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Twelve
publish date:
2020-10-08 06:40:14I'm backkk!! 👸💃
Even in the dark, the compound still looked pretty much the same as it did a little over a year ago. I caught sight of white hair illuminated by the yellowish orange glow from the kerosene lantern that was placed at the foot of that armchair I was sure I’d recognize anywhere.
Alade looked up from the paper he was reading. He squinted and adjusted the glasses that were perched on his nose.
‘I’ve told you not to read with the lantern. Look how hard you have to squint just to see me’. I said as I ascended the stairs.
‘Ayo mi. Is this really you?’ He inquired.
‘Yes baba’.‘My Aramide?’‘Flesh and blood’.He pulled me down to him and hugged me as tightly as his aging body allowed him to.‘How are you Alade?’I asked once he let me go.
‘Alive and well’. He beamed.‘I can see that’.‘How is Nneka?’‘Ehm.. She’s fine’.His smile faltered a bit but he quickly fixed it. His eyes scanned me from toe to head.‘You’ve come a long way my dear. Go in and freshen up, there should be some food left in the kitchen’.
The door to my room was or former room was open. Iya had spoilt the lock during one of her infamous crazed sessions. She had thought I locked myself in and decided not to answer her calls but I had locked the door from outside and rushed to the market to get snuff for Alade.
The now silent house would’ve been shaking if she were here.
Everything was almost just the exact way I left them. I could see that some things were slightly moved, maybe for better cleaning.Alade handed me a bucket of water and I hurriedly showered but by the time I got dressed and finished eating the yam porridge I found in the kitchen, he was already asleep. I locked up and retired to my room too, I was going to have to answer a lot of questions the next day.
The sun was already up and shining when I woke the next morning, I must have been more tired than I thought I was. Alade was sitting on his armchair reading the morning paper, a chewing stick in mouth.
‘Ekaro baba’. I greeted.
‘Ehen my dear. How did you sleep?’‘Very well, see how late I woke up’.I looked at the compound and noticed it was already swept and the big mango tree that used to be its greatest feature had been sawed to the ground.
‘Who swept the compound?’ I asked as I sat on the half wall.
‘Oh, it’s Kunle’s daughter Suliat. She has been the one helping me since you left.I remembered Suliat, we were in the same class and used to hawk different items at the park together, we were a bit close.‘God bless her for me. I will go thank her later’.
Alade scoffed at the mention of the almighty.‘Ayo, how is your mother?’ He asked, looking at me like he knew I was hiding something.
‘Fine. I guess’.‘What do you mean you guess?’ He looked puzzled but realization dawned on him within seconds.‘Amanda, what are you doing here?’
‘I thought I’d come spend the Christmas holidays with you’.‘You know I do not celebrate Christmas. Does your mother know you are here?’ His eyes were stern.I shook my head slowly and he sighed.‘What happened?’ He asked softly.
‘Alade I told you I didn’t want to go, the life mom is offering? That is not the life I want, it is not a better life at all’.‘How can you say that? Look at you, you look much better than you did when you stayed here’.‘But I don’t feel better. Please baba, don’t send me back’.He watched me cry for a while before he beckoned me to come. I rose and went and sat by his feet, placing my head on his lap.‘Don’t be too hard on your mother my dear, she missed thirteen years of your life, she is still trying to know you. Learn to forgive her mistakes, she is human and hasn’t experienced enough of family. She will learn from you as you will from her, you will watch each other grow. You can’t stay here, there is nothing for you here. If I die you will still have to go back to her. You have been given an opportunity to see life in a different light, take it, you can handle it’.
‘You still remain the wisest man I know’.
He laughed.‘And only you get to benefit from this wisdom’.‘Maybe you should become a life coach so others can benefit as well’.‘You should have said that ten years ago’.‘Ten years ago I didn’t know how to spell coach’.We laughed.‘You are taking the night bus to calabar, it leaves at 4. Make sure you are ready by then’.
I nodded and went inside.I collected water from the borehole I used to before. There really wasn’t much change in the community; goats still walked about littering compounds with pawpaw seed like faeces. Dogs still stole drying meat from local kitchens and nursing mothers still fought at the borehole with their children strapped to their backs.
‘If you break my rubber, you go see why dem de call me jet lee’.
I recognized the woman who said this. She was known round the village as a troublemaker and belt owner for the many street fights she had won. Her husband had left her for another woman after she poured hot soup on him in his sleep.
The other fat woman kicked the bucket into the nearby gutter.
‘I don kick am. Wetin you fit do?’
‘If I no put you inside that gutter today, make this pikin wey I tie for back mad!’ Jet lee screamed, bouncing the already wailing child that was strapped to her back.Such pronouncement over a child that was completely clueless to what was happening. Feeling annoyed, I lifted my jerry can to my head and left that premises.
I washed the few dirty clothes Alade had and made kpanla stew before gathering my things to leave. I met Alade outside and he smiled up at me.
‘Ba mi, I’m ready’.
‘Ah Ayo, you’ve stayed only for a few hours but you’ve done so much, my akin, go well’.‘Take care of yourself Alade. I will branch and see Suliat before I get to the park’.‘Okay’.I gave him a brief hug and left the compound. I had planned on staying longer but I left feeling stronger than I did when I arrived. Alade had a way of lifting my spirits.
Suliat was stepping out of their rusted gate as I approached the house. She saw me and smiled.
‘Is that my Ore?’ She said teasingly.
‘You have not changed’. I said with a smile of my own.She jumped and hugged me.‘Aramide you don’t know how much I’ve missed you’.‘If it is as much as I have missed you then I think I do’.‘See how fresh you are looking, calabari is treating you well’.
‘It’s Calabar not calabari and you don’t look bad yourself’.‘Hype me o’.‘You know I don’t hype’.‘This one you are with your baggage, are you just coming in?’‘No, I’m actually leaving. I came in last night, I just wanted to thank you for all the good work you’ve been doing for baba. I really appreciate it’.
‘Haba ore, is it not you? Your family is my own na. You would’ve done the same if the roles were reversed’.I gave her another hug.‘Thank you. I need to get to the park now’.
‘Wait oh jare. I have gist’.I smiled fondly. Suliat would always had gist.‘Susuu. Okay, tell me’.‘Do you remember Jide?’‘I don’t oh’‘That boy that resembles ape. The one you brushed in Jss2’.
‘Oh. I never knew his name sev’.‘That boy is in kirkiri now oh’. She whispered, folding her arms and pushing her face slightly towards me.‘Kiri kiri. For what?’‘They said they found guns, charms and weda na human breast in his room. He even confessed that he wanted to use his sister’s baby for rituals o’.
The look Suliat had her face was so hilarious I almost laughed but I knew she was taking this gist seriously so I straightened my features and said; ‘you don’t mean it!’
‘My sister, wonders shall never end’.
I checked my time; 3:45‘Let me be going. See you soon’.‘Okay, safe journey. Greet all your calabari people, don’t follow them and chop dog o’.I shook my head and walked off, not bothering to correct her again.As I sat on the last seat in the bus, I got a feeling of nostalgia. Just a few hours ago I had sat in a seat like this one. I thought of Rasheed and what he said about family being everything and I thought of Jide, he had been a bully which was an obvious sign of insecurity and now he was in jail for trying to kill his sister’s child; family really is the mud that moulds us. Then the final question came to my mind, one I didn’t want to answer; how does my background affect me?
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