PART 7

“ MY FATHER’S FARMLAND”

©?Opeyemi.O. Akintunde

“You can’t do this…” Oba kept repeating this phrase as he sat with his sisters
in the theatre hall after the students had dispersed.

Ope was silent because she knew she couldn’t say anything meaningful at
that point. All she did was to continually look at her twin. She was bewildered
at Ola’s selflessness…
“ Ope and Oba, someday what I am doing right now will make a lot of sense
to you…Let’s get going… I have a lot of packing to do..”
“ Where will you be staying?” Ope managed to ask as it was obvious Miss
Johnson may have sold her place.
“ Good question!” Ola said managing to give a smile… “Hmm… I have been
thinking about that and the only good idea that popped to my head is for me
to get a small apartment beside the school, so I won’t be far away.”
Ope hugged her sister in tears…
Ola didn’t want Ope doing this if only she knew the internal battle she was
facing… She didn’t want to break down and cry. She knew God was with
them, but everything they were going through was overwhelming. Ola’s eye
became teary but she didn’t want to betray the confidence she was trying to
instil in her siblings as regards her decision, so she took a deep breath and
made sure the tears did not drop. However, Oba saw the tears in her eyes and
that made him walk away…
Oba went far away to the chapel, he was torn between a lot of choices.
God, tell me what to do? … My heart wants to stay in school and finish my
education, so I can get a good job to take care of my siblings, but my
reasoning is saying otherwise…” Oba said as he wept on his knees…
Ope on the other hand as she was walking Ola to her hostel said…
“ I promise not to disappoint you, I will come out in flying colours. Thanks
for the sacrifice.”
No one knew what Oba must have heard from God, but on seeing Ola later
that evening, he said…
“ Ola, thank you for your bravery and I totally agree with your decision.”
Ola was elated.

The next day, Ola left the school premises very early in search of a mini
apartment close to the school premises. After checking out different one-
room apartments, she later settled for the cheapest, which was about
N75,000 per year. It was in the “ghetto” part of the environment.
Ola settled in her apartment within a few days with great hopes of finding a
good business to venture in. She made different enquiries about the nature
of the business that was lucrative in the vicinity and she got about 5 different
businesses she could venture in.

Ola decided to take the 5 businesses to the Lord in prayer as she did not want
to invest the N270,000 left with her wrongly. This was the training their
father had imputed into them. Fasting and prayer was a regular thing with
the trio as sometimes when they had no food to eat, her father would tell
them to turn that day into a fasting day…He thought them the importance of
seeking God’s face through fasting and prayer.
Therefore, Ola engaged in 3 days fasting and prayer program and on the third
day after observing her vigil, she heard a strange knock at her entrance…
Knock Knock!” A strange voice called out to her…
Ola became scared. Who was knocking at her door at 3 am in the morning…
“ We know you are a good girl, so we are not here to harm you, we just need
the money with you…” Sukki said.

Sukki was a street urchin in the vicinity, His birth name was Sunkanmi, but
he changed it to Sukki, to make it more trendy and “street fancy”. He was
popularly known for robbing people, but could not be arrested as his father
was the powerful herbalist in the environment. He usually got away with his
crimes.
“ The money?, who told them I had money with me… ?“ Ola looked under her
school box, where she had kept the money. It was still in the brown envelope
Miss Johnson had given them. Ola had collected the N350,000 from Oba and
had given him the N500, 000 instead, to pay ahead for him and Ope’s fees.
“ Schoolgirl, open this door… it was one of your school people that told us
you have money, and we have been monitoring your movements, so we know
you have it with you…”
“Sukki, why are you speaking English to this girl… break this door down
now!” Torture, one of the armed robbers said
“ Make we break this door down…” Axe said angrily too…
Ola was scared that she peed on herself…
“ Jesus!, Jesus!” Ola kept shouting as she couldn’t move from the point she
was hiding in the room…She had recoiled herself into a corner in the room…
None of the neighbours came out to help. Axe and Torture started pushing
the door with their legs…
“ Jesus, Jesus!” Ola kept screaming ….
But, suddenly she saw the door give way…

Click 8 below to continue reading