Mara episode 8

Mara
Episode 8
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The wh0le house looked forsaken and abandoned!
The kitchen had plates that flies perched on because of their filth!
My room had different clothes littered on the floor.
I felt nauseous immediately!
Just for the one month that I was away!
…and everything had already changed this much.
My children looked unkempt- all of them!
“They are still kids o…so, you can’t expect them to keep the house the way you would have done” my doctor said as if she could read my mind
I couldn’t feign laughter
I was mad!
“But this isn’t nice at all” I said as I surveyed the children
“Taiwo and Kehinde, you couldn’t even take care of your young ones? You couldn’t bath them? See how diseased you all look!” I almost wept
“There was no soap. The detergent we were using finished” Taiwo said
“Detergent?” the doctor asked, quite surprised.
“It is also good on the body o. it’s just like medicated soap” I tried to cover up our pauper lifestyles
“I don’t like that at all. These detergents are not good on the skin o. They sometimes eat into our skin. You couldn’t have asked me for soap when you visited the hospital” the doctor said and I looked down in shame.
I had to save the situation again.
“Kehinde, come here” I called at my daughter who looked so weird and withdrawn
She staggered as if she was drunk and fell to the ground before me.
I jumped back as the doctor rush to bring her up
“What is wrong with you?” I asked but there was no response from the girl
“Talk to me….somebody talk to me. When did Kehinde become paralysed? Kehinde!” I exclaimed as I turned back to be sure a cushion was behind me.
I sunk into one and looked on.
“Taiwo, Tola…somebody talk to me..” I pleaded, very weakly
“Mummy, Sister Kehinde yaf pregnant” James said and there was silence
…as if everyone in the house except me knew about this except me!
I blinked as if my life depended on it.
“Kehinde, pregnant…how? Doctor, you know about it? Please talk to me somebody. Someone should tell me it’s not true.” I was almost crying
My heart couldn’t just accept the bad news.
None of my children I ever have such thought towards in my entire life
Teenage pregnancy?… ah ah!
“Take it easy Mrs. Olowo” I heard the doctor say and I looked at her, so lost in thoughts
“You know about it?” I asked in a very loud voice
The doctor looked at me and smiled lightly
“I couldn’t tell you anything because of your health condition but thank God you are hale and hearty now” she spoke on and I couldn’t but watch on in silence.
My heart was racing so fast.
As she explained to me the ordeals of my daughter’s pregnancy, the abortion and the brutal method used, the bond that existed between one Haruna and my daughter, I couldn’t believe my ears.
I pinched myself, slapped myself, and slapped my tongue against the roof of my mouth severally so I would be startled back to reality
… But it was the truth!
The bitter cola!
I slid from the chair on which I had sat to the cemented floor and wept like a V-rgin widow who had lost her husband to ‘Magun’ before he could even touch her.
My girl was just fifteen years old for God’s sake!
What did she know about s€×?
What did she know about abortion?
Abortion with hanger???… Chai!
Iron hanger for that matter!
My body flinched severally that I couldn’t control it.
“Who did I offend in my past life? Exactly who did I offend that is afflicting me like this? Afflicting my children too? Ahhhh…Jesu oooo!” I wailed on, slapping my laps as my hands gathered momentum.
I looked at the Kehinde under my teary eyes and she was so pitiable.
Her collarbone was visible and she looked hungry- weak and uncared for.
“Kehinde” I called out to her. The doctor still held her lovingly as she sat on the floor with her. Her hands on her shoulders
I didn’t know if I should be harsh, or calm according to the Doctor’s prescription or angry, or wounded or disappointed.
I didn’t just know how to act at all.
“Ma” she answered faintly, her head shaking on top of her neck as if it was so light like paper.
“What happened?” I asked, fixing my eyes on my daughter- my filthy daughter!
“I ron’t doh” I heard her say, her eyes half shut.
I sat straight and looked at the doctor.
“Doctor, what’s wrong with her? Her tongue is tied? Please check for me” I was so scared.
When did she start pronouncing don’t as ron’t and know as ‘doh’.
I stood up immediately and went close to her side.
Her eyes were contracting and her tongue was tied.
The doctor stood up to the situation and laid her down on the floor.
“Get me a pillow please” she said and Taiwo rushed in,side for one.
The doctor used it support her head.
“Kehinde…Omokehinde” I called out as I pulled at her hand.
The doctor pulled out her stethoscope as my girl started making croaky voice from her throat.
I was scared.
“Don’t die please. Kenny, please don’t di…” I was still saying when she dropped her hand suddenly and her tongue wagged out to the side of her mouth.
“Mummy…to…lli” she seemed to say what I decoded as ‘sorry’ and she closed her eyes in death.
The doctor shook her head and I let out a heart-rending scre-m
“Jesu ooo!! Ina omo ti jo mi oooooooo” I scre-med so sadly.
Taiwo sat on the ground close to her twin and tugged at her, tears strolling down her face.
“Oh Jesus! Oh Jesus!! Oh my Jesus!!!” the doctor exclaimed too.
“He has failed me again. He has failed me again. Your Lord has failed me again.” I cried the more as my head started thumping.
I sat close to the corpse and carried the heavy lifeless body in my arms.
I started rocking it as tears ran down my face.
