FOUR
It was their graduation day. The atmosphere was filled with joy and happiness as students and graduands cheered, moved up and down entertaining one another and their guests.
Rick, Terry, Diane and Shannel and few other friends were chatting and laughing. They were all graduating and they couldn’t be happier especially Rick and Terry after five years in college.
‘You know you’re supposed to call me daddy,’ Rick said to Diane.
Their friends laughed.
‘What! Why would she? You are only two years older than her,’ Shannel helped Diane out.
Diane could not give her response again since Shannel had done that for her. She smiled and gave Shannel a sign of appreciation.
Shannel continued, ‘In fact, I have dated a guy ten years older than I was and he never bragged like that.’
Diane smiled at Shannel furtively. Rick and other friends looked at Terry.
Terry furrowed and whispered into Shannel’s ears, ‘you’ve never da’ed tha’ kind of guy before.’
‘Yes, but he doesn’t know that,’ she whispered back.
‘Hey, what are you guys whispering about?’ Rick shot.
‘Nothing!’ Shannel and Terry chorused, instantly standing straight like a statue which made others laugh.
‘You guys need to have a shot to see how you friggin’ look right now,’ Diane laughed.
Shannel and Terry burst into laughter releasing their freeze pose.
‘Congratulations ‘o us all!’ Terry screamed.
‘Yeah yeah,’ the ladies screamed happily.
‘You know we were supposed ‘o be your seniors?’ Terry brought to their notice, ‘imagine us gradua’ing with you guys.’
‘So? That’s your luck, we didn’t ask you to study medicine did we, right Shannel? a lady in the group answered.
‘Right,’ Shannel supported.
‘Oh oh, is tha’ wha’ you have ‘o say?’ Terry watched them.
‘Of course, what else would you have us say?’ Shannel queried him.
Others laughed as Shannel talked, facing Terry.
‘Anyways, congrats on your freedom, after five years of medicine studying captivity,’ Shannel held out her hand to Terry for a handshake but Terry refused to take it. ‘You won’t take it, I will give it to Rick and I know he would gladly accept it with an open heart.’
‘No I won’t,’ Rick shot.
Shannel looked at Rick dumbfounded and Terry and the guys burst into laughter.
Terry pulled on her hand and hugged her, ‘don’ worry; I will deal with you when we ge’ home and with the needle of course.’
They all laughed.
‘Common guys let’s go take some pictures and head home to celebrate, people are waiting for us,’ one of the guys said.
And they all move to the picture ground. They took pictures in different postures, looking so happy, flinging their graduation cap in the air.
Rick and Diane hugged each other happily.
It didn’t take long before Mrs. Vaughn was invited into Diane’s mansion. She was a nice woman and the mother of her boyfriend and that made her, her mother too. They went along so well. Mrs. Vaughn loved Diane like the daughter she never had and she loved her like a mother. The first time they met each other, it was like they knew each other from a life before. Rick was surprised how smooth they got along, they almost had him cast out in their discussion, forgetting he was even there in the first place. And from that moment, he was smart enough to know there were limits to his existence when the mother and daughter were together and also not to interfere in some issues concerning the two, unless it was really necessary to interfere. When the duo shared the same view on something, then he’s in trouble. And now that she was going to visit, he had to be very careful with his steps not to have the two beautiful witches like he used to call them –in his mind of course- pounced on him like a prey to devour.
It was the second day she arrived and they were all in the living room with Diane and Rick arguing.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Vaughn was going through a Cosmolipotan magazine she pulled from a stack of magazines on the shelf in the living room. She ignored their tattle and focused on the magazine.
‘Superman,’ Rick said. ‘There is a reason super was added to the man he is.’
‘No Spiderman is stronger,’ Diane countered.
Rick looked at her in awe, ‘are you listening to yourself; how can you even say that? You’re comparing Superman to Spiderman? Of course Superman is stronger and even a day old baby would know that.’
‘Really, what does a day old baby know? I’m telling you Spiderman is stronger. Do you think if Superman found himself in Spiderman’s web, he would be strong enough to break through? Never!’
‘And you think Superman will be so stupid to be caught in his web?’
‘We are not comparing foolishness now but strength.’
‘He would have broken his bones and web pores before he even had the chance to throw his webs.’
