Must Read: Ade

Episode 7 years ago

Must Read: Ade

Her house was truly not far from the school.


After ten minutes of graveyard silence walk
at a snail speed from the school, we got
there.


It was a two storeyed building and she lived
on the first floor. The ground floor was
occupied by another set of people. The
ground floor was the type normally called
face-me-I-face-you. It was a room and
parlour affair with bath and kitchen ensuite.


I roughly counted five of such as we walked
through the passage to the stairs at the end
of the long hallway.


The people at home peeped to greet her in a
respectful manner and she replied as best as
she could with her swollen mouth. One of
them even asked her what happened and
she lied that she had a minor accident and
her two colleagues at work helped her
home. The man thanked us profusely but we
never uttered a word as we progressed to
the stairs.


We took the flight of stairs one after the
other with Shola in front followed by Rotimi,
then I.


Shola lived in a four bedroom flat all alone.


She let herself in and asked us to come in,
which we did.


Her sittingroom was tastefully furnished and
every item in the room spoke of affluence. I
asked myself how she came about the
money to live in such opulence. Definitely, her
salary could not afford her such luxury.
The door from the stairs led to the sitting
room which had a bar and a detached
dining room. The dining led to the kitchen
and an emergency exit which was locked.


Behind the three seater settee, was a door
which led to the master bedroom and the
other three rooms.



I was lost in thought but I did well to appear
unfazed by the sight that greeted me at
Shola’s house. We were also comfortable, but
this was too much for a single lady living
alone!


Rotimi was also surprised by what he saw. I
saw the look on his face as Shola excused
herself to change her clothes and clean her
swollen bloodied mouth.


She came back and asked what we would
eat or drink. The still vexing Rotimi replied,
”Did you bring us here to eat and drink? If
you have nothing better to say, we would be
on our way.”


I knew better than to say otherwise. I was
still angry but something told me to exercise
caution in expressing my anger.


Shola went in and brought out two glasses
and a large bottle of Eva water. She placed it
on the centre table opposite us and sat
herself on the one seater chair across the
room.


Her action infuriated Rotimi again as he
stood up moving to the table, he picked one
of the glasses but I was fast this time around
as I held his hand before he threw it at Shola.
His hand shook and the glass dropped on
the rugged floor without breaking. I picked
it up and placed it in the tray.
”Shola take this out of here and tell us why
you brought us here. Or we would like to go
home.” I said to her.
Shola was still shocked at Rotimi’s action. She
could not believe that she just escaped
another onslaught from the angry man in
front of her.
Rotimi sat down beside me still fuming as
she took the tray out and placed it on the
dining table.


She came back and sat on her former chair.
Then she cleared her voice which was badly
shaking.


”Ehm ehm ehm… I don’t know how to
begin.” She couldn’t gather her thoughts.
Rotimi had shaken her badly. That guy was a
terrorist!


Finally, after seven minutes, she got her voice
and began to speak.


”I am Shola Orilowo as you know. I am the
only surving daughter and child of Chief and
Mrs Orilowo. This is where my parents lived
before their death. But now, I am the
landlady of the house and other properties
they had. Please be patient with me as I tell
you my journey into paedophilia and
bisexualism. I am sorry. Rotimi please just be
a little calm and please just listen to me.” She
pleaded.


”My dad married my mum some thirty
something years ago. I was the third child
they had and I had three elder siblings. All
things were going well till one day when my
mum took ill. Daddy took her to the hospital
and she was admitted. Mummy was
diagnosed of kidney stones and she was
flown abroad then for surgery. She came
back and was well for some months before
she had a relapse and back to the hospital
again with the same ailment.” She narrated.


We were touched by that but we had not
softened totally. We listened with rapt
attention.


”The doctor assured dad she would be
alright but she was not. All efforts put in
yielded no result. She was flown abroad
again, but it was still the same thing. Mum
lived in the hospital for close to a year. Then
one bright morning, on my third birthday,
my siblings and I visited her at the hospital
to spend the day with her. She was extra
lively that day and she played and prayed for
us. She later asked us to go that she wanted
to sleep. Dad came home that night to tel us
that our mother had given up the struggle to
live. She was said to have died smiling. I still
believed I killed her.” She cleaned the drop of
tears in her eye and continued.


”Two years after her death, dad married the
woman changed my life…”