EPISODES 11,12, 13,14,15
11
John lay on his bed with his back, while his eyes were looking at the ceiling. He didn’t know what was wrong with him.
He didn’t know what else to do. If dad was serious that he should leave the house, where will he go? Perhaps he
shouldn’t have talked back at dad. He should have begged him and asked him for forgiveness.
But he didn’t see dad as that kind of man. He didn’t know how to beg dad for forgiveness. The moment would be awkward.
He had never begged dad for forgiveness in his life.
Dad was really furious. And John was sure dad meant every word when he said that they should leave his house. He knew
dad would be mad if he found out about his smoking but he had never intended for dad to find out. His friends had forced
him into doing it. He had resisted them the first week but they had continued to pressure him. He had taken a drag and
coughed. It was a wired feeling at first but he started liking, it calmed his confused nerves and served as a means of
escape when his mind was chocked up in the confusion of what the future hold for him.
Somehow he didn’t care if dad would get hurt when he finds out. After all dad didn’t care. Nobody cared about what he
was doing in the house. Nobody cared about how he felt, the changes he was going through as he turned into adult and
nobody was there to answer that questions that bothered him.
Question like how he felt about women. His friends always told him about the girls they had been with and how it felt.
He wanted to have a feel of what his friends felt. They had encouraged him to talk to Susie. Susie was the girl all his friends knew he had a crush on. He had been afraid she would say no. but they had continued to encourage him and without
knowing what to say or how to act he had gone to her and she had said no. he had felt very bad. His friends had laughed
at him. They had told him that he will never have a girl of his own, he will never have sex. This had affected his self
esteem. He had felt ugly and unwanted. And when he comes home, nobody cared. Nobody in the whole world liked him.
But he still had his friends; at least they listened to him. He needed to prove to them that he wasn’t a loser. He
wanted to feel accepted and he wanted to feel among. He wanted to prove to them that he wasn’t a loser. They mustn’t
reject him. If they reject him, he would be all alone in the whole world. He might commit suicide.
All his friends had had sex except him. He really wanted to. He had been so curious especially after watching all the
pornographic pictures and movies. One of his friends had suggested they go to a brothel. He had waited after school and
when it was getting late they had gone to a brothel and there he had had sex. He had come home that day feeling weird.
He felt like a changed man. Still nobody noticed him, nobody cared.
Yes his results were bad and he had been missing classes. But he didn’t understand why he didn’t care. Somehow he had
wanted our parents to see that his results were bad so that they might notice him. It all started as a result of an
unconscious yearning for attention. But it didn’t work. Yet the missing class act had unconsciously become a habit that
he could no longer control. He started enjoying it, finding no pleasure in attending classes. He felt guilty but it dint
change anything. He could always rationalize and tell himself that he owed no one any explanation for his action.
He never for once thought his father would find out. How could he have known that the key would be missing this Monday
morning and everything about his life style would be brought into the open? He remembered the anger on dad’s face. Yes,
dad was never a cheerful man especially around his family, but the way he felt today was quite different. The old man
was hurt, deeply hurt.
John felt both anger and pity for dad. It was mixed emotion. But his young mind couldn’t come up with possible way of
escaping this neither could he think of what next to do if dad actually sent him out of the house.
Perhaps he shouldn’t have exchanged words with dad.
12
Ada sat on the stool in her room, very close to her dressing table. She was crying. She felt dirty and cheap. She had
never taken time to reflect on her behavior lately. Of course she had no reason to. She had been carried away by the
wind, the wind of pleasure and fun.
Ada remembered the first day she met Mike. She had thought he was a 300 level student and he had helped her when she was
having difficulty with her registration especially during her online registration at the business center that was in the
school environment. Mark had appeared and saved her from a lot of embarrassment.
He seemed to know a lot about the school environment and how to handle any issue. He was there for her when she
misplaced her receipt and he helped her in getting familiar with the school environment. She liked the way the seemed to
take charge of his environment, hence she saw him as dependable. She had always wanted to have somebody she could look
up to. Someone who could make her feel secured. Best of all he had proclaimed his love for her. This was something she
had always yearned for, to be loved.
She had already fallen deep in love with Mike when she discovered that he wasn’t really a student. He was one of the
‘problem’ students, students who were given indefinite suspension because of some cult activities. Ada couldn’t leave
him even with this development. She didn’t think she would get anybody who could love her the way Mike did, she could do
anything for him.
Then the demand for money and attention started. He would want her to stay with him not minding that she would miss her lectures. He would ask for money and threaten to leave her if she didn’t bring it. She couldn’t just leave the love of
her life so she would ensure that she met his never ending demands. She knew he was a wrong company for her, but the
experience of feeling wanted was all that really mattered.
Mike was not the first guy to introduce her to sex. She had had it with a boy who had professed love just after Ada had
written her WAEC. But he had broken her heart right after she had given in to his demand to for sex. That was the
beginning of the feeling of emptiness somewhere within her. She had nobody to talk to even before and after she the sex.
