STORY TIME : The Life I Didn’t Wish For (Episode 2 )
I adore her more because anything she wore fitsperfectly. She is just an epitome of beauty.Inspite of all these qualities coupled with the fact that she is a perfect Africanwife, humble and respectful, she never argues with dad, yet she doesn’t get what she really deserves. What a cruel world. I just wished she had married a better man.
One day, I walked up to her and I said.“Mom I want to ask you something”, as usual she smiled at me and said “what is it you need my love?”” I just want to ask you a question”.She took a deep breath and said “what question is it?”I was scared to ask but I summoned courage, I positioned myself on the cushion beside my mother having a sober look.
She asked once more my love hope all is well? I nodded my head to assure her. I looked into her eyes and asked “mom please how did you meet my dadand why did you agree to marry him” ? My mom sighed and said ( “ha.. Omo mi! oro ni okuku fe gbo…Sugbon asiko oro oti to) it’s the fact you want to know but it’s not yet time to tell you”,She said.
"when it is time I will tell you all you need to know, just make sure you don’t make the mistake I made”.
I was not happy with her response because I was eager to know why she agreed to marry dad knowing he had been married with kids.Though I was relaxed, I know that one day mother will surely tell me as she doesn’t keep things away from me and she has always been truthful.
Mother had a small shop just in front of the house, the shop is virtually empty, there’s nothing much in it other than different kinds of biscuits and sweets which I and my brother eats every now and then.
The shop is a perfect example of what Yorubas call ( OJA WOROBO) Petty market’. That is where mom gets what she uses for our upkeep. She is shrewed with money. All she cares about is our wellbeing, she would not buy anything that is not needed .Mother will not buy any clothe for herself but makes sure we have enough to look good.
I remember a night, there was nothing in the house to eat, she managed to make something, after she finished cooking what we call ‘Concoction rice’ she served me and my brother,she made sure we were satisfied, she hasn’t eaten yet she gave the remaining rice to my brother so he could be satisfied.
That night, mother did not eat to bed. She just drank water. I asked what shewould eat, her answer was “if my children are satisfied, I’m filled’ I felt so bad and I don’t know what to say, I just stood there pitying mom.She said (LOSUN SHOLAPE) ‘sholape go and sleep’.
Tears rolled out of my eyes because of the pain in me, I know mom is hungry yet she gave her foodto us. Whatever we lack in fatherly love she would try all she could to give tous.I never had any fatherly love, I couldn’t tell what the function of a father is or the impact a father should have in the life of a child.
I get really jealous and saddened when my friends in school talk about their dad, but I couldn’t say much about my own.The closeness between my mother and her children was incomparable, we play like friends and talk like sisters. It was one of those nights where we just finished eating except mom.
I asked why she didn’t eat, she said she’s not hungry, instead she said Sholape let me tell you some of the stories from my youthful days.
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