THE JOURNEY WITH HEL

THE JOURNEY WITH HEL CHAPTER ONE It was on a Tuesday Morning, Mary who is my best friend during primary school days came to visit, it was the first week after the common entrance examination, which was done in one of the biggest secondary school in Lagos State, I was so excited to see Mary, because Mary was the only student who relates with me, of cause I had many friends in the beginning but as time goes on my friends who thought I portray the trait of penny-pinching decided to stay away from me, because whenever they are spending, they expect me to do the same, I couldn’t afford but they couldn’t understand and it was only Mary who understands. This has made Mary the only friend I have. I welcomed Mary, wow! I can’t believe my eyes, who am I seeing, yeah Kunle it’s me, Mary replied, with huge smile on her face, sit down, I said to Mary with laughter. Mary sat in the parlor while I went in to break the news to mom that my friend is around. Mommy guess who I have around, who is there ? mom asked me, we have Mary and she’s sitting in the parlor now, oh! Your friend ? mom asked with smile on her face, yes mommy. Go and meet her while I cook for you, mom said. Mary how are you doing. very well, she replied, you didn’t tell me you had be coming here today, I wasn’t expecting you at all. Well, I went to church, on my way back I decided to say hi to you, it was on a probability though because I was thinking you might not be at home, it’s Sunday you know, Mary said. So how was your Sunday school and did you pray for me ? I asked. Well I could have done that but today pastor was just repeating the statement “take care of your spiritual life’’ I don’t really understand though, I was just tired of the service today, Mary complained. Well I only know about the spirits we see on the television I don’t know if there’s any spiritual life, perhaps the pastor was talking about the the life after death because my imam once said there is Al-Janat and that is where we are going after we died. So what’s your plan on secondary school, I heard we might be posted to a school in Amukolo, would you like to go there, and can we cope with the transportation ? I don’t know yet, what my dad would say about it, when I discuss with him I will let you know, Mary told me. Mom brought in food with two spoons in a plate, we ate together while mom was siting, staring at both of us. Do you want to go to same secondary school with Olakunle ? mom asked Mary. I’d like to us to attend same secondary school but this depends on my parent, because my mom once told me that I’ll be going to Abuja but I don’t think they have enough to do that now, Mary Replied Mom. na everywhere my pikin, mom replied her with pigin. God bless both of you, you shall always prosper and nothing bad shall prevail in your life. Amen. I and Mary chorused. I’m set to go ma. Oh my pikin you’ve really tried with us here today, God bless you. Amen. Mary replied. I accompanied Mary to where she took bike and I went back home. I noticed mom liked Mary, because whenever Mary came looking for me mom is always happy and she always pray for both of us, Mary also liked my mom and she always ask about her whenever she sees me. The fact that my mom liked Mary made me and Mary to be intimate friends. Beside that Mary was the only friend who could tolerate me, though I used to help her with some assignments, mostly mathematics because she's close to zero in mathematics. When I got home I chanted mommy ! mommy !! oko mi, she replied from the kitchen. Are you still cooking ? no, I’m done cooking, I’m cleaning up the plates. Mommy I want to ask you something, okay I will be with you soon let me quickly do this. When I got home I chanted mommy ! mommy !! oko mi, she replied from the kitchen. Are you still cooking ? no, I’m done cooking, I’m cleaning up the plates. Mommy I want to ask you something, okay I will be with you soon let me quickly do this. After fifteen minutes, mom came out of the kitchen, she told me to come sit beside her, I did, what do you want to ask me. She asked. Oh! Yes mommy, Mary told me something today, about what her pastor told her right ? mom cut in. Yes I replied her. Well It’s not what your brain could handle when it is time I will let you know, mommy please explain to me now am I too small to know something ? you are not too small to know but this I won’t tell you now. Okay ma, I replied angrily. Oko mi, okay I promise to tell you this after your junior secondary school education. Mom didn't tell me and I was wondering what it could be the following day was the I travelled to my uncle, immediately I got there I didn't sit down the first thing I asked him is take care if your spiritual life, he was shocked and very serious, he asked me "what did you just say" I related the statement take care if your spiritual life the he asked what did you see that made you say this to me ? I told him a friend of mine said her pastor said that to them and that he is saying that because he likes them and I like you, to show I like you is the reason I'm saying this to you sir. Uncle Olakunle them welcomed