Must Read: Ade

Episode 7 years ago

Must Read: Ade

Going back to our house is out of the equation for now. Shola had been badly beaten and abused by an ingrate she had set up to a substantial level in life. We could not leave her alone in that state to be alone, who knows if that idiot was even planning on coming to her house for further assault.



Rotimi was shaking his head all through the journey back to Shola’s house.


”Ol boy ye, this guy na beast o. Me wey I dey talk sef nko. Like say I never beat woman before, but Shola don suffer for we guy hand o. Me first hit am cos I no get patient to hear her tory come still wan break her head ontop say she wan give me water. This animal come panel beat am ontop say she tell am her past. That guy no too do well o. But sha me I see am I get hope o. I been dey think say na me bad pass. I no fit do am lailai ontop all wetin she don do am for him life. But sha I gbadun as you take batter him body pass Shola own too. Ol boy, na SSS 2 you don fight last o. So you still sabi that hand, I see as you take am destroy Tokunbo o. You do well my guy!” Rotimi said amusing us all, including the almost blind Shola.


I was happy to see her laugh. It was a good sign.


Nevertheless, I never intended on leaving her for a second.


When we got home, Shola and I went in while Rotimi went with the cab to our house to get fresh clothes for us. He would take clothes that would last us for a week and return to Shola’s place.



I took Shola to her room after preparing a light meal of noodles and egg for her which she ate before taking her drugs. It was the first time I would set foot in her room. The room was lovely.



It spoke of her personality, gentle, caring, loving and tender. The colour pink dominated the room with touches of light blue. On her bed was a giant teddy bear that sleeps and wakes up with her. On the wall was the picture of all her family members including her step mum. I could not but marvel at the peace the room gave on entering it.


I la!d her on the bed, tucked the duvet around her and told her to flash me if she needed anything and left the lovely room which invited me to sleep.


Rotimi came back sooner than I expected. He was on the phone with his fiancée narrating all that went on to her. They were like Siamese twins and I was happy for them. Nothing happened to us that she doesn’t know and vice versa. A difference from ‘Dara who hears mine and give scanty tales about hers. He told her that I was falling in love with Shola which I vehemently denied but deep inside me, I knew it was true.



I eventually snatched the phone from Rotimi and spoke to ‘Ranti confirming the incident. I told her what her fiance said and did and she laughed that only God can save Rotimi from that flaw of his, quick and fast anger like Sango (Yoruba god of thunder) which subsides faster than the foams on the waves of the atlantic ocean. I asked when she would visit us from school and she promised to come down to Lagos to see us as soon as they have a break. Ranti schooled in the Federal University of Technology, Owerri. They had met during our service in the East. She also said she could not wait to meet Shola who was yearning to meet her too.



We ate a light dinner and slept after checking on Shola who was fast asleep. She looked like a baby in her sleep and I had to force myself to leave there lest I watch her till daybreak.





We woke up and prepared for work and by seven a.m we woke Shola to eat and take her drugs then we left for school. In school, we explained to the principal that she had a minor accident and would take time for her to heal before resuming for work. He generously granted her leave and told us that he too would check on her after school hours, which he did.



Through out that day in school, parents continued to throng into the principal’s office to thank him for the couselling session the students had. He in turn kept directing them to us. We left school that day with enough cash to pay our salaries for three months each. It would have been more had we not rejected others. We also went home with foodstuff and other valuables which were given to us as tokens of appreciation. I called Shola to tell her about it and inquire about her health, she was happy. We also talked to Dr. Tanimowo who said it’s our for the keeps and he also said he had received numerous calls and thank you texts from many parents over the weekend. Bunmi, Bimbo and Bola came to say hi to us. Folake and Ronke too were full of thanks. Our heads was well swollen.



School closed and students and staff thronged the house to greet Shola. After they left, We were happily sharing gist with Shola in the sitting room around five in the evening after eating our lunch, when Shola’s phone rang. She looked at the screen and her countenance changed. I noticed it faster before she cut the call. I did not talk. It rang again but I told her openly to pick it not knowing who it was. She stared at me and picked it.





”Hello Tokunbo,” She said…