chapter 33: miracle

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by mirabelivie1

by mirabelivie1

I knew I needed to apologize, or I’d lose so much. My dad had promised me a new phone, and with my plans to start attending lectures soon, I had to stay on his good side. One evening, using my mom’s phone, I called him.

"Dad, I’m sorry," I said, my voice low but sincere.

He didn’t reply immediately. There was a long pause before he spoke. "Mimi, I don’t tolerate disrespect. Never talk to me like that again. Do you understand?"

"I promise, Dad," I said quickly.

After what felt like an eternity, he finally accepted my apology. I sighed in relief, knowing I had mended the bridge, even if it was shaky.

Life gradually returned to normal, with my dad’s new family becoming a distant reality we had adjusted to. At school, we were in the third term, and excitement filled the air as graduation plans began. I couldn’t believe it—I was finally going to be done with secondary school!

But one thought kept nagging me. I knew if I wanted to pass my Junior WAEC and JAMB, I couldn’t stay at my mom’s place. There were too many distractions, and no good lectures were available nearby. The best lectures were in Igbowo, which was far from us. The only option was to live with my dad’s younger sister, his second-to-last born.

She was married with three children, including a set of twins, a boy and a girl. I had visited her once when she was pregnant, and the memory was vivid. She was strict, almost scary, though she had a soft side.

I couldn’t forget an incident that happened back then. She raised chickens in her compound, and she knew I was terrified of them. One day, she asked me to clean the chicken area.

"Aunty, I’m scared," I pleaded.

But she wasn’t having it. "Mimi, you’ll clean it today," or else I will deal with you she said firmly.

With trembling hands, I opened the door to the chicken coop. The moment I stepped in, one of the chickens flapped its wings and flew out. I screamed and ran as fast as my legs could carry me. Two chickens escaped into the bush.

When she saw what had happened, her stern look softened. "Go and find those chickens na," she said.

I cried, refusing to go back. Eventually, she pitied me and searched for the chickens herself. I left her house the next day, swearing never to return. I was just in JSS2 then.

Now, years later, I was older and wiser—or so I thought. I convinced myself I could handle her strictness this time. In fact, her discipline might even make me more serious. With that thought, I decided to stay with her, attend lectures, and focus on my WAEC and JAMB preparations. This was my chance to prove I could handle responsibility and push closer to my dreams.