Life as She knows it

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I was known to be a confused person when I was young.
          I would say yes or no when a question wasn't even asked and I would say okay when I was asked a question. I have so many memories of those situations, but note that it wasn't because I chose to be confused that I was confused. It was because at the point when a statement or a question is made to me, I might not hear but I would know they were talking to me. I would see their mouths moving and I would try to follow the movements of their mouths but it would be making no sense to me even after telling them to repeat whatever they said.
Those confused times of mine were caused by the low voices of the person talking or malfunction of the hearing aid. Believe it or not, the hearing aid wasn't the complete solution to my ear problem, I had to take drugs too and at times the hearing aid won't function properly- it starts to malfunction after a period of time in which it has fallen severally (short distance) or drops of water have touched it more than once. There were/ are times I would forget I'm wearing a hearing aid when I enter my bathroom and turn on the shower- the hearing aid will begin to feel like a part of your body after months of wearing it, it is light in weight, and it has no uncomfortable part that would remind you from time to time that it's in your ear.
          I was in my cousin's house for two weeks. I was spending the holiday with the family, Perez had refused to come along with me preferring to stay at home with the television in the playroom all to himself.
"Naomi​!" My aunt would shout everyday and I would not hear.
"Naomi, my mom's calling you." My little cousin would say.
"Oh. Okay"
"I've been calling you." My aunt would say when I walk into the kitchen or wherever she was at the time
"I didn't hear you ma." I would say for the third or more time that day all the while watching her mouth.
"O gà o" (This is serious).
"Is this food enough for you?" She would ask.
"Okay ma." She would then look at me with raised eyebrows.
"I asked if the food is enough for you" Her voice would be raised.
"Oh. Yes ma."
"O gà o" (This is serious).
"Is your hearing aid not working?" She asked one day.
"It is ma, but not very well, I think the battery needs to be changed."
"Àbàjó" (No wonder).
When my parents came to get me after two weeks, my aunt complained.
"You people are really trying, I can't count the number of times I shouted her name. There was a time a car almost hit her when I took her and Olaosebikan to plait their hair, you won't believe she didn't hear the car horning, neither did she hear my shout her name until I ran to grab her for she was a distance away from me. It's well!"
New hearing aids were bought for me.
By the time I was I senior secondary school I had about six hearing aids, I would change them from time to time as soon as one stopped functioning well.

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          There was no complaint from any hearing aider about another hearing aider during our meetings which was twice in two months, although when the group was first created we had meetings every two weeks. I would leave school once in a while just to attend the meetings- I balanced school and the group's meetings fairly well.
Some of the members were from different states and they were elderly people who could leave their works and family to attend the meetings.
A beautiful Spanish teenager once reached out to me via Instagram direct messenger, she had seen Perez's post through a repost by one of his followers.
She had written in English but when I found out that she was from Spain I insisted/ pleaded that she re-write all she had written in Spanish. I had learnt how to communicate and write in Spanish two years ago in a language school at Lagos so I wanted to know what it felt like to chat in Spanish.

Jamié_Derulo: Hola! ¿Como estas? Mi nombre es Jamié. Quiero hacerle una pregunta acerca del grupo que ha creado para personas que usan audifonos. (Hi! How are you doing? My name is Jamie. I have a question about the group you've created for people using hearing aids).

