1 MEET SPECIAL

"Get up you fat thing!!" Came the screaming shrill voice of the tall woman, named Hope, who was strutting in anger. Her long blue satin night gown with red ribbons drawn on it swayed from side to side as she climbed down the stairs of their eight bedroom duplex to the little corridor beside it, where the sleeping child laid.

"You are still sleeping by this time, do you think you are in a palace? Sleeping till whenever you like! Wake up Princess Special!! Special my foot!! Get up before I flog the shit out of you". She threatened, kicking the child's leg.

"Special get up right now! Wake up!!!". Hope screamed aloud again knowing that her husband Professor John was not at home. This was her time to truly manifest that which she had longed to do. She couldn't get any sleep as her youngest daughter Ashley cried all through the night. She was a very needy child and this made Hope very cranky this early in the morning. Her tied up hair in a black satin bonnet shook as she screamed aloud angrily at the young child.

Her husband had travelled to Lagos for a lecture and this was a very chanced opportunity to discipline this foolish girl she thought to herself.

She had swallowed up her grievance and hatred towards this unfortunate mistake staring at her in the face for far too long. Her step daughter who seemed to be the pride of John her husband angered her from deep within. Special as her name was called, irritated her from the first day she heard that John had a child called Special by his late wife Dorothy.

A few years ago, Hope at that time, was taking her post graduate diploma program at the University where John taught and she desired him greatly but he was a married man. Coincidentally, they were in the same department and this made her desire for him increase more. He was such an intelligent lecturer with good looks as well. He had a first class as a first degree before the age of 21 and went on to acquire his PhD by 25. This feat was usually announced by other lecturers during their annual Accounting week in school.

John was in his late 30's then. He was the most senior lecturer in the accounting department by reason of his position and achievements, very young in age but was highly respected by all even by the vice chancellor of the University.

He was tall, light in complexion with his dark beards which was always neatly trimmed underneath his chin. His corporate wears were never to be missed and one could boldly ascertain that his favourite colour was white as he seemed to often adorn it. Everytime he approached the PGD class, the ladies seemed to gaze and compliment him on his good looks. Despite his numerous academic prowess, he was such a kind, patient and quiet lecturer.

Professor John was ready to explain a topic over and over again until the last person in the class could testify that they understood what he taught. His assignments were easy and fairly marked. He never asked for bribes or over labour his students.

Shortly after been introduced to Professor John one fateful morning as her project supervisor, she heard that he lost his wife during childbirth. There was no one more happy than Hope at the unfortunate event. She had long pinned over how good looking and intelligent he was. She had told her course mates several times, how seduced she was, from just talking to him about her project. She wanted to be his wife by all his means and this was a golden opportunity to insert herself into his life.

Therefore,she paid countless condolence visits to his house. Firstly, to comfort him and to see the new born baby whom he later gave to the late Dorothy's mother. John told her that she was better experienced in taking care of a new born than himself and it will also comfort her seeing she also lost her daughter as well. This space gave Hope all the time she needed to seduce, comfort and entice John. At first, he was not comfortable with her visits but she pretended not to notice.

She would arrive early in the morning at his house with cooked meals and toiletries. She would sweep, scrub and wash his clothes as though it was her responsibility. She would also go on any errands for him, shopping and cooking his meals in his kitchen as well. John loved his wife deeply, hence he would only accept her physical help around the house and rejected every sexual advances that she projected.

One night it rained heavily and Hope was overwhelmed with joy. She had no choice but to spend the night in his apartment. At midnight, she heard him crying in his room and from the guest room where she laid, she approached him, eager to comfort him. He was in deep emotional pain and they ended up having sex and this act spelt victory at last for Hope.

After several supportive gestures and support on her part to John, he succumbed to her advances and they began dating officially. Two years after the death of his wife, John proposed marriage and she gladly accepted. He insisted on a simple and small wedding ceremony as he didn't want any lavish affair. Hope initially agreed but changed her mind at the last minute, complaining that this was her first time getting married at the age of 30 and she wanted an all out affair. John succumbed to her excesses and this was the beginning of the regular mantra of their union. A path where she seems to want everything to go according to her desires.