‘Spiderman is faster if that’s where you are going right now.’
‘Superman beats Spiderman in everything.’
‘I wish I have Spiderman’s abilities right now so I can web that your mouth and you would stop talking.’
‘I wish I have Superman’s abilities right now so I can…’ he scrambled his brain for words but found none.
‘See what I’m saying, what’s Superman’s purpose, you don’t even know?
‘Girl, Spiderman can’t stand Superman’s strength.’
‘No, Superman can’t stand Spiderman’s web and he’s even got weakness, the kryptonite, Spiderman has none. And if there are two strong men and one has a weakness and the other none, who would you call stronger?’
‘And who told you Spiderman has no weakness?’
‘I—’ Diane stopped abruptly. She was stunned; she couldn’t believe he just asked that. She looked at Mrs. Vaughn, ‘mom, please could you tell this boy who is stronger, Spiderman or Superman?
‘Spiderman of course,’ Mrs. Vaughn responded without looking up from the magazine she was reading.
‘See?’ Diane raised her brows at Rick.
Rick was surprised, he gapped his lips at his mother to talk then changed his mind. He changed his mind again.
‘How would you even know that?’ he asked his mother.
‘You know these Superman, Batman even Wonder woman movies existed long before now. I used to watch when I was young, and even the comics. This time hero movies, are just a repetition and conversion of what had existed into modern cameras and new casts.’
Rick looked at her and rose silently; he made his way in.
‘And where are you going? I thought we’re having a discussion here,’ Mrs. Vaughn said.
‘Debate,’ Rick corrected. ‘And what else is there to say?’
‘It’s two to one, mom, we won, he has nothing to say again. He’s smart enough to know when to continue arguing and when to back down,’ Diane said smiling.
‘No it’s two you to one-me. I’m smart enough to know there’s no arguing with you guys. I’m going in for a nap,’ he went in.
The women furrowed in confusion, they didn’t understand what he meant by what he had just said.
Rick was truly smart enough to know when to argue with the two. If it were to be some other persons, he would have stood his ground but these two, he surrendered and went in for a nap.
Hours later, he woke up craving for fried Irish potato and Fish in sauté for super. He had the glimpse that would be their dinner anyways, since he almost knew what they ate each day in each week. He washed his face, toweled it and made his way out of the room into the living room to meet the women still discussing but this time about food.
‘Rice and beef?’
‘Hmm…’ Diane was thoughtful, ‘Rice and beef then, I’ll add some salad to it.’
Rick frowned walking to them. He really hoped they weren’t discussing supper.
‘What are you guys talking about?
The women looked back.
‘Supper,’ Diane replied. She noticed his face, ‘oh you were sleeping?’
Rick glanced at her, ‘you didn’t know I was sleeping?
‘Diane shook her head, ‘no.’
‘But I told you I was going in for a nap.’
‘I didn’t hear that.’
‘So—wait, that means you didn’t hear I was going to nap and you didn’t know I was sleeping and you didn’t see me and you never bothered to check on me?
Diane shrugged and shook her head staring at him.
Rick looked at his mother.
‘What? Don’t look at me; we were discussing what you’ll eat for supper.’
That sent his mind back to the food and he pointed his right index finger at his mother, ‘ah about that,’ he looked at Diane, ‘I thought we already have what’s for dinner tonight on the food table.’
‘Hmm,’ she squeezed her face like a baby, ‘we chea’ on tha’ some’imes so I though’ we do tha’ ‘oday ‘oo; we want Rice and beef—’
‘And salad,’ Mrs. Vaughn finished it for her.
Rick looked at them, he was helpless. He knew there was no changing that, especially when Diane talked like Terry; that’s another way of saying I want that and no more words, technically firm but literarily in a babyish manner; so pleading but imposing. Though it sounded pleadingly but he knew better and with his mother supporting her, there’s definitely no way around it.
He held his index finger out and up, I plead the sixth.’
The women stared at him. He saw that and slowly withdrew his hand.
‘There’s no debating this right?’ he asked softly, looking at the women.
‘Huh uh,’ the women chorused, shaking their heads slowly. They grinned at him.
He tilted his head sadly and dropped his butt on the sofa.
