Immediately the bus kicked off, i brought out my
phone and read the message my boss sent again
before removing my sim card. I brooke the card
into pieces and threw it through the window.
“Keeping in contact with my boss will only
complicate things. I can and I will make it out
alive with my baby” I thought.
MARY ADAMS
Alot of thought ran through my mind during the
ride. At a point i thought i should just give up the
child and return to my parent, but when i looked
at the baby sleeping peacefully in my arm, i
waved the thought away. I knew life was not
going to be easy, i knew catering for my needs
and the child’s would be just too much for me but
i was determined never to give up. I consoled
myself with the thought that “one day, this child
will become great”.
Since i knew little about ilorin, i decided to ask
the passangers for help. A middle age man was
sitting close to me. I greeted him and asked
about Ilorin from him. He was jovial and he told
me alot about the town. According to him he
reside in an area call “Ipata”. I confided in the
man and told him i had nobody in ilorin and i
would be greatful if he could help me secure an
apartment. The man, whose name was “Yemi”
told me he could get me an accommodation and if
i do not have enough at hand, he said i could
stay with him for awhile. According to Yemi, he
was living alone. At first i hesitated, due to the
fact that he was a stranger but when i thought
about how lost i would be in a town i do not have
relatives or friends, i decided to take the risk and
stay with yemi. Yemi was friendly throughout the
ride, he would carry the baby and ask me to rest
for awhile. I was greatful to God for sending a
helper to me.
We got to Ilorin at 7:00pm, Yemi stopped a taxi
and we left for his apartment. It was dark when
we got there and there was no power, i could not
properly check out his residence.
The following day i noticed Yemi’s house was
close to a popular market and the area was a
ghetto. With a baby in my hand, i could not bare
to live in a ghetto but i had to manage for a
period of time in order to get familiar with the
town.
**********************
Yemi gradually changed during my second week
with him, i noticed he was not who he claimed to
be. He drinks heavily, smokes and relate with
dangerous gangs. I decided it was time to leave
and search for a better place. I got close to some
people around the area and i got to know places
where i could get affordable houses. With the help
of a neighbour, i got a room for twenty five
thousand naira per year at Gaa-Akanbi.
With my little belongings, i moved out of yemi’s
apartment after spending a month with him.
##################
Life as a single mother without a means of
livelihood was so difficult. I faced alot of
challenges, from men and from the world
generally. I had an empty apartment without a
chair to boast for. I took up different kinds of job,
labourer, plate washing, fetching of water,
sweeping, cleaning and many others. At a point I
almost turn back but whenever i look at the child
in my hand, i got encouraged. I was hardworking
and was known for it in my area. Through a
merciful woman, i got employed as a cleaner in
an hospital, that was how i became a salary
earner and i started to have a source of living. I
had lots of advances from men but i never had a
relationship because i believed, nobody could
treat my child like his and one day, i would have
to choose between my biological child and miss.
Ada’s child. I gave up the dream of getting
married and having children for my boss’s son.
Till date i have no regret because that child is
everything i ever wanted. I only hope this child
will not be mad at me for keeping this important
secret for twenty years, i did it all for him and i
do not want him to feel like a nobody. This is my
story son.
**********************
KELVIN
I moved closer to my mom and hugged her before
saying “Where is this child mom?”.
My mom smiled and said “You are that child son.
You are the child i escaped with”.
At the revelation of the truth
I felt my world becoming dark, i felt like a
leftover, i felt like a b—–d, i wished i could see
the worthless man that abandoned his son for
twenty year, i wished i could spit into his face.
Lots of feelings ran through my vein but i never
felt anger toward the beautiful woman that went
through a whole lot for me. I moved close to my
mom and enveloped her in a hug. I thanked my
mom profusely and promised her a better life. My
mom prayed for me and gave me the chain my
biological mom gave to her years back. She wore
it around my neck but i removed it and gave it
back. “You are the only one i need” I said to my
mom as i returned the chain, she collected it from
me and prayed for me in tears. There and then, i
decided i won’t stop at nothing to make it in life
and give my mom the luxury she deserve.
**********************
NANCY
Kelvin stopped to talk and i could not help but
feel sorry for the pains he must have went
through with his mom. I knew kelvin was not done
yet so i cleared my throat to get his attention and
said “you are yet to tell me how you met your
dad”.
He smiled and said “I know you won’t give up
Miss journalist.
Click 3 below to read episode 11