Wrong Start

Episode 18

Daisy Yawson

 

Mimi woke up to an empty bed with a letter on the side. It read. “I’m out on a business mission. Will be back soon.”

The young lady was confused as to why he didn’t call her to tell her but instead wrote a letter for her. She had her own business to mind. She had school stuff to focus on too. Nothing made sense to her at the moment. Dragging herself from the side of the bed, Mimi walked into the washroom as the pain between her legs intensified. Whatever was happening caused her mind to be blank. She looked at herself in the fancy mirror and put on a smile like she’d do every time which had now become a habit. Her braids were a mess and before she could think of what to do for the day, or even brush her teeth, she goes into Enoch’s room to see the toddler snoring gently in his bed. She walked towards him and rubbed his back to get him to wake up. She played with his feet for a while which got him to rub his eyes and turn on his back. He looked at Mimi in the eyes and yawned.

“Let’s get you out of bed.” She had almost forgotten she had to do mum duties as Ibrahim failed to mention that in his letter.

“Cmon.” Picking the child up from his crib, they headed towards the bathroom where Mimi dragged a spare stool for Enoch to stand on.

“Dada.”

“Dada will be back soon okay?…now let’s brush your teeth.” With everything of his arranged on the shelf, Mimi could pick up anything with ease.

“Did you sleep well?”

Enoch nodded while Mimi brushed his teeth.

How was she going to deliver her final project since she’d got company? Today was the deadline to submit her project work before the semester ends, however, she’d been occupied with Ibrahim during the night to remember about that. Anyways, she will have to find a way that would benefit herself and her son.

After washing his face, he asked him to wait in the main room so she cleaned up, as well as draw him a bath.

The reason she was able to wake him without Enoch making a fuss stemmed from Ibrahim’s experience and even that, he had taught her that and she hadn’t forgotten since it would come in handy. And it did.

Walking back to the main room, she called her son and quickly washed him so he could be fed. Time seemed to have passed by as Mimi engaged in mummy duties. The incoherent singing from the 2-Year-old kept her mind from wandering and as soon as she was done putting on attire for the day as well as Enoch, she finally decided to step out. By then, it was almost afternoon and she had a few hours left till the deadline.

“Are you hungry?”

“Mmh hmm.”

“Okay let’s tell Muni we’re stepping out for a bit okay?” Mimi knocked a few times before her door opened to them.

“I suppose you forgot to do your duties this morning.” You could tell the sarcasm in her voice that Mimi wasn’t pleased with her action.

She bowed in apology and refused to look at Mimi.

But the few seconds she’d look, she noticed that Ibrahim wasn’t with them which peaked her interest as to why he wasn’t around.

“We will be out for a bit so don’t open up unless you hear my husband or my voice. For your safety that is.” Before excusing herself.

Mina hadn’t blinked or made any movement and Mimi hadn’t noticed any weird thing going on with her as she was mostly occupied for the day.

What she heard yesterday had broken her making it difficult for her to adhere to instructions, thus her unwillingness to perform her duties that morning.

She decided to stay in her room for them to come back but for now, sleep was calling for her.

***

“Are you feeling cold baby?”

“Noooo.”

“Should I pick you up?”

Enoch opened his arms wide for his mum to pick him up. The sun had already shone and still, the weather was as cold as a freezer. Since it was Enoch’s first time there, she’d expected him to have trouble with the cold but he’d handled it well.

His hair was neatly cut and he wore a simple black jacket with pants that covered his legs. Also, he had socks on to keep his feet warm whiles Mimi held a leather bag that contained his stuff he will need like a water bottle, a cup, a napkin, some of his toys and other stuff toddlers use.

She was able to walk faster after picking him up and they headed towards a bus stop to pick a cab.

“I wan dada,” he rubbed his hands on both eyes.

“Dada is busy. Mama will take care of you, okay?”

