My child don’t lose sight of common sense and
discernment,
Hang to them,
For they will refresh your soul
They are like jewels on a necklace
They keep you safe on your way
And your feet will not stumble….
-Proverbs 3:21-23
——————————————–
“What kind of life is this?” the staggering Tola said to
herself. She couldn’t walk anymore so she decided to sit
on the pavement in front of uncovered pavilion… Her life
was a mess already.
Five years ago, she had been called home during her final
junior WAEC examination that her mum was terribly sick
and she needed to see her, she didn’t go home
immediately because of her examination…
Two days later, she got home to meet everyone in black
cloth. She didn’t understand what the situation was.
“Broda mi, where is mummy?” the confused girl asked her
brother who only raised his head to stare at her and
looked the other way…
“He has been like this ever since the incident” his ex-
girlfriend answered Tola, who still couldn’t understand the
situation and by the way, the presence of her brother’s
naughty ex-girlfriend infuriated her the more, though
unlike her usual character she seemed calm…
“What incident, and why are you not answering? Why is
everyone ignoring me? Where is my dad” she asked in
succession as she moved closer to her brother’s bed
where he was seated with his back resting on the pillow…
“He is on his way from Canada. He had a business
meeting, so he should be back in Nigeria tonight. By the
way why don’t you go to your room, change your clothes,
and let the maid fix your lunch.” her brother said, avoiding
the first question ….
“So am now a baby ehn!.. If you can’t tell me what is
happening I will go and ask aunty bola.” Tola said more
like a threat than a reply. Bola the maid in the house was
popularly known for her ability to gossip.
“Don’t you get it…? Mum is dead!!!” Busayo screamed at
his sister, annoyed at her insensitiveness to her
environment. Everyone in the house not only wore a black
cloth, they also wore a gloomy face.
“Which of the mummies, mine or yours” Tola said
sarcastically with tears already gathering in her eyes. She
took after her dad. She never took things serious unless
she had seen a live evidence and by the way, she was not
expecting her mum to be dead, so she absolutely wasn’t
insensitive…
“No…no she can’t be dead, she was only sick…no!!! Not
my mum!!!” she screamed on top of her voice followed by
several jumping and rolling on the floor, if not for the
timely intervention of her brother and his ex, she would
have injured herself..
Life was not fair to her at all. She lost her favourite sister
when just nine years old, her brother’s twin, she had gone
to the market to buy her birthday gift and she took a bike
to avoid the heavy traffic only to end her life in a ghastly
motor accident. Her brother could not take it, though it
brought the seemingly separated family together, but her
father was surely still mourning her. He spent more days
traveling than staying at home which was his own way of
dealing with the death of his favourite daughter.
Who would not love Busola? Her jokes and effort to make
you smile at all cost was something to remember always.
Busayo and his mother had become very close pals while
Tola was sent to boarding school.
Now, her mother was gone, how would she cope? “I need
my mother, God why are you this wicked?” She was the
only female I could talk to, now she is gone…” Tola said
to herself. Her brother has become a shadow of himself
he hardly talked to anyone, if he was not going for
lectures then he was in his room always. The house was
so silent, except during the night when her dad who now
stayed frequently at home was watching the television in
the living room..
Tola barely made it through ss3, as she kept and made
friends in school who influenced her life negatively. She
was introduced to sneaking out of school for parties. She
was the daughter of a rich man which made her
susceptible to a lot of caucus and cliche wanting her
presence in their midst… Though she was not really the
“bad girl” but she loved to dance and drink alcohol, that
was for her to forget her pains…
She changed briefly when her waec results showed how
bad her life really was, she had to enroll again, with her
dad threatening not to sponsor her education if she failed
again…
She wrote her jamb and waec and passed excellently
giving the opportunity to get admission to the school of
her choice Obafemi Awolowo University to study the
course of her choice, Architecture. She just loved the
course so much maybe because that was the course her
big sister was studying before she died.
Shortly after her admission, her then hostel mates in
Moremi, reintroduced her to party life again, she spent
most of her weekends at new Buka. A times, she went to
town to visit her boyfriend who was in his final year, Yomi.
Yomi was a farmer’s son who lived a fake life in school.