They would always plead the sixth when one of them was not agreeing to the other lot and it happened more when the three of them were together. They said while pleading the fifth happened in court, then pleading the sixth would be the opposite but in their house, they invented that.
When one of them was not okay with their decision, he or she could always plead the sixth and argue it out and others would listen and come to a reasonable conclusion. But this had never worked out for Rick. He always thought the beautiful witches invented it to save their own asses.
At supper, Rick looked at his mother.
‘Mother, when are you going to your house?’
‘This is my house,’ Mrs. Vaughn said.
‘Yea I know, I mean when are you leaving for home?’
‘This is my home.’
Diane and Mrs. Vaughn looked at each other smiling, they reveled in the moment.
‘Yea I mean—’
‘Tomorrow,’ Mrs. Vaughn dropped before he could finish his sentence.
Rick was happy, he was almost smiling but he was barely given the time to revel at the moment.
‘What! No mom, you can’t leave tomorrow,’ Diane said.
Rick looked at Diane sharply, his smiles vanished instantly.
‘And why can’t she?’
‘She just got here.’
Rick gapped his lips to counter that.
‘How can you even ask such question?’ Diane looked at him.
It struck Mrs. Vaughn.
‘Yea, how can you even ask me such question, are you sending me away?’
‘What! Oh no, I—I how can I send you away, I mean, you are mother for Christ sakes. You can stay as long as you want.’
‘Then why did you ask her that?’ Diane queried.
Rick was now feeling like he just crossed the line he’s been avoiding, he had to save himself somehow before this spiraled.
‘Um, I—I,’ he scrambled his brain for solutions, ‘you know we have to prepare ourselves so that when she’s leaving— I just didn’t want it to be sudden to us.’
The women looked at him; they shadowed him with their eyes.
Rick managed to gesture with his spoon to his food, making a sign that he was going to eat now and shut the fuck up. They ignored him and continued eating. He saw that and softly breathe a sigh of relieve and then he continued eating, sneaking a peek at them every minute.
Rick was silent all through the night and the next day he was glad yesterday had passed.
The women sat in the living room watching a movie. The movie was emotional and they shed tears like babies.
‘Oh mom, that was so cruel,’ Diane shed tears.
‘That mother is wicked, is she not her biological mother?’ Mrs. Vaughn sniffled.
‘She is; she’s just so selfish. Imagine her daughter sacrificing her happiness for her and she’s not even satisfied.’
Rick walked in with a plate of chocolate cake and three cups of juice in a tray.
Diane continued, ‘such a woman is not even entitled for the word mother.’
‘Who is not entitled for the word mother?’ Rick asked, putting the tray down and handed them each their juice, ‘has she allowed her daughter to marry Brian?’
Diane collected her juice subconsciously, engrossed in giving Rick an answer to his question, ‘imagine my love, she refused blatantly and even went as far as damaging her image in front of Brian,’ she said with teary voice.
‘She destroyed her daughter’s image in front of Brian? I knew she would do that,’ Rick picked his juice and a handful of cake and took a seat beside her.
‘But how did you know? Diane asked.
‘It was all over her, she would do anything to separate them, wasn’t it obvious? He furrowed at Diane, wondering how she didn’t see that.
Diane furrowed back at him and then at the TV.
‘Even after the girl had accepted not to marry him?’ Mrs. Vaughn added.
‘Yes I know but she wouldn’t believe; she had to take preventive measure you know, make sure the decision was a permanent one, no change of mind in the later future. But that’s cruel of her; they really did love each other,’ Rick said and sipped his juice.
‘Just because the innocent girl wanted her mother happy, just imagine, she had to let go of her love and as if that was not fucking enough, she went ahead to destroy her image in front of the guy, crazy. She practically turned her daughter into a tramp, a prostitute, whore, wow!’ Diane was angry. As much as she loved youngsters respecting the elders, she hated elders not respecting the young ones’ wishes.
‘Well, he would still marry her if he truly loves her,’ Rick said.
‘I doubt that, with that much image wreck; who would want to marry a girl that gives herself to every man she sees?’ she sniffled.
Rick noticed and leaned forward to look at her face, he saw the tears.
‘Are you crying?’
Diane squeezed her face like a baby.
‘What? No.’
‘No? But you have tears on your face.’