As soon as Special his baby girl turned three years of age, John brought her to live with them as he told Hope of his vow to his dying late wife.

When she got the chance to see Dorothy's picture, she knew Special was the exact replica of her mother's image and she couldn't compete with such beauty. Special's skin was soft and spotless. Her rounded face and curvy body even as a child made Hope wonder most times how she would look as a teenager.

John was extraordinarily excited on having Special live with them and she couldn't fathom the reason for such joy.

"Good morning Mummy" came the small voice, from the chubby light skinned 10 year old who was always cheerful. This greeting sent Hope back into the present time as she gazed at the once three year old who had overgrown her stay in this house. She wanted Special gone by all means.

"Good morning to your dead mother inside the grave! Do I look like her dead bones?" she attacked, shining her eyes in intimidation to the child who quickly bowed her head as a sign of respect.

"Get up right now!!! go and sweep the veranda, wash all the plates I left on the sink and get ready for school". Hope ordered.

Beatrice the house maid usually resumes by 8am and closes by 6pm. She had other chores waiting for the maid but she must raise Special rightly, hence She commanded the child like a prison warden.

Special glanced at the big clock hanging at the staircase wall. It was close to the little corner underneath the staircase, where she was assigned to sleep every night whenever her father had gone to his room or he was out of town. She gazed at the clock and saw that the time was 3am.

She sighed, knelt down for her morning prayers as she was taught by Beatrice the maid but decided against it as her step mother screamed again "what are you doing kneeling down for? Is something wrong with your brain this morning? Get out there right now, out of my sight and the next time it's 3am and you are not up, it is water I will pour on your face!." Hope threatened.

This was Special's lot, the last seven years of her life. She never knew her mother except from what she was told. According to her father, Her mother Dorothy, died minutes after she had given birth to Special due to poor hospital management of excessive bleeding condition during childbirth. But before she passed, she asked that John should name their Daughter "Special". She always wondered why she was called that name.

"I promise you Dorothy. I will not only call her Special but I would give her a special life and she will always be special to me". John assured his dying wife as he would always recount his ordeal of sorrow to Special. The young child always wished to be near her mother whom she never knew.

Three years after her mother's death, John remarried and went to bring Special from her grand mother's where she had been, since she was born. Her grand mother Felicia refused to let her go, insisting that John should leave Special with her as she would take better care of her but John refused. The issue caused a huge rift between the families and ended with each severing ties. No one came to check up on the child from her maternal lineage henceforth, making her feel all alone.

John's new wife Hope, was supportive of the idea of bringing Special to the house at first, as she took care of the child whenever her husband was around until she started having children of her own as Special clocked five. She didn't care if John was around, Her dislike for Special was exposed and it just grew rapidly.

She showed it at every chance she got as she didn't want the child around her own children. She had 2 girls first in the space of two years and some months. Taking a year's break, she hoped to have a son next.

Everytime she sees Special, She would complain about the child's weight to the Father all day.

"She eats too much. She wants to finish all the food in the house. I don't want her to be extremely fat. You know the medical repercussion!" she would tell her husband John but he ignored her completely like she was not making any reasonable statement worthy of his comments. "I have seen her mother's picture. Am sure that because she was too fat, that is what led to poor birth process" she blurted out one day in front of Special and her husband.

"Dont you dare speak of Dorothy in such an unholy manner!" John replied in anger.

"What is unholy in what I just said?" Hope asked feigning Innocence.

"How can you say such unhealthy things to my daughter,?! Don't you ever try it in this life again." John fired back in fury that certain day which ended in her apologizing, calling it a joke. He took the issues of Special seriously and Hope didn't want her daughters to have to compete for their father's attention as Special had already collected everything.

As Special looked away that day, she wondered in her little mind why her father couldn't just drive this wicked woman who pretends alot away from their house. At another instance, she would complain at how Special was growing bigger than her age but John paid her no mind. She began to reduce the child's food and force her to drink water instead and this started to lead to drastic weight reduction for the child who was seven years old then.

