Chapter 21

"What's his name?" Rachael asked the girl. 

"He didn't tell me,"she retorted, still waiting for the gift to be taken from her. "All he said was I should deliver this to you when he leaves."

*****

No. She wasn't going to let anyone take Jeremy away from her. Not even for a second. Fatima had already lost a beloved child, she wasn't taking another risk. She definitely couldn't bare losing another child. 

Vivian could try as hard as possible. All that she was doing was of no use because Jeremy wasn't leaving the house to go to the same place where she lost her first child.  

Fatima was afraid that her daughter, Vivian, would take the boy from her for good. She couldn't bare being separated from him. Jeremy was more than a grandson to her. She loved him so much. 

"Mama, I promise to bring him back," Vivian pleaded. She anticipated this was going to be tough; in the end, it was just like she had thought; nevertheless, Vivian was downright prepared to make her mother agree. "I just want Jeremy to spend few days with me at my place." She sat next to her mother on the mat. 

Vivian's mother, Fatima, was glad that her daughter still exercised the faith. Vivian even prayed with her. Fatima wasn't gullible to fall for the cunning act. She was sure that Vivian had done all that to impress her. That way, it would be easier to ask her for what she had gone there for— Jeremy. 

But Fatima didn't yield to the hypocritical gestures. 

"That is not exactly what you want, Amira. I gave birth to you, I watched you grow; I know when you're up to something or not. And right now, you're up to something," Fatima said honestly. She was careful with her words because Jeremy was there. The boy learned thing faster than children his age did. 

"Mama." Vivian smiled, rubbing her mother's shoulder. "You're overthinking. You don't have to be skeptical. I have good intentions," she said, partly holding her hand up as if pledging in a courtroom. 

"Only God sees the heart of man, Amira."

"Therefore," Vivian began, "God should be the only one to judge."

"I'm not judging you," said Fatima. She looked at Jeremy who was playing with his toys on the other side of the room and not focusing on what they were saying. She believed that he was eavesdropping.  

"Technically, that's what you're doing. Mama, I've never asked you for a thing for so many years. Why can't you grant me this one wish?" Vivian went to where Jeremy was playing. Fatima remained silent. "Jeremy, don't you want to spend time with me? We could get a box of sweets along the way." Vivian squatted to meet his height, she ran her fingers through his hair. 

"I want to go," Jeremy said, looking at his grandma who was shocked. "But I don't live all by myself. I'll go with you if jida approves." He spotted the soft smile of relief on Fatima's face before it could varnish. 

Vivian walked back to her mother who seemed not to be giving up any time soon. "You see. Even Jeremy wants to spend some time with me. Why deny the kid the opportunity?" She made a baby face. 

Fatima already deciphered why her daughter was back— Vivian wanted to take the boy, Jeremy— but what Vivian wanted to do with him made Fatima apprehensive. She knew what Vivian was capable of. Anything. 

 "I'm not deny him any opportunity, you know that.  I'm protecting him." Fatima made it clear to Vivian that she didn't believe the whole talk of her wanting to just spend time with him. She had an ulterior motive. 

"From what?" Vivian asked. 

"From who. That's the right question,"Fatima corrected. "I'm protecting him from you, Amira. I don't trust you. Despite not wanting him to be far from me, I fear that he will never come back like your sister never did if I allow him to go with you like I allowed the two of you to go live on your own. I regret the day I bought that house."

"What are you implying?"

"What I'm stating is...when I agree for you to, and even go as far as buttressing, do something that you're in dying need to do, the aftermath is always regrettable. I'm not giving you, Jeremy, and that's final."

Vivian became angry. Why was her mother hard to crack? Though she was angry, she wasn't angry with her mother, rather, she was angry with herself for putting herself in a situation that was a matter of life and death.  

Everyone have their weak spots.  

"You don't have the right to deny me from spending quality time with my nephew," she said in a very harsh tone.

"Neither do you have the right to take him from me," her mother fired back.  

"I brought him to you!" The veins in her forehead and neck stood as Vivian spoke. 

"The only reason you brought him to me was because you were incapable of taking care of him like he needed to be taken care of. You never wanted him in the first place. Remember you thought of him as a burden to you. Tell me that I'm lying!"

The both of them stared at Jeremy as he walked upstairs. Vivian couldn't believe that her mother had been feeding the boy with those talks. She wanted to be so mad at her mother, instead, she was mad that the boy had to be involved.  

Couldn't they just steak to the plan— blackmail Charles till he couldn't endure it anymore? That was the plan from the beginning. Or the agreement?

Vivian never expected them to reach to a point where she would have to do this. She only wanted to take the boy peacefully. Her mother didn't want it that way. She wanted it the other way, the hard way.

It was a good thing Jeremy had given her the chance to carried out plan B by walking out of the room. He didn't have to watch her do what she was about to do. Vivian was indeed grateful for the opportunity given. 

Even if he had stayed to watch, she would have carried out her mission because her mother already painted her black. He wouldn't've be stunned. 

Vivian got up from beside her mother. She walked into the kitchen and came back with a new glock-19 in her hand. Her mother was startled upon seeing the gun being pointed at her. She sat up straighter.

"I'm not surprised. I knew one day that you were going to do bad things," Fatima said, noticing the blush that spread over Vivian's face. "I didn't expect it to be this bad, Amira."

"I'm sorry, Mama. But I have to do this."