I was sitting in Barrister Jide`s office speechless, my tongue caught in my throat. I had to come to the reality of my future of dependency on Uncle Kunle .A man who hates the mention of my name; he can’t stand my sight.
How am I expected to live in the same house with him? A man who already calls me an evil child and accuses me of the death of my parents, why has life decided to take its toll on me as I watched uncle Kunle assure Barrister Jide and Aunty Bimpe of how responsible he has become and how he will take care of me like his own, I knew he was bluffing. Surprisingly everybody in the room seemed happy but I knew better.
All I could see was betrayal in his eyes as he flashed his teeth at me across the room, he suddenly stood up I felt he was stepping out ,which was just a perfect time for me to air my fears about this arrangement, then he stopped right in front of me , he gave me a hug and said to me I will take good care of you , you need not worry he also reminded me as a graduate of business administration he claims he has the necessary requirement to grow the company into an Empire before I clock age 18.
1:00pm
It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon, we were on our way from church we had a wonderful Sunday service, Aunty Bimpe had left for the states to meet her family, uncle Kunle was living up to his promise of taking care of me as his own in fact we had become buddies going by initials became our thing. I am loving my life right now and I’m enjoying every bit of it, a life of freedom and happiness. Uncle K no longer talks down on me, he no longer calls me names ,we go to the office together when he has meetings with the head of department he was always around unlike my father who travels every time, this gave us more time to bond.
Immediately after Aunty Bimpe travelled to the states we got a house help and gate man so as to help out with domestic activities in the house despite the fact that Uncle K and I ate out most times he claims the house help was not a good cook but who cares we are enjoying our life and we are in good terms, that is all that matters.
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I found it difficult to sleep, I kept opening my eyes at intervals all through the night I was excited about resuming school that morning as it was going to be my first day back in school after my parent demise. I was also excited about seeing Amina in school,Amina got adopted by Alhaji Mohammed Isa the biggest Hausa Philanthropist in Festac town, and she was transferred to my school due to the fact that it was close to her new residence. I was so happy to have Amina close to me because she had become my best friend.
I decided to stand to polish my shoe again since I could not sleep then I heard little sounds in my parent’s room, i decided to check what was making the sound, i thought to myself.
I didn’t know when I let out a sound of help , I was scared we were being robbed ,uncle Kunle rushed out like a criminal that was being chased , I was surprised to see him rush out my parents room, he was so angry as he found no intruder in the house.
Omolola where is the thief you saw in this house he asked me.
`I heard noise coming from my parent’s room,I was worried and I called for help`. I stammered as I replied him.
`Why do you like raising false alarm`, you evil child Uncle K said to me as he gave me a cold look.
It’s been 4 months he had called me an evil child so I wondered how I had wronged him to have called me evil child. Instead of telling me why he was in my parent’s room he instructed me to go to my room without giving me a second look.
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I left for school very early in the morning I had called and sent Amina a text message to inform her I was going to join her to school that morning I just wanted to avoid Uncle K`s trouble . I had fears of us going back to the very beginning of our hateful relationship, all through our drive to the school I was moody and quiet. Amina tried cheering me up but I just wouldn’t budge.We had a lot to do in school being our first day in school, class to class registration and getting Amina acquainted with the school premises,it was time for the first class we went our separate ways .
“I thought he was a changed person after the will reading, I mean he became so supportive ,I was so comfortable having him around me I don’t know what came over him today” I told Amina during our break time in school.
Trust me Omolola I am surprised hearing this from you , at least am a witness of how loving he has become am sure he was in a bad mood last night just give him some time and do not disrespect him. Amina said to me. The time keeper rang the bell, lunch time was over, we had to go in for our separate classes.
11:20pm
It was a cold night, it had rained all through the day, I met the absence of uncle Kunle when I got back from school I was a little bit relieved when I didn’t meet him at home I went straight into my room. I met flowers on my bed with a card boldly written I AM SORRY DEAR.
I was surprised to see this to me I felt he must have forgotten it in my room ,I was so tired from the day activities so I decided to observe my siesta , I had not slept for 10 minutes I heard the sound of his car pull into the compound, I immediately crept under my Duvet, to pretend as if I were asleep, the sound of the door made me pop up my head from under the Duvet suddenly there was an eye contact between us I caught him smiling due to curiosity and the fear of what to expect I asked him why he was smiling
“Is it a crime for me to smile” he answered?
“No it is not” I replied him as I got down from the bed went straight into my closet and gave him the flowers and card. I was surprised as he told me they were meant for me ,I was still trying to understand what was going on here as he pulled me to sit on the bed . He apologized about last night with the excuse of being in a bad mood I believed him because that was the first time he would snap at me since we became close. We went out for dinner and shopping, he bought me new sets of shoes and dress I told him how my day went and he talked about his as well.
2:00pm
I was fast asleep, and I felt a warm hand walking through my body I opened my eyes slowly but the room was dark, I can’t remember putting off the light before going to bed I could not place whose face it was .
Who is that I enquired but I didn’t get any reply from who it was, I tried struggling with the masculine figure on top of me as he worked his hands underneath my night gown, he was strong for me to struggle with the more I tried to scream the more I got pinned on the bed, I gave him a blow he gave out a scream which got the attention of house maid I suppose,
The sound of my door interrupted his act and the light came up, I was surprised to see uncle Kunle step in into the room as I raised my head up to look at who was on me, who I saw gave me the shock of my life . O my God Emeka.
Serah Aina
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