me.” Toro dropped the soupspoon
in the sink and put her hands against her waist so the two elbows curved
outward forming the html code symbol.
‘Mo’s
mouth went dry. This talk wasn’t going to be as easy as he’d planned it to be.
He’d planned on confronting his mom with his find, get her okay that his family
was going to stick together no matter what and tear up the paper. His dad didn’t
even have to know zilch.
“‘Mo, I hope it’s happening
anytime, soon.” Toro waved her hand in front of her son’s face.
“I’m sorry, mama. I found the
door to a room I’ve never seen before today. It was the weirdest thing ever. I
was so caught up trying to retrieve my Xbox that I never gave it second thought.
I found the knob and pushed the door. My first thought as I crossed the
threshold was the air in here is
different. And it really felt that way.
“I threw a switch and my breath
caught in my throat. It was like dad bought all my childhood fantasies plus
more and stowed them away in that little room. I saw Aladdin’s carpet, mama and
so much more.”
“Tell me the truth, ‘Mo; have
you been messing around in the garage? You know how your dad feels about going
through his tool box?”
“Mama, haven’t you been
listening to anything I said? I found a room in the house. I didn’t go down to
the garage. There’s a room between my bedroom and the bathroom. I didn’t even
sniff the garage.”
Toro’s
mouth formed an ‘O.’ “A room beside
the bathroom? The kid’s bathroom?”
“Exactly what I’ve been trying
to tell you and I kept wondering how come I never noticed. The wall papers have
been coming off the walls, lately and papa keeps saying he’s gonna fix it but
never does.”
Toro let out a chuckle. “I wish
your papa was present to hear that.”
‘Mo
started fumbling in his pockets. His mama heard paper crackle and looked on.
“Among the million and one
jaw-dropping wonders, I picked this up.” ‘Mo held up a fold of letter paper and
thrust it to his mama.
“What’s that in your hand, ‘Mo?”
She nipped the letter out of his hands. “Let’s have a look.”
After
reading the letter, Mother and son took a trip into the room that wasn’t a
room. There they found mysteries hidden before the beginning of the world. And
there was a plus for Toro who was already going berserk after reading the
letter.
They
found evidence there was more than a solitary correspondence. A man who called
himself Thursday Essien whom Toro had never met authored them all.
In
one of such letters however, they found a detailed story of what became of
Toro’s husband and ‘Mo’s papa—he died in a plane crash on a business trip
halfway across the world.
“Can it be reversed?” Toro surprised
herself by putting such a weighty question to her 15-year-old son. She couldn’t
be asking him to help her avert her husband’s death. “Since we’re in this
together, we ought to work as a team.”
“I don’t know what to believe,
mama. Whoever sent those letters was sending us a lead. Maybe, he wanted us to
be prepared ahead of time.”
“Prepared for what? To lose my
husband and your father two weeks
from today? You can never be prepared for such evil.”
Mother
and son decided they should let papa in on it after he came home. Probably,
after dinner while they were all gathered around the TV.
A
peculiar thing happened that turned the tide. As soon as his father’s car
pulled into the garage, the door in the wall that lead into the room
disappeared. It was like nothing had ever been there.
“I guess that option is out,”
‘Mo said. “Papa would never believe such hocus pocus without seeing that room
for himself.”
Two
weeks later, ‘Mo and his mama were discussing modalities. Just a day left
before the fated plane crash and they were yet to tell Hogan about the letters.
“Your papa doesn’t respect
anything he can’t discern with his five senses. My mama always said it would
run him to ruin.”
“What’s the plan, mama. The
flight’s tomorrow, I overheard him speaking on the phone with a colleague of
his.”
“We sedate him with an overdose
of narcoleptics and by the time he wakes up, his flight is long gone.”
Hogan
got out of bed late in the morning, the next day. It was the first time in his
entire life he had ever woken up late. He had a nasty headache. He checked the
time on the side table.
“Oh shit!” He looked over at his
wife still tucked under her side of the covers. He gave her a hard shake but was
not rough. “Toro, I’m late for my flight. I’m supposed to be on my way to an
important meeting.”
“Ugh?” Toro feigned dopiness but
she’d been awake a full hour. Outside, the heavy downpour that endured through
the night had piped down to a pitter-patter. A dense fog marked the day.
Hogan
rushed into the bathroom. “I gatto be in that meeting, no matter what.”
He
rushed out of the house and drove off to the airport.
‘Mo
and his mama Toro were congratulating each other over breakfast for their win when
Toro’s cell rang. It was Hogan, her husband calling from the airport.
“Honey, thank God for bad
weathers. My flight was delayed. That means, I’m boarding the same flight I
booked for and it’s gonna be like I never woke up late. Bye.”
The
phone died before Toro could say a word.
Eneh Akpan
June
15, 2013
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