John worked very hard and was rarely at home so he barely looked at Special's body frame. Whenever he returns back from his lecture trips, he would buy alot of take outs for his children. Hope would make them thank their father and surrender every package to her privately. Most times she would tell Special to get lost as soon as her father was out of the living room while she would share the goodies amongst her daughters. She hated the child sharing anything with her children as they were the rightful owners of whatever their father had bought. She always called Special an intruder with no place in their house.

This action made her first daughter Treasure who was five years younger than Special a very pampered and privileged girl. Seeing her mother's maltreatment of Special, she would always scream for her mother anytime she wanted to take something that belonged to Special and Hope usually comes running to punish the innocent Special.

During Christmas seasons, Professor John would ensure that his daughters had the best of clothes and this angered Hope alot as she wished to wear Special some rags.

The abuse continued and escalated when Hope's third child still turned out to be a girl and the professor insisted on a family planning method so he could concentrate on raising enough finances for the expenses of the house.

Hope agreed but deep down inside of her, she was pained as she didn't have a son whom she believed would inherit all the professor had. She would complain of the house being too small to accommodate her growing daughters and Special but John would turn a deaf ear until He moved them to his own duplex and assigned rooms to his daughters.

Having three daughters was such a set back to her plan. Every time, she looked at Special, she felt threatened. So, she concluded that Special would have no place in the house incase she would want to drag her daughters inheritance in the future. She made sure the professor knew that his eldest daughter was such a disappointment at every chance she got but it seemed not to be working as she hoped it would. This is because everytime she wanted to say something negative about Special, something good just seemed to overshadow her cooked up lies and she told alot of lies about the young child.

However, the more she tried to break Special's spirit by her chronic and constant maltreatment, the more the young child seemed to blossom. Deliberately pulling the child out of the prestigious private school she was enrolled in alongside her daughters, Hope deceived her husband and took the young child to a public school. She couldn't bear to see her go to the same school with her children. Special was the most intelligent child at the primary section in the British themed school. Often time, she would tell Special to say she was their cousin from the village not Professor John's child.

The more the abuse and oppression, the more the child radiates goodness. The child still came out as the best in her class at a heavily populated public school. This made Hope wonder alot about the mystery of Special. Even Beatrice the maid took to Special's side anytime she wanted to discipline the child. Beatrice being a mother of four loved Special greatly and would ensure the child was well cared for despite the warnings to sack her if she continued.

Hope had flogged the child once, when she was 9 years old for letting a glass cup slip from her hands and the entire neighborhood heard of it that certain day because of Beatrice. The incidence report also got to her husband whom she always chided from seeing Special regularly, anytime he was home so that they would not bond.

"If I see you anywhere near my husband, I will poison you". She would often threatened Special. The child became aware of the drill as she avoided her father alot whenever he was home without anyone telling her to hide.

Unfortunately for Hope, that fateful day, John was told by their neighbors in the next compound that his daughter Special was heard crying strangely like never before. John was so embarrassed as he drove into his compound. He wondered how the sound went over to the next compound as they lived alone in theirs.

On entering his house that evening, he immediately demanded for Special's clothes to be removed totally as Hope had ensured she wore a black turtleneck sweater to conceal the abuse. Professor John was ashamed at what he saw. He was moved to tears seeing her light skinned body full of cane marks and his little plump princess had emaciated drastically. He could count her ribs by gazing at her. He was furious at his wife Hope as this was not what he promised Dorothy his late wife.

"Hope, sio you don't love her right?, See how lean she looks. I drop money for feeding but see my child! For Christ sake, She is just 9 years old. How can you flog my child like this?. Can you flog Treasure, Susan or even Ashely like this?" He yelled calling out her daughters names.

"Let today be the first and last time you touch my daughter in this house Hope, or else, you would go back to your father's house without my children and with some serious cane marks!!".

