ALL FOR NOTHING…
EPISODE TWO..
Sometimes I wondered if I really had other family members aside mama. Though I was aware of the fact that papa had a brother who was called Kayode, I didn’t feel like he was an uncle to me.
Unlike papa who was poor, uncle Kayode lived in affluence. He worked in a construction company and he owned his own business which was being run for him by his sales personnels. He was earning quite an attractive salary as I was made to believe because he had his own building and two luxurious cars. His eldest son had graduated from the University already while his second son was in his second year in the university. His last child and only daughter was a year older than me and was already preparing for her senior waec. Uncle Kayode who happened to be the only brother of my late father and subsequently the only member of my extended family that I knew, didn’t treat me like family. He hated me more than he hated mama and that got me really sad.
“Mama why does uncle Kayode hate me so much?” I would ask mama.
“Your uncle doesn’t hate you my dear. He’s been like that ever since I knew him” mama would reply.
I wanted to believe mama but as I grew older I came to understand that mama had not been honest with me.
Not only does Uncle Kayode not treat us like family, he never wanted us to come near him. Before I grew up to be the boy I was, uncle Kayode had never for once visited our house even if he was also living in Utti district. He also deprived his children from having anything to do with us. As a young boy I was happy to know that I had a uncle who was rich but as I grew older, I came to realize that his wealth was for him, his nuclear family and people from other places but not me and mama.
I still remember the ill treatment I received from uncle Kayode the last time I went to him for financial assistance. The events of that day will forever remain in my memory.
It was during the time when we were about enrolling for the junior Waec and mama couldn’t raise the money all by herself. Though I was on scholarship, I had to pay the enrollment fee which was #25000. Mama was able to raise ten thousand naira and from the odd jobs which did, I was able to raise #5000. The deadline for payment was by the end of that week and there was no way mama and I could raise the remaining #10000. It was a hopeless case for us that the only person we knew we could turn to for help was my assumed benevolent uncle. I never really liked the idea of going to meet uncle Kayode for financial assistance but it appeared he was the only person who could save us at that time.
That Tuesday after school, myself and mama took the bold step of faith to visit uncle Kayode at his house.
Uncle Kayode’s house stood tall in the villa where he had built it. He had one of the biggest houses in the villa and his house was next to chief Dele’s in terms of size and beauty. The architect who drew the plan of his house must have been a genius because it really appeared to be a house with class. The engineers also did an excellent job producing what I’ll call a “superb edifice.”
From afar one could see how beautiful uncle Kayode’s house looked that it got me thinking how nice it would be to have a house as beautiful as that of uncle Kayode.
As I leaned against the fence, my heart was beating faster. I kept hoping and praying that we get a positive result from our visit. Mama gently pushed the bell button to signify the gatekeeper that someone was at the gate. In no time, the gatekeeper arrived looking tattered.
We told him we had come to see uncle Kayode but he felt reluctant to open for us.
“Oga know say una dey come?” He asked in pidgin.
“No but he knows us very well.” Mama replied.
After looking at is from the crown of our heads to the sole of our feet, he opened the small gate for us which was meat for people who had come without a car like myself and mama. He ushered us in and told us to take the stair case.
Uncle Kayode’s house was a storey building and a boy’s quarter. His tenants occupied the ground floor while himself and his family had the top floor all to themselves. The boy’s quarter was for his workers. He also had a garage and a beautiful garden in the compound. I couldn’t help but imagine living in such a beautiful compound with mama.
After knocking at the door, a young lady opened for us.
“How may I help you?” She asked politely.
“We are here to see Mr Kayode” mama replied.
“Who are you if I may ask?”
“I’m Mrs Bukola and this is my son Ayomide. We are his relatives.”
The young lady allowed us to enter but asked us to remain standing until she calls Uncle Kayode to come out. I think we were lucky to have met uncle Kayode at home that day because considering the fact that he was a worker, he shouldn’t have been at home on that day since it wasn’t a public holiday.
My eyes caught glances of some photographs that were well framed and hung on the wall. There was one in which uncle Kayode was wearing a graduation gown and with that I was convinced that the good life uncle Kayode had was because he went to school. I also saw his wedding pictures with Aunt Ifeoluwa. The photos of their three children were also hung on the wall being arranged in order of seniority. It was completely different from the way it was in our own house.
“Good afternoon my in-laws” mama greeted bringing me back from my thoughts. It was uncle Kayode and aunt Ife.
I greeted both of them in Yoruba as expected of me.
“Good afternoon to you two. What brings you here?” Uncle Kayode asked without asking us to have our seats. There was not a single smile on his face and he didn’t appear to be happy to have us in his house.
“My in-law you didn’t even ask to have a seat before asking us the reason we had come.” Mama said expressing so much emotion.
“Look, I’m actually preparing to leave the house when my house girl came to tell me that I had some visitors. As you can see I’m about going out with my wife so just go straight to the point.” Uncle Kayode replied with his voice commanding great respect.
“It’s about Ayo your nephew” mama replied.
“What about Ayo?”
Mama’s voice was already betraying her and o knew what that meant. Tears!
“Uncle, we came to see you because we need your help” I replied as boldly as I could.
All these while aunt Ife was silent and she looked more displeased to see us than her husband was.
“Can you please go straight to the point and stop wasting my time?” Uncle Kayode said raising his voice showing that he was becoming angry and impatient already.
Uncle, my JSCE enrollment is closing this Friday and we’ve not been able to raise the complete money yet. Mama and o have raised #15000 and we still have #10000 more to make it complete. This is the reason we came to you.” I replied as boldly as I could. I was just thirteen then but I had the courage of speaking like an adult.
“Wait ooo, is my husband now a bank that you can just meet anytime you need money?” Aunt Ifeoluwa finally spoke up sending a wave of unexpected shock into my system.
“Help me ask them ooo” uncle Kayode replied.
“When you were taking your son to that expensive school you didn’t consult me ooo, now that you need money you know my house right?”
I felt so embarrassed that day especially when I saw tears running down Mama’s cheeks.
“Please I’m sorry to announce to you that I don’t have a dime with me. So you can please leave now.” Uncle Kayode said increasing my level of disappointment. What disappointed me the most was not in the fact that he had no money to give us but in the fact that he didn’t show any concern at all and just asked to leave as if we were some sort of beggars.
“Didn’t you hear what he said? He said you should leave so go home. Go back to where ever it is the two of you came from.” Aunt Ifeoluwa said adding more salt to the injury.
Just as we were about leaving, uncle Kayode’s phone rang and after the call my own tears betrayed me.
“Send me the account details. I know your son is a scholar and #50,000 is nothing to me. If you want it cash then come to the shop later in the evening I’ll be there waiting for you.”
From that very day, I vowed never to meet uncle Kayode for money ever again. I swore to myself that I’ll become rich even richer than uncle Kayode that I’ll be able to stand up to him and prove to him that with or without him, Akintunde Ayomide will be successful and will wipe away the tears of his poor and widowed mother….
©Ejeata Victory
Touching lives..
Changing people…
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