September
Even though Kehinde and I became close after we moved in few years ago,there are some conversations we don't have even though we were sisters.We never talked about boys,guys or men,we talk alot about other people and we even gave people different names just to make it easier to talk about them even when they are right in front of us.There was this lady that was always singing Tope Alabi's songs few houses away,we called her "Angeli mi" and we called our neighbor's son "Lolo".And because we don't talk about men or any sensitive issue,she didn't know I had a relationship while in Secondary school and she knew nothing about the near rape incident that happened to me years back.
Kehinde was working in a secondary school as a teacher when she started dating the man she eventually married the following year.I knew she was always talking to him and the only thing she told me was that she met him during her service year and he was a sort of the leader to the outgoing set of the Christian house she stayed just before her service year.I didn't even know my sister was engaged,the only thing I knew was that she was talking about introduction and before I knew it,a date was fixed for the introduction and she got married few months later to the love of her life.
Mum as usual took the lead role in preparing and planning for the wedding because she wanted Kehinde to have a beautiful wedding,she put together all her savings and even took a loan knowing fully well she'll be able to repay gradually with her monthly allowance as a retired civil servant.Dad's contribution was nothing to talk about,the little he spent was sponsored by those that gave him money to support him knowing his daughter has a wedding ahead.You see why she'll forever be my Idol? She never disrespected him even though he never saw anything in what she has been doing over the years,Dad was an ungrateful man and he kept comparing her to women who doesn't have husband's and take care of their children regardless.
Her focus was on us and us alone and she kept doing her part even when it was so hard and difficult,many nights that she'll keep crying thinking we were all asleep.I guess she was crying because she feels she deserves better,that we deserve better and how her life would have been much easier if only she married the right man and not my Dad because he was obviously not a good father and husband and that was why she trained us to know who we are and not accept less.She met him in the church and she thought he was a good Christian like herself,she didn't know he was a half baked Christian with a very hard heart that no one could break.Dad never listened to anyone,he was a good man to everyone but no one knew he really is at home and how he shy away from his responsibility as a Father and husband.And Mum never spoke about it to anyone,he lived as though no one could question him.The first time I saw my mum cry was when he slapped her after an argument and almost beat her if not that Mum ran out in her underwear.That was the day I knew I had no Father.
Kehinde's wedding was a great success,her effort with that of the groom's family made it a wonderful event.Food was in surplus,the ambience was beautiful,it was a happy and colourful wedding ceremony and people kept coming to our house days after the wedding for food,soup,stew and drinks.Everybody kept greeting my Dad for the effort and money he spent not knowing it was Mum that did everything by herself because she wants us to be happy always,she wants the best for us always and she'll go extra length to make us happy.
Kehinde left with her husband to start a beautiful family with her husband in another state far away from where we live.Mummy was fulfilled and we were all happy,the next morning was her birthday and we all sang and wished her a happy birthday.Little did I know it was going to be her last birthday in good health because that was the beginning of another tragedy waiting to strike.