Short Story: Oluwatomiyin V

Hello everyone! Welcome to the month of June AKA the second half of the year!!! It is getting better for you...God perfects all that concerns you in Jesus' name! AMEN!!!

Welcome to the blog today, thank you for visiting! I hope you've been enjoying the short story thus far. If you have not done so already, please read the previous four installments. Enjoy the fifth installment below:

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I woke up to the alarming sound of Big Mummy's voice, "Oluwatomiyin! Oluwatomiyin!! Oluwatomiyin!!!"

"Maaaa..."  I wiped the crust from eyes one after the other.

"Look at the time! You're late for school."

"Oh oh I'm sorry, I overslept" I jumped out of bed and made a mad dash for the bathroom. I quickly took a shower and brushed my teeth. I was out of the house and on my way to school in record time, ten minutes to be exact!

Everyone looked shocked as I tried to sneak into class; I was never late. As my math teacher went on and on about equations, I was busy trying to solve the equation of my life. Nothing seemed to add up. Where is my mother? Why didn't she ever come back for me? Why didn't she even bother to communicate with me? What happened between the last page of that notebook and now?

I was so lost in thought that I didn't realize when my teacher Mr. Fola asked me a question. Someone had to nudge me before I got the point. He repeated his question. 

"What is the difference between a polynomial equation and a linear equation?

I scratched the side of my head; I read about it the other day but couldn't seem to remember the answer.

"Umm...sir, I believe that the difference between the two is that one has multiple numbers while the other does not."

***SILENCE***

I knew that I had given the wrong answer from the class' response; everyone just stared at me.

Mr. Fola paused, took a deep breath and said, "Not exactly..." and then he called for someone else to answer the question. 

After class, Mr. Fola pulled me aside and asked if I was okay. I was the smartest student in his class. I explained to him that I was tired and apologized for not paying attention in his class. 

The rest of the day was a blur. I sat like a zombie in the rest of my classes. I couldn't focus no matter how hard I tried. I had to solve this mystery, it was eating me up inside.

I was overjoyed when it was time to go home. I didn't bother waiting behind to chat with my friends. I told them that I was in a hurry. I practically ran home.

As I opened the door, I heard the whistling of the kettle coming from the kitchen. I was surprised, big mummy usually wasn't home this early. I hesitated before walking into the house. 

"Hello...Hello...is anyone there?"

There was no response.

I tiptoed into the living, passed through the hallway and peeped into big mummy's room. She was seated on her chair with her eyes closed. I was relieved to see her. I proceeded to knock on her door, but she sat without flinching. The kettle continued to echo from the kitchen. I knocked a bit louder, there was still no response.

I walked into her room and stood beside her, tapping her gently on her shoulder "Big mummy....Big mummy."

I startled her, "Who is that? What is it?"

"I'm sorry ma; I've been calling your name for a while."

"Oh, Tomiyin it's you! Sorry my dear. I don't know when I slept off."

"I wanted to drink some tea so I put some water on the fire"

I remembered that I heard the sound of the kettle earlier, I quickly ran to the kitchen to turn off the stove. The water that was in the kettle was almost dried up.

Big mummy was right behind me. "Thank you jare, God bless you". She proceeded to take a tea bag from the cupboard and put it in a tea cup; she poured what was left in the kettle into the cup. 

"How are you dear? How was school today?"

"I'm fine ma, school was okay."

"That's good", she smirked.

"Big mummy, why are you home? Didn't you go to the shop today?"

"I didn't go jare; I wanted to stay home and rest."

"Sorry ma, I hope all is well?"

She sighed, "Yes my love, all is well." 

"What will you eat?" she asked.

"I want to change first ma, I'll eat rice and stew."

"Okay", she looked into my eyes and smiled warmly.

As I changed out of school clothes, I noticed that my notebook was not where I usually kept it. I searched and searched until I was sweating profusely. 

I heard big mummy's voice from the door; I didn't know when she came. "What are you looking for?"

I quickly grabbed a t-shirt from my wardrobe and pulled it over my head.

"Nothing ma, it's nothing."

"I know what you're looking for, here it is." She stretched out her right hand and there it was; my prized possession. 

I looked down at my feet, feeling a measure of shame. "Thank you ma."

"After you eat, I want to have a talk with you."

"Okay ma"

I ate my food so fast that I barely tasted it.

I skipped to big mummy's room and knocked. "I've finished eating ma."

"Come in dear."

I opened the door and stood trying to search her face for a clue of what was about to transpire.

I had no idea, but it seemed like it was something serious. 

"Sit down."  She patted on the bed. 

I sat down and looked at her face. She smiled at me and I did the same. 

"I wanted to talk to you about your mother. I believe now is the right time."

I sat up straight and gave her my full attention. 

She reiterated all that I read in the notebook from her point of view. She then continued where the book left off.

She told me that my mother had plans to come back for me after she finished school. Her parents agreed, and that motivated her to finish strong. She would call big mummy every week to check on me. She would ask to speak with me and I'd smile when I heard her voice over the phone. She wasn't allowed to come visit me anymore; her parents said that they didn't want her to be distracted.

Four years later she graduated at the top of her class. Her parents were elated; the daughter that once brought them shame now filled them with so much joy. After the graduation festivities were over, she sat her parents down and reminded them of their promise. 

Well they had other plans for her, which didn't include me. They informed her that she would be getting ready in a month's time. Her husband had been selected for her. They said that now that she had graduated, she had become a woman. She had to relocate to her husband's house and forget about me. It was an abomination to bring a child birthed out of wedlock into her husband's house.

She was crushed. She called big mummy wailing, she begged her to talk to her parents. Big mummy called them and tried to intervene, but it was too late their minds were made up. They said that they'd increase the money that they sent for my upkeep every month and ended the discussion. 

I sat numb...what kind of people would do such a thing?

To be continued...

You're blessed!


- Bunmi


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