It was her aunt‘s turn to sigh. “I‘ve discussed the subject with your mother but maybe she wants me to tell you in my own time. I respect her for that because the fact is I asked you all to forgive me when I‘m yet to fully forgive myself.” She stood up and paced the room. “What did your mother tell you and your siblings about the years I was absent from your lives?”
“She never said much on the subject; it was only in the very bad periods that Mama sometimes mentioned you. The only thing to believe then was that you never cared.”
“I cared much more than you‘ll ever know!”
“Yes you said that earlier, but I find it hard to believe you. Back then I used to imagine that it was because you wanted to bid goodbye to your poor background after your marriage into the rich Dehinde-Ojo family.” Gladys had told herself that her aunt was probably ashamed her brother was not as rich as the industrialist husband and his family and didn‘t want her children to mix with them.
Aunt Isioma stopped and sat down beside Gladys. “That is so far from the truth.”
She turned to face her aunt and only then noticed her shiny eyes. Gladys looked away. “So tell me what the truth is. Please tell me what happened.”
Her aunt gripped her hands. “I‘ve told you more than I did before so for now, please take my word for it. I had no power over the past situation. Now that I do, I want both families to be as one.”
Gladys considered her aunt‘s words before she tilted her head up. “But even if I accept the generosity which I‘m not used to, have you noticed that sometimes we do not see or speak to each other for weeks on end? I don‘t know what‘s happening…”
Tears trickled over her aunt‘s eyelids as her words spilled out in an earnest tone. “I know that and I apologize. It‘s just that I‘m yet to get used to running most of the family business interests since my husband died which is more tasking than I thought.”
“But you also seem so on edge and far away.”
“Well, I admit to some guilt about the past and there are other issues too…” Her aunt‘s low voice trailed off and her hands fell back to her thighs.