There was nobody to help her build herself worth.
But Mike made her feel important. He took her to parties. Introduced her to his friends and they all accepted her. She
felt he was worth missing lectures for.
Now she felt scared and for the first time in a long time she allowed her mind to actively wonder if her relationship
with Mike was doing her any good. She seemed like a lost person who didn’t know where she was heading to. She had seemed
to have forgetting why she entered higher institution in the first place.
She might have had no close relationship with mum and dad but she sure needed them for survival. Getting them mad had
never been her intention and now dad was threatening to send her away. That was scary. She never knew home was
important; she had always detested it.
The thought of being pregnant was even scarier. She was late and this was the third day. She didn’t know what Mike would
do if he realizes that she was carrying his baby; somehow Ada was sure that he would deny her. What would she do? Who
will she go to? What will become of her?
13
Mum was angry, she was also sad. She was angry at dad and somehow at herself. Where was all the love she used to share
with dad? What made her allow her children to outgrow her? How had she allowed her family to come to such ruin?
She felt bad. She had, for a long time, been unhappy at the way dad had always treated her and she had allowed it to
affect her relationship with her children. Now Ada was pregnant and John was indulging in undesirable behaviors at a
very young age. She had, in her selfish desire for love from dad, allowed them to wonder off on their own like sheep
without a Sheppard. How many months pregnant was Ada? Her kids were too young to indulge in sex and she was scared that they could easily contact HIV virus because of their young inexperienced mind. This wasn’t the type of home she had
intended keeping when she was getting married to dad.
And dad was not making all these easy for her. She wasn’t sure she could continue to handle him if he continued like
this. To her, dad had completely changed from the man she married. He used to be a loving husband who cherished and
showed her love. He was soft but hardworking. She had seen in him a go-getter and had known that he would never allow
her lack anything. But such neglect in recent time was not what she bargained for. It all started when he started
aspiring to be the manager of Dew Luck Nigeria Limited. The news of his promotion had been followed by a joyful
celebration, but little had she known that that was a curse that was about to befall on her and her kids.
But what was she going to do now? She was thinking. Was she going to continue avoiding her responsibilities? How long was she going to wait for dad to change? But was she being fair to dad? Wasn’t the man working hard enough? Hadn’t she
also been selfish?
Well, she must do something about her kids, she resolved. If dad thinks he has no extra role to play apart from
financing the home, than that was his business. She was going to concentrate all her energy on her kids from now on.
------------------------------------------------------
I was getting hungry again. But there was a more serious matter at hand. How do I reveal the fact that I was with the
exit door key? I was angry with myself for unconsciously putting myself in the middle of the whole day’s crisis.
Yet I didn’t know when sleep over took my consciousness and I found myself in dreamland.
14
I really needed to eat something. I decided to go back to the kitchen and see if the was anything I could lay my hands
on to eat. I was just about to enter the kitchen when I heard mum’s bedroom door open. I prayed within me that it
shouldn’t be dad.
My prayer was answered. It was mum.
I didn’t like the look on her face. She must have been crying or something because her eyes were swollen and her face
was somewhat red.
I hesitated as our eyes locked. Something stirred in me and I decided to say something. Well, the house situation was so
tense that I really wanted to know what will become of the family from now on, especially considering the fact that it
was all my fault.
“Mum, is dad really going to send Sister Ada and John parking?”
“I really don’t know, but I pray he changes his mind.” She answered
“Well, if he does, are you going to allow him?”
There was a sudden surprised look on her face, “It depends… I…”
“Can I tell you something mum?”
“I hope you don’t have your own surprise for us again?” she asked, obviously relieved that I didn’t allow her reply my
last question.
“No mum, but that seem to be the only way one gets attention in this house, don’t you think?”
“What do you mean by that?” she curiously asked.
“Nobody notices me in this house, it’s like I don’t even exist. I feel very lonely and unhappy every time I am home,”
She was touched because I noticed a facial expression of concern on her face, “that’s not true, you are…”
“That’s true mum and you know it, but you don’t do anything about it. I somehow think that you feel lonely too, likewise Sister Ada and John. The only reason why I am talking to you now is because of the situation at home.”
“You might be right kid, but that is no reason for you sibling to behave irresponsible.” Mum replied defensively.
“I really might not understand a lot of thing, but you are the adult here, this home is an unhappy one and nothing can
go right in such an unhappy state.” I replied and worriedly walked back to my room. I suddenly didn’t feel like eating
again. I didn’t believe that I said those words to mum and she had listened without scolding me.
She allowed me walk away without saying a word.
Honestly, it felt good talking to mum only that I couldn’t tell her about the key.
15
Everybody must have taken a nap. The house was as silent as the graveyard.
Something woke mum up. She was hearing a sound; it was coming from daddy’s study. Someone was sobbing. Alarmed she stood
up and walked towards dad’s study. She listened. Yes, the sound was coming from in there in.