She uses a hearing aid too and wanted to be part of the group. I would then Skype her with my laptop when we had our meetings and I would place my laptop on a table in front of other members so she could be part of the meeting even though she was far away, other times I would make a video of the meeting and send it to her.
          When I say there was no complaint from other hearing aiders I mean no one complains about the fact that one says yes when a question isn't asked and says okay when a question isn't asked, no one complains about the six people who use hearing aids for both ears, no one complains about the fact that some people are there to ask for help and to learn more about the hearing aids as they do not have enough money to buy hearing aids for themselves. They only Talk about an interviewer who told them to remove the 'bluetooth' from their ear/ears and how the job wasn't given to them because they were told it is a hearing aid, according to them- interviewers "Using a hearing aid can make you carry out an order different from the one given to you." ,Talk about being looked- down- upon, Talk about the exam invigilator who snatched the hearing aid from their ear and insult them because according to them "It is a device that tells you the answer to the questions." until they are told that it's a hearing aid and if the invigilator doesn't know what a hearing aid is, it would've to be explained to him/ her- later on the invigilator would apologise or not apologise, Talk about the irritating statement "Wear your hearing aid first, I want to talk to you." like they are deaf without their hearing aids, Talk about their father or mother yelling and giving them lengthy advises all the time about "The benefits of wearing the hearing aid even in the house."
The truth is, once in a while I do not like to use my hearing aid especially at home so when my father or my mother start to tell me to put on my hearing aid, I get pissed off. My train of thought would be "I use it outside the house and in the house, can't I feel like a proper human for once without having to think about my hearing aid or my ear problem?".
Anyways we comfort ourselves and dish out advises and words of comfort when we tell ourselves what we go through with our hearing aids in our ears.
          It was after that PUHAs meeting that I met OluwaJuwonlo.
Some five years later he and I would be sleeping on the same bed with rings on the fourth finger of our left hands, I would then wake up to the cries of my babies- twin girls. But at the time of meeting him I didn't know he was my future husband of course.
Do you ever wonder who among your many friends, both new and old, who among your classmates, who among the people you meet by mistake or coincidence would be your husband or wife? I would think about it five years later and say to my self "The meeting him by chance led to marriage. Wow!"
          I was on my way out of the building we use for our meetings to get a file from my car when Amaka, one of the young hearing aiders ran past me. She ran to a car that had just arrived in front of the gate.
"Uncle J!" She exclaimed  when the person behind the wheel gets out of the sleek black Benz. She hugged the tall man when he bent and stretched open his arms to receive her hug, he was fairly light in complexion.
He turned to face me with Amaka in his arms.
"You must be Miss Naomi."
"Yes I am."
"It's nice to meet you. Amaka talks about you and the good things you've done for her all the time."
"Really? Ami baby, thank you for saying good things about me." Amaka blushes.
"She says you are her role model."
"It's okay uncle J" Amaka said rather embarrassed at the fact that her uncle had revealed something she didn't want him to. I laugh.
"I never knew I was anyone's role model." I turn to Amaka and Pat her cheek fondly.
"I'm OluwaJuwonlo, Juwon for short."
"Alright OluwaJuwonlo."
"Eh, call me Juwon" At this point Amaka told her uncle to put her down and she ran to meet her friend standing in front of the building promising to be back in seconds. The small building we had managed to rent was painted purple, a rather unique color for the unique purpose it was serving. I followed Amaka with my eyes. She is rather plump for her age, ten. I turn to face her uncle while wondering how he had managed to carry her.
"I prefer to call people by their full names." I reply him.
"Okay o. Ummmmmmmm.. I will like to thank you for what you've been doing for Amaka, her mother who happened to be my elder sister died almost a year ago, as soon as she gave birth to Amaka's baby brother. A rather unfortunate thing."
"Amaka told me about it, she is a strong girl. She didn't cry while telling me about it and besides you don't have to thank me for it, she's not one to not be nice to. I'm really sorry about your sister, may her soul rest in perfect peace."
"Amen, thank you. I am still amazed at her display of strength. She must have gotten it from her father."
"Hmmhmm. Sorry to ask but where's her father? He is supposed to pick her today."
"Oh, he suddenly had to travel for an impromptu business meeting and he'll be gone for a week or so. He told me to come and get her."
"And the baby boy?"
"Kamsiyochukwu is his name, He is in a daycare."
"He'll be really cute, since Amaka is."
"Indeed he is. Take a look at him." He brings out his phone from his pocket and double taps the screen. His wallpaper shows Amaka seated on a cream sofa with a rather chubby and cute baby on her laps, she is supporting his head with her hands and smiling brightly at him. The sight makes me sigh. They're absolutely adorable.
"You must like children, your face lit up at the sight of them."
"Yes I do. But who doesn't?"
"True."
"Their father's Igbo?"
"Yes he is."
"That's great. Who'll take care of your nephew and niece while he's away?"
"I will. I'm good with kids. I have more than forty young nephews, nieces, and cousins so taking care of children is not a problem for me."
"Wow! Your family is large!"
"Oh yes! Besides I just finished university, I'm currently waiting to be posted to a good state so I can serve. I have a lot of time to waste."
"Congratulations on your convocation. I wish you the best in life"
"Thank you. Which university are you attending or are you also out of school?"
"Ajayi crowther university. Did you attend a private university?"
"Private universities are a waste of money. I went to OAU."
"Great but I don't agree with that, they're not a waste of money."
We continue to talk until he checks his wristwatch, starts and tells me he has go and pick Kamsiyochukwu. He calls for Amaka and she runs to him reluctantly, she was engrossed in an argument with her friend, Mary.
"I love what you are doing, please keep up the good work. It's really helping Amaka. God will continue to use you for great things."
"Amen! Thank you very much."
He asks for my number and I type it into his phone.
I totally forgot about the file I was on my way to take before Juwon's arrival. His impeccable English, dressing and ability to take care of children is the kind of thing that draws a lady to a man. At least some of them. Time will tell.

Later that night I received a message on WhatsApp from an unknown number.
+234 9012345678: Hello beautiful woman of God. It's Juwon.

Me: Uncle OluwaJuwonlo. Good day Sir.

Uncle J: Please!!

Me: Please what?

Uncle J: Wait, I hope you didn't save my number as OluwaJuwonlo?

Me: Hehehehe! I saved it as Uncle J.

Uncle J: Please change it to just Juwon.

Me: Alright Sir.

Just Juwon: And stop calling me 'Sir'. Who am I?

Me: Okay o. How are your cute Igbo siblings?

Just Juwon: They are lovestruck. My handsomeness has caused that.

Me: Hehehehe! As if.

Just Juwon: What course are you studying? Religious studies?

Me: No, English. What did you study?

Just Juwon: OK. I studied Engineering.

Me: Engineer of life! That's cool.

Just Juwon: Yes, thank you. I hope you come and visit us one day. We can do with a 'female' presence.

Me: Well.. I would love to. Goodnight 'SIR'. I have to go to sleep now.

Just Juwon: *Gnashing teeth.

Me: *Tongue's out.

Just Juwon: *Smirks. I'm off to clean a smelly butt. Goodnight dear.

I smile at the message, reply him, chat some more with my friends and go to sleep in Perez's room. I'm sure if he were home he would have made me beg and say sweet words to him before allowing me to sleep beside him. He's that evil. I'm taking advantage of the fact that he isn't home but in university by sleeping on his bed and scattering the room.
          Today was great, thank you Lord! I hope tomorrow will be even better. I say in my mind just before I fall asleep.
Another day done. Another day gone.

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