His Stepmother

When Kate had come to pick Oluwole up from school, his teachers made several complaints to her.

She casted a nasty look at Oluwole and his tears began to flow again. Oluwole knew within himself that now that his father was paralyzed, Kate would deal with him mercilessly and there would be nothing his father could be able to do about it.

“Why were you sleeping while your teachers were teaching today, Oluwole?” Kate asked with.

“I-I-I-I…” Oluwole stammered.

“You don’t want to answer me, right? Don’t worry, we would see about that when we get home” she said visibly pissed now.

Oluwole impulsively ran and hid behind Mrs. Sharon. He did not want to be beaten up by anyone anymore. Kate however dragged him forcefully to the car and drove off roughly. Mrs. Sharon only looked on with sad eyes.

“She is his mother anyways, my hands are tied.” she thought to herself.

That evening, Oluwole received the beating of his entire life. 

Tunde yelled from the room that Kate should stop but she only intensified the force with which she used to flog him and Oluwole wailed even louder.

It became so serious, the caretaker – Hilda had to go to the extant so as to hold on to the cane in an attempt to pleaded with her on the poor boy’s behalf.

“Ahh Madam biko, he don do na (it is enough). Oga be day shout since make you stop to day flog the boy. You one kill this pikin? (The child’s father has been shouting from upstairs that you should stop but you won’t stop, you may end up killing at this rate)” pleaded Hilda.

With anger written all over her face, Kate gave Hilda a resounding slap.

“Who gave you the right to interfere?” Kate asked the dumbfounded Hilda.

Hilda was furious that her boss had slapped her just because she felt for the well-being of the child under her care. She returned the slap. The two women engaged in a word fight and Oluwole took advantage of the opportunity to escape to his father’s room. Oluwole ran to his father’s room utterly battered. He held his loving father’s hand and wept bitterly before him.

Tunde held him as close to himself as his could and said, “Don’t worry my son, please wipe away your tears. I want you to know that in life we all make mistakes and one of the greatest mistakes I made was marrying that woman.” 

“I’m so sorry omo mi (my child), for whatever pain she might have caused and inflicted on you. It was never my intention to hurt you.” Tunde said with tears gathering in his eyes now.

Oluwole only cried the more as his father said those words. Unknowingly to them, Kate and Hilda had now broken into a wild fight. The neighbors curious about the cause of the loud ruckus, rushed into the house and eventually separated the raging women. 

“I will show you. I would make a mess of you in this town. Come let me show you the stuff that I am made off. Emi, Katey fire! It is me you common maid is messing with right? Come here!” yelled Kate even as she attempted to smack Hilda across the face once more. 

After several minutes of intervention and pacifying, Hilda then went to pack her things in preparation to leave the Ajayimore’ home. She knew she had no right to interfere but it clear to anyone who had two eyes that Kate was doing more than correcting the poor boy. 

“That woman get evil spirit! (That woman is possessed by an evil force)” Hilda said angrily to herself even as she stuffed her clothes into her luggage bag. 

“Shabi I don day comout. If you like, kill them two. You hear?? Anofia! (I am leaving and if it pleases you after I have left kill the both of them. I hope you can hear me. Idiot)”Hilda hissed even as she dragged her luggage out of the house.

She stopped a passing motor vehicle, got on it and left the premises. 

Mirabel who was fast asleep before had awoken and was now crying loudly because of all the shouting and argument going on. Kate rudely ordered all the neighbors out of her house. She was happy that Hilda was gone; as no one now would be able to stand in her way. She did not hire any other caretaker after her. She became the alpha of the family in terms of decisions and provisions. 

In the past, she and Tunde had used a joint account for their day to day transactions but now, she withdrew all his hard-earned money out into her personal savings account. What was left unaccomplished in her wicked scheme, was to inherit all of Tunde’s properties nationwide.

The following day at school, Oluwole narrated the entire scenario to Mrs. Sharon.

“Daddy is just on his bed. He cannot walk, sit up or stand.” Oluwole said with eyes and cheeks flooded in tears.

“David dohhh.” said Mrs. Sharon. “I am so sorry, Please clean those eyes!”

“You know what…?.” Mrs. Sharon continued.

“What?!” Oluwole said intently looking at his favorite teacher with expectant eyes.

“I think it’s out time I had a little chit-chat with your step-mother” she said with a frown.

“No Ma!!” Oluwole pleaded. “If you come to see her, immediately you leave she would skin me alive. She might even walk you out of the house” he added.

“Hmmm!” Mrs. Sharon sighed heavily with deep concern for young Oluwole.

“Okay Oluwole. If you think going to talk to her is a bad idea, I would not go” She brought out a wafer biscuit from her shoulder bag and handed it to Oluwole.

“Thank you Ma.” Oluwole said. “I have never stopped praying but things only seem to be going from bad to worse.”

“Are you really sure that you don’t want me to call her to order? I mean, look at you. She has inflicted so many bruises on your handsome face and arms.” Mrs. Sharon said pointing to the numerous bruises that Oluwole had.

“Yes Ma. I am sure.” Oluwole said. “I’d rather keep praying to God and believing that she has a change of heart towards me someday, than to risk being thoroughly beaten all over again.”

Mrs. Sharon and Oluwole now sat in comfortable silence. 

Even though Oluwole sounded quite tough on the outside, he knew he was losing it on the inside. 

“How much longer would I have to keep praying?” “Would my step-mother ever have a change of heart towards me?” “What if she never changes? What then would become of me and daddy?”

All these questions and more bugged the heart of young Oluwole even as he ate his wafer biscuits distractedly. However, no matter how hard he thought or tried to wrap his head around it, he later figured out that these were questions that even his favorite and highly intellectual teacher – Mrs. Sharon couldn’t answer.

“I would just have to wait to find out….” he concluded sadly taking a bite off the biscuit.