Tobi scanned the room as she sat in her father’s house, most of her age mate would call it their house but she refused to claim what was not hers. She watched as her parents and sisters talked about topics that were never important to her. She did not see the importance of watching news about death, killings, and corruption, she saw those things every day “When will this corruption stop” her father lamented “These men are the cause of the issues in Nigeria” her mother added. Tobi did not want to know if the illegal Africans who were deported to their country should have been there in the first place.
Tobi ate dinner as quickly as possible blocking the noise of the TV, why was this happening again she just wanted to eat some Amala and Ewedu (her favorite meal) and go to bed, well as must sleep as she could considering her sleeping issue. She attempted to eat the meal on the dining table but Nepa had taken the light as usual again, and the dining table area bulbs are not plugged to the inverter and as she stood up to leave her mother said “Tobi where are you going to, anyway we have a wedding to go to tomorrow, so make sure you pick out your clothes tonight and iron it very early tomorrow” I knew about this particular wedding but her mother just did not understand that I hated outings completely especially weddings”.
Tobi wanted to argue with her mother who she had been telling repeated that she did not want to go to the wedding “Mummy…” her mother gave her a look, her father reduced the volume of the TV, he was ready to scold Tobi again. That man, her father, she could only describe him as the reason why Tobi at the age of 18 had already decided not to get married in life, the man was the perfect picture of a constant disapproval ling father never satisfied with anything Tobi did he just did not understand how much his daughter loved and hated him at the same time “Tobi, don’t argue we are all going to that party and that final”.
Tobi eldest Sister’s Adeyinka just ignored the Scene in front of her, sometimes Tobi despised her sister, Adeyinka, she was always nosey and a self-righteous woman, she constantly bragged about her age like it was an achievement ,but deep inside Tobi adored her sisters ,both of them very differently but still very much. Abosede, Tobi elder sister was like her breath of fresh air, she wanted to say something but Tobi stopped her with a don’t worry look, Abosede would just be accused of spoiling Tobi anyway “Ok, sir” Tobi said with a straight face and went upstairs.
Tobi picked out a pink traditional wear; she wanted to pick out some jeans but she knew her mother would not allow it, her mother, her sweet mother was it possible to be so much as a person and yet so different from the person, Tobi in more than one way was just like her mother.
They both loved food, both are quite opposite from her father, both talk a lot, both had similar birthmarks, same bad habits yet very different in their manners, reasoning, and values, they were like the same shade of different colors or different shades of the same colors.
Tobi stared at the celling of her room, she always had issues sleeping it was like her head was constantly working, images, voices, conversations, actions of others, herself and even random thoughts were in her head she could not sleep at 12:00 pm, she could hear her parents enter their separate rooms at three the sound of the banging of the watchman echoed loudly in the playful night and as soon as the sound of the loudspeakers of the church beside her house came on she knew she would not get any sleep this night, the fact that Nepa had decided to give them light seemed more like a cause than a blessing as it permitted the church members the opportunity to conduct their overnight preaching.
Firstly Bukola obsessed about the thoughts in her head, then the sound of the watchman and now the horrid sound of church singers who really don’t know how to sing, then she felt bad about her criticizing the singing of the church members, then the fact that it was already 2:00 pm and she still had not slept, then she obsessed about not being able to sleep and then how tried she would be from lack of sleep as her mind drifted away.