Diane touched the tears and squeezed her lips. She was short of words. She stared at Rick in silence.
Rick turned to report to his mother.
‘Mother, Diane has been—’ he stopped abruptly seeing tears on Mrs. Vaughn’s face too. He was pissed. Without another word, he stood up and walked towards the TV, Diane stretched her hands to stop him.
‘Wha— what are you doing?’
‘Switching it off,’ Rick said firmly.
‘But we are not done watching the movie,’ Mrs. Vaughn said.
‘You are not done yet you already cried your eyes out, by the time you are done, it would be worse,’ he switched off the TV and struggled to remove the cable from the wall socket in anger. Then he looked at Diane, ‘see how your eyes are, I don’t like that and you know it,’ he went back to sit beside her.
Diane retired on him, folding herself on his laps.
‘Oh my love, I wasn’t crying, it’s just a movie.’
He looked at her on his laps, ‘the more reason you shouldn’t cry in the first place. Look at ma’s eyes too; you know how that makes me feel.’
‘I’m sorry,’ Diane pleaded playfully.
‘Ricardo son, it’s just a film, not a serious cry,’ Mrs. Vaughn said smiling.
Diane sat up in his laps with her legs folded on his laps, her face to his face and her arms wrapped around his neck. Rick wrapped one arm around her waist to support her.
‘My love, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you sad, now cheer up please, please.’ Diane winked and jerked him on the sofa, Rick smiled.
Mrs. Vaughn seemed lost in thought looking at them.
‘That’s my Rick,’ Diane laughed looking into his eyes, ‘mom do you know Rick’s new name?’ she turned resting her back on Rick, ‘Stoneroller.’
Mrs. Vaughn startled and raised her brows at her.
‘Rick Stoneroller, that’s his new name, Terry gave it to him.’
‘Mother, don’t listen to her, she’s crazy sometimes.’
‘What? I’m not crazy,’ she turned to him.
Rick held her in his arms to spank her butt but she tried struggling to get out, landing her back on the sofa, both giggling.
‘My angels,’ Mrs. Vaughn called.
They looked up at mother.
‘I want to talk to you.’
‘Mother, can’t it wait, I need to deal with this naughty one now,’ Rick replied his mom while he spanked Diane playfully.
Diane screamed, laughing aloud and calling out “mom” amidst her laughter.
‘No it can’t,’ Mrs. Vaughn persisted.
This time, there was something in her voice, something serious that caught their attention. They paused and looked up at Mrs. Vaughn with more concentration; Rick sighed and released Diane. They sat up.
‘Don’t you think it’s time to take this thing to the next level?’ Mrs. Vaughn asked.
Rick and Diane looked at each other in confusion.
‘What thing mom,’ Diane asked.
‘I mean— are you going to get married?’
Diane and Rick abased their eyes at the same time.
Mrs. Vaughn pressed on, ‘you are through with school now, so there’s nothing stopping you; is there?’
‘Mother, you don’t get it. People just don’t dabble into marriage,’ Rick said and Diane stared at him.
‘So I’m a novice at that too,’ Mrs. Vaughn stared at him.
Whenever Rick and his mother argued at something he always made it seem like she was naïve at it. Once they argued about the best way to prepare Potato, and his mother couldn’t help but stared at him awfully as he argued and made her feel like a baby at cooking.
‘No mother, I didn’t say that. You know there are things we need to set up; there are some—you know— Diane please tell her.’
‘Err mom—’
‘Ricardo, I don’t need her or a messiah to tell me how marriage is, you know I’ve walked the path.’ Mrs. Vaughn said.
Rick looked away from Mrs. Vaughn’s sight and rolled his eyes.
Mrs. Vaughn continued. ‘no, don’t roll your eyes at me.’
Rick was shocked, his eyes widened and turned to her.
Mrs. Vaughn didn’t give him time to think whatever he was about to think before she continued, ‘you are okay; there’s nothing else you need. You have a good job—’
Rick stopped her right at that moment.
‘Mother,’ he shook his head, ‘no, I don’t have a job—yet, Diane does; and that’s because her parents left her a fortune to live by. So ma, don’t you think I need a good job too as the man of the house? I cannot marry, not until I can stand as a man; huh?’ he was firm.
Diane looked at him as he talked.