There are six things the Lord hates-
No seven things he detests
A haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
Hands that kill the innocent,
A heart that plots evil, feet that races to do wrong
A false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows
discord in a family….
-Proverb 6:16-19
——————————————–
“He will kill me this around,” Joseph said, with his head
bent. He was confused and out of tune…
“So what do you suggest I do?”, he asked his two jolly
friends, though John was the only one paying attention
while James focused his mind on the PlayStation game in
front of him…
“I think a trial won’t kill, he is your father”, John said
trying to comfort and make his friend see his point.
“God please help me…”, Joseph said before giving a deep
sigh…. This was not going to be easy to him, he had spent
the past six months thinking about how to confront his
father, and plead with him to give him just another
chance, yes… he had failed his JAMB exam twice already,
the first one because he fell sick and couldn’t write well,
the second one, his ego and overconfidence.
“Erhmm… I think I would prefer you buying an helmet
before going home…” James finally said lifting his eyes
from the PlayStation game..
“Helmet for what?”, Joseph asked not getting the joke
James was trying to pull.
“… In case your dad decides to shoot you in the head”, he
dropped the bomb, after which followed- “silly boy is this
the time for your unnecessary and annoying jokes”, from
John while Joseph stood up to switch off the television
and made a move to disturb his best friend…. James
might have been a not too good friend…but he was his
favourite among the two. John was just too spiritual for
his nature, he won’t say three sentences without referring
to the scriptures.
But James definitely was the naughty type. He always had
his back during the tough moments in his life.
“God please take control…” Joseph muttered in whispers,
as he made a sign of a cross. He was definitely nervous,
but he had no choice, JAMB registration would close in
three days time…he had to talk to his dad about it that
day.
“You will be fine…”, James patted him.. He had
volunteered to only follow him to the doorstep of his
house,
“Good evening sir…” Joseph said, while his dad looked up
from the Bible he was reading, and adjusted his glasses
to see his son standing.
“What is it Dare? You know too well I don’t like being
disturbed when am meditating”, he said in a cool manner,
though his word came with firmness.
“Erhm…am sorry sir. It is just that it is something very
erhmm…”, he stammered looking for the right words to
say.
“Will you talk and stop wasting my time?” his father
snapped at him. He jolted back, scared and knew he had
better say something.
“Jamb will be closing on Friday sir…”, he finally said
shivering nervously.
“And so…?” Mr Adejola replied, he knew where his son
was going and he had waited for a month for this day to
come.
“Dad I haven’t registered, I am …”, he tried to say
something before his dad cut him short…
“You mean you still have the guts to walk up to me and
talk to me about your education…? Forget it son! On
Monday, you will be following me to see Mr Rabiu my
mechanic, I am enrolling you to be his apprentice …” He
dropped the bomb, and picked his Bible, not even minding
the gaze from his son and his wife who had entered his
room while the duo were talking…
“An apprentice!? Why do you hate me this much, what
have I done wrong? Was it my fault that I fell sick during
my first jamb? It was you who refused to give me money
for my coaching class the second time…” Joseph said
angrily, he was releasing every iota of bitterness he had
within him to his father…
His mind flashed back at the last episode he had with his
father…. “You are nothing but a failure…I am not sure I am
your father… I can’t imagine spending my money on a fool
like you… Is this how you will pay me for my labour on
you? Your younger sister has gotten admission already
and here you are, still writing jamb for the second time,
you didn’t even pass the cutoff point for a polytechnic…
get out of my room you b—–d!” He had come home with
the worst result in his entire life, and his father had said
those words to him just last year.
“Anyway, I know I am a b—–d, so am going to leave like
one, today will be the last time you will set your eyes on
me again…!” He said and stormed out of the room.
———————————
“Can I come in please…”, Mrs Adejola said after knocking
her son’s door for close to two minutes, Joseph feigned
sleeping, he certainly didn’t want his mum to intrude into
his private moment, the events of the past few days had
been overwhelming, but he knew his mother too well, she
was going to stay there till he opened the door for him.