Saturday
The next thing it was morning she woke up feeling tried and drained, Tobi forced herself out of bed and took her bath, when she finally got dressed she noticed the dark circles around her eyes they had formed from years of lack of sleep and the newly formed eye bagged “Tobi I hope this is not how you are going, you should have picked something better, “I knew what was coming next “No make-up, plain jewelry, and the dress is which dull and not unsuitable” why did she even brother telling me to pick what I wanted to wear when she always made me wear what she wanted anyway “Good morning mummy” Tobi greeted “Is that how to greet your mother” I knelt down “Sorry ma, Good morning mummy” she said this time with a lot of sarcasm “Thank God, I already ironed this one” she brought out some Buba, wrapper, and Gele, she knew I hated Gele’s the always hurt her head but her was to try to complain so she let her do what she wanted she did her make-up. She always wondered why there was this need for her to be forced to do these female things, makeup dressing up
Her father shouted for us to come downstairs remaindering her mother how the both of us were always late, so we rushed downstairs and ate bread and egg and tea, ate a large portion the second largest as her mother ate the largest “If you continue eating like this you will be fat” Abosede always jested she knew she was joking but it always made Tobi upset, maybe she was just too sensitive at times. Abosede was just like my dad but let just say the more caring, modern and understanding version maybe that why Tobi loved her so much she kind of felt like at least she was getting love from some version of her father
Tobi was all made up and decked up looking at herself in the mirror before they got into the car, she felts fake this was not her they make was like paint on her face they made Tobi feels heavy, she wanted to act a lot in life and her life was probably going to be fast-tracked and disarranged but she was ok with it. Tobi sat in the car as Adeyinka kept on giving her tasks to do “Bring her mirror, bring out her phone, hold her bag” she orders “Whoa this girl thinks she is a queen” she quietly said to herself and she knew she was quite bossy just like her mother but even she would let me at least have peace in the car “Adeyinka stop it, are you not done yet” Tobi’s sometimes harsh superhero comes to save her “Is she complaining?” “Adeyinka stop disturbing your sisters” Her father scolded her and she immediately was upset I could tell
Adeyinka apologized and let me be, the traffic was stressful and the Gele I was holding wasn’t making things any better, the poor and suffering children on the streets hawking, sometimes I just find herself angry at their parents for having children they can’t take care of, for herself because despite I want to help them she feel like It not her responsibility to, she think of the corruption of the world and Nigeria and how she knew that we as citizens of this great country could do better that what we are doing now, some questions she asks herself she already know the answer but she doesn’t accept them, some answers produce more questions and the circle goes on.
As soon as Tobi entered the wedding hall she remembered why she hated weddings, the concept of marriage irritated her, there were holes, traditions where favoring the males species constantly, nature, the world and even women were participates of acts and rules that confided women into roles and a lower position.
Tobi knew if she married anyone like her father she would end up committing suicide or murder, as a father, he did not choose him and she had to love even as the same goes for him but so choose to live with a man like him would make her run mad.
The planning, the smiling, the concept of marrying a family not the marrying into a family because that was what truly happens, she did not see herself doing it she always saw herself as free person and she always be that Tobi could be said to be both sides of a coin, she could be the life of a party or the death of it, she could be very caring yet unfeeling, She is the type of girl who could make you feel on top of the world today and ignore you tomorrow.
Tobi seemed to understand a lot of things at her young age, it was the burden of knowledge and the freedom of unknowing that made her seem a little weird, she had made her own world in her mind and may have gone crazy from her fantasies if she did not understand the importance of connecting back to reality “Tobi what are you always thinking about, you barely said anything through the events” “her mother was very confusing sometimes did she really think she(Tobi) was going to be anything more than a polite quite girl today.
Tobi barely noticed that they were in-house already the entire day was just like watching a movie series of passing events, the pain of the Gele tried to her head, the party jolly-rice she ate, the activates of the events she remembered them, thank god because sometimes she did not remember them but she just did not feel them, years of constants complaining from your parents especially her father taught her how to fly to another world.
Tobi was brought back to her body and welcomed with the pain of the Gele, weight of the attire she wore all day and the smell of different scent and the stress of not sleeping well in the night, she went to her mother and kissed her on the cheeks “Goodnight mummy” turning to Abosede “Goodnight Sister Abosede” to Adeyinka “Goodnight Sister Adeyinka ” and to him “Goodnight Sir” “I am going to bed” she ran up with her things before any one started to make up chores for her to do this night, she forced herself to take a bath and fell asleep so fast .
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