The doctor held her head in regret as she shook her hand intermittently.
Immediately a crowd started forming in front of the house, I dropped the corpse gently and rushed into my room, locked the door and fell on the bed- on my tummy.
The great pain I felt made me to flinch as I cried out the more!
I felt that instead of my problems being solved after the so called reason for the bitterness kind of life had been discovered, it was becoming bitterer!
Wouldn’t it just be safe to commit suicide?
————–
Oh my God!
Oh my good God!
This was just not my plan at all!
It just felt as if the Lord had failed me.
As I drove back from the market where I had gone to after dropping the corpse in the mortuary, my mind just welled up in me as if it wanted to pop out.
“God why? Why?” I asked as tears ran down my face.
I had trained myself never to question God’s act but in this case, this was someone I was trying to win for the Lord!
Why should this happen to her Lord?
Why?
Tears strolled down my face and as I wiped with my bare hands, the smell of the fish I had bought wafted to my nostrils and I became irritated.
The woman had locked herself in the room for hours.
“Lord, why are you quiet?” I cried out loud again as I parked my car in front of the small building which was their residence.
“God, please teach me and use me for the short period of time I would be spending in this place” I prayed silently.
I wouldn’t let what happened affect my faith in Christ even though it had been shaken vehemently!
——-
It had been four days that I had been in the house teaching the kids and consoling them.
Glory Olowo had been in,side the room without coming out of it for that long.
Only her tears and sobs reassured me that she was alive.
Her husband had not shown up even though he had been sent for.
I just wanted God to prove himself strong in this family
He had never failed me before and He wouldn’t start now.
I had stocked the kitchen with different stuffs and the children had been feeding well after being consoled a bit after their sister’s death.
“Let’s try knocking the door again if she would open” I told Taiwo and she nodded uncertainty etched on her face.
We knocked on her door and after some w-t sniffs and a low cough, there was a movement
“I am fine here” she said…her voice hushed
“Yes you are fine but I want to see your face. Open the door and eat something no matter how little” I pressed on
“Why? I don’t need to eat o…do I know the next person to be taken off my family now? Do I? NO!” she exclaimed loudly but weakly
“Please don’t be discouraged ma. The battle is toughest when the victory is near. That’s the explanation for this. Please reconsider and glorify God for He is good” I admonished her when she gave a scornful laughter
“You must be a joker! Glorify? Except He proves Himself to be God. Except He doesn’t only takes us to the root of the problem but solves the problem, he then can be considered by me! For now, I really think you go!” she said firmly and I withdrew from the door.
My pastor had travelled to Lagos State for a prayer conference and I had informed the prayer band about the issue at hand.
But the heavens seemed shut against us!
—–
“Daddy” the children echoed together as a moderately tall man stepped down from the bike with about four to five polythene bags.
He smiled at the children as they attempted to collect the polythene bags from him, although he didn’t release them.
He came in,side and saw me
“Good evening” he greeted
“Good evening sir. You are welcome.” I said to, genuflecting a little
“I am Mr. Adejare Olowo, the head of this family. And you are?” he asked and I smiled faintly
“My name is Dr. Flora Adegite. The gynecologist in charge of your wife and daughter” I said respectfully
He smiled ruefully
“Kehinde used to be my favorite daughter” he said as he dropped the polythene bags.
“Hmmm” that was the only thing that left my mouth.
“I learnt that she committed abortion” he said and I nodded.
“She did a very dangerous abortion but days later, she used dangerous drugs as she experienced some pains. She also had some internal bleedings before giving up the ghost.” I explained and he shook his head in regret
“Where is the mother?” he asked
“Daddy, she af lock hersef in da door” James said.
The father pulled his ears softly
“She has locked herself in,side the room” he corrected him as he proceeded to the bedroom door.
“There are soup ingredients in one of the polythene bags. Water melons and other fruits in the other…bring the other nylon….my wife’s goodies are in,side” he said and Taiwo blushed as she took it to him.
That looked real…a real man!
He knocked the door and waited
“Dearie. Its Jare. Open the door” he said sweetly and waited.
But wait!
Wasn’t it this guy that beat his wife to stupor over a month ago?
He had not come home since then, so why this niceness when he was just resurfacing?
What goodies did he buy his wife?
He didn’t even seem to mourn his daughter’s death.
Was there more to this that I can’t just see?
Open my eyes Dear Lord to spiritual insights….
Show me the secrets oh Lord as your word says in Psalms 25 that if I fear you, you would reveal your secrets to me.
Why are you silent Lord?
I felt very troubled within that I glanced occasionally at the door side where he stood.
If she opened the door, then would I be sure that there was a big wahala!
I had knocked that door to no avail for many days.
If she opened to a man who almost kicked the life out of her and life her for many weeks, then, I would be certain that I would be in for a big problem!
“Open the door dear” he said again
It looked like a movie though as I heard the door creaking as it opened.
“How are you?” he asked in a baritone voice
“You are welcome” she said faintly and Jare hugged her.
I blinked hærd
My ears went deaf!
What kind of a thing was going on?
Welcoming into your room the man who had almost killed you few weeks ago?
Hugging him?
Chai!
It didn’t seem to make sense to me and I needed to get to the root of the matter!