INA-AYOMI

CHAPTER TWO

The faint knock on the door woke me up. Struggling out of my comfort zone I realized it wasn't so faint because now I could feel it in my head. Who could be knocking our door so early in the morning?

"Who is it"

"It is Ayo" uncle Ayo? what was he doing knocking on the door so early in the morning.

"Ina-ayomi who is that?".

"Mother it is uncle Ayo" her facial expression changed immediately the name left my mouth.

"Go to your room" I didn't want to argue, so I did as I was told and I heard mother open the door behind me.

"Ayoola it is 7am in the morning, what are you doing here?"

The rest was hushes and hisses I'm sure they were trying so hard so I would not hear but mother broke the code as she shouted

"What do you mean hospitalized and why should I care, he now has his wife to care for him"

"Ah! Bimpe don't speak in that manner he's still the father of your child" I couldn't take it anymore.

"What happened to father?"

"didn't I tell you to go inside your room?"

"I asked what happened to father?" both elders went silent turning a deaf ear to my question. Mother had been lying all these while but why? Father would never do that to us. Then I ran, I ran out of the house and into the streets to nowhere in particular I just kept on running with mother's call of my name just behind my ears but I didn't stop. Why did she have to lie to me?

Bimpe's pov

Ina-ayomi, we had picked that name together, Babawande and I. we were going to have this perfect family and we did, but for a little while. She was the light and joy of our heart I didn't know where I went6 wrong or what went wrong along the line. The only thing Babawande left me with was the house we built together, not like he had any other property elsewhere. We both knew the love wasn't there anymore but we were going to stay strong for our daughter and we tried but sometimes things don't work out.

One fateful afternoon, I was doing the laundry as usual Wande took Ina-ayo on their little secret trips I still wondered what they did for the three hours they were usually gone. It was also yam porridge day and we never missed it, every Friday evening we ate porridge "asaro elemi meje" it was Wande's favorite. The yam was on fire and all I had to do was put the clothes in the washing machine and lave them to spin while I mixed the porridge it was usually done before they got back at exactly 7pm.

I emptied his pockets I had always told him to do that before dropping them in the laundry room but he never listens. There it was the photograph it was a picture for a scan with a letter behind it that was the day it all crumbled.

"You told me you had signed the divorce papers Wande"" I did Bimpe but she was pregnant, what do you want me to do she has two of my sons".

He said sons as much as I was trying to keep my voice down. I wanted to tear him to pieces.

"We are not legally married but Solape and I are" he was right, he never allowed a court marriage he said the love we had was enough.

"Wet out!"

"I will go but Bimpe don't tell Ina-ayo"

"You think I want to ruin the girl's childhood? Just get out Wande".

He dropped a letter for Ina-ayomi that night which I never gave to her, she has me she doesn't need anyone.

But now I would have to explain to her, she was old enough to understand.

In turned to Ayoola "you better find me my daughter!!!!!".

INA-AYOMI

I stopped right in front of Gbenga's house, his mother wasn't around. I could tell, the house was quiet.

"Ina-ayomi what are you doing here so early this morning"?

I couldn't speak but I felt my cheeks wet, I didn't even realize I had been crying.

"Gbenga! Father isn't coming back". "Don't say that, he is. Come inside and sit. Why are you even sweating this much did you run? I nodded my head in affirmation.

I waited for him to nag at me but he didn't. "Would you like to talk about it"? I did, I broke down to the one person I knew I could always count on. He didn't speak a word just listened till I was done.

"But you know you should let her explain". I don't want to hear anything Gbenga. "Whose side are you on anyways"? Yours of course but I still have to tell you the truth you know.

"That woman would have given you the world if she could you know it. I just think you should listen to her." that's Gbenga as usual always being considerate. I cried a little more with Gbenga doing everything he could to cheer me up. One day I wish I could marry someone like Gbenga.

"Are you ready to go home? You know your mother would be worried sick by now". I nodded this was the last place mother always looked whenever I ran off and the truth is I'm usually always here.

We met uncle Ayo on our way back home.

"Get in!" I didn't argue because I was exhausted from all the running I did. The ride home was silent no one needed to talk, it was like we all knew the answers to every question in our minds. The moment I got down from the car mother rushed at me with a hug

"I'm sorry mother"

"it's okay as long as you are fine".

We went inside of course uncle Ayo was not allowed in mother said he had done enough. Mother decided I was old enough to hear the story of how it all began. Right then I was not so sure I wanted to hear but I deserved to know.

Mother said everyone is born with a purpose and mine was to be her joy she said because I complete her world. I wonder how I did that when she was always in tears. I didn't interrupt her I wanted to hear it all and understand every decision made. If my purpose is joy then why did father leave. I didn't understand any of it.

"your father and I where in love. It was reckless but we enjoyed it"