TWO YEARS LATER
5:38PM
Mrs. Shola: (in the living room) Bolanle where is my phone? I cant find it.
Bolanle: how am I suppose to know where you kept it? Not like you allow us to touch your phone.
Mrs. Shola: (she get up and began to search for her phone) then where can it be? Olumide! Did you see mummy’s phone?
Olumide: (decline)
Mrs. Shola: ohhh! And I need to call your father, why isn’t he home yet?
Mr. Suraj: (he enter the house with a sad face)
Mrs. Shola: there you are, babe what took you so long? Why the long face? Did something happened at work?
Mr. Suraj: (he sadly drop his bag and head inside without responding to his family)
Mrs. Shola: babe! Am talking to you! Babe! Ahah! What happened to him? I must find out (she follow him inside) Mutakeemah set the dining right now. (she slam the door) babe! Am talking to you!
Mr. Suraj: (undressing) please just let me be for now…
Mrs. Shola: how am I suppose to leave you in this state, I know something is bothering your mind and as your wife you need to share it with me so we can find solution to it.
Mr. Suraj: there is nothing you can do about it than to add to my pains, so let me be while I sit and think about my life and once again please don’t add to my pains..
Mrs. Shola: atleast lets go to dining table and have dinner.
Mr. Suraj: exclude me, I need to think about my life right now (he fall on the bed)
Mrs. Shola: babe… come on! Don’t be like this, you know we cant have dinner without you… you are the head of the house please cheer up and talk to me.
Mr. Suraj: (take a deep breath) ok then if you insist, few years ago I borrowed money from a friend of mine to invest more in my business but I find it hard to pay it back and I have use my limited time, now he threatened to shut down my business if I don’t pay him back by next month.
Mrs. Shola: why am I just knowing about this? Anyway how much did you borrowed from him?
Mr. Suraj: like 5m.
Mrs. Shola: what do you mean by 5m? or you mean 5 minutes?
Mr Suraj: are you dumb? I said 5m, 5 million naira!
Mrs. Shola: (she gasp) 5 million naira? Babe! what did you used it for again?
Mr. Suraj: to invest more in my business.
Mrs. Shola: so why haven’t you pay him back?
Mr. Suraj: exactly my point, I don’t know how and why but my business keep crashing instead of booming.
Mrs. Shola: so you are saying a whole 5 million naira is gone! God of mercy! Babe what were you thinking? See where you land us into, what are we going to do now? Where will I get 5 million naira? And none of your family is willing to help you talkless of mine… gosh you are unbelievable! And you hide all this from me? how could you be so secretive?
Mr. Suraj: am sorry! I know if I told you about it you wont let me….
Mrs. Shola: and see where it land us into! Gosh you are so foolish! As if your business wasn’t ok.. no wonder it took you so long to pay the kids school fees this section, my God! What are we going to do?
Mr. Suraj: am sorry but we need to find solution to this as soon as possible or else we might lose every over 5 million naira.
Mrs. Shola: oh! so now you can use we? You know sometimes I always wonder why I married you? You don’t think straight at all.
Mr. Suraj: lets find solution to this instead of this argument.
Mrs. Shola: so what are we going to do? Where are we going to get that huge amount of money? (thinking) you know what? You don’t have to worry much, ok? I believe we will find a solution to it soon.
Mr. Suraj: are you sure?
Mrs. Shola: yes! trust me.
Mr. Suraj: (exhale softly) I know you will find a solution, I believe you… thank you for everything. I promise you once this problem is over I promise you something big.
Mrs. Shola: whatever! lets go and eat oh, because the kids are waiting for us.
Mr. Suraj: ok my love, now my appetite is back (they head out)
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Mrs. Shola: (as they enter the dining room they find their kids having dinner already) ahaha! Kids!
Mr. Suraj: I thought you said they can’t eat without us?
Mrs. Shola: yes, then who put the food for them? (she raise her eye balls at Mustakeemah as she is coming from the kitchen holding a jar of juice in her hand. She walks up to her and lands a slap on her face) how dare you serve them food?
Mustakeemah: (shocked as she almost drops the jar of juice)
Mrs. Shola: break my jug and see how I will use it to design your filthy face! Who asked you to put the food for them?
Bolanle: (as she tries to speak her mum shuts her up) but mom—
Mrs. Shola: I said shut up! When am talking you don’t interfere.
Mr. Suraj: you this girl, why don’t you hear word? You always cross your boundaries. Since when did you turn to the madam of this house, putting food for my kids? You want to poison them abi?
Mustakeemah: (she gently puts the jar on the table as tears roll down her face) but ma, I swear I wasn’t the one who put the food for them.
