? TEJUMOLA ?
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#Episode_3
I c@m£ back home late in the evening as usual, I ti-p-toed to the kitchen to begin my daily routine of indomie and bre-ad theft. I
walked gently into the sitting room after accomplishing my mission, I found my father sitting there.
Suprised, I gaped at him, when did he come back?
“Baami,”I skrie-ked before jumping into his arms.
“Hey, my little princess, omo mi atata.”He patted my head.
“welcome Baami, I missed you ooo, when did you come back?”
“This morning”He smiled, my father is too
handsome.
“why are you just coming back from school by this time?”he queried. I racked my br@in ha-rd
“Errm, Baami, you know the distance from school, its too far, I have to trek, and besides we are having extra lessons in school
”I explained.
“Liar!”maria said
“aah! Maami, you know I won’t lie now.”I quic-kly said, whats wrong with this winchy sef.
“other children in this area c@m£ back home since 2pm..”she began
“I was singled out now, you know, errm, we…errm, we’ll be going for a competition very soon.”I scratched my head.
“Its alright, just make sure you come home early, okay?”My father patted my head.
“You’ve become so lean Teju, what happened?”he looked me all over.
I looked at Maria, she looked visibly scared,
I might give her away.
“No..Baami, I’m missing you that’s why.”I
laughed.
“Come and sit on my l@ps, omo mi atata.”he pu-ll-ed me towards him.
I sat down on his l@ps with a wi-de grin.”Tejumola omo baba re”
I glanced at maria, she looked jealous.
“Maami, why are you looking at me like that?”
“Don’t mind your mother, she’s jealous.”My father said before leading me to my room.
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Things went on well, both in school and at home, no more qualms.
David was writting his S.S.C.E examination, we’re still the best of friends.
One day after his afternoon paper, we were sitted in an empty clas-s room, discussing nothing important when he suddenly said
“Teju, very soon, I’d be leaving school, I would further my education abroad…”he hesistated.
“That means, I won’t get to see you everyday anymore.”he added with a pained expression.
“hmmm””hmmm? Is that all you’d say? You won’t miss me I guess.”he said placing an arm round my shoulder.
I laughed. He sounded funny, miss who?
“have I ever told you, how beautiful you look when you laugh?”He brou-ght his face closer to mine.
I blu-shed furiously, though I’m dark in complexion so it wasn’t visible.
“I love you Teju.”he whispered.
One thing led to another and we started k!ssing…
♥
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We all stood in straight lines on the as-sembly ground. Being one of the tallest girls in my clas-s, I stood at the far back
end.
“Sing the National athem after count of three…1…2..3″the as-sembly prefect instructed.
The whole school sang except me. I wasn’t feeling so well that morning, I vomited thrice before coming to school, couldn’t eat
breakfast cos I didn’t have appetite to..
“The pledge!”the prefect said again
“I pledge to Nigeria my country..”I managed to mutter before everything around me began to spin. I felt dizzy, I tried to steady
my self, my palms bec@m£ sweaty.
I ru-bbe-d my eyes, opened them, the whole school was spinning fas-ter, I quic-kly shut my eyes, my head was spinning too…
?I pas-sed out.
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I opened my eyes again, only to find myself on the hospital be-d.
My father was staring at me, disappointment written all-over his face.
“Kpele- sorry”he said when I tried to sit up.
What was going on? I ru-bbe-d my forehead to ease the pain.
“Teju..”My father began
“You know I love you, and will do anything
to make you happy..”
I bec@m£ tensed, something was wrong somewhere.
“I want you to tell me the truth…”he continued.
Truth of what? I asked myself
“tell me, Who did this to you?”his voice bec@m£ shaky
“Who is reponsible for this pregnancy?”he said gently.
I frozed at the sp©t. Preg..what? Who? Me?
Tejumola? Is this a dream?
I pressed my stomach firmly.
How can I be pregnant?
“Teju…”my father placed his hands on my back.
“Talk to me.”
I held his gaze for a moment, before looking away. I could feel the whole world crashing at my feet. Fat tears rolled down my
cheeks. What would I tell my father?
“Don’t cry.”my father held my hands in his.
I turned to look at him, he was crying too.
“Its all my fault..”he lamented
“I should have spent more time with you..”
I could feel my heart splitting, should I tell him or not?
David was far away in London…I’m finished.
My father hvgged me”my daughter, I’m sorry, forgive me for not always having time for you”he whispered.
“I’m sorry Baami, I’m sorrrry”I wailed
“It’s alright, don’t cry anymore, I’m here for you, I’d take good care of you.”he patted my back soothingly.I didnt tell who was
responsible for my pregnancy and i had no intention of telling him later.
