Life of a Nigerian Teenage Girl

FIFTEEN

Eriola Idowu

The noise was increasing outside, I don't understand why everything, it's one drama or the other. This term sef, different dramas. All of a sudden, mummy Tayo started shouting and calling my names.

Which kind wahala be this one now? I thought as I left my room where I was reading peacefully for my exam with Temi. Temi the amebo followed me, even Iniola too.

T: What sort of problem is this?

As we went outside to where mummy Tayo's voice came from, the noise increased. Temi and Iniola hid behind the door to do their amebo while I went outstide.

Standing out there was Cecilia and an older woman that looked like she had bleached the life out of her skin. She had stretch marks and was starting to look pink thanks to her bleaching. The woman was just shouting and kept asking for bro Tayo.

"Eri, sebi you were there that day at the beach. You saw Tayo and I". Cecilia said.

This girl must be moving mad. Why was she bringing this up where my mom was? Did she want to koba my brother?

T: Does she want to put my brother in trouble?

Thinking about how he cheated on Ini with this annoying senior made my blood boil, I was angry at him and wanted to make him pay for it. So I nodded.

"Yes, I saw you. Why are you asking that question tho? Are you that shameless to come say it to his mother?" I asked her not understanding why she was here talking about doing it with my brother.

The pink woman sighed, relieved. Who was this woman tho? Was she Cecilia's mother?

"I told you, how she no go sabi who give am belle?" The pink woman said in pidgin English.

T: How wouldn't she know who impregnated her?

She sounded quite local and razz, she couldn't have been Cecilia's mother, she used to brag about how her mother was a fashion Icon in Paris and how she travels in and out of the country like it's Lagos to Ibadan.

But wait oooo, belle? Pregnancy? Was Cecilia pregnant for him? Oh my God.

"Eri, are you sure about what you are saying?" Mummy Tayo asked me as if I'm stupid. Shey I will not know what I'm saying again ni?

"Yes, I am very sure! I saw them with my two eyes". I replied. That's how mummy Tayo started beating me, ah! Is it me that give girl belle ni?

"Mummy Tayo, ahh.... what did I do na?" Why was she beating me.

"You should have said something, why did you keep quite? Shey eyin omo yi fe pa mi ni? That idiot is there..... go and call your brother for me". She was beating me because I did not tell her? Is it my business?

T: Are you kids willing to kill me?

I went inside to go and call him, he was busy chatting and laughing like no tomorrow.

"See mummy is calling you oooo, you better go outside now because you have enter trouble". I told him not even waiting for a response before going back outside.

He had been trying to talk to me since the beach but I've been ignoring him. When he saw me enter his room, he smiled at me with hope but what's my own? Baba baby!

T: Baby daddy

"So na the boy wey give my pipkin belle be this? You no fit keep am for yourself trouser" the pink woman shouted annoying our mom and shocking the day light out of bro Tayo.

T: So this is the boy that impregnated my daughter? You couldn't keep it in your trouser.

"And your daughter couldn't keep it in her pants? Watch what you say woman". Mummy Tayo replied her taking her son's side.

"How you take train you pikin?"

T: How did you train your kids?

"How did you train yours? Oh, I can see from you that's she didn't exactly fall too far. Pink woman!" Mummy Tayo replied her.

Ehn ehn! It is not only be seeing how close she was to pink from all the bleaching.

"Who is pregnant here?" Bro Tayo shamelessly said earning him a slap from mummy Tayo.

"You are sick in the head. You still have mouth! Tell me young man, how would you take responsibility for it?" Mummy Tayo asked him.

Holding on to where the slap had landed on his cheek, he looked at Cecilia very well.

"Will she not go to school? She should remove it na". He said shameless without fear.

"Ehn? God forbid bad thing. My head forbid bad thing! Make my pikin go die for where she dey commot belle. You see your pikin?" Pink woman shouted.

T: So my daughter can die while going through the abortion? Can you see your child?

"Then take responsibility for it na, do I look like I can take care of child". Bro Tayo replied her receiving a slap on the other cheek, this time from the pink woman.

"If you can take care of child, don't born child but this one, you have born it because my pikin no go commot belle". Pink woman told him while he had his hand on the other cheek too.

T: my child would not go through abortion.

Mummy Tayo just sighed not even sure of what to say, me sef I just looked at them and the mess he had caused.

"We will accept the child and take of the child. We will also be responsible for her during her pregnancy". Mummy Tayo finally said. Bro Tayo and I looked at her shocked.

"Na him open the package na, na him go carry the package" the pink woman said. At this stage I was confused, open package, carry package.

T: it was he who opened the package and he would be the one to carry the package.

"Ngbo?" Mummy Tayo asked bro Tayo.

T: is that alright with you?

"But I was the one who opened the package na". Bro Tayo said.

"Is a lie, it is him!" Cecilia shouted which somehow I sensed a lie but I was so confused about the whole package thing.

"Tayo, you have entered this one chance ooooo. You need to decided now!" Mummy Tayo told him.

After long silence, he finally said "I will marry her when I graduate. Immediately after my graduation".

It wasn't until later that night that Temi explained to me that opening package meant he deflowered her and carrying the package meant he would marry her.

Everybody kept teasing him that day calling him baba baby or oko iyawo. It was so crazy but he got his punishment fully.