me and gave me juice to drink after drinking he called me to the parlor he said " Olakunle stop saying that to people, it doesn't show how much you love them it is something you should not be saying and I don't want to hear that from you again because it could put you in trouble if you continue to tell people, they could beat you up" after these words from my uncle I was realising the statement is not a good one to say to people but keep wondering why would a pastor say it to his congregations. I was supposed to go home by weekend but on Tuesday Dad called my uncle, I noticed it was dad that called, but I didn't know what was discussed by both of them, after the call from dad uncle has been feeling very down, I was wondering what might have conspire between them, I was curious so I asked him. Uncle! What happened ? He told me "Don't worry but we are going to your house tomorrow" I started feeling bad from within, I started wondering could have happened, I couldn't phantom any reason to go back home. I told him I was not going back home with him, I told him wanted to be with Mommy Tife his wife, his wife cut in and said "Kunle you've to go home, don't worry you'll come and greet us later and you will be welcomed for a month" I felt bad, but I knew there was nothing I could do about that, I just have to go. On Wednesday morning I carried my bag into Uncle's car, we got home very early because there was no hold up. On getting home mom was not at home I asked uncle where is mommy (dad cut in) "your mom travelled to his sister she won't stay long okay ?" And he waved uncle Bola to come, they both went in to the bedroom and shut the door. I knew noticed there was something bad happening so I moved like a spy closer to the door, I didn't notice dad would open the door, he opened the door gently to check if I was not the (door shuckles gently) immediately I heard that I pretended like I was cleaning the TV, dad called my name Kunle take this One Hundred Naira go get me recharge card, he locked the the door while I pretended I was going already sneaked back in and overheard them saying She'll be fine Insha Allah reading quranic verses. I went to get the card after hearing few words from both of them, I discovered somebody was sick I thought it was aunt whose place my mom went. After giving recharge card to my dad I told him, Dad don't feel bad the sick shall be healed insha Allah. He was shocked wondering how I found out somebody was sick, dad and Uncle Bola maintained eye contact. And Uncle had a sigh of relief. I was asleep, I didn't even know when exactly I slept, after I woke up dad and Uncle Bola were not at home I had go and look for dad in a place where he normally sit with friends whenever he didn't ho to work but couldn't find find him there, I went back home I met them and they were not looking happy, uncle Bola baught me Apple, this has made me a bit happy because I love Apple verily. Suddenly dad called my name Kunle ! Yes daddy I answered comfortably, "your Gold is sick", because I used to call my mom My Gold whenever I want to collect something from her. I didn't believe the news at first because I knew the state of mom when I left home on Monday. I asked dad where is my mom now ? " your mom is in the hospital we'll be going together tomorrow to see her because she also wants to see you, I didn't eat till the following day because I couldn't, dad prepares mral, served me but I went out to throw the food away and dad didn't find out. He hated such attituede but I couldn't eat the food, it wasn't my fault and I didn't feel guilty of wasting the food. I slept very late praying for mom to be fine, I woke up very early the next day, because I'm used to waking up early, mom would always wake me up by 5:30am for the early morning prayer. I woke and prayed for mom again, I was chanting the name of God with tears in my eyes, "Yah Allah, Yah Lateef, Yah Azeez, Yah Ganiy, please heal my mom, let my mom be fine before we get to the hospital" (resounding chants of Kunle from afar) yes daddy, "oya let's go" dad said. Getting to the hospital I saw mom on the sick bed, I chamted "mommy" she woke up immediately she heard my voice, she smiled at me and the smile was priceless to me, she was very happy to see me, the smile on her face relived me of all the botherings I had, the only thing making me sad is I want my mom at home. The doctor came in, she told me not to disturb mom that mom would need rest, I said "okay ma, doctor!, is my Gold going home with us today ?" She said mommy would not be going home with us because she had not completed the treatment and if it is not completed she might fall sick again. Please treat her so well that my mom won't come here again, I told the doctor. She smiled and continued with the treatments, immediately the doctors left the ward I was surprised to see the imam of our mosque who came in with three others. They started prayers and dad joined us later, he was with the hospital's secretary when the Imam entered, he joined us in prayer and we prayed together after dad want us to go home, I insisted I was going to stay with