THE OATH
Episode 1.
‘’Oh my God! What kind of a boy are you? I am here suffering, your mates are ma-king money and you are here telling me doe doe. Is it doe I will eat? You are a useless son. A shame and a disgrace to me. Am ashamed to call you my son”
I watched as my mother heap coals of insults on my head. Am alre-ady used to her calling me names and insulting me, but today I feel really bad about it. I just c@m£ back from church, I’ve not even sat down and she started with all of these insults. And I feel terrible today. Anyways let me introduce myself.
My name is Tunde, I am 28years old. I am a final year student of Lagos state university, studying mechanical engineering. I am the first of the four children my mom has for my dad. Three boys and a girl. My dad is late. He died 10years ago when I was still very young. Since my father’s death my mom has been the one taking care of my siblings and I.
Immediately I clocked 20, my mom began this attitude of demanding money from me knowing fully well that I have nothing doing. The first time she asked me for money I was shocked, I quic-kly un-derstood that I was now a man and nee-ded to support her. And that was how I ventured into learning mechanic with my late father’s friend.
I started ma-king little money, I remembered my first time of ma-king 4,000 naira I was so happy, I ran home excited that my mom would congratulate me. Without taking a dime from it I gave the whole money to my mom. She looked at the money, she counted it and asked me, is this all?
I nodded my head in disappointment. And she just hissed and collected the money. From that day till now its been hell. Whatever I give to her never satisfies her, she always wants more. I made up my mind nor just to end as a road side mechanic and so I struggled to raise money, I got admission on my first attempt into UNILAG. And by the faithfulness of God I have managed to reach final year. How I managed my school my mom does not know, all she does is complain and nag.
My siblings are not spared from her poisonous ton-gue. My younger brother at 25 has angrily left the house because he could not continue with her excessive demands for money. My brother at 22 is the only friend that Maami has because he comes home with big big money and she never bothers to ask where he gets the money from so long he brings it to her. When I try to find out where he got the money from my mom is always re-ady to attack me and remind me that I am a worthless s£nior and I should be ma-king my own money instead of asking questions from the smallie who does my job for me. I have resolved never to ask questions anymore. My brother has even labelled me as an enemy because of my mom. My sister is another case. Maami has turned her into her who-re. She jumps from one car to another and Maami does not care as long as she comes home with the money. My family is scattered since the death of my dad. Sometimes I wish he was alive and it was Maami who died.
Today being a Sunday I hurried to church without eating anything, I c@m£ back home starving. I didn’t bother to ask for food because I knew what the outcome would be and so I went to take some garri. I bought groundnuts on my way home. I have not even finished the one spoon of garri in my mouth before Maami c@m£ and started her insults.
‘’useless, you are not ashamed of yourself, what you are supposed to be doing is what your younger ones are doing. That garri you are eating was bought by your sister, your sister, 17years old. You are not ashamed……..’’
Maami continued with her insults and naggings. And I couldn’t even eat the garri anymore. She continued pouring insults on me not until Cynthia my small sister walked in and saw and heard what was going on.
Cynthia: Maami, what is this na? St©p this na? Why are you embarras-sing brother because of just garri na?
‘’will you shut up there before I sl@p your face? Just garri? Can he buy one seed of garri, just garri. All he knows how to do is eat and eat. Tell him to leave my house I am tires of feeding him and seeing his face. If he knows he can’t
Episode 2.
I have become a shadow of my self in my own fathers house. Even if he were late I still had rights in the house, but my own mother has sworn to make the house a living hell for me and true to her words she has kept to that promise.
Despite my ha-rd works and all the money I bring home to her, she never appreciates it. I am beginning to feel it’s not just because I am broke but because she really hates me. But how can a mother hate her own child?
Well, I decided to avoid her by staying out late and coming home when she had retired to her be-d. I also make sure I leave the house as early as possible to avoid her talks and insult.
Thank God she still leaves food inside the pot, so I can easily dash in and take one soon of soup and make small garri to fill my stomach before morning. I made sure I don’t t©uçh her meat at all. And I had peace, so long my tummy was filled up.
But on this faithful day, I c@m£ home hungry as usual. Mama had gone to be-d to sleep. I quic-kly sneaked into the kitchen to try and take food. Firstly on getting there I got the shock of the century. “mama didn’t cook”
Tunde: what? So mama wants to really kill me of hunger in this house? What did I ever do to her.? I sat on the floor and wept like a baby. I didn’t realize when I sle-pt off in front of the fridge, with the empty pot of soup still in my hand.
A sound sl@p woke me up in the morning. I was shocked as I wondered what I did to mama to deserve this sl@p.
Maami: so you are the idiot that steals food from my kitchen abi? What you cannot work for you want to it.
Before I could realize myself and talk another sl@p landed on my face bringing me to reality, as I managed to stand up I saw my mother holding a pestle about to hit my head. I was hungry and too weak to start thinking but I knew my head un-derstood the simple English that says “run”.
I ran without looking back. I ran for my dear life. Before I knew what was happening, the car had alre-ady hit me. I felt no pain, I saw only darkness, and the only sound I heard was that of my b©dy hitting the ground. I blacked out.
To be continued!