Jayeola!

The era of parents staying at home to watch over there kids is long gone………….

I was employed by the Oni’s to look over there two boys Adeola and Adebisi of age fifteen (15) and nineteen (19) respectively and help keep the house tidy. I on the other hand was seventeen (17) I had no strong financial back up from the scratch so its been a struggle all the way from primary school I had learn to hawk and get involved in petty trade as it was the only way my mother Iya jaye as popularly know provided for us, “my brother bamidele and I”. I learnt my father died in a motor accident on his way back from Ibadan. I was about 2 and bamidele was in the womb. His family blamed my mother for His death, threw us out and took all that we had. That was how our struggle for survival started.

The oni’s promised to help me finish my secondary education which I had by then dropped out at J.S.S 3 to enable bamidele school a bit too. That was the only condition at which Iya jaye was willing to let me go on. They fulfilled there end of the bargain as I was immediately enrolled into a secondary school in Benin on my arrival.

My job wasn’t much Dishes, cooking, cleaning and running little errands in the house. The cooking was mostly done by Mrs Oni has her husband didn’t eat from any other. The Laundry was done by Isa to make my work load lighter as it was that I had school and I had to do well.

Adebisi who was also known as Bisco was a young man of self respect even at that young age, he stayed out of my way and helped with my home-work whenever he was around as he was in a university outside Nigeria. Adeola was a very cheerful individual and always engaged in talks and always wanted me around we were both in same class but in different schools. He also helped with the writing of notes when I didn’t have time. In short the Oni’s had lovely boys.

 

It was june and we were getting prepared to write our final exams. Adeola was moved into the boarding house a year to finals to enable him make good grades. I on the other hand was enrolled into an evening after school class. It ranged from 5-7, but had to live at 6:30 to enable me get home on time to my original duties.

The Oni’s were lovely people except for the times daddy came home un-happy and made every one share in his woes, I was always at the receiving end because Mrs Oni goes straight to bed when she senses things like that. I get to serve dinner to him, so I came face to face with the lion. There where days he simply said “can’t she cook better than this”? or he could say “ I wonder when you’re going to finish your service to this family” and all other things.

 

Weac result was out and I made six credits mathematics and English inclusive. Adeola on the other hand made his as well.

Jayeola! Jayeola! Does  the university make one deaf!?  I was at the back yard and couldn’t hear Mr Oni calling me. I stepped into the house and I was landed a hard slap, I wondered what I had done wrong this time ever since I had gotten into the university Mr Oni had seriously changed and I had kept wondering what had gone wrong.

He handed me a list and told me to go to the store with the driver and get this stuffs for him and if you like spend the entire day there were the last words he said I quickly wiped my face and ran of to my room to have a change of clothes…………

All through the ride I couldn’t help but wonder what had happen to my way of doing things, or was God punishing me for something I did by making Mr Oni hate me this much in this few months. Tuned called me out of my thought and sing we were at the mart already. Still trying to shake of my thought and about crossing the road I didn’t notice an on-coming car.

Screeeeeee Gbam! Was the last thing i heard.