Pa Ambruce Gomez – Reflections
The roles changed when dad lost his livelihood mom treats him with disrespect and scorn, ridiculed him at every given opportunity. Dad does the household chores without complain and I took the opportunity to learn about housekeeping and cookery and it helped me in later life and am grateful to dad. Mom travels most of the time and provides the fish money but with condescension, disrespect and arrogance but dad took it all without complain sometimes I am angry with dad’s total submission.
“Never! I’ll never give total submission to a woman not even my mother not to talk about a spouse/fiancée. This is too much she treats him as thrash this is unfair and I hate arrogance, forceful women!”
He stereotyped all women especially possessive ones.
One Fateful Day
Dad came to collect me from school and we pass by the market and bought some foodstuff for the house which will take us for two weeks to manage time for other things.
We took a cab up to our gate and found a posh car parked by the gate and joyous voices laughing heartily and a guard guarding the car. We greeted him and went inside; what did we see the shock of our life?
There was mom in the depth of romance with a man in full uniform gear; he was shock as he walk pass them into his room I followed and hissed at both of them mom felt ashamed and giggled.
“Who is he?” The lover asked.
She brushed it aside, hugged him and they went out.
What’s Next
Dad went into cellar opened the big cupboard and took out a tin and drank it; his mouth foamed and he struggled as he held his stomach; I came from my room to check on his reaction; earlier I said to myself
‘This is the last straw that breaks the camel back, this action is a basis for divorce, let him divorce her and I’ll move with dad I hate this woman call my mom. She is an awful woman!’
I went to dad’s room he was not there and I then rushed to the cellar and found him on the ground groaning as he held his stomach;
‘What is it dad, what’s wrong with you?’
‘Your mom has killed me!’ He pointed to the tin, I read and yelled;
‘It is poison dad! This is poison!’ I wailed
Mom
– Madame Diriyanke
Her lover gave her a cheque of one million dalasi and she exclaimed;
“All this for me? You are too much!”
“I am well satisfied with your love and care and have promised to boost your business when I come from overseas and I’ve done just that.” She kissed and they fondled all the more.
“Good bye Alhajj and good luck!” She went inside the house and went straight to her husband’s bedroom.
“Honey! Our day is made I’ve got the money you need to set up a small business for yourself hence you cannot go back to your job and all your benefits have been confiscated.”
The Shock of her Life
She went to his room, search everywhere but could not see him then he heard voices and rushed to the cellar what did she see? There upon the floor was her husband who drank poison and the tin close to his corpse;
“What?” She wailed as she found Ambruce close to his father’s corpse sobbing bitterly.
“You have killed him adulteress! You can now go to your General and enjoy life with him!” He yelled spat upon the floor went into his room and locked himself.
Mom was devastated;
“It is not what you think! He was out to help us help you settle down as a man to take care of your family; he gave us one million as a start!” She was talking aloud to herself. She wept bitterly out of shame.
“What am I going to do? I am done! I am done! I have been estranged from my son who will forever hate me for the death of his father! I was not discreet in my extramarital affairs!” She blamed herself and Ambruce made it worst for her.
With Her Son
“I did not kill him he killed himself; I know I was not discreet enough but it was not my fault but the system that divides families apart, what is the use of a man who cannot fend for his family? General was helping me and nothing goes for free I have to satisfy his urge to allow cash flowing for my business and when I decided to help him General’s demands became excessive and I cannot say no. Forgive me my son and let us keep it a family secret and should never wash our dirty linen outside; his death is sudden, heart attack he drank poison because he learnt that he has a terminal illness when I travelled.” She shed crocodile tears and everyone except me believed and pitied her.
I was 12 years old even though I hated mom’s neglect of my dad but I still believe it should remain a family secret until now; I’ve seen that mom has not repented she still continue her arrogance, self-righteousness, conceitedness and deceitfulness; she is also bossy and wanted to rule over my life;
“I’ll never allow her to control my life as she has control dad’s which lead to his grave enough is enough mom! I am ready for you, do you think you are an Amazon who always lord it over men? I am a different stock be ready for me I am coming for you!”
I became a sexist and began to stereotype all women as my mom, who can be bossy and flirtuous. I swore never to marry but to remain single as long as possible or until I meet a better woman and not my mom’s type, but will that ever be possible I kept asking myself?
My Friends
Since High School all my friends have girlfriends with my exception they continue to tease me and call me names but I don’t care as I kept my family secret to myself.
To be Cont.
