Episode 10.
"I had stayed long at Jibola's place as we played football after school's closing time and I asked my sister to go home that I will join her when I am done. Everytime I would want to leave, my friend will keep on persuading me that I should play just once more. One more set kept extending to many more and by the time I checked the time, it was already past 5pm"
"During examination periods like that, my school doesn't allow us close late. On normal teaching days, the school operates from 7:30am till 4:30pm but they allow us close as early as 2:30pm on exam periods and if it's Friday, it can sometimes be 12:30pm or 1:00pm.
That afternoon, I already knew I've stayed past my time. I had to start running home so they don't begin to worry about my whereabouts"
Well, I know it's most likely my parents won't be home. But then I couldn't be too sure. Because dad can come in at any time. And dad must not get to know that I left my younger sister to come home alone while I stayed back only to come home much later.
I'll have to explain the reason why. And I don't have any reasonable lie to tell. My sister already knew no teacher asked us to stay back so my staying back was of my own accord. I just had to rush home.
"I rushed into the compound. It was surprising the gate was not locked. I entered and the sight I saw frightened me. I saw few elders in the compound. I was wondering why there were elders at our place. What could have happened?. Everyone was looking so serious and unhappy, I tried to ask what's happening but no one replied me. Immediately I knew the only person I could get a reply from was going to be Rose. I quickly opened the door to Rose's room, I couldn't find her.
In a minute, I paused and started mind calculation"
Wondering, confused and disturbed... I know something bad has happened to Rose. But what could have happened?. I know you're thinking what I was thinking then... Did she die? What happened to her this time. I quickly remembered Aunty Naomi and immediately I tried to wash off my thoughts about Rose's death.
"Something bad mustn't happen to Rose. Soon I was told Rose went out to get something. That brought much relieve knowing Rose was alright.... I was a bit calm that she's fine and nothing is wrong with her" but then what's the problem? The elders outside with their dull faces... the whole air wasn't just feeling right.
Where's my sister, my parents (if they're back home), where is everybody?.
"I opened dad's room and that was when I knew there was going to be more to what's on ground than I could imagine. "Daddy", I screamed. I went close to him and tears just poured out freely from my eyes. My little sister was crying too, dad had an accident while coming from one of his meetings and he was badly injured".
"I tried to put myself together realizing I'm older. I asked where my mother was because since I got back I haven't seen or heard of her and I was told they haven't been able to get in touch with her. This incident happened on a Friday and it was just very obvious why Mom wouldn't be at home.
At the middle of the night, dad couldn't sleep, the pain was getting much, Rose was running round the house to bring one thing or the other. We don't know how the pain was like but for the first time, I saw my father crying like a baby. Feeling restless. I couldn't stand it and I didn't know when I joined him crying. My baby sister had gone to bed and didn't get to hear the groanings from daddy's room"
"The night was longer than we expected it to be, I had to stay with Rose as she was taking care of dad. I didn't know when I slept off. Rose managed to drag me to sleep.
The first week passed and my mother didn't come home, church members had been coming around to greet my daddy as his absence in church was already being felt".
"Dr Bako, our family doctor couldn't count how many days he had stayed in our house as he comes around every day to treat my father... Sometimes dad feels better and other times, the pain just get very serious again. As time went by, it was said that POP will be needed to balance the fracture he had, this broke my heart because dad won't be able to do anything on his own without the help of someone and sometimes he manages to help himself with the help of his crutches when it was getting milder".
"A month later, my mother showed up out of no where and at that time I had started my secondary school certificate examination. My time table was well spaced, I may have an examination today and the next may be in 2 days time.
Mother showed up and I was very angry at her for abandoning not only me and my sister but also my father.
"She came back looking all fresh and pretty, it's obvious she has been enjoying herself to the fullest wherever she might have been all along. While we were here worrying about her. She wasn't totally surprised as I had expected when she got to the house seeing the situation of things. Daddy narrated how the accident happened to mom and I could see the pain in my father's eyes. One thing about my father that I don't know whether to say I like it or not was the ability to be calm in any situation, as frustrating as my mother was, my father always kept his cool and avoid the drama".
"Well, like the saying goes; to life there are various phases. This was just one of it for us."
"I did my first university entrance examination, I had good grades but i wouldn't know why i wasn't admitted. I was angry and in no time, my sister who was in senior class 1 had moved to class 2 and I couldn't bear to see her meeting up with me. My kid sis is an 'A' grade student who always come first in her class and at the time she was getting promoted to senior class 2, she was the overall best student in the school".
"I tried my best possible the first time but I wasn't admitted, my parents enrolled me for another lesson and even extra lessons so I could meet up and not fail a second time. I was reading despite all the family drama and distractions because I also needed an escape route out of my addiction with Rose and also the problems beclouding the family generally..."
"Mom never changed, in fact she became worse than ever before and she cared less about my dad's health.
Thank God he was getting better with the help of God, Dr. Bako and Rose"
He soon stopped using a crutch for assistance and could move freely himself without any assistance. I was happy to say the least.
"Until that Saturday morning" Mr Yomi said as he quickly excused himself to use the toilet...
What happened?
Watch out for what next
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