That night, he personally took Special to her room and noticed how plain the room looked unlike his other daughter's room. He cuddled his girl to sleep and by morning, he got decorators to re arrange the room making it fit for an adolescent. Hope was pained as she saw the amount of money her husband had spent in making Special feel truly Special. He ensured Beatrice takes note of what the child eats and reports to him if she doesn't eat well. All his vacation break that semester, he spent showering unconditional love on Special. The child started to gain weight as she was indeed a plump child by all standard. He bought new clothes for her and they always went out to the amusement parks at weekend. He went with her children too but would ask her not to join them. Hope was indeed pained all through that season.

Hope vowed never to flog Special again but she also vowed to make the life of the child a living hell. Hence, whenever the father was already asleep, she would drag her from her beautiful, comfortable bed and her air-conditioned room to sleep by the corridor of the staircase and force her to wake up daily by 3am so as not to be met by the father sleeping there. Despite all this horrible dealings, Special rarely fell sick. As a matter of fact, she had never admitted the child in the hospital. She threatened the child every day of killing her in her sleep if she relayed to the Father what was happening in the house.

Special hurriedly entered the kitchen as usual that morning, cleaning and washing every utensils carefully. She hummed excitedly as her music teacher had taught them in school that Music is the medicine for a sad soul. She had used that medicine over and over again whenever Hope was angry with her.

After her kitchen chores, she cleaned the compound as the gateman shook his head seeing how early the child was working like a slave in her father's house. Special often washed the compound gate as instructed by Hope, by climbing a ladder and using a water hose. Everyone who knew the Nosa's intimately have come to always marveled at how much Special worked like a prisoner daily, just to please the prison warden Hope without the knowledge of Professor John.

When her father was set to go to work, Mrs hope would ensured Special hide herself very well from his view so he doesn't start asking questions as he regularly does. He thought the driver takes her to school, not knowing that Hope insists that she walked to her school daily and Special didn't mind. As long as she gets a few hours away from home, it always felt good.

Taking her bath and eating cold soaked garri that early in the morning in a hurry whilst standing in the kitchen, she saw two of her sisters Treasure who was five years old and Susan who was four years old walk downstairs sluggishly and straight to breakfast. They took their fried hot dogs,noodles, apple fruits and pineapple juice in the dining room. They also took fried rice and roasted turkey as lunch to school while she had nothing to take for lunch. But she didn't mind, as long as she had breakfast, she was full. The garri usually made her feel very full as she walked to school and that made her very happy each day.

As though in a hurry, Special started her walk to the public school by 6:30am which was an hour away if she walked very fast. She was the best in the Junior secondary school one that her step mother enrolled her in. She missed her British school friends but she didn't dwell on such sad tales. She also didn't care as long as she was getting an education.

Arriving at school each day, she would sweep her class, arrange her assignments notes neatly on her teacher's desk. She would clean each table and chair, fetch water in the class drinking bucket. Every teacher in Odion Secondary School had gotten to know the light in complexion plump girl who was very intelligent and well behaved. She arrives school very early and her uniform was very neat.

At one of the christian religious knowledge class, the class teacher taught on heaven, citing that it is a place for our loved ones who have left the earth. She also said one must be a Christian to go to Heaven. Special asked if she could go to heaven right now. But the teacher insisted on being old before one can go to heaven. Special bursted into tears in the class that day and the teacher, Mrs Bimbo was very worried.

Pulling her aside after the last class for that day, she interrogated the child. "Special what is it?"

"Nothing ma" came the cold relay.

"Its not nothing. I know something is wrong. You can talk to me child."

"I want to go to heaven and stay with my mother.I can't wait till I am old. I want to die now" came the reply from the 10 year old who looked so sad.

"If you kill yourself, you can't go to heaven.It's hell God will send you to. This is because suicide is also a sin" the teacher explained.

Special bursted into more tears

"Why do you want to go to heaven now? You are so young my dear."

"So I wouldn't see my step mother again. I want to just stay with my own Mummy"

"Why? What did your step "mother do to you?" Mrs Bimbo questioned

"Nothing ma. I just want to be with my own Mummy."

Mrs Bimbo suddenly realized that what the other children in the class murmured about Special could be correct. They would always talk about Special always drinking water during lunch time but not eating lunch because her mother didn't give her lunch.

