Forsaken episode 9

FORSAKEN
Chapter 9

The following week, Bianca and i purchased our forms for the JOINT ADMISSION AND MATRICULATION BOARD (JAMB) EXAM. I applied for medicine and surgery while Bianca applied for law.

We didn’t want dad to help us with our admission at all. We studied very hard and after the examination, we were admitted into the university of Lagos (UNILAG). Life in the university was full of fun, distraction and purposeful people. We knew what we wanted and why we left home. We wanted mom and dad to be proud of us. We had each other’s back, we love and care for each other. We lived in the school hostel. We took our classes and bookwork seriously. Mom and Dad always made sure we got all we needed.

Years later, we were done with our university program, we went for youth service and started practicing in our different fields. Mom and Dad’s joy knew no bounds. They were very happy to have two beautiful successful young ladies as children.

Meanwhile they were already disturbing us to get married. We already had men in our lives. I had Alex an engineer, and my sister had Kayode a co – lawyer, she met him in court during a case presentation. God’s light was upon me, I couldn’t stop thanking God for Bianca and the new parent he gave me.

The only person I wished I had around was my grandmother. Once a while, I thought about my grandpa and aunty Faith. The wedding bells were ringing, Bianca and Kayode were getting married. It is was a busy time for everyone in the house. Planning the wedding with my sister and being the maid of honour was one big task. Finally it was over and Bianca had become Mrs. Kayode.

Months later, after Bianca’s wedding, Alex popped the big question and I gladly said yes. I told mom and dad about Alex’s proposal that he will soon be coming to see them. To my greatest surprise, mom and dad gently told me it was time for me to go home, that I should go back to Benin and inform my grandpa and aunt about the wedding.

I was really angry and told them those people don’t even know if I am dead or alive. How then should I give them that honour of collecting my bride price?. It is traditional dad cut in. Please my child, you are our daughter that can never change but we want your biological relatives to collect your bride price. To further complicate issues, Bianca supported them on that. I just told them I will think about it that I needed time.

After thinking for some time, I finally agreed with dad and decided to pay a visit to Benin to my grandpa, who probably would have concluded I was dead.

It’s been 10 long years. I had a mixed feeling, I was somewhat excited to face him (grandpa) so he could finally see that I am nothing like my mother. I had become a great woman, about getting married to one of the few wonderful men on earth, or should I be angry at him for all the pains I have to go through in life.

Which ever the reason, I still had to go home since I had promised mom and dad that I shall. And of course if I ever wanted my bride price to be paid.

It was a Saturday morning at about 6:30am, myself and my driver were ready to drive to Benin. Dad told me to careful and handle issues with maturity and I should be quick to forgive. Mom hugged and prayed for me and my sister who was pregnant already, she wished she could go with me, I had to stop her because of my little niece inside her. We arrived at grandpa’s compound some minutes past one, everything had changed.

The compound was looking unitdy, I saw very unfamiliar faces. I recognized very few persons who didn’t even recognized me anymore. After much introduction to them, the few that know me were very happy to see me, they just couldn’t believe their eyes, one woman said to the other, she how great the daughter of joy has become, thank God she didn’t take after her mother.

After the pleasantries I asked after my grandpa, who I was told had been sick over a year, it became worse last month’s so aunty faith came to take him to her place.

Blood is indeed thicker than water, I felt so bad when I heard my grandpa had been sick, I rushed into the car and told the driver to drive me to aunty Faith’s place, while I gave the directions.