MY MOTHER KNEW

For a second, I thought I was imagining things.

“Mummy?”

She looked at me and forced a small smile.

“Amara.”

I rushed over and hugged her.

“What are you doing here? You didn’t even tell me you were coming.”

“I wanted to surprise you.”

But something about her voice didn’t sound right.

Teni had just returned from class. The moment she saw my mum, she greeted her respectfully and quietly excused herself.

My mum waited until we entered the visitors’ area before speaking.

“You’ve lost weight.”

I laughed.

“School stress.”

She nodded but didn’t look convinced.

She opened the flask she’d brought from home.

“I made your favourite egusi soup.”

I smiled.

“You came all the way from Enugu with food?”

“A mother doesn’t stop being a mother because her daughter enters university.”

I laughed and held her hand.

For a while, we talked about home.

Daddy.

Church.

The choir.

The women in the fellowship who kept asking about me.

It felt normal again.

Then she became quiet.

“Amara.”

“Yes, Mum?”

“Are you happy?”

The question caught me off guard.

“I am.”

“Truly?”

I nodded.

“I like it here.”

She looked into my eyes for what felt like forever.

“Is there someone?”

My heart skipped.

“What do you mean?”

“A young man.”

I looked away.

She sighed.

“I knew it.”

“Mummy…”

She reached for my hand.

“I’m not angry.”

I looked back at her.

“I was your age once.”

That made me laugh.

She smiled too.

“You children think your parents were born old.”

I laughed harder.

She continued.

“I noticed the way you smile during our phone calls these days.”

I covered my face.

“Seriously?”

“And your father noticed too.”

I froze.

“Daddy?”

She nodded.

“He didn’t say anything because he trusts you.”

Those words reminded me of that phone call weeks ago.

“I trust your decisions, Amara.”

Tears filled my eyes.

“Mummy…”

She squeezed my hand.

“Does he respect you?”

I answered immediately.

“Yes.”

“Does he fear God?”

“I believe so.”

“Does he pressure you to do things you’re uncomfortable with?”

“No.”

She nodded slowly.

“Then don’t hide him from us.”

I stared at her.

“What?”

“If this young man is important to you…”

She smiled gently.

“…one day, let us meet him.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

All this time, I’d imagined shouting.

Warnings.

Strict rules.

Instead…

She simply wanted honesty.

“I was so afraid to tell you.”

“I know.”

“Why?”

“Because you’ve spent your whole life trying to be the perfect daughter.”

My eyes filled with tears.

“You don’t have to be perfect for us to love you.”

That sentence broke something inside me.

I hugged her tightly.

For the first time since I came to university…

I cried.

Not because I was hurt.

But because I’d been carrying expectations that my parents had never actually placed on me.

After she left that evening, I called Daniel.

“You won’t believe today.”

“What happened?”

“My mum knows about you.”

Silence.

Then he laughed nervously.

“Should I start running?”

I laughed.

“No.”

“She wants to meet you someday.”

His laughter stopped.

“Seriously?”

“Yes.”

“Oh.”

“You sound scared.”

“I am.”

“Why?”

“What if they don’t like me?”

I smiled.

“Then you’ll survive interrogation by Nigerian parents.”

He groaned dramatically.

“I’ve heard stories.”

A week later, Daniel was fully back on his feet.

Life finally seemed peaceful again.

Mid-semester exams were around the corner.

Everyone was buried in books.

One afternoon, I was in the library when Sandra sat opposite me.

She looked different.

Calmer.

“I owe you an apology,” she said.

I looked surprised.

“For what?”

“I judged your relationship before giving it a chance.”

I smiled.

“It’s okay.”

She shook her head.

“No.”

She paused.

“I’ve been watching both of you.”

“And?”

“I was wrong about him.”

I blinked.

“He has changed.”

For the first time, I saw no bitterness in her face.

Only acceptance.

As she stood to leave, she smiled.

“I hope both of you make it.”

“Thank you.”

She walked away.

I watched her disappear between the bookshelves.

And for the first time…

It felt like every obstacle between Daniel and me had finally been removed.

I didn’t know life was only giving us a moment to breathe.

Because later that evening…

I started feeling unusually tired.

At first, I blamed the exams.

Then came the dizziness.

Then the nausea.

I frowned.

“This is strange.”

Teni looked up from her notes.

“Maybe you’ve eaten something bad.”

“Maybe.”

But as I counted the days in my head…

My heart stopped.

My period…

Was late.

What do you think is happening to Amara? Is it just stress from exams, or something far more serious?

To be continued…