Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 22
Biolaās POV
I was finally leaving Ibadan for Lagos and I could tell there was some sort of relief it gave Aunty Bose. Before then, I went to see my brother, Gbenga.
Despite the fact he was disappointed in me, he still encouraged me and gave me some money.
Did I forget to tell you how much Femiās mother later sent to me? Forgive me. She sent a whooping 40k naira to my account after she talked to me that day. I couldnāt hold my joy. I called her and thanked her for being so kind and caring. With her support, I was able to get some stuff from the market. Iām sure youād be wondering if my brotherās wife (Bose) gave me any money? Well, I wouldnāt like to label her a bad person. She gave me foodstuffs and I could tell that was what she could afford. Besides, she had her son and Aramide to take care of. It was obvious she had many mouths to feed from the little earned.
Fast forwarding, I got back to Lagos Sunday evening. The school environment as usual bubbled with students here and there. Loud music from unseen stereos and stuff like that. Of course, my outlook already changed. Though my belly wasnāt that big and noticeable, someone could still tell I was pregnant by merely looking at my face.
One of my fear was being judged by lecturers, my coursemates, and friends. And the last thing I wanted was for it to affect any of my classesāand I didnāt want to have any kind of judgment on me. Truth is, I wasnāt the kind of girl everyone expected to get pregnant in school. I wasnāt religious either, but I had this kind of āambitious girl attitudeā on campus. Iām sure you know what I mean. Yes, the type that was always attending seminars and all kinds of self-development programs.
Thatās by the way. Well, Iām not going to go into details to bore you with every single thing that happened when I got back to school. Iām only going to share a few vital ones.
Back to classes, I told a few good friends. I trusted them and knew they would support me like Femiās mother. I was wrong. Soon after telling my āfriends,ā I found out that some of them suddenly stopped speaking to me. I bet they werenāt able to deal with the fact they knew I was pregnant. And I was chastised for being immoral for having premarital sex and for deciding to carry my pregnancy.
Well, somehow, I felt lonely. It was a very challenging time. A lot of people that you thought would be there for you, wonāt. It was surprising because I had a few friends, but there seem to be nobody I could relate to except Seyi and Kemisola. Both were the ones who didnāt disappear completely. Then I remembered a quote I once heard on a radio station, and it went thus, āBefore sex, you help each other to get naked and after sex, you only dress yourself. Moral of the story: In life, no one helps you when youāre āf*ckedā.
I was emotionally drained. I knew I needed a shoulder to lean on but there was no one around me. I attended lectures about two-three times a week. My only hope was that Iād be free after exams.
Femiās POV
Biola went back to school and yet she didnāt want to talk to me nor changed her mind and answer my calls. It bothered me why she was keeping malice with me. I soon realized she was always talking to my mom over the phone. So one day I tried calling her with my momās phone. She picked up as soon it rang. Biola went mute the moment she heard my voice.
āBiola, what have I done to deserve this long silence from you? Did I offend you in any way?ā
Silence.
āYou keep ignoring my calls and texts,ā I continued.
āFemi what else do you want us to chat about? Iām not in the mood for all these conversations. My mental health is paramount to me, please,ā she said and paused.
āYes, I know we donāt have much to talk about. Hearing your voice is enough. I still care. I really do. Itās only my father who has been taking the whole thing too far,ā I added.
āThank God you know heās been overdoing things. Your father literally talked to me like I was a prostitute. There was nothing he didnāt say to me,ā she lamented.
āI thought as much. And Iām sure thatās the reason you have been avoiding me. You wouldnāt believe what I went through in his hands.ā
āFemi, whatever. Iāll be fine,ā she hanged up speedily.
Well, I reserved my hatred for my father. For the being whose blood flows in my veins. He thought himself above mistakes and seemed like he was the most righteous man on earth. Whenever I talk to my father, I end up frustrated. My father and I began to have issues in our father/ son relationship. He messes with my mental health whenever I talked to him.
I honestly didnāt know how to stop getting so worked up over it. Itās usually him telling me something, giving me advice or telling me his opinion on something that Iām doing, or telling me something about what someone else has done and just trying to teach me something. I usually describe it as a lecture. One that I didnāt sign up for.
There were times that I decide to listen, and there were times that I get so worked up. When I told him about how I get frustrated when I talk to him, one of the things he said was along the lines of, āyou donāt need to get so frustrated.ā
I know I donāt like my dad because I get so prickly over anything he says plus I kind of try to avoid him, limit any time we can talk to each other which can make me feel kind of guilty because I know he means well. But, this doesnāt stop the fact that he gets on my nerves and how I donāt like talking to him.
Itās great when I donāt care and Iām not listening and just want him to finish talking. But, I donāt think Iām always going to be like that. Randomly, Iād decide that I want to actually hear him out but I get so worked up afterward that itās difficult for me to concentrate on other things. Thatās annoying! So I had to complain to my mom so she could talk to him but then my mom called me to a corner and she said: āYou might feel he doesnāt understand you, isnāt supportive of you, or doesnāt give you the independence you need. The important thing to remember is that your dad is probably trying to do these things but in a different way from what you want. Have you tried to tell him how you feel? Imagine in your head the way you would like him to talk to you and then tell him your suggestions. If your dad does mean well, as you say, he will listen to you.ā She said and paused. After some seconds, she continued:
āWe can love people and be annoyed or dislike them at the same time. When you find these negative feelings to take over, remind yourself of positive memories with your dad and your relationship with him. This could be as small as him driving you somewhere or saying goodnight before you go to bed. Think of something you would like to do with your dad and let him know. Spending positive time with him may also help decrease your feelings of dislike.
When we are angry or frustrated, we often react rather than respond. This means we do and say things without thinking and often end up regretting them or feeling guilty. When we respond, we have had time to not let our emotions take over. It might help to try to respond to your dad rather than react. So when you are recognizing yourself getting worked up, stop, take a deep breath and either tell yourself some calming words in your head or take some time out by yourself.ā Mom finally stopped.
That was the first time I watched my mom speak so intelligently and I was wowed. Through the help of my mom, we were able to convince my father to allow me further my studies. He accepted but he gave us a condition that he wasnāt going to spend on my unborn baby. He said Biola and I would find a way to carter for the baby. He would only fund my school and nothing more.
And that was how my dream of going to University was revived. In the next episode, Iām going to tell you what my life at the university was like. Till then.
Choose Episodes Below;
Note: episodes already read are highlighted in red!
Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 3 Episode 4 Episode 5 Episode 6 Episode 7 Episode 8 Episode 9 Episode 10 Episode 11 Episode 12 Episode 13 Episode 14 Episode 15 Episode 16 Episode 17 Episode 18 Episode 19 Episode 20 Episode 21 Episode 22 Episode 23 Episode 24 Episode 25 Episode 26 Episode 27 Episode 28 Episode 29 Episode 30
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