Peace By Pieces
Being a waif for over thirteen years has not added any feather to her cap. Jennifer scratched her her shoulder, using her fingers through her short sleeved blouse as she alighted from the bus at the highly busy Oshodi bus stop. For over thirteen years, she had been a way and now she has turned into a fully grown woman with a child by herself.
Didi, her child is the centre of her happiness. He has lived all his life at the river-rine with Jennifer mother without a father.
One of the problems of being a girl child in Lagos is that once she begins to show signs of puberty, boys will flock around her due to her attractions.
So was Jennifer. She is a beautiful damsel. Every boy around Mafoluku wanted to be her boyfriend. After the closing hours, everyday she had boys who would queue up to take turns to woo her.
As fragile as she is, she never gave in to them. The difference and change in mind came when she heard two of her friends talking a narrative of how they hanged out with their boyfriend the other after school.
These girl would bring other clothes other than their school uniform and make over in the school bag to change in after school hours. Since their parents work on the island and would be returning late in the evening, the girls had no one to restrict them. Their discussion enticed Jennifer. She begin to think of how pleasant the experience would be.
One afternoon, after school hours, Chike accosted her and told her how beautiful she looks. She giggled at first and later smiled back at Chike. It was the beginning of another phase of life for her.
She had no money on her and didn't mind trekking for one or two long hours to get to her destination. There would be enough money later to take care of her child. There is enough money to take care of herself too.
Chike was eager to tap from her natural resources. So, the next day, during break, he stole a kiss from and disappeared into thin air. These teenagers don't seem to understand some of the tips on how to have a safe relationship.
Sheepishly, Jennifer followed Chike to the school farm. They were there all day having boycotted class sessions. Who would have thought that they could have done some weird things together?
It became a frequent exercise do the lovebirds. Then suddenly, she begin to feel sick. Every morning, she'd throw up while brushing her teeth. For two weeks, Jennifer had not been herself. So, she decided to share her experience with her friends.
These are signs that you may be pregnant.
It was the most traumatic time in her entire life. She was scared of going through the abortion process having heard stories of ladies that died in the process.
Trust me, African parents are ready to kill you for coming home with an unwanted pregnancy. They are equally ready to disown you.
Overnight, without leaving a note or any traces, Jennifer absconded from home. She did this because it was better than staying and getting the beating and scolding of her life.
Despite the heat, Jennifer still find a place to smile as she walked across the road with Didi in hand. She imagined the emotional moment, the enters of joy and the warm hugs from her parents. She would explain to them why she had to take that drastic decision- the reason for her exile and the apologies should would tender.
Over the years, The Nwakalis have forgotten Jennifer. Many thoughts have been shared across board concerning her sudden disappearance. Was she kidnapped? Or died mysteriously and not traceable?
They even had to report to the police station and an image of Jennifer was shared on the television screen for almost two weeks consecutively when she got missing. Mrs. Nwakali visited all the morgue that we're in Lagos to see if she could find the corpse of her daughter, peradventure she was knocked down by a hit-and-run driver, all to no avail.
She sensed the anxiousness in her daughter. She would be getting a new home, a new identity. Didi would make have a new family and make new friends in the new city, Lagos. Her surname would be Nwakali. Its going to be a pride for her to be one of them. So she thought.
As they walked through Oshodi, Jennifer held Didi very tightly because of the hustle bustle in and around the park.
The address of her parents house is still engraved in her memory. Her father's name is the name of their street. They were the very first to settle in that vicinity. One thing that the local government considered before naming the street after her father, Julius Nwakali street.
She had no money on her and didn't mind trekking the distance to get to her destination with her child.
But soon, there will be enough money to care of for her daughter and herself.
When they finally arrived home, Jennifer was shocked at the cold welcome she received, especially from her mother. They wouldn't even recognize her. Jennifer's father chased her out of the house, even called her a hungry beggar and criminal. She was thrown out with her child. This situation had broken her till her dying days.
Is this the end? 🥺🥺 This is too interesting to end here