Taking Special by the hand, Mrs Bimbo a very matured woman approached the office of the new principal of the school. A very young lady in her late 20's who got the job of the principal because she schooled outside the country and is related to the governor. Nervous of what the principal's reaction might be, Mrs Bimbo hesitated before knocking.

Summoning up courage, she knocked at the door of the principal.

"Please come in" came the voice on the other side.

They entered the office which was more new and improved from the former office. It had a long sofa and several executive chairs for a board meeting. The new principal sat at a desk with a laptop opened before her at the end of the room. She was dark in complexion. Beautiful, slim and quite tall. She had a good command of English and seemed very gracious.

"Please sit down Mrs Bimbo" the principal said.

"Good afternoon ma" Special greeted in a small voice and bowed down her head but the Principal ignored her believing she was brought to her for punishment.

"Good afternoon ma. This is my best pupil in J.ss1 A. I think she is depressed and suicidal ma" Mrs Bimbo blurted out which prompted the Principal to stop typing on her computer as she gazed at the child whose greeting she ignored a few moments ago thinking the child has done something wrong.

"What is her name Mrs Bimbo?"

The principal asked smiling.

"Her name is Special ma!"

"Special how are you? You are so beautiful and you remind me of

my own step daughter" she told the young child whose head was bowed down ever since she entered the office.

"As a matter of fact, I have three step children and I love them very much". She continued gaining no emotional reaction from the young child.

"She is so intelligent and yet unhappy. According to her classmates, special drinks more than 15 cups of water during lunch break."

"What?!!" Mrs Lola the principal exclaimed.

"Yes ma. She has been reported and I can tell you that is her only offence. She is well behaved and very quiet." Mrs Bimbo briefed the principal.

"Special have you eaten your lunch yet?"

"She doesn't bring lunch to school ma.

"Mrs Bimbo please do not worry, I will make some calls and get this matter sorted out today"

"Okay ma. Thank you ma. It's already closing time. Special where do you reside?" Mrs Bimbo asked the child

"I leave at hospital road" the child replied.

"So would a driver come and get you or do you use to take a taxis,? if you use a taxis, go and buy something to eat, I will go and bring transport fare for you." Mrs Bimbo said standing up to leave the principal's office.

"I think that would even be great. Special don't you think so?" Asked the principal.

Special made no move from the position with her head bowed.

"You don't use a taxis huh?" The principal asked this time.

"No ma"

"A driver then?"

"No ma".

"So how do you go from here to hospital road where you live?"

"I walk ma".

"You are funny Special. Do not joke with me and I don't like lies" the principal said looking at Mrs Bimbo at the same time.

Seeing the child was not laughing, the principal moved from her seat and walked up to Special, kneeling down in front of the little girl. Mrs Bimbo also stood close to the young child.

"Tell me what you just said my child.You walk from here to your house?"

"I walk to school and I walk back home everyday.It's not that far." The child added making excuse for her parents.

Mrs Lola's heart was broken as she saw the injustice she had come to Nigeria to fight in the education system. This girl was still too small to walk a distance of over sixty miles to and fro school daily.

Packing up her bags, she bade Mrs Bimbo,the christian religious knowledge teacher good bye. Mrs Lola guided the little child to her Lexus jeep parked beside the office building. Boiling with fury inside, she asked the secretary to come to her and produce the enrollment file of Special Nosa which she did.

Seeing the address, she saw that special was enrolled as an orphan which clearly she was not and her father's number was not put there. Putting her gear in the reverse, Mrs Lola drove out of the school in alarming speed as she gazed at the buildings.

The old government building was under reconstruction which was her achievement as she secured a renovation contract two months ago. Seeing the school premises, she recognized that it's a work in progress. At 29 years of age, she was glad she was an educator. She schooled outside the country for both her first and second degree. She only returned to get married to a lawyer she met in England who was divorced with three children in his Fourties.

Taking his children from his ex wife was another story as she smiled thinking about it and the children loved being with her. They were in different boarding schools and the last one was 10 years old just like Special. She pampered Toju alot and she wouldn't have it any other way. She had come to realize that the more she cared for her step children,the more she was loved by her husband.

