My mind as a teenager
episode 86
My dance clas-ses were going on smoothly. It
was just like a yoga clas-s. It took my mind
away from a lot of things. One day, I was
coming back from a youth awareness
program done in my church(am catholic)
when I saw Frank. He was in a shop. I don’t
know what took my eyes to that shop but it
was obvious he had seen me before I even
saw him.
I looked away and continued my walk home
but he ran up to me and st©pped me. I
looked at him but continued walking.
Frank: Nne plea-se,I just nee-d five minutes of
your time plea-se.
Me: For what? So you’ll end up beating me
by the end of that five minutes?
Frank: No nau.
Me: Alright. Talk. Five minutes.
I looked at my wrist watch. It was a little past
7pm.
Frank: Nne,I want to apologise for everything
I had done to you. You’re really a nice person
and you don’t deserve all I did to you. Maybe
it was the way I grew up that turned me into
such a violent person but trust me,I’m now a
changed person.
Me: Who wouldn’t change after spending
close to two years in the barracks?
Frank: I know I’ve wronged you and your
family but plea-se,forgive me.
Me: Is that all?
Frank: Actually,I c@m£ back last two months
and I’ve being looking for a way to come to
your house.
Me: Don’t even think about it.
Frank: Nne,forgive me biko. I’m about to
start a trade and I won’t be successful if I
don’t seek the forgiveness of people I’ve hurt
in the past. I’m de-eply sorry. I know I hurt
you and its going to be ha-rd for you to
forgive me. I don’t mind if you want to think
about it but I’m willing to wait just to get your
forgiveness.
I looked at him very well and noticed how
different he was. He looked lean but still has
the muscles in his che-st and upper arm.
Me: Did they torture you much?
Frank: Let’s not even go there. If you see my
back eh,they would put me in a metal
drum,cover it and leave it un-der the sun. I’ll
be there,crying my head out and before I
know it,they will come and start rolling the
drum,just to make sure that the scorching
heat from the sun gets to all p@rts of my
b©dy.
Me: That serves you right. At least,in your
next life,you’ll think twice before laying your
hands on a woman
Frank: Next life ke? Starting from this life o.
We laughed and ended up hvgging each
other.
Me: I forgive you. Just promise you will st©p
beating people.
Frank: I promise
.
Me: And about your business,you’ll prosper in
it.
Frank: Amen. Amen. Thank you.
Me: You’re welcome. Guess you must have
heard that I now have a baby.
Frank: Wait! Wait! So van vicker later married
you? I heard he’s now married but I never got
to know who his wife was. Ah! You guys
even have a baby now. Congra. . . . . . .
Me: Raymond married someone else.
Frank: Eh?
I tried my best to swallow the tears forming
in my throat.
Frank: Why?
Me: Let’s just say I wasn’t a wife material to
him. He went for someone better.
Frank: You’re not serious.
Me: I’m not even married.
Frank: Then,who’s responsible for your baby?
Me: He’s late now.
The tears just poured out. Frank held me in
his arms while I cried like a baby.
Frank: Don’t think about it. St©p crying.
plea-se st©p crying. Everything happens for a
reason.
I nodded as I held onto him for dear life.
Frank: Let me walk you home.
We walked silently to my house.
Surprisingly,he followed me into the house
where another section of apology was
tendered to my mum. After I even helped to
explain things to mum about his family,she
had no option but to forgive him. He asked to
see Kamsi and mum called out to her.
Frank was surprised that she was alre-ady
walking but we reminded him that she was
two years old alre-ady. He carried her and
gave her #1000 before he left.
Mum called dad and told him. He was happy
that he had changed but cautioned that we
should be careful around him.
Tbc