The boy wasn’t having it. He started throwing a tantrum at the bus stop giving Mimi a hard time. She even had to let the cab driver go to focus her attention on him.

“Don’t you want mama?”

He was quiet, staring into her eyes.

“Dada will come for you if you behave, okay?”

He nodded. Mimi picked another cab and they finally sat inside to their destination.

Her phone rang a moment later interrupting her brief moment with he son.

“Pete…I thought you aren’t going to talk to me anymore after that incident.”

Pete seemed to say something on the other line and Mimi responded.

“Me? No, I’m on my way to a restaurant to eat. I have so much on my plate.”

“Mama, look at,” Enoch interrupted her call to look at the thing he was pointing at. The view was amazing and had captured the young lad’s soul calling the attention of his mama.

“Yes, it’s beautiful hun…”

There was no way a toddler like him would understand if she reprimanded him so he gave him his attention while talking to Pete and keeping watchful eyes on him.

“I’m so sorry, Pete. Let me get there and call you back.”

Pete on the other hand immediately understood the situation and now he was a bit furious at the man Mimi claimed to be her husband. To him, it was his fault that Mimi was so occupied that she cannot have a decent conversation with him without their son interrupting. He cursed in his head for the hundredth time after Mimi hanged up. He was shocked to hear her being called Mama as he’d only known her to be the cute admirable woman. Everything had been messed up for him.

His mom was going to be so disappointed in the fact that he’d set eyes on a married woman with a kid still he hadn’t known and he still didn’t care.

***

The drive took about 45 minutes and Enoch already tired, laid on Mimi’s lap. Ibrahim had called her and had expressed his concerns about Enoch being spoilt spending time with him a lot when she told him about Enoch’s wish to see him. Apart from that, he didn’t express his love or anything and hung up leaving Mimi a bit disappointed. She’d wanted an ‘I love you’ or something which will calm her racing heart whenever she heard his deep voice. It seemed she was still in love with him after these few years of being apart but what about him?

She thought she’d confirmed that but with the look of things, she began having doubts after having disappeared without a word after having sex with her.

The puppy look from Enoch brought her back to the present.

“Yes, it’s your dad…and he will see you soon.”

He nodded, placing his head back on Mimi’s lap. How sharp his ears were.

“We’re here. Let’s go, hun.”

Paying the driver, she picked him up. She hoisted him on her shoulder with his hands around her neck. The restaurant was already half packed with people and before taking her seat, she placed Enoch on the toddler seat next to hers.

A waitress came for their order, bringing it back shortly after. She served Enoch juice with fries and carrots and absentmindedly waited for hers.

Her mind wandered off and soon the memories of

the night floods her mind.

“You’re so perfect,” Ibrahim complimented as he took in her body. His eyes feasted hungrily on her chest, finding the sensitive spot, he pinched on it, earning a moan from Mimi, who eagerly opened her legs for him but he continued to tease her more. The sex left them panting and sweating and Ibrahim laid flat on the bed looking at the ceiling. He was asleep before Mimi could have a conversation with him still, she snuggled close to him taking in his masculine scent.

“Sorry, I fell asleep,” Ibrahim was awakened by her touch and pulled her closer to him, urging her to sleep.

 

“Your food, ma’am.”

She was brought back from the memories.

Enoch, still picking on his food stopped and asked Mimi to feed him. She was sceptical about doing that since he had to learn to eat by himself at his age.

“Does dada feed you?”

He shook his head.

“Aunty Muna?”

“Yesss.”

She was going to inform her not to be feeding him at his age. No wonder Ibrahim thought he was spoilt and it’s all Muni’s fault. She thought.

“If you eat everything on your plate, mama will have dada come here as soon as possible.”

Pouting, he obliged and continued picking on his food.

She came to this place for a reason and the person supposed to meet her here was not showing up so she called but she hung up a while later when she saw the person coming towards them.

“I’m so sorry I’m late…I was in traffic,” a young lady in braids just like her took her seat after being offered one.