Mum softly opened the door and peeped in. she was weakened by the sight of dad sitting helplessly on his chair shedding
manly tears. Dad was obviously fighting very hard to stop the tears from flowing. His breath was hard as he tried to
control himself. Mum couldn’t believe her eyes. She was surprised and touched.
She immediately understood why dad was shedding tears so she walked in and held unto dad. Dad allowed himself to be held
as he leaned his head in mum’s tummy while she caressed the back of his head.
While everybody was sleeping, dad had taken his time to reflect on his behavior towards his family for some time now. It
all started with the desire to be a successful man. There was competition all around him and the fear of losing was the
source of his motivation. Soon his efforts started paying off and he had to put in more energy as the days went by and
the competition became fiercer.
Then the family didn’t seem very important, he got carried away and was comforted with the believe that all was going
well. The fight to stay at the top was his only motivation and every night and day he had to ensure he had a good plan
that would ensure that he conquered.
He had been able to build a beautiful five bedroom flat and ensured the children had everything they wanted. We went to the best schools in and we never lacked in anything. What else did we want from him?
He had unconsciously learned that one of the best ways of attaining success was by being shrewd, mean and not take
laziness or foolishness lightly. And automatically he transformed into a fastidious person to everyone around him even
to his family.
Mum allowed dad to continue to lean on her. Then she took a seat and sat beside him. They both looked into each other’s
eyes and began laughing. Her eyes were also filled with tears.
“Why didn’t you bring me to order when you noticed that I had started derailing?” Dad asked softly.
Mum smiled, “You didn’t know how scary you became. I was busy trying so hard to please you all these while until I
almost became a slave to your presence. I was just simply afraid of you.”
“Wow. Then my kids must have felt worse than this. I didn’t even recognize my own kids. They were both different when I
was talking with them. Do you know at a time, I wondered if it was my little Ada and John I was talking to? They are so
big and matured; even John’s voice has changed.” He said, there was pain in his eyes.
“Ha ha, they are really growing faster than we think and we have neglected them, thinking they were still kids. I know
this is not an excuse, but I gave up when I noticed that Ada had outgrown me. I knew I couldn’t handle them alone and
instead of asking you for help I got into my shell and allowed things to continue to go bad.” Mum said regretfully.
“It was all my fault. I shouldn’t have left you all alone to handle them. God! I have been a bad father and husband,
putting all my efforts in the office while my house was in disarray.” He stopped and looked mum in the eye again. “I am
very sorry… today I looked at my children from a point of view I had never done before and I realized I was missing in
their life. Again, you made me realize I have been selfish all along. Yes, I have only been thinking of being a success
and have stupidly been putting my whole efforts in my work place and have neglected my house.” He said thoughtfully.
“Mmh, where have my husband been all this while?” She bantered, “I am glad we have both come to our senses, I just hope
it’s not too late. In fact, Linda talked to me this afternoon and I felt like crying after hearing a genuine version of
what these kids really feel. I couldn’t help but wonder how I allowed things to go this bad. So what do you intend to do
now? Do you still want to send them away?” She asked. Mum was glad that they were both on the same page now.
Dad remained silent for some time, staring at the wall behind mum. It was very emotional. Mum could sense that dad was
really unhappy with the turnout of events a home, his face displayed deep regret.
“No, I never intended sending them out… Oh God, I am not even qualified to be called a father. Sitting here for the past
hour and reflecting on my behavior all these while had made realize a lot of things, it hurts so much to see what I have
done to them. Look at the way I spoke to them, I was like an animal back there.”
“It’s ok honey” She didn’t know when the word honey came out of her mouth, it had been a long time. “You can’t continue
blaming yourself. I even feel worse, but I don’t think it is right for us to continue regretting. What’s done is done;
let’s think of the way forward.”
“Yes, you are right.” He took in a deep breath “Well, the first thing I plan to do is to tender my resignation first
thing tomorrow morning.”
“Ah!” mum exclaimed “Do you think that will be a nice idea?”
“Don’t worry, I don’t think the company will be quick to let me go but even if they do, with my qualification and
experience, I will be the hottest thing in the market. If my company wouldn’t let me go, then I will remain on my terms.
I will give them conditions that would ensure that I have time for my family.”
“Okay, anything that will bring you home more often and not make you be on the edge all the time.”
“Right now, we have a great task ahead of us. We have to start getting into the lives of our children immediately.” Dad
said. “I suggest you talk to Ada and find out what is wrong with her, the pregnancy issue is crazy, but we have to
figure out what to do together with her. I will talk with John and try to sort out issue with him. Let’s do this and see
what we can come up with.”
“Okay,” mum stood up and headed for the door, wondering what they were going to do about Ada’s pregnancy. All the same
she was glad that she was doing this with dad. There seemed to be a new strength in her.
“And after that we will do some cooking together,” dad said.
Mum looked back and smiled, she just hoped that getting into our lives wouldn’t be as tough as she imagined.
TBC....
DNT MISS THE FOLLOW UP EPISODES.
