Chapter 1
Peju entered the apartment feeling like she
was carrying 10 bags of cement. The day had been hectic and she was tired and
exhausted. Shutting the door behind her, the noise outside drowned out. The
empty house and stark silence told her that Bayo wasn't home from school.
Having closed her shop early today, she was the first to get home. Delighted by
the privacy and silence, she dropped her bag on the table and headed towards
the kitchen. Living in a two bedroom apartment wasn't exactly bliss. The
apartment was confining and inadequate. Though Peju didn't exactly com from a
rich family, she lived with her family in a 3 bedroom house built by her father
before she got married to her husband Bode. Though not wealthy, the family led
a comfortable lifestyle. Her father was a firm and fair man, while her mother
was a disciplinarian who ruled the home and her husband with an iron fist.
“Mama Peju” as she was fondly called was loud, bossy, aggressive and stubborn
by nature and though Peju was closer to her father, she inherited all her
mother’s traits. As the first born child among three children, most of the
responsibilities fell on her shoulders.
Peju discovered her love for trading and
marketing at the tender age of 12. She would follow her father to his shop in the
suburbs and sit with him at the register. She would also assist the shop
attendant after school hours. The thrill of trading was embedded in Peju so
much that when she completed secondary school, she applied for Marketing at the
Ibadan State Polytechnic. There she made friends with Yewande her roommate and
fellow course mate The two were inseparable until Peju met Bode in her second
year. The two started dating within a month and fell in love. Bode was her
ideal man; tall, dark and handsome. Peju on the other hand was every inch an
African woman; medium height, dark and plump. As her relationship with Bode
grew closer and closer, her friendship with Yewande drifted apart. Yewande
never approved of Peju’s relationship with Bode; always saying that he had an
unfaithful, stray-away look to him. This further soured the relationship
between the two friends. Back then, Peju was always quick to defend her
“sweetheart” as she use to call him, pointing out that Yewande was just jealous
of her.
When they got to their final year, Bode
proposed. Peju was ecstatic. Yewande stood her ground that Bode wasn't a good
choice of husband. The usual argument began, and Peju in a fit of rage,
terminated their already non-existent friendship. Yewande who was already use
to her friend’s irrational anger, tried to pacify her and make her see reason.
Stubbornly refusing, Peju packed out of their shared room to Bode’s bachelor
pad. The two lovebirds got married shortly after graduation and decided to immediately
start a family. This went against her father’s wish for his daughter to obtain
a Masters degree in Business Administration.
Smiling bitterly, Peju prepared some food
for her family and later took a bath. As there was no light, she couldn't watch
any television program. After dinner, she took some pain relievers. Though she
had a few calls to make to her wholesaler, she decided to postpone it, choosing
instead to relax on the sofa. Closing her eyes, her mind again drifted to the
past. She remembered her discussion with her father concerning her
post-graduate degree.
“So you are just going to
walk away from this last bit of your education just like that?” asked her
father in anger.
“Well, yes dad” Peju replied.
“Any particular reason why”
“We want to start a family”
“But the Master’s degree
program is just for nine months, you can have loads of children long after
that”
“I don’t want that dad. Bode
wants us to start a family right now. Besides I don’t think I want to go back
to school”
“My God, I can’t believe
this” Baba Peju held his head in his hands.
Peju shifted uncomfortably in
her seat as she anticipated her father’s next comment.
“What about your dreams and
aspirations, to be the best in your career? Tell me what happened to them?” her
father asked abruptly.
There was a short pause, as
Peju weighted the question and then replied
“This is what I want to do
dad. Oh and lets not forget that my mates are all married with kids o”
“But…”
“There is no use arguing dad,
I have made up my mind”
Though Peju tried not to look
at her father, she could sense that he had accepted her choice and was very
disappointed. From then on, whenever Peju visited her parents, she could sense
the disappointment in the atmosphere. Even when she had her child Bayo, she
could still see the hurt in his eyes. She knew she had failed him, but
stubbornly decided to prove her worth. She also had to convince
her disbelieving mother that her marriage to Bode was the right choice. After
five years of failed job applications, Peju was prepared to admit that her dad was right. She opened a provisions shop and started trading. Though Papa
Peju was happy his daughter took after him, there was this
“you-could-have-done-better-if-you-had-listened-to-me-look” in his eyes each
time he came visiting.
Peju’s younger siblings turned out better
than her as Mama Peju constantly remarked. Tunde her younger brother and
immediate sibling was a Petroleum Engineer based abroad. Wunmi her sister was a
lawyer working at the Ministry. Both siblings were married; Tunde to a top
accountant, and Wunmi to a rich lawyer. While Tunde had a set of twins (boy and
girl) and another on the way, Wunmi had two boys. Tunde came home with his
family during the holidays and for a while, stayed with Wunmi and her family
until he bought a house in Ikeja GRA.
Peju for a long time hated the fact that
Tunde chose to stay at Wunmi’s place instead of hers. But the answer was simple
and direct. Wunmi and her family resided at a five bedroom home in Lekki with
maids, while Peju lived in a two bedroom apartment in Mushin. It was impossible
not to be jealous of her siblings. Her mother was right, they had turned out
better.
A knock on the door brought Peju back to
reality. She opened the door and in came her son Bayo.
“Good evening mum” said Bayo
strolling in
“Good evening my dear. Go and
change your clothes and come to the table. Food is ready”
“Ok mum”
“Have you done you homework?”
“Yes mum. I did it in school”
“Good boy”
Bayo raced in to change his
outfit and shower. After dinner, Peju led Bayo to the room to sleep. Though he
said he wasn't sleepy, he was out before he finished his prayers. Peju then
went to the parlor to await her husband’s return.
Bode lost his job shortly after
they had Bayo and refused to look for another. He now sold recharge cards to
keep busy. Though jobless, he kept late nights. Peju tried his phone, but it
was switched of. Setting her phone on the table, Peju adjusted her robe and
prepared for a long wait on the sofa.
At eleven pm, the door bell rang and Peju
sprang up. She had dozed of without realizing it. She hurriedly opened the door
to meet a heavily drunk Bode reeking of alcohol.
“Hi honey” he said and
slumped heavily on his wife.
Copyright: Do not attempt to copy or publish any part of this script. You will be severely penalized.
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