mom, uncle Nola helped to convince dad that he should allow me to stay with mom, dad finally accepted that I should spend the night with mom in the hospital and that was my first time sleeping in an hospital, during all these, mom was fast aslept, only for her to wake up later in the day and saw me beside her, she was shocked and she wanted me to leave but I couldn't because dad has gone and I can't go home alone I was only twelve then. Mom said "okay call me one of the nurses" I went out and called one of the nurses getting back to the ward mom was speaking with someone I observed but when I entered into the ward she was, I couldn't see anybody with her "who were you speaking with ?" I asked, " I wasn't speaking with anyone Kunle.come and sleep" she replied. I was so confused, the Nurse came in and she asked mom what she wanted, mom told her to take me to the nearest garage and put me into a bus to go home, but the nurse insisted that I could not go home at that time that it was late already. Mom was not happy she asked me to climb up and sleep beside her on the bed, I was sleeping between her and the wall, but mom couldn't sleep for like a hour, I asked her what happened she said nothing that I should just sleep, I slept off, I was asleep when I was overhearing mom exchanging words with someone, I stood up very startled, she was shocked when I woke up, I saw nobody but mom was sweating, I was afraid and very anxious. I spent the night in fear. Very early the next day, I was even afraid of my mom but couldn't stay away from her because of the love I have for her, mom said "Olakunle omo mi, wa dagba,.wa sorire, agbara ota koni ka e, gbogbo ibi tobafede laye lomade lagbara olohun" this prayers meant so much for me, the prayers literally means " Olakunle my Child, you shall excel, enemies weapon against you shall not prosper, you shall achieve whatever you desire in life" I'm always happy whenever mom is praying for me, I was happy that day as well because mom was praying for me, imam once said whoever has a mom's prayer has all. I also prayed for her "mom you shall never know pain, God will give you good health, you'll reap the fruit of your labor, I will build house that you'll live in" mom was saying Amen to my prayers and she was crying, I hate seeing mom in such situation so I stopped the prayer and clean the tears off her eyes. Dad entered with uncle Bola and mom Tife (uncle Bola's wife) she said "Kunle ! How're you ? " I replied her " I'm fine ma" dad asked mom "what happened why are you like this ? Are you crying ?, talk to me" mom said slowly "I'm fine oko mi, I love you and I'll always do, God bless you, I'll be fine and I'll continue to love you dear". "okay dear please be fine so we can go home I love you" dad said to mom. I asked mom Tife if she was ready to host me for a month I begged her to keep her promise and she promised to host me once mom is fine, I was so happy to hear that, she brought out the food she cooked for me and mom, I ate the food and mom also ate at least little of her own. I was very happy mom could at least eat her food and I was happy that mom is getting well and she would be discharged soon. I spent three nights with mom in the hospital on my 4th day in the hospital, Dad came in only to break the news to me that mom had been discharged and we were set to go home, when doctor called my dad to her office, I was very happy in the car playing with mom, and she was also very happy I could see that in her, that day was one of my best days, I asked mom Tife that she should be expecting me very soon, and uncle Bola said he would get me and Tife a PSP game. I was super happy. Dad came out of the hospital I saw his first facial expression, he was not as happy as I thought he would be, but when he entered the car he was very happy and we played for like couple of minutes before uncle Bola geared up the car. We got home and I was very surprised to see Mary and our imams in our living room, they welcomed us and Imam told mom to sit down and suddenly we started prayer, Mary also prayed and after the prayer we exchanged pleasantries and she was happy that mom is fine, I asked her who told her mom is not fine and who asked her to come here today. She replied " I had a dream about you so I wanted to come break that to you I knocked and there was nobody to give response, I was about to go when the imam drove in, he asked who I was looking for I said you, he said I should come next time that you'll soon come but they want to have a prayer here today so I decided to wait and join the prayer" thanks very much Mary I expressed my gratitude to her and I asked her about the dream she had but she refused to tell me, she said She'll be telling me that next time, I hate suspense, I begged her to tell me but Mary wouldn't talk, she insisted on telling me later, I accepted and thanked her again for coming, I told dad that Mary wanted to be going, dad gave me Five Hundred Naira to give her for transport. Uncle Bola and his wife spent the night with us, we cooked and ate to the fullest, it was Like party in my apartment on that graceful day.