Dangerous Games

A MOTHER LIKE NO OTHER

Samuel found his mother at home. She had been working in the garden when he called. She stayed there to keep their conversation away from the rest of the family. Samuel didn't have an issue with it.

"Good afternoon, mom."

"Good afternoon. You found me. What can I do for you?"

"Why did you say those things to her?" He got straight to the point.

"It's not my fault you were keeping your secrets. You two looked so close, and yet you weren't."

"I don't care that you told her about Richard. Why did you say those things to her?"

"You have to be more specific."

"You told her I thought she was comparing me with him. Why?"

"Isn't it the truth?"

"You know that it's not. You said those things to humiliate her further. You wanted to hurt her. Why? Why must you do this anytime I feel a smidgen of happiness? What is it about me that makes you want to hurt me?"

"Don't get ahead of yourself. At this point, I am saving you. It was my mistake, throwing you into the lion's den with a woman like Kali. Of course, she worked her wiles on you, and like a fool, you are panting after her. All she wants is revenge on me and access to the wealth I introduced her to. And she is using you for it."

"And if so, what? Isn't that the same thing you do? You've been using me since the day I was born to satisfy your hunger for misery. You dangled me in front of Dad to remind him constantly that I am from another man. You use me to keep him paying for something neither of us understands. What's the big deal if Kali does the same?"

"Watch your words. You don't know what you are saying. Stop playing house with the girl and get your head back on your shoulders."

"My head is fine where it is. I want you to stop."

"Stop."

"Stop running my life."

"Please." She scoffed.

"I am being serious. I sat back and watched you ruin my first relationship."

"And then you fell in love with this brat. I can say I didn't ruin much of that relationship."

"Think whatever you like. Nothing I say changes your mind because you make yourself judge, jury and executioner in my life. But, thinking you are something doesn't make you that. You keep doing this to me because I have allowed it. Somehow, I found peace with the life you gave me, but maybe that's where I made a mistake."

"Meaning what?"

"Peter and Ember, they both stood up to you. One way or another, and their lives are easier. You still try to influence their choices, but they live as they wish. I was the one that sat back and allowed you run over me day in and day out. This is where it led."

"I told you before, it had nothing to do with you, and it still doesn't. My plans are mine, and I will see it accomplished."

"So will I." He stepped closer till they were toe to toe. "I am done being your mat because you stopped coming after only me. You started hurting people I loved. It's why you fed Giovanna's hatred for me and why you disliked that Dad didn't detest me like you wanted. It's why you told me about Richard, thinking it would hurt him that I no longer saw him as my actual father."

"I told you because you were old enough to know."

"That's not true, and you know it. Next, you went after Flora."

"I keep repeating, but you aren't listening. My plans involving your girlfriend have nothing to do with you."

"And with Kali?" She shrugged, and he chuckled. "With Kali, you saw me happy and decided to ruin our relationship."

"I don't want her in my family."

"Not your choice to make. It's mine."

"No, it isn't. You can go back to Flora after you divorce Kali. If only you listened to me instead of making yourself the centre of the universe. As soon as you were divorced, you could have married Flora, and I wouldn't have batted an eye. I didn't ask you to allow love to addle your brain."

"Is that right?"

"Yes."

"Too late then. I am not marrying Flora, and I am not getting divorced."

"I thought you loved that girl? It's barely been a year, and you have already moved on to someone else. If I knew your love was so fickle, I would have agreed to you only breaking up with her."

"Yet, you did not. And it wasn't for lack of effort on my end. I told you I didn't need to marry, but you insisted. You wanted me to marry someone I didn't love, and no doubt you hoped I would be miserable."

"You keep repeating the same thing. Leave if you have nothing else to say. How can you defend a relationship with a woman like that? One who has been with your father shared his bed and then jumped into yours. I didn't think she could understand shame, but the girl seems more ashamed than you."

"You are right. I am absolutely shameless. It's why I still begged for crumbs of love from you even when it was clear you'd never give any to me. But I want to tell you I am not at fault. I didn't ask to be your son. I didn't book the hotel rooms and beds for you and Richard when you were sneaking around with him."

"Show some respect, I am your..."

"Mother? I know, and from now on, that's in title only because I can see now that you'll never act like my mother." Samuel inhaled, nodding to himself. "You will never hurt Kali again. You will not make her experience, ever again, the humiliation you put her through today. I won't quietly stand by and watch you continue to hurt the people that matter to me. I am your mistake. Me. Hurt me. I can take it."

"The one who is going to hurt you is that girl."

"I have said all I wanted." He started to leave when he remembered something and turned around. "Oh, and about Winston, thank you."

"Excuse me."

He chuckled, walking back to where she stood. The idea had festered in him since his last conversation with Kali about him, something she said he couldn't shake off. And the more he thought about it, the more the possibility of his mother's hand and plans became increasingly evident.

"I know Kali got a job in his company because of you. At first, it didn't seem like it. Then Kali mentioned something that made the entire situation completely clear for me. You encouraged him to reach out, no doubt as a favour to you, and promised she was efficient, talented and skilled."

"Are you saying she is none of those things?"

Samuel wasn't surprised that his mother wasn't even trying to deny it.

"She is all that, but that's not what you cared for. You thought Winston was still the man he was. A man who went for brain and beauty despite their relationship status. You believed Kali would be so easy, he'd sweep her off her feet. Am I wrong?"

Silence.

"That part of your plan didn't work out too well, did it? And neither will the rest. Today is the last day you move me or Kali like chess pieces. I am not getting divorced, and you can't make me."

"We will see about that."

"Yes. We will. You will never hurt Kali, again. You will not make her experience, ever again, the pain you put her through today. I won't quietly stand by and watch you continue to hurt the people that matter to me; the people that I love. I am your mistake. Hurt me. Me and no one else."