Dysfunctional - Episode 42

 

Sommy's POV

I did every legal thing I had to do concerning the money willed to me. In a week time we had began furnishing the building. I chose an office where I could enjoy the beautiful view. 
At the same time, I made plans towards having a family gathering to honour father's wish of being close to the entire family once again.
Meanwhile Bosco had his own plans of going to Jimoh street to check if he could find the lady who rescued him.
He felt as though he owed her a great deal for saving his life and for giving him a better life. 
"You do know that she might be dead?" I told him and he shrugged. "I feel the need to repay her for helping me . It's worth the try."
"We're talking twenty five years ago. She must have parked away." "Would you go with me. I just need to clear my conscience"
"Why don't you send Peter to investigate?"
"I want to do this myself. I don't want anyone finding out my reasons for meeting her."
 "When are we going?" I asked, "Would you be busy tomorrow?" He asked and I smiled. "Is that a trick question? You know I've been busy lately but I'll cancel my schedule to be with you" 

Bosco's POV
It wasn't easy but I finally got to a street that should lead to Jimoh street. We had to walk on foot because the potholes would not allow us drive through.
We asked direction from a guy who volunteered to show us the way

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/dysfunctional

. We got to a gate, old and very rusty.
The young guy pointed at the number. "This is Number 3 Jimoh street" he said and I removed a thousand naira from the bag giving it to him.
"Oga, Madam thank you oh" he bowed his head. "You're welcome" "Shea make I wait?" He asked, "Incase una one come out. Street boys fit dey wait una."
"I really don't want to bother you"
"Bother ke? For one thousand that I didn't work for? Oga I will wait even in the rain" he answered and we walked into the compound. 
There were kids playing outside. We saw two playing draught outside the compound, then we walked towards them.
"Good morning all" I said with a gentle wave but they all didn't pay attention.
"We dey greet oh" Sommy added and one of them turned to her. "Madam, abeg who you dey find?" He asked, "Taye Ajao"
"There's is no Taye Ajao here oh"
"He's an old tenant"
"I just park enter, and this mumu for here never reach two years for this compound"
"Is there anyone we can ask?"
"Landlord pikin" he answered. "Where's the landlord's child?" He asked, "Wo! madam your question done too much, abeg leave me" he yelled and we walked away from the both of them. 
"Jobless people! Instead them getting their lazy ass to work, they won't. They will cry that there are no job opportunities but yet their wives would be the one fending for the entire family." Sommy complained and I apologized for bringing her here. 
"I feel like throwing my shoe on his head" she snapped and I laughed. "How do we get to meet the landlord's child right now?" I asked and Sommy walked over to a boy then I saw her kneel down, touching his cheek. "What's your name?" She asked the boy?" and he kept quiet.
She immediately switched into Yoruba. "My name is Sule" he answered in Yoruba. 
"What do you feel like eating?" She continued, "Baba Dudu (A yoruba native chocolate brand)" he answered.
"I'll give you and all your friends all kinds of sweet you want if you can tell me where I can find the landlord. Is he home?"
"Yes... he's washing clothes" he answered, "Show me" I demanded and he took us to a man drying clothes on a wire.
He seemed really mature, about fifty years above. He had grey hair.
"Good morning Sir" Sommy greeted and I joined in. "Who are you looking for? Are you the police? I've said it times without number, I am not entitled to what my tenants do, so stop coming to me to make reports."
"We are not, we are looking for one Taye Ajao"
"Taye Ajao?" He asked, "Yes Sir"
"Taye was my best friend then. He doesn't live here again oh. He moved out" "Do you know where?"
"Yes, but I hope no problem"
"Please we want to find out about a particular girl named Mercy... Twenty five years ago, she directed me to come here" I chipped in and he smiled.
"Then she was Taye's girlfriend. They got married years later. Bring a book I'll write the address for you" he suggested and Sommy torn out a page from her book.

We got outside to meet the guy who brought us here talking to a woman. He left us the moment he noticed our presence. 
"Boss!" He hailed and I saw Sommy laugh.
I wondered why he was so excited about a thousand naira. "Where can we find this address?" we passed the paper to him.
"This one use style far oh"
"Can you take us there?"
"Sha....." The man paused in thought. "I get plans oh but... Oya make we go" he agreed and we walked over to the place we left our car and we drove there through his direction.

We knocked on the door and a girl opened the door. She was about the age of eighteen or so. "Good morning  and who are you looking for?" She asked, "Taye Ajao" I answered and she looked back.
"Daddy!" She called out and a man came out. 
He seemed very mature, "Good afternoon Sir" Sommy and I greeted.
"Do I know you? Your face doesn't look familiar"
"You don't. We're looking for one Mercy, I don't know her surname" I answered. "She's my wife and Who are you?"
"Twenty five years ago, she saved my life. I just came to tell her thank you" 
His eyes widened in shock. "We thought you were dead" he said, "Can we see her?" Sommy asked and he welcomed us in. 
The house had a funny smell suddenly it started to smell as though someone just sprayed perfume. 
The sitting room was a small one, from it, we got into a room where we saw the daughter spraying perfume. She seemed embarrassed after we walked in on her.
"The house has a funny smell" she confessed. "My friends complain about the smell" she answered then walked out of the room.
I saw Sommy almost laughing. On the bed was a woman with wrapper over her.
 "Good morning Ma" i greeted and she turned over to her husband.
"They're visitors" he answered sitting on the bed with her. "Who are they?" She asked slowly as though speaking was so difficult for her.
"Ma, twenty five years ago, you saved my life."
"Bosco?" She called out struggling to sit up. "Please lie down" the husband begged but she refused. "I thought you were dead" she finally sat upright.
 "I don't understand. The news was that you got hit by a car and you died."
"Maybe that was what God wanted them to think" I answered. "I honestly don't know but...."
"How did...how did you find me?"
"The street you gave to me, the land lord there gave me an address" I answered and she shut her eyes in tears.
"I thought I sent you to your early grave" she added. "She felt guilty for it" Taye chipped in holding his wife's hands. 
"I lost my memory ma. After I remembered, i thought I had led you to your death." 
"They wouldn't have killed me out of fear for my sister but I received my share of punishment. I was flogged."
"I'm sorry" i apologized.
 "Being out of there was better than being in that building with all I had to through. Even if I had died in that that accident. " 
"How are you now?" She asked, "I trust you're doing well in this wicked life"
"We thank God ma" I answered bowing my head. "I wouldn't have been what I am right now if not for you Ma"
"Please have your seat on the bed or your can sit on that plastic chair around the corner." she pointed at a plastic white chair and I shook my head.
"Ma I'm fine"
"Thank you Ma I'll sit" Sommy replied sitting on it and I chuckled.
"What do you do now?" She asked, "I'm a lawyer" I answered as modest as possible.
"What's wrong with her?" