25/12/2024
Chapter Six:
THE REVELATION
The house was silent except for the muffled sobs coming from Tutu’s room. Her mother sat on the edge of the bed, her hand gently rubbing Tutu’s back as she cried into her pillow. The messages Femi had brought to her were still fresh in her mind, and they painted a terrifying picture of the situation Tutu had gotten herself into.
“Tutu,” her mother said softly. “You need to talk to me. I can’t help you if you keep this to yourself.”
Tutu turned to face her mother, her face streaked with tears. Her chest felt tight, as though the weight of the past few weeks was crushing her. “Mama,” she began, her voice breaking. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I just… I just wanted to feel special for once.”
Her mother’s eyes softened, but the pain in them was evident. Special? What do you mean?
Between sobs, Tutu poured out everything. She told her mother about Temi’s invitation to the Christmas Ball, about Tunde and his promises of glamour and sophistication, and about Chief Okafor’s unsettling behavior. She spoke of the texts, the threats, and the shame that had consumed her since that night.
Her mother listened quietly, her expression unreadable. When Tutu finished, she waited for her mother’s reaction, bracing herself for anger or disappointment. But instead, her mother wrapped her in a tight hug.
“My daughter,” she said, her voice trembling. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
Tutu broke down again. “I was scared, Mama. I didn’t want you to think I was a bad person.”
Her mother pulled back slightly, holding Tutu’s face in her hands. “You made a mistake, Tutu. But that doesn’t make you a bad person. It means you’re human.”
As the conversation continued, her mother surprised her by sharing a story she had never heard before. “When I was your age,” her mother began, “I also made a mistake. It wasn’t exactly like this, but it taught me a hard lesson about trust and choices.”
Tutu’s eyes widened. “You?”
Her mother nodded. “We all go through moments where we don’t think clearly, where we let our emotions or the desire to fit in cloud our judgment. But the important thing is what we do afterward.” (Cont'd in Comments)
