One Room, Two Generations

From 3 bedroom to One Room

EPISODE 2:

The silence after Mum's last words was heavy.

I couldn't breathe. 20 years ago? What happened 20 years ago?

Mum stood up slowly. The bed creaked. She walked to the window and pushed the old clothes aside. The afternoon sun hit her face. For the first time, I saw how young she used to look. How beautiful.

She didn't turn to face me.

"When I was in secondary school, guys would walk up to me and ask me to be their girlfriend. I would get upset and before they could say 'jack' I had already slapped them. 'Stay focused on your books and stop chasing skirt' I would tell them."

I looked at her, wondering how this relates to my pregnancy. But I kept quiet.

"One fateful day, I fell ill in school and was taken to the school clinic. It became serious so they called my parents and they came to pick me up.

I stayed at home for a whole year, while my brother John was still attending school. I don’t even know the name of the sickness till today.

My parents got me a home lesson teacher."

She sighed and ran her hands through her hair.

"After lesson one day the teacher asked me, 'Do you have a boyfriend?' I felt cold inside. I told him 'yes I do'. He asked how close we were. 'Very close' I answered.

He told me I was very beautiful. I blushed and said thank you.

After the tutorial that day, I sat on my bed thinking and blushing. 'He said I am beautiful. I think he likes me.' My face got so red.

Weeks went by, he never complimented me again. 'Am I no longer attractive?' I thought.

So I wore that cloth again, the one I wore that day. To my surprise, he complimented me after tutorial.

He said, 'This cloth reminds me of someone I love dearly.' Then he smiled and added, 'Stay away from boys for now and stay focused on your studies.'

I responded, 'I don’t have a boyfriend. I was referring to my books that day.'

I told him thanks...

...Boom! One year passed.

I resumed back to school. A lot had changed. I was welcomed warmly and I had to adapt to the new environment. There was great change in the building and also in academics.

....There was this particular new student in the school. His name was Bamidele. His friends called him Dele.

Since the day I set my eyes on him, I can say it was love at first sight.

'I am in love'

He was dark, tall and handsome. The kind of boy that made every girl in class turn their head.

I told my mum, 'I am in love.' She told me what I called love was just infatuation, and it will fade.

I was disappointed. That wasn’t what I expected.

She said, 'You are just in SS2 and you don’t need a boy for now. Focus on your books, Christiana.'

I decided not to tell her about the boy again, but I still kept on liking him.

At night I would stand in front of the mirror and say 'Christiana Bamidele'. Already imagining him to be my husband. I would practice how to sign his last name.

....Fortunately for me, we became desk mates. It was so easy.

I spent more time in the mirror than usual. I paid more attention to my body. I started using my mummy’s perfume.

But this guy never noticed me. He didn’t even glance at me twice. He was always with his boys, laughing.

...When we got to SSS 3, luck shined on my part. We became class buddies.

One fateful Wednesday, after closing, Dele called me. 'Christiana, can we talk?'

My heart jumped.

He asked me out and of course I said yes. He spoiled me silly. Biscuit, gala, pure water. He would wait for me after school.

My parents noticed the change in my results and behavior. They called me to order but all they said fell on deaf ears.

'Nothing can come between me and Dele,' I said in my mind. Gradually, I started losing focus of becoming 'The global writer.'

After our SSCE and JAMB, I managed to get an average score. My parents thought I had changed. Little did they know I had grown worse."

Mum turned to me now. Tears were already in her eyes.

"That’s where my story started going down, Bimpe..."

She sat on the floor.

"One day Dele asked me to visit him. He said he was bored and his parents were not home.

I agreed.

We played, laughed and ate. After a while, he stood up and went to his room.

I was wondering, did I do anything wrong?

... He came out with a small box. Inside was a wristwatch. A golden wristwatch and a necklace.

I smiled and said, 'Babe, all this for me?'

He said 'Yes, anything for you my dear. Will you give me the honor to wear the necklace on you?'

I blushed and said yes. My heart was beating so fast.

I looked at you and said 'wow, such a gentle man.'

Mum gave a bitter smile. 'He paid attention to little details, Bimpe. That’s how they catch you.'

She continued.

He told me 'Babe, is it just thank you?'

I looked at him lost and said 'What else?'

'Won’t you give me a kiss? My friends tell me how their girlfriends give them lots of kisses and I have gotten none. Do you want me to lose face in front of my friends?'

....Tadah. My first kiss was gone.

I was so shy. It felt like there was a mark on me that if people saw me they would know I had been kissed. Different thoughts were moving in my head.

I told myself I will soon become Christiana Bamidele, so I better get used to making my husband happy.

...After the kiss he looked at me and said thank you, like he just won a lottery.

Days went by. We visited more often. I always longed for his kisses anytime I was with him.

When he takes me out, I would steal kisses from him.

On this fateful day, he asked me for my body. My biggest fear.

I told him, 'Dele, wait till we get married.'

He said 'I will eventually marry you, so what is the difference if I have it now?'

'Ahh! Dele, if you love me you would wait.'

He looked at me and said 'Of course I love you. Take your time. I won't rush you.'

I got advice from my best friend Blessing. She told me to agree, or he would leave me.

'I can’t lose Dele. We have gone too far to break up. He took my first kiss,' I told her, crying.

Blessing looked at me and laughed. 'If you love him you would give him. He has done a lot for you, Christiana. Boys don’t waste money on girls they don’t like.'

The next day, I visited Dele. He was so happy to see me. We played, joked and laughed. He never brought up the topic but I did. He was so happy.

He took me to his room.

I had lost my virginity.

After that day, it became normal and regular for us whenever we met. No longer the usual laughing and playing. It was just... that.

...Time went by. Bamidele got admission to study LAW in UNILAG.

I cried and begged him to wait for me. 'Write JAMB with me next year.'

He told me, 'It is not possible. I have to go now.'

Two weeks later he called me.

'Christiana, we should end things. I have my future and life to build. I also planned to get married to a virgin, not someone that is willing to open her legs after some sweet talks.'

The phone fell from my hand.

I went home that day and cried my eyes out. He left me. After everything."

Mum covered her face and sobbed.

She looked up at me.

The room was quiet again. Only the sound of her crying and the children shouts outside.

To be continued in episode 3..

"Alone, and Broken: How Mum Survived"👇

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