Tola had met him during her departmental fresher’s party,
they hooked up and started dating… After many advances
from him to take her to bed, which she refused he
resulted to the use of force. He had taken her to a party
made sure she was drunk, took her to an hotel room, and
almost slept with her, if not for his friends who asked him
to film her naked and blackmail her with the video…
As if that was not enough, he asked her for one hundred
thousand naira, and her willing to sleep with him in
exchange for the video, she was confused as to what to
do. Lost in thought, she walked all the way from the gate
till she got to Mainbowl. She was tired and she couldn’t
walk anymore so she sat down in front of uncovered
pavilion, tired of her life and the mess she had gotten
herself into.
“Hello dear, errhmm do you mind some company?”
Jadesola said to the weeping girl, who turned around to
see the intruder.
“Am sorry, I just want to be alone” Tola said, she was not
ready for any sermon right now…
“I know you want to be alone, am just not comfortable
seeing a beautiful girl like you sit here alone crying…
Moreover a problem shared is half solved…I just feel I
could help” Jadesola said taking her seat. She definitely
won’t take a no for an answer, though she was late for
her leader’s prayer meeting…
“Am not sure, you can solve mine.. Its way bigger than
your league, miss…” Tola who was surprised at the
stranger’s persistence said still trying to push her away.
“You never can tell, if I can’t solve it, I might know
someone who can ” Jadesola said convincingly, which
made Tola to reason deep and she decided to relate her
situation to her…
Like an expert, Jadesola listened all through, counselled
her and promised to help her through the situation, which
she did. The matter was taken to the school authority
who handled it well and also expelled Yomi when they
found out he had been involved in such an act for a long
time…
“Erhm sister Jadesola, please oh, I want to ask for
something ohh,” Tola said as she lied on the bed in
Jadesola’s room during her usual visit.
“What is it sweetie?” Jadesola answered from the kitchen,
she was preparing an awesome meal for both of them.
“I don’t know how possible this might be…But can you do
it for me?” she said sitting up and looking at Jadesola
who was already standing in front of her cleaning her
hands with an handkerchief..
“Nothing is impossible for God” Jade said smiling.
“I want you to be my school mother and possibly my
motherly figure for life” Tola said, standing up to hug
Jadesola.
“Yes dear, I will gladly do that for you” Jadesola replied
patting her back.
————————————-
“You were always like my mum and my twin” Busayo said
to Jadesola who was feeding him a plate of rice Tola had
cooked…
“You are not serious. I don’t think I can ever replace them
in your life” Jadesola said smiling, she actually was
blushing as she remembered the day Tola asked her to be
her school mother. She felt so special. Here she was with
a guy she was trying hard to love who was also Tola’s
brother saying her motherly skills were awesome…
“Hello!! That is not the way to my mouth” Busayo said
aloud, she has retreated to her thoughts again, he
wondered how she did that so quickly.
“Am sorry, errhmm. I was not thinking, erhnm I was
thinking that we give it a chance again…Maybe this time
lets pick it up from friendship…Just friendship I might end
up falling in love with you…” Jadesola said confusingly,
that was not what was on her mind, but she said that to
make up for her absentmindedness,
“Jadesola!!! We are friends okay? And I don’t think I want
to go down that road with you again.. Okay.. Why don’t
you tell me exactly what is wrong, a problem shared is
halved solved” Busayo said using her own usual words
against her, knowing fully well she would not talk about it.
She was the type of person who faced her problems
alone, yet she took other people’s burden on herself…
“Dearie…talk to me, am a listener too” Busayo reiterated
to the head bent lady sitting in front of him…
Jadesola took a deep sigh and narrated the entire
episode to him, while Tola who had been watching the
duo, though she didn’t hear their conversation because of
the earpiece she had on her ears smiled to herself…How
she wished they were really in love…
She saw the way they giggled and laughed and
remembered her mother and her big sister, that was the
same effect they had on her brother. Her eyes were teary,
so she quickly stood up and went outside to clean her
tears and as she ran outside she collided with someone…
As she picked up her phone she heard a familiar voice…
How would she forget that voice…? She looked up to see
his face…
“You!!! What are you doing here?” She asked as he stared
at her dumbfoundedly…