She had done it before, years back when he walked out
on his father. He was determined to stay indoors for three
days, he only came out in the midnight to eat and only
when he was sure they had all gone to work… He didn’t
want to see his father anymore, but his mum, on the third
day had persistently made him open the door to talk him
into living with her elder sister who lived in Ile-Ife, she
also gave him the money for his Jamb registration, and
had sponsored him all through his stay on campus.
“Why is he here mum?”, he said angrily to his mother. He
had opened the door, without even looking at his mother
and sat on his bed only to realise his mum had company.
“Am sorry son, I only wanted to talk”, Mr Adejola said. He
looked pitiful and sorry. He was not the young man in his
early forties anymore, he looked worn out…
“Am not sure I have that luxury of time, and I was about
serving my siesta before you came in, can you please
kindly excuse me?”, He said firmly, rolling back into his
bed.
“Would you at least listen to your father…?” His mother
said raising her voice with the disgust from his actions
“Father!? Did you just say “my father”, I am a b—–d you
remember!” He said snapping back at his mother.
“I think I better leave”, Mr Adejola said, he knew nothing
could stop his son from tantrums, he was still a kid
anyway he won’t understand, he thought.
“Ooohhh!! So those words can hurt you now!, and you
really can run away from them…while I have been facing
that reality for six d–n years”, Joseph said as tears welled
up in his eyes. He was far too angry, but he couldn’t bear
it anymore.
“You were never a failure, I was the failure”, Mr Adejola
said, stopping in his tracks as he made his way to the
door.
“What!!?”, Joseph said in shock…his father still
remembered those words.
“Yes son…I was the failure…I failed you, failed your sister,
and failed my wife…” He said turning back with tears in
his eyes. He had to tell the story. He had no choice now.
It was the only way for him to get his son to forgive him.
“I took out my personal problems on you, I love your sister
and being a female, I thought you should bear the
brunt…”, he continued, while Joseph sat staring at him,
waiting for more explanations…
“My doctor told me I had gonorrhea, which had eaten
deep into my manhood, and rendered me impotent…I was
in shock and angry…I took it out on your mother, accused
her of having extra marital affairs…I accused her of dating
her lecturers, since she had just finished her NCE
sandwich programme at Adeyemi college of education…I
started doubting if you were my children…. I didn’t know
how long I had been impotent or maybe the anger within
me blinded me, the day you came back with the second
JAMB results…I had just gotten a DNA test confirming
that you are not my son…”, he said, amidst the tears
flowing down his face, its was an unpleasant scene, an
old man crying.
“Oooh!!! He said, no wonder. Was that why you couldn’t
deny it when I asked you?” he said facing his mother.
“She wasn’t at fault son, you are my son” Mr Adejola
answered instead…
“Wait! You are confusing me with your story here,you just
told me the doctor confirmed am not your son and again
you said am your son”, Joseph said, trying to clear the
confusion.
“it was a mistake son, the doctor gave me the wrong
result, or let me say the laboratory analyst analysed the
wrong blood sample”, he said wanting to speak further
but Joseph interjected.
“And how did you find out?” He asked out of curiosity.
“Its a long story…Son…”, he said trying to avoid the
question.
“Then make it short!!!” Joseph said raising his voice, he
was becoming impatient.
“I did the test again…! And it was because of another
incident that happened after you left home”, Mr Adejola
replied still hiding some facts.
“What incident??!!” He asked extremely curious and
impatient.
“My concubine who I broke up came back to tell me, she
was a carrier of gonorrhea, and she was sure she
infected, the night we had unprotected s-x”, he finally
opened up, covering his eyes, he was ashamed of
himself.
“You cheated on my mother!! Ohh no!!, you…” he couldn’t
bring himself to say the next words on his mind, he picked
his wallet and walked out on both of them…
