No More Mistakes #Projectnigeria

Chapter 33

Chapter 33

AYODEJI'S POV

  My mum came to pick me up by 10 p.m. I waited for the questions but she didn’t ask questions, she just drove in silence.
“M…mummy”
“Ayo, let’s get you to the hospital first”
“Please I just want to go home, I’ll be fine”
“Ayo, you are limping”
“Please, I’ll go tomorrow” I said, she didn’t reply.
Soon, we were at my house. My mum held my hand while I limped to the door. Mum knocked on the door but there was no answer. She knocked again until Lara opened finally opened the door.

“Good evening ma” Lara greeted her as she opened the door. She scrutinized my face as she and my mum helped me to enter the house and sit down on the couch.
“Omolara, please help him clean up”
“Okay” she quickly got warm water and a towel. I was still shirtless, I left the shirt at Rachel’s house. As Omolara pulled my trouser down, I was fighting the tears about to escape from my eyes. My left leg was swollen and both legs had bruises just like the rest of my body. Omolara squeezed the towel and started cleaning the blood on my body.
“Ayodeji, where did you go? My mum asked, she looked angry. I looked at Omolara who was barely looking at my face.
“M…mum” my voice cracked.
“I'll get some water” My mum said and went to the kitchen to get water. I flinched as Omolara cleaned the bruises on my chest.
“Sorry” she said and continued cleaning. Her expression was blank and it was quite disturbing. I couldn’t tell what she was thinking. My mum got the water and I drank it slowly.
“Oya start talking”
“Mummy, please I’m not ready”
“Ayodeji, are you mad?! Don’t allow me to slap you and add to your pain. Omolara, please drop the towel, I’ll take care of the rest. Thank you” My mum said but I held Omolara's hand.
“No, don’t go”
“Oh, she will sit and listen to your useless excuse. Omolara, I wish you didn’t have to cope with this disgrace of a son!” those words hurt more than the bruises on my body.
“Ayodeji, where were you?! Why are you like this?! You had no business being in the place I found you at” she held her head.
“A…are you okay?” she sat on the couch, breathing heavily.
“I think my blood pressure is high” she sighed. “I have to go home but Ayodeji, I am not done with you”
“You can’t go home like this” Omolara stated.
“I have to take my drugs” Mum replied.
“The gate man can drive, I’ll call him to drive your car, I’ll go with you” Omolara suggested. I was grateful that the attention was not on me anymore.
“I'll leave the car with you. I’ll send somebody to get it tomorrow. Thank you very much” Mum said as Lara went to call Garba.
“Ayodeji, I am tired of you” My mum said as I sat on the couch with blood on my face.
They left me sitting on the couch. Swollen legs, black eye, bruises all over my body.

‘I am tired of you, disgrace of a son' I recounted the words of my mum. I remembered Omolara calling me a monster. I was a bad person who hurt the people who care about me. My mum was the most compassionate among my family members and if she could say those things to me, I could imagine what my dad would say. I stayed still on the couch because I knew moving will cause the pain to worsen. Soon, my dad called me.

“He…hello” my voice was shaking.
“Ayodeji, I want to know everything that happened. The phone is on speaker. Talk” my dad’s voice was intimidating.
“Okay, I will. I went out to see… to see somebody”
“Let me guess, one of your girlfriends, bah?”
“No… yes” there was no point lying.
“Then she arranged boys to beat you?” There was humour in his words.
“I didn’t get the money she requested. She took my car, my phone, my card”
“At least, she didn’t take your life. Ayodeji, I don’t care what would have happened to you because you honestly deserve it but you will not stress your mother or this young lady who has mistakenly come into your worthless life.” Another one. “you are not the only child that your mother gave birth to, she will not die because of you. I really wish you didn’t get married to this girl, she’s just suffering under your roof. You don’t have money, oya be responsible at least, no. Jumping from one place to another and it’s not like you are doing anything productive. This is the last time, you will cause trouble for me and your mother, is that clear?”
“Yes, sir” I responded and he ended the call. The most painful part is that they were right. My big sister has never disgraced my parents like this, neither has my baby brother. It was just me, I was the black sheep in the family.
Omolara came back, she looked awfully tired.

“Lara”
“Ayo”
“I’m sorry. You are the only person who hasn’t said anything bad about me.” I limped to where she was and hugged her.
“I didn’t realize how much I need you” Her body stiffened immediately after I said those words.
“Ayodeji, let me go” I released her from the hug to look at her. She walked to her room and the next thing I knew, she was packing her clothes.
“Lara, please”
“Ayodeji, I remember the time you told me you needed me. This is where it got me. Things are not working out for you, you need me. I cared about you, you said you needed me and I went to you because I cared for you only to be laughed at later on” she was crying, I stood by the door unable to fight the tears slipping from my eyes. “I gave myself to you because you said you needed me. I was stupid, yes but I was thinking about you. You said you needed to feel better, I wanted you to feel better so I broke my ethics for you. Go and meet the friends who helped you to mock me. You need them not me” I didn’t want her to leave, I didn’t know how I would cope if she left now. Frank and Kunle would not help me, I knew they would tell me to forget about it and go on with my life. They would tell me to drink my sadness away.

“Please Omolara” I ignored every pain in my body and knelt down. “This last time, I promise. I’ll do it right, I’ll make an effort, I’ll try. Lara, please don’t give up on me” She looked at me with her eyes red and tears rolling down.
“Ayodeji”
“This last time, please. I owe it to you and everyone who has cared for me. Please” I crawled to where she sat on the bed.
“Ayodeji, this last time. Just this last time”
“Thank you, thank you very much” I was going to make it right for my parents, my sister, my brother, the people who ever tried to correct me. I had to make it right for Eriayomi because she doesn’t deserve a monster as a father, for Omolara because she doesn’t deserve a worthless husband like me. I was done with making people miserable like me, I’m not going to be that person anymore.