Mrs. Shola: oh so you want to lie abi? You this unfortunate girl, if I lay my anger on you this night you will regret your existence.
Mustakeemah: but ma, am not the one… you are just hitting me for what I didn’t do.
Mr. Suraj: oh so my wife is a liar abi? You this— (as he tries to hit her, Bolanle angrily speaks up)
Bolanle: dad stop! That’s enough! I want to speak but you guys won’t let me. Is it until you injure her before you let me talk? I said I was the one who put the food for us! Haba! You guys haven’t changed at all… is this how you treat her while am in school? This is unfair now! You are just punishing her for what she knows nothing about. She hasn’t rested since morning and you won’t even allow me to help her. Why can’t you guys just love this girl? And why can’t she put food for us? She has been cooking for us for more than 12 years now and by putting food for us you think she might poison it? This is unfair oh! And you know what? I just lost my appetite. Am out of here! (she picks her phone and walks out on them, leaving them speechless)
Mustakeemah: (she quietly exits from the dining as she cries silently)
**********
Abdulhakeem: (he enters the house) ekule o! anyone home?
Mum: okomi! Welcome back… how was work?
Abdulhakeem: alhamdulilah, but am starving. And also, I have a great news for you.
Mum: oh really?
Abdulhakeem: (he nodded)
Mum: wait, let me get your food, then you tell me what the news is all about.
Abdulhakeem: alright mum… (he enters his room)
Few minutes later
Mum: (knocks at his door) can I come in?
Abdulhakeem: yes, come in.
Mum: here is your dinner. (she drops it on a stool) eat first.
Abdulhakeem: you shouldn’t have troubled yourself, mum. Thank you.
Mum: come, sit with me. (tapping the bed)
Abdulhakeem: (he sits next to her and begins to dig in) so as I was saying, mum, I have been offered a scholarship to travel out of the country to study abroad.
Mum: (confused) you? how come? You didn’t apply for anything now, how is that possible?
Abdulhakeem: yeah, that’s true. But I applied for it myself and made the necessary payment by myself. Since none of you wanted to support my dream, I strived to achieve it alone, and alhamdulilah, Allah answered my prayers.
Mum: you’re joking, abi?
Abdulhakeem: why would I joke with such news? I thought you’d be happy for me. Why this reaction, mum? (he stops eating)
Mum: so! you’re telling me now that you’re leaving this country to a country you have no clue about?
Abdulhakeem: those who went there, do they have two heads? Some people’s success is not within, but outside! I know I don’t know what it looks or feels like out there, but at least that’s called new discoveries. To see what I’m capable of doing, mum. I thought you would be happy for me. I wasn’t expecting this side of you.
Mum: you know what, honey, have your dinner. You’re starving. We shall talk better tomorrow insha Allah. (she gets on her feet)
Abdulhakeem: your reaction has said it all. I know you won’t bless this news, I know you’ll find all means to stop this. And you know what, mum? If you stop my dream from coming to pass, I will forever hold it in my heart till I leave this earth. (he gets up and leaves the room)
Mum: this boy has no idea what he’s doing. (she takes a deep breath) his dad must hear about this… but what if things get out of hand between the two of them? Ahh! Why is this boy like this? Why can’t he just listen to his father? Black people are dying abroad. Oh my God! Help this son of mine o.
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10:43pm
Mustakeemah: (in the kitchen washing the dishes)
Bolanle: hey… (in a low tone) you’re still working?
Mustakeemah: (she turns her neck) oh! yeah. What are you doing here? You should be sleeping, or busy with your phone.
Bolanle: yeah, that’s true… but I can’t sleep knowing the fact that my parents keep hurting you every single day. I feel so guilty and ashamed to be called their daughter. Please, find it in your heart to forgive them… please, Mustakeemah.
Mustakeemah: (sad) it’s ok, I’m used to it. You don’t have to be sorry. I’m used to the pain and injuries. I just hope one day I’ll be free from your parents… and also pray I don’t die of heart attack in this house because of them.
Bolanle: I’m really sorry on their behalf, please forgive them. I promise to find all means to make sure they realize their mistakes. Please, I’m sorry.
Mustakeemah: it’s ok, dear. They’re forgiven. You can go back to your room, I’m almost done with the dishes.
Bolanle: let me help you.
Mustakeemah: no! please don’t worry. (she tries to stop her)
Bolanle: but I insist.
Mustakeemah: please don’t bother yourself. You’ll land me into more trouble if your parents find you here. Please, just go to your room.
Mrs. Shola: (she listens to their conversation by the kitchen door) so this girl is planning on leaving this house… like running away, right? Hmmmm. I won’t let that happen! I must do something about it.