Lineage

Titilayo Fatimilenyi Part 3

Titi grew up in her aunt's, completed her secondary school education, and went in for secretarial studies. She got a job and met Bankole Dada; they fell in love and got married. He was a kindhearted and soft-spoken young man. Financially he was doing well; they lived comfortably in the city, a two-hour drive from her hometown. Bankole lost both of his parents when he was a child and was raised by his extended family, and for this reason, he was open to having members from both of their families come to visit. Titi wasn't comfortable with it and so the couple agreed that only close family members could come. Others can be supported financially but will not be allowed to stay over.

Titi finally got pregnant after being married for over a year. This was odd because most people fall pregnant almost with the first three months of marriage. Family members had started showing concern about probable barrenness. At last, she was pregnant, Titi and her husband  were so happy. Six weeks into her pregnancy she had a worrisome dream. She saw a black cloud glided towards her as she lay down on the bed. Titi could not move or shout. She tried to reach her husband  who was lying right beside her but couldn't. It moved closer to her, stretched out its "hand" inserting it into her abdomen, and she could feel it squeeze and pulled out her unborn child. The fetus wriggled and died. Titi finally could scream and her scream woke Bankole. There was a sharp pain and she screamed again. She felt something warm and wet underneath her, lifted herself and saw blood on the bed. 

She screamed, "Oh my God!" 

Titi cried all the way to the hospital. All her husband could do was hold her and console her. Titi was sad for many days. She had lost appetite for food and interest in any otheractivity. Bankole was also devastated by the loss but he was strong for his wife. He knew how troubled she had been when it took too long for her to conceive. Tests confirming their fertility was the only thing that put her mind to rest. The doctor had warned them about the effect of anxiety on conception. Now he must help his wife come out her state of fear and sadness into a positive mindset. 

Six months later, she got pregnant again, this time she begged her husband not to tell anyone, and no one may come stay with them. By the fifth week she notices two, sometimes three crows on their rooftop. She didn't like it, not with the dream she had. Just thinking about it scared her, and she held her tummy to assure herself that her baby was still there. She'd chase them away and they would return. Another dream of the black cloud. It has returned and again it removed her baby. Titilayo screamed, this time she was alone and lost the baby again. Why her? She later discovered Bankole had told her mother and sister that she was pregnant again. Titi knew he had a good heart and was very trusting, but her guts told her not to trust her mother or sister.That's why he insisted on her be raised by histwin sister. Titi decided that the next pregnancy she would tell no one, noteven her husband. Titi decided that the next pregnancy she would tell no one, not even her husband. Her mother and sister had come on a condolence visit and begged her to come home more often like her husband. Bankole was more than happy to have a mother-in-law and sister-in-law. He would often go visit them. Her mother and sister were tried to persuade her to talk to her mother if and when she is faced with any problems. Her sister emphasizing how often their mother had helped her out of many tight and sometimes deadly situations. Their mother had her ways of making problems go away. 

Things weren't also going well for her husband at his workplace. Bankole almost lost his job. They accused him of embezzlement of company funds. He could not explain how large sums of money running into hundreds of thousand vanished. Bankole and Titi were grateful that at least he had completed the repairs to her mother's home. The repairs had required he traveled down almost every other weekend to inspect the progress of the work. Titi hardly embarked on such trips, but now things were really tough for them, she decided to seek her mother's help. When Titi got to her mother's home, she saw that her husband had done a great job. He had installed a water closet toilet in the house; there was also a nice kitchen, with a kerosene stove instead of firewood. The leaking roof had also been repaired and the entire house was repainted. Her mother was not home and for some unknown reason, she felt quite uncomfortable staying. She felt like she was being watched by invisible eyes. She rushed out of the house and she left a message with a neighbour to tell her mother that she came.

That same night, Titi had a nightmare again. She was at a party with her mother and sister, with lots of food to eat. Titi felt out of place she knew no one else except her mother and sister. Then her mother welcomed her and told her that once she joins this group, she would not have to worry about any of her problems anymore. Titi would have the power to stop the problems she has been having and change any unpleasant situation. Just then, Tolu her elder sister brought her something to eat. Titi took it and just as she was about to put it in her mouth, she looked up and saw the evil dark cloud hovering above them. She was so frightened that she dropped what Tolu had given her, screamed, and woke up. Titi was shaking with fright, wondering what was the meaning of the dream. She remembered as children her aunt would always warn them never to eat food outside the home or eat in the dream. For that reason, Aunty Kehinde would never send them to bed hungry. Titi asked herself, could her mother and sister be responsible for the predicament she and her husband have faced and which group did her mother want her to join. Titi needed help, she was losing her mind.