I could see the guilt in his eyes.he really blamed himself for my predic@m£nt and i sincerely was sorrowful in heart for letting
him down. I wish my mother was alive,this might not have happened to me
I hate maami.Her hostile attitude towards me pla-yed a p@rt in ruining my happy life.
My thoughts were far far away.How can i raise a child un-der my father’s roof.
How can i raise my head in the public. David is overseas.I never knew this would ever happen.I never dreamt of it.
My loud sobs echoed throu-gh the walls
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? TEJUMOLA ?
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#Episode_4. ?
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My father kept to his words.He st©pped his travellings to stay with us.Maami and i. I always wondered why he had to travel all
the time but each time i ask him,he will tell me his little job demands for it.
Even maami bec@m£ suddenly soo nice.
She made sure I ate well, she even helped me with exercises and mas-sages.
The little joy i had was that i was able to write my J.S.C.E before my tommy started bulging.I wondered what Bisi,the over sabi-sabi would say if she sees me pregnant. So i always avoided her.
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The day I had the baby was a great day. The joy on my father’s face was beyond description.I wondered if he should actually
be happy but i guessed he never wanted to blame me.
“omo dada- good baby”he whispered into the baby’s ears.
He sat on my be-dside. “Sorry, mummy”he tea-sed me.
I smiled for the first time since past months i was pregnant.
“She looks just like you, very beautiful and.hairy!”he patted its hair.
“What name would you call her?”he asked
I looked away, name ke! How old am I that I should know how to name babies?! Unless
if they would name her Tejumola after me.
“I was thinking of naming her Eniola or Ayobola, but more preferrably Eniola.”he continued, he was used to me refusing to
talk.
I simply nodded.
“Welcome to the world Eniola.”he said before whispering some prayers into its ears.
And that was how Eniola c@m£ into our family, the identity of her father still remained a mystery to everyb©dy except
me. No one dared asked me unless they want to see me cry.
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on Eniola’s fourth birthday, things went sour for me.
I was alone in the house, my father has taken Eniola with Maami to the Amusement park.
I refused to go with them despite Eniola’s plea-s.
.There was a knock on the door.
“Who’s there?”I queried before opening the door.
I saw a fat man with a pot-belly enclosed inside a brocade Agbada smiling at me.
“Good afternoon sir”i flexed my knees, he should be in his early fifties. “how are you?”he smiled again.
“Fine”I replied with a frown.
“Is Mr Benson-your father around?”he asked.
“No, He went out.”
“Okay, if he comes back, tell him Chief OlaBadmus c@m£ to look for him o”he said before turning to leave.
I slammed the door.
Who is this one again? Of course I know Chief OlaBadmus, he is David’s father, what does he want? Where did Baami get this
new friend?
Hmmn.
I l@ygently on the rug, and sleep stole me away.
“Mummy…mummy!”Eniola shook me out of my beauty sleep.
“Lil’ cutie, you’re back?”I sat up.
“Welcome.”I greeted them.
My father handed me an envelope
“The post-man said its for Tejumola Benson.”
I gave him a quizzed look, opened the envelope, a beautiful flower encrusted card fell out: it re-ad
?I MISS YOU MY DARLING.
I looked up at my dad, he saw it too, his face expressionless.
I brou-ght out the letter, and commenced re-ading it.
It was from David, he said he’s sorry for not keeping in t©uçh,that he would be coming back next week, that he missed me,that he loved me e.t.c.
I hissed aloud, to-re the letter, picked the card and envelope, and into the thrash can I threw them.I walked into my room in anger.
ru-bbish! I muttered un-der my breathe.
After ruining my career…he missed me and so what? I guess he wanted to continue from where he st©ped
I hissed aloud again.
“Teju?”
I turned to see my father holding the torn letter.
“Is he Eniola’s father?”He asked.
I kept mute. He sighed.
“Teju sit down, lets talk.”he began
“you have to tell me, you see…you’re getting married next week…”
I jumped up, my right hand clutching my che-st.
“Married? To who? Baami to who?”my voice
was close to a whisper .
“I’ve alre-ady made arrangements, you can’t sit at home like this..”he hesitated.
“You see…errm, that man that c@m£ looking for me, he is your husband to-be”he concluded.
“Baami? Chief OlaBadmus? A man old enough to be my father? That’s a joke right?”myl-ips quiverred.
“No joke Teju, you’re getting married.”He rose to leave.
“Baami, plea-se don’t do this to me, it hurts,
Baami it hurts.”I was on my knees.
“It hurts? Hmn?when you dragged my name in the mud, threw sand of shame at my face, didnt you think how hurt I was?
When you disgraced me, did you st©p to think how I felt?”he sh0t back at me before leaving my room.
I let out a heart rending sob.
This can’t be happening to me, my father can’t do this to me
“Mummy sorry.”Eniola circled her tiny arms round me.
I hvgged her ti-ghtly and we wept together.
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Story_Continued?