In the Loving Arms of Servitude

13. Mrs. Balogun

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"Mumi Tobi! How body nau? ", Mrs. Ajibade greets Amara, as they embrace each other after evening mass. And with a radiant smile, she replies, "Eeeey, my mumi! Good evening ma... Body dey well oo. God is ever faithful!"

"Yes oo, my dear. His mercies endureth forever!", Mrs. Ajibade proclaims. Thereafter, holding onto both Amara's arms, she asks warmly,
"And how is my boy?"

"He is fine.", Amara replies.

Mrs. Ajibade squints and continues, "I hope he did well, last term!"

"Yes o, mumi!... He scored an average of eighty seven percent(87%)."

"Wow!!! That's great!... Well, I expected nothing less from him. I've always known Tobi to be a little genius." Mrs. Ajibaje avers enthusiastically. Afterwards, they both laugh and start walking toward the church gate.

"Okay nau, mumi... Make I quick go enter bus. Goodnight!", Amara echoes, as they separate. Then bewildered Mrs. Ajibade turns and inquires, "Ah ah!... You did not bring your car???"

"No, ma. I just wanted to exercise a little bit today." she replies with a warm smile.

"Exercise ni!!!... This night??? Come on, let me give you a ride!... I will drop you off at Ikorodu, then you can exercise from there." Mrs. Ajibade insists with a bit of attitude, although in a friendly way, afterwhich Amara laughs and starts to walk toward her, saying, "Okay ma! No wahala."

Mrs. Ajibade, who goes to stand by her open car then peeps in to her house girl, "Topę! Oya, clear the front seat for her. Then put the yams and plantain in the boot... Yọ burẹdi kuro nibẹ! "
Subsequently coming out of the vehicle, Topę humbly responds, as though her visibly broken soul had fully acquiesced to its sub-par state,
"O daa, ma."
It's a bit dark right now to see Topę properly. But the light from the car is partially illuminating both her taciturn demeanor and the valley-deep tribal incisions running down her roughly kneaded cheeks, like scratches from an angry tiger's claws. Truth be told, it is never easy to tell the kind of expression on this poor girl's face. But even now, one thing is vivid in her countenance- she is utterly demoralized and emotionally shattered. Her unique facial appearance alone seems to have already marred her self esteem. Yet in addition, life has doomed her to slavery, as though it were her birthright. Poverty, illiteracy and servitude have taken away her ability to hope; her ability to dream. And now, she is like a walking shadow.
Whenever people see her cooking, cleaning or serving dishes, they brandish her perfectly fit to do so because to them, this is her sole purpose in life- to be faceless and voiceless; to serve for the rest of her days; and to only amount to whatever the stereotypical society deems fit. It is truly diabolical.