Ssshhh... Ssshhh...
My 3-year old brother was wailing and I was trying hard to quieten him. I could tell he was frightened by the screams coming from our parents room. My parents had gotten into an argument, scarcely thirty minutes ago,and they have been at it ever since...crashing and breaking what only God knew.
I sat on the bed holding my brother close, I should have stayed in school I thought. Home wasn't fun any more, it had changed from the seeming paradise I had known and loved to come back to. Now I spent most of my time wishing my parents would just get a divorce and spare us all this persistent nightmares. Rocking my brother to and fro, I heaved a sigh of relief, thankful my immediate younger sister was still in school; she was a handful, and it would not have been beyond her to go storming into my parents room screaming for them to stop the raucous.
Hmm....I began to hum a soft tune, hoping my brother would drift off, as we both waited out the drama.
************************************************************************************************************
Aisha! Aisha! Aisha!
I intentionally ignored Mama's call, after all I'm sure she would still make her way to my room, whether I responded or not. I stood before the full length mirror in my room looking myself over and over again. Today was my marriage ceremony and I was certain to be the saddest girl on Earth.
Hmm.. I sighed. I had hoped Mama would support me and succeed in helping me convincing Papa. I didn't want to get married; why could they not understand that? I had passed my Junior Waec and was eagerly looking forward to the Senior class, when Papa had dropped the issue of my Marriage to Alhaji Basa. The thought of him alone, made me quiver - he was old and ugly, his teeth darkened by too much dongoyaro...I had greater dreams than this.
Mama had tried, at least in the ways she knew best, but no one ever changes my Father's mind. As a sigh escaped my lips, Mama burst into my room, "Aisha, didn't you hear me calling you?, Everyone is waiting, why are you not ready?". Tried all I could, but I couldn't hold back the tears that now flowed down my cheeks.
****************************************************************************************************************
"Why is it taking so long?" Tunde's voice boomed from the living room
"I am coming..." I managed in a whisper
I felt dizzy, even struggled to steady the tray I was carrying, so I leaned briefly against the wall and closed my eyes...waiting for the dizziness to pass. I was barely in my first trimester, but I was already having problems with my pregnancy. I had gone to see my doctor many times, yet he keeps assuring me that all was well...Still, I was scared for my baby.
I already had mental pictures of what he or she would look like, I wanted to be surprised by the sex of the baby. Thoughts of this child were the only things that kept me going nowadays, especially since Tunde was not helping out. Tunde...that's another issue.
"Useless Woman" I heard Tunde snarl
In fright, my eyes flew wide open. I jerked off the wall, dropping the tray I had been holding.
"I am sorry"... I intended saying before the words were cut off with a slap, right from the word "I".
My lips quivered and tears stung my eyes, as the pain shot from my cheeks to my head.
***************************************************************************************************************
She took a long drag from her cigarette, and slowly puffed it out as she watched her daughter lying on the bed across from where she sat. She was glad the girl was finally asleep. Her 2-year old Toni had chattered endlessly for a long time, she had almost considered drugging her. After much pleading, cooing, and even beating...she had finally dozed off. Thankfully she was a deep sleeper, so she was confident that the next time her daughters' voice would be heard would not be until the next morning.
Stumping the butt of her cigarette on the stool beside her, she got up to start getting ready for work. She always panicked every night she had to leave her baby to go to work, but she had no choice...she had no friends, and besides it was hard to trust anyone in this neighbourhood, plus in her line of work - a baby was not allowed. She patted her face with powder, did her hair, wore her lipstick, applied her eye-shadow and dubbed her blush.
Again she glanced at her daughter, covered her up, guarded her side with a pillow, then quietly let herself out of their one-room; which was where they called home. Her thoughts remained on Toni, as she walked down the street to her normal stand. She remembered her night of bliss with Tony (her ex-boyfriend) which had resulted in a beautiful girl, but had marked the end of her relationship, and the beginning of a hard life. Tony had denied the pregnancy and shortly travelled out of the country. As an orphan, she had had no one to fight for her, and had since fought her way through life.
Toni was her consolation though,she made her smile and laugh, made her believe in a better tomorrow, she made her...
"Hi babe, what's your name?"
Her thoughts were stalled, as she turned her attention to the man in the car now parked beside her. Well, whatever Toni made her believe in would have to wait, because now, she had to work to feed them both.
"Whatever you want it to be honey" she replied, flashing her best smile
**************************************************************************************************************
They all read like stories yeah,and true to it, they are figments of my imagination. Which however were borne out of a story heard, a news read, an event witnessed or an experience had. They are figments representing families some of us grew up in, are growing up in or just the families around us.
I strongly believe that, should we like to see a better country, or a better world,there must first be a better family. I implore you friends, families, colleagues, children, parents...Let's heal our families (In whatever good ways we know best), that we may heal our world.
My 3-year old brother was wailing and I was trying hard to quieten him. I could tell he was frightened by the screams coming from our parents room. My parents had gotten into an argument, scarcely thirty minutes ago,and they have been at it ever since...crashing and breaking what only God knew.
