30th of March
I just can’t do this, I think It Is time I tell you what is going on, Omolola I am so sorry I have been lying to you all these while, your parents died Instantly In the car accident, you and Kunle are the only ones who survived the accident that afternoon, I just could not bring myself to tell you am so sorry dear.
These words I found so difficult to believe while standing at the grave side of my parents watching the under takers lower their bodies Into the ground , I searched for tears I could not find It, I was so weak from crying . I had cried out my eyes for days.
Who will take care of me? Where do I start from?I feel so lost and I need to be found right now, Death why have you decided to be so cruel and wicked? Why have you decided to take my parents away from me this tender age? Why did you leave me behind? All these and a lot more were running through my head; questions I had no answers to.
I had imagined myself jumping into the grave before it Is being covered, but Aunty Bimpe never let go of my hands, as I was about to take a leap forward she pulled me back and whispered into my ears, “Omolola you will be okay”. I began wondering how…
The tears just wouldn’t stop. I was devastated. I became really depressed, losing my parents got the better part of me. Gradually, I began to develop a terrible temper; any little thing got me angry just for no reason. I was always at the verge of crying. I became so emotional and very sensitive. I found it difficult to cope in school, I picked up the habit of fighting in school,
I had a lot of anger and resentment towards God for allowing death take my parents away at such a tender age, I wanted him to explain his Injustice towards my parent. I felt it was not fair for him to allow this happen to me.
Their death changed the way my life worked. It changed the way I think, I started having night mare of how the accident happened , the way the car went straight into the tree ,rolled over several times, the screams ,the call for help I heard while my eyes were closed, each time I have these nightmares I cry out from my sleep, Aunty Bimpe would come to my rescue to calm me down , she was left with no choice than to sleep with in my room , because I couldn’t sleep alone.
It became clear to Aunty Bimpe that I needed psychological help, I became worse by the day.She couldn’t help it, she became tired of my attitudes and mood swings, no matter how much she tried to reach out to me I just could not let her into my thoughts.
Uncle Kunle refused talking to me, somehow he had blamed me for my parents death, he came up with the theory of me being an evil child that anything I touch and anything I am involved in turns out evil , all of this added to my grief but there’s nothing I could do .
“Itis obvious she is having a hard time facing the reality of her parent’s demise”.Sharon I need your help with Omolola. No matter how much I try to reach out to her she blocks me out, I had to beg my husband to let me stay a month extra before coming to the states but all this is getting out of hand. Please I need your help my Niece is suffering. I overheard her talking on phone, she did not realize I was standing right behind her as she made the call.
02th of April 08:00
It was a beautiful Monday morning. Aunty Bimpe had ensured I stepped out of my room early enough, had my breakfast and we were ready to leave. She told me we were going to the cinema that morning to watch a movie and I was rather shocked at the time we would be doing this, but I remembered she had asked me a night before what was going to make me leave my room, I told her to go watch a movie at the cinema, I never knew she took me serious. Since it was my Idea I didn’t have a choice than to go with her that day.
We made a quick stop at Dr Sharon office, with the excuse of wanting to get something from her and she advised I say hello to Aunty Sharon of cause there was nothing wrong with me saying a quick hello to her I thought to myself.
`Omolola It is nice seeing you after the passing away of your parent, you look beautiful and well that is a good development` she said to me. I gave a little smile in acceptance of her compliments.
Truth be told I was not feeling well at all,I had realized I needed someone to talk to but I guess I wasn’t ready to talk so I had decided to bottle up all my emotions.
Aunty Bimpe and her friend talked for a while, it was obvious I was the topic of their discussion but I was not bothered all I wanted was just to get out of the hospital and go back to my room,which had become a sacred haven for me. I was rudely interrupted with the mention of my name, they both realized I was lost in thoughts within the few minutes we had arrived the hospital before I could realize what was happening I was admitted to Tender care health centre.
At the Tender health centre all the children were made to sit in a circle, kids of my age group who are facing the same challenge as I was,they had been at the health centre before me and they were all willing to share what was going through their mind, but each time it got to my turn I just kept mute and listened to all they had to say.
`Hi Omolola, my name Is Amina Ali and I will like to be your friend`, A girl as tall as I am said to me as I sat down alone at the playing ground health Centre where I like to have my own time to reflect and think about the demise of my parent.
I gave out a faint smile and told her no problem we could be friends, Amina lost her mother to a fire accident a two months before lost my parents, she was outside playing while her mother was in the kitchen cooking, unknown to her mother the gas she was using had a leakage which caused a big fire outbreak. It was then the dry season, before her neighbours could get to her mother the inferno got pretty much and the house burnt down with her mother inside.
03th of July 12:00pm
I and Amina became close friends, we share secrets and our thoughts with each other and that helped me a lot, I was set to be discharged from the Health centre as soon as I started sharing my stories with my peers at the centre, I found out I was not the only child going through suicidal thoughts as a child, by this time I had spent 3 months at the centre and It was beginning to feel like home to me again
I said my goodbyes to Amina and other children at the Centre, I got into the car with Aunty Bimpe I was surprised to see Uncle Kunle in the car, for 3 months I was out of the house I didn’t hear from him, he did not even bother paying me a visit , I wasn’t surprised that Is so typical of him, always a selfish person, the only time he proved me wrong was after his episode at the police station , he became a new person totally, we all felt he had changed for the best, I guess we all felt wrong; a leopard can never change Its spot.
Straight from the health centre, we went to Jide& solicitors chambers to hear the reading of my father’swill, Aunty Bimpe will be leaving for the states tomorrow to meet her family she had spared 7 months of her life nursing me, It was time to release her to her family.
Barrister Jide said my father made some changes to his will a week before he died, I was not bothered with what the lawyer was saying I just wanted the will reading to be over so I could go back to my life. A VCD played and I saw my father on the television he had done a recording for the will reading.
I Chief Tade Omoyeni wills all my properties to my child Omolola Omoyeni and my wife Mrs Bimbo Omoyeni, should in case my wife leaves this world before me and my daughter is not yet a university graduate, my younger brother Kunle Omoyeni is to help manage my properties on behalf of Omolola until she graduates from the university when all my properties will be handed over to her.
Kunle you have shown me that you are a changed man but because I want you to work and make a name for yourself I will 5 million naira to you and the rest of my money goes to my daughter all this until she clocks 18 years of age.
After watching my father say all he said, I literally died and came back to life. Surely Dad doesn’t know the consequences of all these. He left me at the mercy of Kunle until I come of age, this is the beginning of death itself.
Serah Aina
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