“It’s fine,”

“Who is this adorable baby? So cute,” she gushed over Enoch. Even asking him for his name.

“Aww, he’s too smart for his age.”

“That’s Enoch, my son. You can call him Jamal. That’s what everyone calls him at home anyway.”

Ibrahim had decided against calling him that since it was an Islam name but the child’s grandfather (Ibrahim’s dad) will hear nothing of it.

He insisted and to avoid further disagreement, Mimi had convinced Ibrahim to accept it.

“Girl! You look so young…tell me the secret.”

Mimi giggled at her statement.

“There’s no secret. I am young. For real.”

“Ou wow.”

Mimi brought out a booklet from the bag she carried”.

“Thank you so much Ivy. I didn’t know what I would do without you”.

“You’re welcome, hun. I’m only doing you a little favour and seeing you with this adorable kid has made me not regret my decision. He’s cute handsome. It’s giving me baby fever, damn!” she gushed even more. Making weird faces.

“Girl! get out of here,” Mimi jokingly told her.

“Is he here on a vacation cus I know your family is back home, right?”

“Yeah. Not talking much about it.”

“Okay then, have a great day.”

And she left not before blowing the toddler, who was busy figuring out how to eat a carrot, a kiss.

Mimi finished her food before leaving with Enoch to the other side of the street. Shops lined up in the whole vicinity like an area only meant for shopping. The street was quiet with a few people passing by but the traffic was epic even at that time of the day.

They crossed the road to a cafe shop. Neatly arranged sweets, cakes, sample baked biscuits, everything could be seen displayed but one cake caught her eye.

“Hello.”

“Hello, what can I get you?” a middle-aged white woman asked.

She turned to Enoch.

“Do you like this one?” Mimi pointed to a medium-sized cake, blue and white in colour with lots of icing on it.

Enoch was too tired to answer as he ignored her, turning his face to the other side of her shoulder.

Mimi took a picture of the cake and sent it to Ibrahim before calling him.

“Should I get him this cake?”

“Does he like it?”

“I don’t know. He’s not responding to me,”

“Just get it for him…he probably wouldn’t eat a lot anyway.”

“Okay, bye.”

And she focused on the woman.

“I will take it.”

Wrapping up the cake, she contemplated if she should let Enoch down and carry the cake because it was impossible to hold the two at the same time. Time was already running out and her son looked exhausted thus her unwillingness to put him down. Before she could call Ibrahim, a familiar voice startled her.

“I can help you out.”

“Huh?”

“You look stranded.”

“I mean I am but ain’t you here for something?”

He chuckled revealing a set of dimples that can make any grown woman melt.

“Let me get my stuff and get back to you.”

So Mimi waited.

“Mama.”

“Yes, hun…are you tired?”

He nodded.

“We will get home soon, I promise.” Rubbing his back to calm him down. Mimi noticed he tried to sleep but because she kept moving too much, he was unable to do so, making him fussy.

The guy was a popular person in her psychology class. Pretty smart and got lots of attention from other departments as well. They haven’t had a decent conversation as they aren’t friends and college was more like ‘it doesn’t matter if I know you’ kind of vibe. You come to class and then you go back. In some instances, you were put in groups but nothing extra.

 

The guy finished paying for his things and headed out with Mimi, holding the cake for him.

“Whose birthday?”

“Huh?”

“I mean the cake.”

“Oh…him,” gesturing to Jamal.

“Happy birthday, man.”

“Don’t bother, he’s getting fussy because he’s tired.”

“That’s a bother then. How old?”

“He’s turning two today.”

“Oooh, I could have gotten something for him.”

“It’s okay. Make it next time,” she politely declined.

“I will take note,” after helping her with a cab, he told her.

“I will see you in school?”

“Obviously.”

“Great then.”

It was obvious he was hitting on her but for the help, she decided to agree.

They get home soon after but she was reminded of something. A contraceptive.

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