Father's Words

"Dear son don't grow up being like me, don't dream of being a father like the father who fathered you".

These words engulfs this chapter but I'll skeptically unravel it.

On a faithfully sunny friday which was the last day of the week, my sisters got ready for school while I'm yet to resume back to school due to my family's financial incapacitation. Myself and my dad proceeded to our usual placement of work not forgetting that we left together with Adam and his father because they passed the night in our rented apartment as it was too late for them to return back to their home and to also facilitate their early resumption to work as work was scheduled to start very early on Friday.

We were electrified to work because the administrator of the contract promised to add an increase to our pay for the day because he has been impressed by the volume of effort we inculcated into the construction even though we were just labourers, still he vowed that we will benefit from the increment.

This triggered us to work like robots, Adam was just equivalent to a machine after knowing that we will be receiving the pay worth working for 2 days in just a day.

This moment of double payment is one that happens once in a decade, we were glad to be a part of it. After a sunny morning that hourly grows to a day, a day that its sun travels and its moon approaches, we dusted ourselves before pouring some water on our skin so as to avoid getting much affected by the powder of the cement, this was after getting our 2 in 1 payment (smiles).

However, Adams father and his son went to their wooded home because tomorrow is a work-free day. I was so happy because I'll be privileged to play football and also watch my best team play even though we don't have a television set nor a cable network but I'll peep and lurk around the football show centre to get some minutes to embrace my view, will do all I can to avoid the manager of the center.

Getting home that night after a sweaty day, my elder sister approached me and my dad. I was literally surprised seeing her outside not until she buried my conviction with the narratives of how her day went.

Before today, myself and my sister (Sade) are very good friends, we are the closest. Every of my firsthand gist and secrets are always homed in her hands and vice -versa.

She slowed down a bit to allow dad go inside while she gripped my hand, this was a sign that she got a gist for me. I was just 8 while she was 11 but she often say I'm wiser than my age. We were both little at age but experienced in the hardship of Life. Mother had wanted my sisters to start hawking so as to add more to our profit but Dad is still trying to patch his broken heart about me dropping out of school and working with him, he will never allow having his daughter's sweating on the streets to make a dime, this I believe.

Sade continued with a tear running down her cheek, this was when I knew something is wrong. She accounted on how she was bullied in school by Ayeni.

Ayeni was a 9 year

old boy who is known for being rude to people and he terrorises everyone aged below his age most especially girls. But what puts me in the wonderland was how he chose to bully my sister after knowing she is older than him. This could only happen to my sister because of my unavailability in school. I remember few months back when Ayeni attempted to stage a mock against me amongst his friends, the punch that landed on his chin is one that makes me think I could be a boxer and be the greatest like Muhammad Ali. I tore his mouth with just a punch and I believe he trampled on my sister as a revenge of the pain he suffered, perhaps the judgement from the school management on me then wasn't enough for him to be contented with, I only got six strokes of cane as Ayeni wallowed in pain ( I was happy).

Since then he never approached my path talk more of trailing it.

My sister continued; she bursted out in tears, I was so feisty feeling like landing a double punch on the face of Ayeni (only if I could set my eyes on him right now). I consoled my sister, pampered her and cleaned her running tears. I grabbed her by the hand and told her that this won't go in vain.

"Have you informed Mum"? I asked.

"Yes I have", she replied.

She continued; mom couldn't hide coming from her lachrymal gland because Ayeni called us the children of a pauper, among many other things. I believe this words broke mama down. I hung my hands over Sade's neck as she reciprocated such gesture too. We both went in, believing that mom will artificially televise the happening to us through her emotions but rather it was the otherwise, she stomached it all and pretended like nothing happened. Mothers are adorably strong just that being strong is hard.

5 and 6 as mum will fondly call me and my sister (Sade), we both were sitting side-by-side even though my other sister (Layo) always wears jealously on her face because of my intimate closeness with Sade, but I believe we all are one family, just that there will always be preferences. I love them all but Sade is the one i adore the most. In my mind, I've been designing how I'll revenge on Ayeni, how I'll land him two punches on his cheeks, one on the left and the other on the right knowing that it will be a work free day tomorrow. What will be an happenstance for me will be an hapless moment for Ayeni (I boasted) .

The long awaited tomorrow arrived, a day that dawned like a year. I couldn't sleep well, was moving with the clicks of the clock placed at the wall of our room. Eventually tomorrow came after the dusk faded into history.

My troubled heart trembles, because I'm yet to carve out a convincing answer if being asked by my friends why I haven't been coming to school, my unrest heart couldn't stop pounding fast, I was scared. A part of me begins to wish today wasn't declared a work - free day.

The sun rises, after having my breakfast, I organized my sisters and their books so as to see their progress and confirm the allegiance of "I will never desert my books". Remember, I was just 8. After this skeptical review, I got myself ready to jet out of the house and get back into the street system to know what I've missed after work has taken the totality of my time.

Dad and Mum needs some private time together knowing that dad is also off from work today. Sade went out to play the "Suwe" and "Tente" game with her friends alongside Layo who is immediate sister to her and elder to me, she's 9. Then Aduke, the last born of the family who is just 5 went to the salon shop under the tree, swooning in the meek fall of the leaves and the serenity the cool breeze brings forth, plaiting her hair in the salon. So, as the only son of the family, I footed it down to Adam's house, he is a bit younger than I am though but in him I found strength, friendship and maturity. We both went out into the street, loitering around, peeping from the tiny oasis of brown woods, the chiaroscuro helped us to watch our best football team (Manchester United) play. We are too young and too poor to see a football match on our own, we don't even have a television at home.

The exchange of football ideas and arguments in the viewing centre gives us facts to talk about when working, so after our team won the match our hearts were filled with joy and we respectively returned home perhaps, I was hungry.

Back to my street, then I saw Ayeni walking down the road side. I fumed, i was challenged. How dare him hurt my family and still compounds the effrontery to visit my street. I hurriedly reduced the distance between us.

Hey you!

I stopped and challenged him, he responded with silence. I proceeded saying series of insulting words, shoved him on the chest, i wanted a response from him. I already prepared my punch, suddenly he also responded with a shove I prepared my fist as I was about landing him a punch so did my father surfaced. He said stop!, with a longed voice, I immediately did. He said; Ayeni did not touch your sister nor your family, he only reminded God about our situation. He said I should not revenge, I should not end up being like Ayeni. He concluded and said; "Dear son don't grow up being like me, don't dream of being a father like the father who fathered you". I got soaked in these words, before I got to know Ayeni had already disappeared.

I might find it impossible to forget these words.

Thank you Dad, I said.