Imagine realizing that everything you believed in has always been a lie. A week after “my mother’s” great outburst, things just worsened. It was like since I already knew the truth, there was no need to act like she really cared anymore. I knew she could decide to throw me out anytime but something just kept stopping her. I know this because of the heated arguments she keeps on having with her boyfriend and my name just can’t stop popping up. I became very careful and cautious of her boyfriend, especially after our last encounter. A week to my final exams, I came home and just when I was about entering, an elderly woman was coming out. At first, I couldn’t recognize who it was until she screamed my name. It was my dad’s elder sister. I hugged her with so much joy as I let my tears flow freely. When she finally released me, I could only just stare at her in search of answers.
“Why did you just leave us? It’s been hell here” I said in tears. I wanted to tell her so much but the look on her face told me something worse was going on. She stroked my rough face with her soft hand and a painful tear dropped from the corner of her right eye.
“Temitope oko mi, I’m sorry but there’s not much I can do for you at the moment. Your mother is going crazy. She has a restraining order on us; we’re not allowed to take you anywhere.”
“Why?” I asked in confusion. “She’s not even my mother.” I blurted in anger.
“You know?” She asked in shock and I just shrugged.
“She told me when she burnt me with an iron” I replied with a straight face.
“There is more to all these than you think. Temitope we can’t get a hold of your father’s will.”
“What??”
“Why do you think we don’t have a say in all of these? The family can’t do anything; we’ve all been shut out. I came here to talk to her and she literally threatened to have me arrested.”
“This doesn’t make any sense; dad had a lawyer.”
“The lawyer claims not to have it. He said your father collected it from him for safe keeping before he died.”
I sighed heavily and just stood there in shock. Am I ever going to get through this?
“What are we going to do now?” I asked in a very hopeless voice.
“Until we get that will, nothing. Even the lawyer is hardly seen these days. It’s like there’s something shady going on with him. You have to be strong my darling.” She said with her hands on my shoulder. I can only tell you things would be fine eventually, just not yet.” I could tell she really felt sorry for me. I just nodded sadly. We took a walk for a while, got her phone number, before I finally went back home. Entering the house felt like torment to me. I just didn’t belong there.
“Why are you just getting back?” My mum asked from the sofa she was sitting on. She looked so haggard and tired.
“School.” I replied sheepishly. She gave me an “I can tell you’re lying” look and just shrugged and went in. Some hours later, my siblings came in and sneaked into my room. We were not really allowed to hang around each other anymore. Mum warned them to steer clear of me and the one time they refused, they received the beating of their lives. So sometimes, I chase them off myself. Seeing them get hurt just keeps tearing me apart. But this moment, I just needed to hug them and they gladly wrapped themselves around me. After a while, I let them go and they left the room silently. I rested for a while and went to the kitchen. I heard mum’s boyfriend come in and murmuring. They didn’t seem to get along the way they used to but it wasn’t my business. I finished cooking, did some random cleaning and went to my room to rest when I started hearing noise again. I groaned in anger and covered my head with my pillow. Some minutes later, the boyfriend entered my room closely followed by mum and then she turned back quickly and locked the door. It was like my worst nightmare was playing out right in front of me. I jumped up in confusion and tried to protect myself.
“We can do this the easy way, or the hard way.” he simply said. I knew there was nothing I was going to say that could save me from the brutality I was about to go through.
“Please, don’t do this. Don’t you even respect my mother?”
He scoffed and smiled a little. Your mother? Nahh, she’s not your mother. Plus, she gave me the permission to do this.” My eyes opened wider at this revelation and I just started crying. I tried to fight but it was of no use. He hit me severally until I was bleeding and didn’t have the strength to fight anymore.
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