Brown Skinned Bet

Chapter XXX

•Daryl•

          "Yemisi,bring my plate of rice for me" I ordered lazily as I walked into the dining room. I'd finally taken to my mothers consistent pleas to wake up and begin my day which meant joining in the morning prayers as well as breakfast which always followed afterwards.

          "Damola,can't you see that your sister is sick?" My mother fired at me,pulling Yemisi back to the table before she could run the errand. "Ehn,but she's not complaining na" I dared to whine.

          "Wá, ṣe iwọ yoo lọ gbe ounjẹ yẹn! (Come on,will you go and carry that food!)" She ordered,causing me to groan. "Can I send Jaden?" I barely pleaded. "Damola,its like you're not ready to eat this morning. Don't stress these kids oh" she warned again hence my giving up and striding to the kitchen to get my food.

           Minutes after our breakfast,I had to help my mum get Jaden ready for daycare as well as Yemisi ready for her check up. Although she barely needed any help,Yemisi always exuded the alpha female aura,being almost independent in everything she did.

          I'd offered to take Yemisi with me for her checkup as my mum and I had agreed that I would be registering for JAMB examination today,though it had caused quite a hassle in the family. My dad had been against it,his claim being that I was going overseas for my college education anyway so he didn't see any point of my having to write UTME.

          But my mum had stood her ground,her defence being that we could gauge all our eggs in a single basket and I deserved to try out every single examination final year had to offer. I for one didn't see the need for the constant arguments over the phone when my mum could easily have her way without the knowledge of my dad.

         He was never home anyway,even with Yemisi going through yet another medical crisis,he still wasn't home. But if I were to defend my mums actions,I would call it her trying her best to ensure my dad's participation in my academic life.

          Honestly,finding the right words to describe the relief that had gushed through me the second I'd laid my eyes on Yemisi and my mum the minute I got home was almost impossible. I was glad I was home,I always felt the need to take responsibility for my family,because my dad never did,I always wanted to ensure them that they had a manly figure around and they could relax whenever I was present.

           But sometimes,it got hard. It got so hard that I wished I could shed the tears but I could never,because I was the one who had to stay strong. I knew my mum's health was deteriorating,she had undergone a breast lump surgery a few months after birthing Jaden and the effects still weighed on her. Perhaps that was another reason why she insisted on taking Yemisi,because she had check ups to run on herself as well.

           Yesterday,turned out to be one of those days when it pressed down on me a bit too much. Yemisi had collapsed in the morning and my mum had just left for work. Of course,it became my job to drive through the ever busy streets of Lagos as I headed for the hospital,dialing my mothers number only after I'd gotten her admitted. My mother,being herself,had come scurrying to the hospital,almost losing herself at the thought that she was going to lose her child.

           To our good fortune,it hadn't been anything serious. She'd fainted due to fatigue as she hadn't been eating properly so the doctor had placed her on a drip for a while before prescribing some supplements and multivitamins for her. On our return home,I felt so broken. It was hard having to watch the frail state of my sister and not being able to do anything for her. It was hard watching my mother wail over her child and still not being able to anything but 'watch'.