HER BABY’S SECRET

ODE

Ar

very day Grandpa was supposed to drag mommy to the hospital for abortion,she woke up before anyone else and ran away from home. Mom had to break her piggybox to come to Lagos to meet her uncle all the way from Ibadan. Uncle Badejo wasn't married at that time so he offered to take care of her and adopt me as his child after I was born. But that didn't happen until he had said a lot of things to grandpa for trying to abort his first grandchild just to save his reputation in church. I grew up thinking Uncle Badejo was my biological father. I was so little,too young to understand that my uncle can't be my father. Mom told me the whole story when uncle Badejo wanted to get married. To cut the long story short,my mom died in a fatal car accident when I was nine. It was around the time when I was writing my common entrance examination. I had to move in to live with Uncle Badejo and his wife but about a month after, uncle Badejo lost his job and we survived on his wife's salary. Despite being jobless, Uncle Badejo wanted me to get the best education. So he helped me apply for a scholarship at The Best Academy. I sat for the examination and came out the best. I was enrolled into The Best Academy where I had met Adedayo Awosika. I didn't like him at first meeting because he was so proud and he was one of those kids who slapped it to my face that I was poor and wouldn't have had a chance to attend such expensive school if I wasn't given scholarship. I did my best to avoid him and some other kids. In fact I was the most gentle girl in class and I hardly spoke to anyone. Basically they all avoided me like a plaque but I didn't let it get to me. I was at school to learn and not go about making friends. "I wouldn't have showed up here if I knew you were this busy." Dayo said calmly,his eyes scanning the whole area. It was messed up with piles of papers and plates. "It's Okay. And I am not too busy." I started out to clear up the mess. Dayo and I moved from school bully-Timid girl stage to friendly classmates after an incident. It was on Thursday which used to be our sports day. I drank little garri at home on Wednesday night and didn't eat a good meal to school on Thursday. I left home without a penny but Aunty Sade, (Uncle Badejo's wife) promised to prepare a good meal with the hope of getting her unpaid salary that day. I knew I was going to eat at school but that won't happen until lunch time. I was too weak to participate in the sporting activity but I couldn't c