Special seventeen

Unknown 💭

            Perfectly planned
       Not one single scratch
    All of a sudden am sullen
Because it's all broken
     My perfectly planned future is  
       in pieces.

My parents, Mr and Mrs Bankole are what one will call a typical good nigerian parent.

They are disciplined, responsible and religious. They take their time to joke with us too.

I know i did complain about our mother and daughter relationship but that didn't mean she didn't have time for me because if i want to talk and am like 'mum i want to talk' she'll be more than ready to listen.

It only meant that when am busy talking she's busy listening to what i didn't say and then she adds two and two together next i know we are having a discussion and she's like "joanne you told me that" and am like "me.." and she's like "yes!".

Guess what, she's so sure of it. So we just misunderstand each other real often.

Mum is actually an igbo woman.
Her name is onyinye but she was raised in abuja and can't speak her mother's tongue.

Dad on the other hand is yoruba,  hails from ondo state, grew up in lagos and can speak a good deal of yoruba but hardly speaks it except with his brother or when he's really,really serious.

His name is ademola, whenever you hear them call themselves demola or onyin then they must be acting sweet.

Can you imagine?

Only my parents have refused to change with the world, "mummy micheal and daddy micheal" that's how they call themselves on a normal day.

Mum says when you call your husband "baby" he starts acting like a baby.

Dad says calling your wife "honey" is uncalled for besides honey is what we get from bees.
It is a liquid sweet.

Geez, they don't see the implied meaning.

I wonder what they called themselves before having micheal.

Of course, demola and onyin.

I remember their 18th marriage anniversary and we had asked dad to tell us how he met mum.

They had attended the same university, mum studied mathematics and statistics while dad studied english and literary studies, he's got a phd.

They shared a course which dad happen to be the representative of.

A lecturer had given her note to him, he then started looking for oyin(a yoruba name) instead of onyinye.

When she found out, she was furious at the yoruba guy who she supposed was intentionally mispronouncing  her name until she saw a handsome, tall and elegant man with her note, dad had finished off praising himself.

Mum was just about to argue that point when my clown of a brother chipped in.

"Princess do you want to remain the last born" he had asked loud enough to get our attention.

Yes, princess replied.

Then tell dad to stop looking at mum like that, my brother had said scrambling off but not before mum's flip flops caught him.

Did i tell "never try to dodge mum's throw, it's a waste of energy".

We were all laughing but seeing mum blushing i decided maybe they still had a romantic relationship they kept more discreetly than their quarrels.

Dad is a principal of an high and mighty public school while mum teaches maths in a private school.

Weird isn't it, the two of them are teachers.

Still i think there couldn't have been a better match for either of them.

We are one of the lucky few who live in their own house in lagos, not exactly the heart of town but definitely a good enough place to raise a family.

Up nepa!!

Was what brought me back to reality. Yay! power supply has been restored and as usual people always excitedly shout up nepa.

I don't know why i always get lost in my thoughts, my friends were always complaining then.

I got up to go about my daily work and afterwards freshened up.

I sat down and put on the tv for a
well deserved free time, in an hour it will be twelve.

It was then a jekyl and hyde competition began in my head.

You  are supposed to be fasting, a soft voice said, 'instead read your bible'.

But you've tasted out of the egg sauce, why not even eat your food now and watch your favorite movie, another voice countered,'by the time it's twelve there might not be light again remember eating while watching tv makes you enjoy your food more'.

But...,i was wanted to say when i realised i was being stupid, how could i possibly be arguing with myself.

I put off the t.v since it was remaining 1hr till twelve i decided to  take the fast well and not watch tv.

Okay, bad idea because the memory of what happened earlier flooded in.

Does that mean I'm forever an ss3 graduate, i won't get to go to higher institution because of some stupid curse.

I could already imagine a reunion party with my class mates and they all come with their cars, i could already picture the pitiful glance I'll receive from benedicta.

And she'll be like "Joanne so you didn't get to enter tertiary institution, awnn am so sorry. What do you do for a living ".

God forbid! i snapped. Get a grip girl, i shunned myself.

It's not like nothing can be done about it.

Dad had said,"The God we serve is greater than any other god".

I wiped the tears on my face, this curse is not my portion in Jesus name.

Amen!,i said before going to the room to get my bible.

I scrolled through already getting bored. I couldn't understand what it was saying.

In less than thirty minutes i had skimmed through nine books before i finally saw a catchy scripture.

  " And now therefore, if any man  be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed a way and behold all things have become new."

What does this mean, i was confused for a second.

Okay it's for new converts, those who just gave their life to christ.

Then i heard the question bubbling in my head.

Are you a christain, are you Christ like?

Are you 100% sure you are born again?

Of course i am a christain but then am i like Christ.

What does it mean to be a christain.  Was i living a life that is pleasing to God.

I always felt i could not be counted among sinners but the question is am i a saint?

I didn't kill or rob neither did i steal.
But sin is sin, there is no small sin or big sin.

I should pray, it's already twelve.