THE SORROW ARC
The Sorrow Arc – Episode 1
© Ameen Oppy
Our Family
In Ajepojuda village, there lived an old woman called Grandma Oyedele living with her grandchildren. She was very poor and needy like a Church rat. She didn’t have any source of income except selling off palm kennel at Owode market which brought her exchange.
She gave birth to four children, two boys are two girls. The male one were Makanju and Saka while the female one were Balarebe and Titayo.
Makanju, the first child of the woman was a poor farmer who lives in neighbours village with his wife and children, he died two years ago leaving his wife and children to cater for themselves without anyone’s help.
Titayo, the second child of the woman got married to Alexander in Lagos Nigeria. Alexander was a rich young man and they got married happily but the happiness left when Titayo gave birth to a set of twins called Dane and Danella, they were male and female. When they turned two years old, Alexander was shoot on his way home from business trip. This caused many problems, Alexander’s family took over the property and sent Titayo away with the children. Since then, Dane and Danella started to live with their grandma while Titayo hustled in Lagos for a mean of exchange and sent token amount to the kids every month.
Balarebe, the third child got an opportunity to go to Singapore and after some years she came back rich and lived in the city. She made sure her mother didn’t suffer. Unfortunately, Balarebe was discovered by the doctor that she had heart disease which led her to stroke. She had spent everything in her account just to make sure the illness cure but it got worsen.
Saka, the last child of the woman was a veterinarian who earned little amount of money which doesn’t satisfied his nuclear family not to talk of taking care of grandma Oyedele.
Dane and Danella were the only one who lived with grandma Oyedele. They were going to Tisilah primary school in the village but no secondary school when they curb their primary level. It was obvious that their grandma cannot afford meals with the school fees. Tisilah primary school was a Free school and only school in the village.
They wanted to go to secondary school but none of the secondary school near to the village. They got admissions into Goodwill high school in Erebubube town but it was too far from the village that they will have to trek for like four to five hours.
This frustrated Oyedele but immediately she told her sick daughter, Balarebe. She narrated how the twins got admissions into GHS. Balarebe was very surprised about the good luck of the kids and promised to sponsor them,even transport fare.
When grandma returned home, she narrated everything to Dane and Danella who were worried before and they hailed her “The pillar of the family”. Everyone knew Balarebe as the pillar of the family until she had stroke. She can’t walked properly without using stick and her voice croaked when she talks. Her speech were not complete due to the heart disease she had.
They took her from one herbalist to another, from one priest to another. None of them thought of going to see doctors because they believe in some old superstitious that every illness could be cured by gods and goddesses.
The following morning, Dane and Danella woke up very early in the morning as for them to meet up with the school bus in Aye Toro village because they need to trek for one hour before they could reached the village. Balarebe was the one that pays for their school transport and other fees.
They reached the school and their mouths left agape because they didn’t know that the town is very beautiful than the village where there’s no electric neither electric water nor anything called TELE either telephone or television. They don’t even experience how they make use of it except they Saw it inside the textbook they read in primary school.
Everyone mocked and bullied them. They called them Bush boy Bush girl. They didn’t like the names but never complained because it was their Cross.
When they got home it was already evening because of how far the school was. They narrated all what they saw in the town for their grandma but they decided not to talk about the bully and insults they received from the students even the teachers.
TBC
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