By Bunmi Sofola

JULIE has just finished her stint at the private hospital where she was a matron. Her husband is a partner and a consultant at the same hospital. His hours were less erratic than hers and as she rummaged in her kitchen in the dead of the night for something to eat, she noticed the silence seemed a bit errie. Usually, when she came in late, Fred, her eldest son, who’d just been back from his Youth Service, would have soft music wafting from his room.

love

He had a steady girl friend then; a sort of relief after his wild spree with various girlfriends—and Julie even liked this one. As a rule, she never got involved with Fred’s girls but Tolu, his latest, wormed her way into Juliets life and she was already regarding her as a prospective daughter-in-law. That was until Tolu came to the hospital a couple of weeks ago, her eyes red from crying and her heart in pieces.

Fred was no longer interested in the relationship, she wailed, and she still loved him. Julie’s heart dropped. She promised to see what she could do to jump-start the romance…. “So that night when I came home late and everything seemed peaceful, I gave a sigh. Maybe this break-up was for the best. At least now, Fred would start reshaping his life,” Julie continued.

‘I was about to turn in for the night when I heard ecstatic moans escaping from Fred’s room. My heart gave a lurch; surely he couldn’t be making love to another girl so soon after his romance broke up?

I was really curious. I marched up to my room which is next to his and the moans were even more distinctive. I felt really disgusted at his indifference. “I had this sense of deja vu. You can never imagine the number of hours I’d lain awake, torturing myself imagining that randy son of mine assaulting yet another innocent girl in the name of love. The boy is not even 24 yet. How permissive should a parent get in a home where there are other younger children, including teenage girls?

“Before I woke up the next day, his ‘contraband’ had conveniently disappeared. Obviously, he thought I didn’t know anything about it and his sisters were looking as if they’d successfully pulled the wool over my eyes. That did it! As soon as they finished their breakfast, I asked Fred to wait behind, that I wanted to talk to him. He gave me his ‘here we-go-again’ look and shrugged. His sisters looked sorry they were going to miss the anti-climax! In my mother-knows-best voice, I told him I was quite fed up with his appetite for the flesh.

He should put self in my place, I said, Here was I, laying the law down for his sisters, ordering them not to stay out longer than10pm, and there he was bringing girls of his sister’s age to the family home to stay the night! How would he feel if his sisters were to stay out all night locked in the arms of some men? His bored look infuriated me and I gave him an ultimatum: either he abided by the rules of the house or leave. He thanked me politely and left.

“Two weeks after our so-called ‘talk’ he told me he had decided to save me from further embarrassment. He’s found accommodation, a Boy’s Quarters, a friend said he could move into  Ikoyi and he was moving out immediately. I was mildly shocked. But he wasn’t a little boy any more. What’s more, I was convinced that a few weeks away from the comfort of home would soon whip him into shape. He hasn’t looked back since and he’s a more responsible man for it!”