[STORY] FORSAKEN (Episode 10)

Episode 10.

Getting to aunty Faith’s flat,it was empty, obviously, she no longer lived there. I asked for her new address, but the landlord didn’t seem to know her whereabout and didn’t care either. We drove to her hair dressing saloon, she wasn’t there too, she had relocated, I was getting tired and frustrated, but I didn’t stop though. I continued asking persons around, until I saw a woman who knew her home.

Getting to the description, I couldn’t believe my eyes, Aunty faith and her family lives here? It was too rough and small a place to believe. My aunty was washing outside with two little boys about seven and four sat with her. I came closer to where she was and greeted her, she answered in such a calm and respectful manner, it was obvious she didn’t recognize me that was when I believed indeed I had really changed. I returned her greetings too and called my name she almost had a heart attack, she just didn’t believe who she was seeing standing before her. She hugged me tightly, begged for my forgiveness immediately with tears in her eyes.

I remembered grandmas and dad words, I quickly forgave her and asked a thousand questions at once, where is grandpa? My cousins peculiar and precious, your husband? I mean what are you doing in a place like this. She managed to feign a smile. ‘’how many questions will I answer at once? Well lets go inside, we have a lot to talk about. By the way, these are also your cousins ‘’Fabian and Desmond’’ she said. I hugged them close and asked how they were? When we got inside, grandpa was lying on a small foam on the floor, he was seriously sick, he couldn’t talk, but his actions and gestures explained it all, he was very sorry for everything. I bent towards him and hugged him. He was happy and tears of regret and joy rolled down his cheeks.

Everything seems just too much for me. So many thought ran through my head. My aunt noticed and decided to help me out. I know you have a lot going through your mind, I shall explain it all. Papa has been sick for over a year, I have no money to take him to the hospital for proper medication. Even the man who has a chemist down the road has refused to sell his drugs for me since I haven’t been able to clear my previous debts. Why is your husband not helping? I asked, and how come your family is living in a place like this? ‘’Jennifer if I had known; I would have listened to you’’.

My husband is a beast. He was driven from school because he was caught trying to force himself on a junior secondary school student. For the past five years, we have been living on the little from my saloon. I couldn’t feed the family and pay for the apartment all by myself, so we had to look for a smaller place. To make matter worse, last year he impregnated a girl outside and moved in with her, leaving me and my four children to suffer. I couldn’t pay the store rent, so I was asked to vacate the store, I make some weavings at home, we have been living from hand to mouth. Peculiar and precious went to hawk oranges and sachet water respectively. I couldn’t held back the tears from my eyes.

I had thought life was too hard on me, now I know my family got a share of life’s hardship too, my only pain now is to have stayed too long before coming. The very first thing now is to take grandpa to a good hospital. We carried him in my car and took him to one of the best hospital in town. I had called Lagos to inform Alex, dad, mom and my sister on the turn of events. I had to send the driver back when it was obvious I would stay longer than planned. After two weeks of treatment and proper medication, grandpa was able to talk.

the first words he said were Jennifer my blessed child, you are too kind, despite all I did to you, you loved me so much, but I paid you with hatred and wickedness because of the sins of your mother. Yet, you came back home and gave me my life back. Forgive me my precious jewel of a grandchild’’.

I felt so much emotion, to hear such words from grandpa to me was the best thing that had ever happened to me. At last he had seen that I am not Joy, am Jennifer, even though am my mother’s daughters, I am not my mother.

Grandpa I forgive you, get well soon so that we can go home together. I love you so much. I hugged him, it was a wonderful reunion, and I know grandma would be happy where ever she is.

It was exactly a month and grandpa was fit to go home. I had aunty faith made the best meal she could, and of course grandpa’s favorite, we ate together as a family, and even our neighbors joined us to appreciate God for the restoration of health and life back to grandpa.Four days after grandpa return home, he called me and asked about my welfare, I narrated all that happened from when I left aunty faith house that night till date, and of course the reason I had come home. Grandpa felt bad, that I had to go through all those in life. Aunty Faith was so ashamed of herself, but I told her not to be, as they were all in the past now, maybe those obstacles needed to come to make me the woman I am today. Grandpa asked me to put a call through to mom and dad in Lagos that he needed to thank them for all they had done for me. I can’t thank you and your household enough for all you had done for my grandchild; God who rewards our doings will reward you beyond your imaginations and expectation. Amen mom and dad chorused at the other end of the phone.
To Be Continued… . . . .

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