A thrilling memoir told in moments of flashbacks about a young beauty; OMA. She had a sudden recollection of a dark past while she sat in a counseling session and a question from the counselor; JUNE, to OMA, triggered a series of suppressed memories. OMA, who was usually used to being in control of her emotions, was no longer in control and was forced to deal with it. JUNE pressed OMA on during the session to speak more about her experiences with her stepmother and sisters as a child growing up in Nigeria and OMA unsuccessfully attempted to redirect the topic. OMA broke down in uncontrollable tears and began to tell JUNE of her first memory as a 7 year old girl in Nigeria.
OMA’s father (CHRISTIAN) had taken OMA and her two sisters from their mother (DENISE) after a bitter divorce, taking them to Nigeria where they stayed for over 10 years. CHRISTIAN re-married so the girls could have a mother figure at home. FLORESSA; was their beautiful, light-skinned, tall, well-built, stepmother. FLORESSA had a unique beauty about her; when she walked into a room, her presence demanded attention. Being light skinned in Nigeria was considered ‘beauty’ and ‘class,’ and being a tall woman was also quite rear and exotic and FLORESSA had both. To the outside world, FLORESSA was the one to be like; but in the walls of her home, no good person would have wanted to be like her.
OMA took comfort in her two older sisters to get through the torture and abuse they faced daily. They were protective of her, helped take care of her but they were also just one year and two years older than OMA. How much could young girls in Nigeria do to protect themselves?
Going through marital life was meant to be easy; well, as easy as they come considering OMA and SEBASTIAN’s relationship was the envy of all their friends. OMA began her marital relationship being submissive to her husband. She let him make all the decisions, pay all the bills, and even followed all his directions with pride. Prior to getting married, OMA was a well educated, work driven, independent woman. But OMA had the belief that a woman should be a bit submissive to her husband to allow him be the ‘man’ and provider of the house. To OMA’s marital detriment, this belief was observed by her charming, handsome husband who began to take advantage of the leniency OMA had given him.
OMA finds herself struggling with, what some may find easy to decide; staying in a distrustful marriage, or fighting to keep her family together. The pressures of trying to come up with an answer, pushed OMA to spend more time with her high school friend VICTOR who; unbeknownst to OMA, had secretly loved her since high school and is hurting for OMA in her current marital struggle. VICTOR hopes OMA leaves SEBASTIAN for him.
