LOVE SCANDAL : My Professor's Secret

LOVE SCANDAL : Professor's Secret

CHAPTER 11: Mother House

Saturday come fast like exam that you did not read for.

From Monday to Friday, I sweep Block C every morning. Every morning Damola car park far and watch me. Every morning cleaner woman mark register and hiss, No help again.

My body pain me, but sweeping make me think less. When I sweep, I was not thinking of mother visit.

But Friday night, mother call again.

Amara, tomorrow 2 PM, she say. Do not be late. Tell your professor to wear native, not that white shirt he always wear in video.

Yes ma, I say.

How you know he always wear white shirt, I ask.

I have seen all his pictures on your w******p DP, she say and cut call.

I did not sleep. I was inside Damola car at 10 AM on Saturday. We were driving to my family house inside Ilorin, Tanke area.

Damola was not wearing white shirt. He wear blue native senator with black cap. He even barbed hair fresh yesterday. He look like serious man that want to marry.

You are fine, I tell him inside car.

He was holding steering with sweaty palm.

I am not fine, he say. I am sweating inside this native. Your mother already hate me before seeing me. I kissed her daughter inside school toilet on video. What mother will like that.

She will like you, I say, but my own voice was shaking.

We reach house by 1:30 PM. My mother house is bungalow with big compound and mango tree. My father car was parked outside too. That means father also come from Lagos for this meeting. Double panel.

We enter compound. My mother was sitting outside with two of her friends, like she invited witnesses. One was carrying fan, one was carrying bible. My father was inside parlour watching news loud.

When they see us enter, everybody keep quiet.

Mother stand up.

Good afternoon ma, Damola say, kneeling small and prostrating half. Good afternoon sir, he shout to father inside.

My mother look him from cap to shoe.

So you are Damola, she say.

Yes ma, he say.

The professor that was suspended because of my daughter, she say loud for her friends to hear.

Yes ma, he say, head down.

My mother hiss.

Come inside, she say.

We enter parlour. Father mute TV.

Inside parlour, there was table with malt and biscuit, but nobody touch it.

Father start.

Young man, how old are you, father ask.

Thirty four sir, Damola say.

Thirty four and you are dating twenty two year old that you are supposed to teach, father say. Is that not against school rule.

Yes sir, Damola say. It is against rule. That is why I am on suspension and they move me from MLS to general studies. I accept my mistake.

My mother cut in.

Mistake, she say. You call kissing inside toilet mistake. My own daughter that scored nine points in JUPEB, you turn her to sweeper inside UNILORIN because of love.

I wanted to cry. I hold Damola hand small under table.

Mummy, I say. It was not only him fault. I also tell lie from beginning. I told you I have boyfriend when I did not have. I forced him to do fake boyfriend. Then fake become real.

Mother look at me.

Fake boyfriend, she say. Amara, you did fake boyfriend with your own lecturer. You see how you are playing with your future.

Her friend with bible say, Sister, calm down, let us hear boy.

Boy talk, mother say to Damola.

Damola breathe deep.

Ma, sir, he start, I did not plan to love Amara. I plan to help her because she was under pressure from you about boyfriend. She come to my office and say help me lie to my mother. I said okay, only one video call. But after that one call, I start to wait for her gist, wait for her message. I start to like her stubbornness, her nine points brain, her wahala. I know age different, I know I am her lecturer, but I cannot stop. I tried to end it during query panel, but I could not. So I came here today to say, I love your daughter and I want to do it well. Not inside car park, not inside toilet. In front of family.

Parlour quiet.

Father look at mother. Mother look at father friend.

Then mother say, You love my daughter, but can you marry. Because in our house, we do not do boyfriend and girlfriend that is sweeping school. If you love her, you marry when she finish school. If you cannot marry, leave her now so she focus.

I shock. Marry word make my chest beat.

Damola look at me, then look at mother.

Ma, I can marry, he say, voice shaking small but clear. Not now because she is still in 100 level and I am still on suspension. But I can wait. I can do introduction after she enter 200 level, if you allow. And I will not touch her or distract her till she finish. I will be her senior friend only.

His cap was sweating.

My father stand up.

That is fair, father say. If you can wait till she finish 100 level, and you come properly with your family by next year, I have no problem. But for now, no more kissing video inside school. No more suspension gist. Amara must face book.

Yes sir, Damola say fast.

Mother still frown, but she push malt to him.

Drink, she say. You have talked well, but I am still watching you. If I see another video again, I will come to UNILORIN myself and carry Amara to house.

No more video ma, he say, drinking malt fast.

I breathe out for first time since we enter house.

After that, mother bring rice and chicken. We eat together, small small. Father ask Damola about his family in Oyo, about his mother, about why he choose lecturing.

For first time, I see Damola laughing free, not professor laugh, but boy laugh.

When we were going, mother call me back inside room alone.

Amara, she whisper, That man love you, I see for his eye. But love is not enough. Make him wait. Focus on your sweeping and your book. If after one year he still wait, then he is real.

Yes mummy, I say, hugging her.

We left house by 5 PM. Inside car, Damola was quiet for long.

Then he say, Your father almost kill me with eye.

But he like you, I say.

He look at me and smile.

Real girlfriend, after today, I think we can survive UNILORIN panel, sweep punishment, and mother panel. We have pass all.

Yes, I say.

He drive slowly back to school area, holding my hand on gear, with blue native still sweaty, but this time driving like man that have just been accepted small.