yellow lode

CHAPTER ONE

              I Have a Dream, a song to sing. 🎶
               To help me cope, with anything🎶🎶🎶
           If you see the wonder, of a fairy tale🎶🎶
         You can take the future, even if you fail🎶🎶
                                     "By ABBA"

grateful will I have to be if not this much, i feel as though i have been given the most precious gift of all, to me it is indeed precious, i need to leave this house, gosh.....
Did you hear me? My Dad said softly, with a pleasing smile

Yes sir, i could barely hear him, the excitement clouds my mind and maybe did block my ears because i can only hear myself clearly, all i want to hear is safe journey and the " be a good girl" phrase, i wonder why they always say that, because I am a good girl, or am i not?

What is wrong with this girl? What did your Dad just say?
Abi this school no hungry you again? My mum said in a gruff manner

Ma..., no i can hear what daddy sa...id

Common shut up and listen If you like don't hear, if you useless yourself remain there oo ehen don't come back to my house.
She twiddled her waist on the couch, if you like don't hear

Well be a good girl my dad continued ignoring my mum's drama, and always know that we love you okay?

I Love u too dad and i will always be a good girl...(in one breath)

Be very careful of friends i repeat, don't be influenced by bad manners, he grabs my chin with his both palms and kiss my forehead,
Remember your brothers and set a good example, okay?
Okay sir, For a minute i have this strong repose in my self, like i knew what is ahead of me, oh yes am not going to fail them, i said boldly to myself. I'm not going to disappoint you both, i promise.

Come here jare let me pray for you mum said rolling her eyes

I Stood up with haste and knelt down resting my elbows on her thighs, as she mutters' her prayers to God,
........in Jesus name we pray,

Amen! "hastily" as I stood with excitement,

Wait.....
if u like eh if you reach there, de do like bole....... Hmmm
My dad smiled and gazed at her as she smiled in return, i wondered why a graduate like my mum will always derived joy in conversing in pigeon english.

Oh no the love gaze has started!

they should have allowed me leave first, I do admire that, but i do get this irritation or will I say "just get a room look" when they start acting out, I broke the silence.

Emm..........!

Daddy when Chris and Elvis comes back from school tell them i left biscuit for them in that old granny's bag hanging on the wall close to the window in my room.

Who gave you money to buy biscuit? He asked staring his sharp bright eye with some red veins in it as if his head was smashed on the wall, or will i say that look a rat gives when the head is smashed on the ground

Daddy its that money you give me some times for my up-keep,

Mhm... okay, let me take you to the park, you should know your way from there right?

Ehe.! I nodded

Abeggi please take her to the lodge gon gon, i don't want any story oo, my mum said softly as she walked pass us swiftly, follow me she said, come and take anointing oil and if you like don't pray, all those environment winchi winchi go throw party for your head, mtcheww.

Baby!

Sir!
Meet me down stairs when you are done with your mum

Okay sir.........

My mum can always be serious looking but this time she has a troubled look, because she knew she won't be there to monitor or caution my every move, i walked into the room, she sat on the bed sinking it down with her weight, the wall had so many carving images hung on, some times I wondered if mum and dad were once herbalist, I mean the village babalawo type because of their high taste and urge for craving images,
We stay in a two bedroom flat one room for me and my brothers the other for mum and dad, we are average Nigerians that can at least have a 3 times Square meal, we are content and grateful with what we have.
My parents are both graduates but both are now business gurus, I believe they weren't fit for white collar jobs that's if a decent one with good pay could be found, since getting job in Nigeria is by luck or connection neither of them could get a job that can be called "a good one"

Both had to start a palm kernel oil business, which is so far helping the family.

I sat on the carpet floor close the wooden bed and stared at the table television on a brown scaling stool, trying as much as possible to avoid eye contact with mum.

See my girl,
............swerve to my direction with her eye fixed on me
You see.. where you are going to I'm not going to be there, neither is your dad, i want you to be wise, don't be deceived by anybody especially those small small boys that will be circling you like flies,
Yes, (she said fiercely) boys... they will definitely come,
Do you know why? Mum asked!

Didn't want to nod or sway both sides so I gave a nervous and a quick blink

Yes! She said softly, I will tell you,
It's because you are a girl and you are pretty, I won't lie to you they can be very enticing oooo but don't be deceived, don't get me wrong my dear, you can make male friends but that should be the hard working and intelligent onces that can help improve you, not deplete you, hope you can hear me cause i dont know what you are staring at..

Yes mum, I responded in a shivering voice, I am not sure why I shivered but I think my body is responding quick to fear than my mind.

Be a good girl, she continued
and if you need anything call me or dad, we will try our best, and most important remember you are on scholarship, if u GP goes below required you loose it, now look at me, she turned my face to her direction
You know we cant afford it, cause it's a private University and their school fees are over the mountains, so you have to promise not to fail us or abi you want our street people to laugh at us......

(She clapped her hands, hit on her thigh and threw it up in the air, as she tries to mimic gossipers.)

ehen ..... (taps me and continued) you know mama chika, yess.. that her chika pikin na drop out oo, hmm after all their nyanga wey she don do, mtcheww na wetin good for them.

Do you want people to say that?

No mum, I answered with a long face, not that I really care what they say but becoming a drop out is clearly out of my thought.

So please baby make me proud okay..

Ok mum I answered dutifully

She reached her right hand on the floor and handed me a bottle of olive oil but not the ordinary olive oil you could think about, this one has been blessed by our church priest, it's now the holy anointing oil,

Rub it on your forehead every day okay.

Okay mum...

Oya. Go downstairs and meet your dad
At this moment i felt pity for myself, i am expected to do even more better than i think, i need to achieve more or i will bring shame to my family, suddenly that excitement I had was gradually fading, yes i want to be free, to do extra things i want to make new friends, go outing but now seems there is more to this freedom that i seek.

Slangs used and meaning :
Pikin: child
Oya: okay or go ahead
Nyanga: boast/ brag about something
Bolé: ripe plantain or to be soft and gullible
Winch Winchi:  a witch or a stubborn fellow
Gon gon:  "exact"

What do you think about the story?
Do you think Chika will be more focused if she gets to school?
Kindly comment, like and share, support you girl ❤
Next part coming soon