Twist of Destiny

Chapter 2

Wale was panting as he ran in the late evening. Although the rain was falling heavily he didn't care. His clothes clung to his body due to the wetness. All that didn't matter to him. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He looked behind him to see the two beautiful girls chasing him. One may ask, Why would he be running away from two beautiful young girls? The simple answer is that they were holding chains and they intend to bind him with it. As he ran, he suddenly stumbled and fell. Before he could get up, he felt hands on him and the two girls started tying him with the chains as he screamed "No please don't!". Then he woke up.

"Oh goodness, so it was a dream", he muttered.

He took his wristwatch beside his mat to look at the time. It was just a few minutes after 5 A.M. He needs to go and take his bath and prepare fast so he wouldn't miss the first bus going to Lagos.

He packed his bag almost till dawn and only had a few minutes to sleep which made his eyes feel heavy. He wished he could go back to sleep, but of course, that was not possible. He looked at each of his three siblings who were fast asleep on their mats. He got up from his mat and took the local soap beside his bag. He hurriedly undressed and tied a towel around his waist.

He trod carefully as he made his way out of the room trying not to step on any of his siblings in the tiny room. He got outside the house as the bathroom was outside. He went into the bathroom and quickly showered. After he finished, he hurriedly dried himself with the towel, wrapped the towel around his waist, and was walking briskly back to the house when he stepped on something and suddenly slipped and fell with his back on the ground.

He groaned in pain, as he was getting up holding his waist that was aching him. He looked at what he stepped on that made him slip and saw that it was a banana peel. He hissed with a smile across his lips, because he knew without a doubt it must have been dropped there by his immediate younger brother Marvin. He thought about his brother and smiled. Naughty Marvin, he is forever eating bananas, "He should have been a monkey" he muttered. Laughing heartily, he walked back to the bathroom to wash off the sand on his back.

After he finished, he hurriedly left the bathroom and rushed back to the house carefully avoiding the banana peel.

Getting into the room, he quickly dried himself with his towel. He took a blue shirt and black trousers from a hanger just above his head. He put on his clothes and took his shoes which were beside his bag. As he was putting on his shoes, he heard the deep voice of Marvin as he greeted him and Wale answered back.

"Wale are you ready to go now?", Marvin asked. Wale replied in the affirmative. "How long will you stay in Lagos?" "I don't know" Wale replied.

He walked out of the room briefly looked at his two siblings sleeping. He headed for his parent's room and knocked on the door. His father roared "Who is that?". "It is me" Wale replied."What do you want? His father asked. "Papa I am ready to go" Wale replied.

After a few seconds, the door opened and his father stood by the door, with only a wrapper around his waist. "Good morning Papa", "Good morning" his father replied."You are ready to go now? "Yes, papa". "Okay, my son, God be with you, and may the good Lord grant all your heart desire". "Amen," Wale said.

At that moment, he heard his mother's voice behind his father. "Wale" his mother called him "Yes mama". She stood beside his father. "Wale my son, so you are leaving me?", his mother asked with her voice quivering with emotion. "Mama please do not cry, I will soon be back". "Okay my son, may God be with you, just wait a moment", she said.

She opened her purse that was in her hand and gave him some money. "Take this my son", "No mama, don't worry, I have saved some money from the firewood I have been selling since I graduated. It will take care of my transport fares as well as for my upkeep in Lagos for some weeks". "I have heard you my son, but take this and add it to what you have, I insist you take it". "Okay mama, thank you, God bless you".

His mother said "kneel let me pray for you. He knelt and she put her hands on his head. "Wale my son, may the good Lord protect you, and may you be fruitful in all your endeavors. He replied "Amen". He stood up and hugged his crying mother before he turned to his father and hugged him too. As he was walking away, his father asked, "Are your brothers not seeing you off to the motor pack?" "They will papa" he replied. His parents bid him farewell.

He went back to his room and saw Marvin and Jamal already dressed up ready to see him off to the motor pack. He quickly kissed his sleeping sister and the three of them walked out of the room with Jamal carrying Wale's bag. They stepped outside the cold morning breeze and walked briskly to the motor park.

As they were going, Jamal said "Wale, buy me some nice clothes and shoes when you are coming back, you know almost all my clothes are torn, my clothes are practically rags, and the only shoe I have is an eyesore". Wale smiled and said he will. Then Wale turned to Marvin and asked what he wants. Marvin said he wants an Android phone. Wale laughed loudly and said, "See your mouth like an Android phone". Marvin replied "Haba Wale! You will come back a rich man, so an ordinary Android phone wouldn't be a problem for you then. The three brothers burst into laughter as Wale said "Amen".

They got to the park and Wale paid for his transport fare. He gave his brothers some money and they bid him farewell. He entered the bus which was almost filled up with people except for one vacant seat left which he felt fortunate to have. He sat close to the window beside a fat ugly woman.

The bus roared into life and started moving. Wale saw his brothers through the window and waved them goodbye, and they waved back. Popping his head outside the window, Wale yelled, "Marvin, I will bring you a truckload of bananas". Marvin and Jamal burst into hysterical laughter as the bus sped off.

As the bus left his village, it occurred to Wale he has only left his village thrice in all his life; two times his mother sent him an errand to deliver something to her aunt who stays in a town near his village, and the other time he visited his girlfriend who also stays in the same town.

Remembering his girlfriend during his school days, he felt sad because he loved her. Unfortunately, she dumped him for a rich guy. He remembered begging her not to leave him, but she said she is tired of having a poor man as her boyfriend, that she needs a man to take care of her as well as her needs. His eyes got misty, as he thought about his poor parent and his needy siblings. The tears started flowing down his cheek and he quickly wiped it off with his handkerchief. As the bus moved on, he drifted off to sleep.