I sat on the bed holding my brother close, I should have stayed in school I thought. Home wasn't fun any more, it had changed from the seeming paradise I had known and loved to come back to. Now I spent most of my time wishing my parents would just get a divorce and spare us all this persistent nightmares. Rocking my brother to and fro, I heaved a sigh of relief, thankful my immediate younger sister was still in school; she was a handful, and it would not have been beyond her to go storming into my parents room screaming for them to stop the raucous.
Hmm....I began to hum a soft tune, hoping my brother would drift off, as we both waited out the drama.
************************************************************************************************************
Aisha! Aisha! Aisha!
I intentionally ignored Mama's call, after all I'm sure she would still make her way to my room, whether I responded or not. I stood before the full length mirror in my room looking myself over and over again. Today was my marriage ceremony and I was certain to be the saddest girl on Earth.
Hmm.. I sighed. I had hoped Mama would support me and succeed in helping me convincing Papa. I didn't want to get married; why could they not understand that? I had passed my Junior Waec and was eagerly looking forward to the Senior class, when Papa had dropped the issue of my Marriage to Alhaji Basa. The thought of him alone, made me quiver - he was old and ugly, his teeth darkened by too much dongoyaro...I had greater dreams than this.
Mama had tried, at least in the ways she knew best, but no one ever changes my Father's mind. As a sigh escaped my lips, Mama burst into my room, "Aisha, didn't you hear me calling you?, Everyone is waiting, why are you not ready?". Tried all I could, but I couldn't hold back the tears that now flowed down my cheeks.
****************************************************************************************************************
"Why is it taking so long?" Tunde's voice boomed from the living room
"I am coming..." I managed in a whisper
I felt dizzy, even struggled to steady the tray I was carrying, so I leaned briefly against the wall and closed my eyes...waiting for the dizziness to pass. I was barely in my first trimester, but I was already having problems with my pregnancy. I had gone to see my doctor many times, yet he keeps assuring me that all was well...Still, I was scared for my baby.
I already had mental pictures of what he or she would look like, I wanted to be surprised by the sex of the baby. Thoughts of this child were the only things that kept me going nowadays, especially since Tunde was not helping out. Tunde...that's another issue.
"Useless Woman" I heard Tunde snarl
In fright, my eyes flew wide open. I jerked off the wall, dropping the tray I had been holding.
"I am sorry"... I intended saying before the words were cut off with a slap, right from the word "I".
My lips quivered and tears stung my eyes, as the pain shot from my cheeks to my head.
***************************************************************************************************************
She took a long drag from her cigarette, and slowly puffed it out as she watched her daughter lying on the bed across from where she sat. She was glad the girl was finally asleep. Her 2-year old Toni had chattered endlessly for a long time, she had almost considered drugging her. After much pleading, cooing, and even beating...she had finally dozed off. Thankfully she was a deep sleeper, so she was confident that the next time her daughters' voice would be heard would not be until the next morning.
Stumping the butt of her cigarette on the stool beside her, she got up to start getting ready for work. She always panicked every night she had to leave her baby to go to work, but she had no choice...she had no friends, and besides it was hard to trust anyone in this neighbourhood, plus in her line of work - a baby was not allowed. She patted her face with powder, did her hair, wore her lipstick, applied her eye-shadow and dubbed her blush.
Again she glanced at her daughter, covered her up, guarded her side with a pillow, then quietly let herself out of their one-room; which was where they called home. Her thoughts remained on Toni, as she walked down the street to her normal stand. She remembered her night of bliss with Tony (her ex-boyfriend) which had resulted in a beautiful girl, but had marked the end of her relationship, and the beginning of a hard life. Tony had denied the pregnancy and shortly travelled out of the country. As an orphan, she had had no one to fight for her, and had since fought her way through life.
Toni was her consolation though,she made her smile and laugh, made her believe in a better tomorrow, she made her...
"Hi babe, what's your name?"
Her thoughts were stalled, as she turned her attention to the man in the car now parked beside her. Well, whatever Toni made her believe in would have to wait, because now, she had to work to feed them both.
"Whatever you want it to be honey" she replied, flashing her best smile
**************************************************************************************************************
They all read like stories yeah,and true to it, they are figments of my imagination. Which however were borne out of a story heard, a news read, an event witnessed or an experience had. They are figments representing families some of us grew up in, are growing up in or just the families around us.
I strongly believe that, should we like to see a better country, or a better world,there must first be a better family. I implore you friends, families, colleagues, children, parents...Let's heal our families (In whatever good ways we know best), that we may heal our world.
Comments
Heart rending stories, and true too.
Your blog's better now. I used to have difficulty reading through you had picture as the background.
Heart rending stories, and true too.
Your blog's better now. I used to have difficulty reading through when you had picture as the background.
Sori about the other background and the difficulty it caused you.
Thank you for your comment, it's rily apcr8ed.
LOL, I aprc8 u...but i'm sure you know that already.