Watching Special swallow her saliva several times, She drove into a fast food and purchased a pack of hot jollof rice, roasted turkey and pineapple juice for the young child forgetting a bottle of water.

Special devoured the meal before she returned with a bottled water.

"Should I get you another plate sweetie?"

"No ma. I am very full and I am very grateful" Special thanked her.

Tears filled her eyes and she once again wished she could have her own child but it was impossible with the hysterectomy that she did to save her life from cervical cancer. She rubbed the soft cheeks of the child determined more than ever that if she didn't have a child, she would take care of this one like her own.

In a few minutes of approaching the address, she discovered that Special had slept off. Touching the face of the child again she marveled at how soft her skin was and it made her smile. The car smelled of the roasted turkey and seeing the zip of Special's bag, she realized the little girl kept her meat in her bag, probably because she would not get food when she returns from school.

On getting to the address, she parked her car and waited. It was already 5 pm and she wanted to see the child's father. She knew what to expect from a step mother who would call a child orphan when she clearly was not.

As luck would have it, a prado jeep drove into the compound and she came down, signaling to the gateman that she wanted to speak to the person in the car. Adjusting her skirt, she walked briskly towards the driver side and knocked on the glass.

"Good evening sir. Are you Professor John."

"Yes I am. Good evening."

"I would like to talk to you privately sir."

"Is anything the matter, I don't know you ma"

"I am Special's school principal. My name is Mrs Lola"

"I didn't know they have changed the former person. I knew the man personally.You should be talking to my wife then. Is anything the matter ma'am".

"You tell me sir.Special is asleep in my car."

"Oh my God,Did the driver not come to pick her up?" Professor John asked alarmed.

"Which driver, She says she walks to school and walk back daily"

"Dont mind her, that's not true.

How can the driver take her sisters and leave her to come behind" he chuckled trying to cover his growing anxiety.

"Am sorry sir but only Special schools In Odion Secondary School"

"Which Odion Secondary School?

My intelligent daughter is in British high school!"

"Which daughter? Special Nosa? She is indeed intelligent but she is in Odion Secondary School." Mrs Lola blurted in anger at the confused man.

"Infact please come with me because she is asleep in my car"

They both walked briskly to her car. Where John saw his daughter fatigued, with an ugly school uniform which angered him and a very old school bag.

Opening the door woke her up in a scare.

"Am sorry ma. Am sorry I was sleeping. I will go and wash the plate" she said sluggishly, still sleepy, trying to open the door to get out of the car. They couldn't believe such reply as she jumped down from the car and she recognized her father.

"Daddy good evening sir"

"Special why didn't you tell me you go to a different school?" He questioned her almost in tears.

"Daddy am sorry. Daddy am so sorry. I am not worthy to go to British high school with Treasure, Susan and Ashley. I don't want to waste your money." She pleaded.

This was the mantra that she learnt from Hope's daily speech. It had given her what to say in eventuality of her Father finding out.John holding his daughter's hand was embarrassed and felt like dying.

"Can I suggest something sir? Please take her to a boarding school. I know a good one".

"But this is second term ma'am" he voiced out his concern holding his daughter's hand.

"I know sir My daughter is in playhieght school and they will take her in this second term. She will be well cared for properly as long as you can afford it." She warned.

"I can afford anything for my child."

"Then it is settled. I will get in touch with the principal this night. I will pick her up in the morning to go for their interview. If she is successful, she would resume as soon as possible."

"Thank you Mrs Lola"

"You are welcome sir. Please take care of your child. Children are a gift from God and are to be cherished. Special, take your bath, eat your turkey, eat your dinner, sleep well. I will pick you up by 7am."

"Goodnight sir. "

That evening, John turned his house to a battle field.

Upon entering the house with Special in his arm, Hope shivered and was speechless. Beatrice the maid embraced the child as she had been waiting for her to return.

"I want the five hundred and seventy thousand naira you took for her school fees tonight!" John screamed at his wife who was already on her knees.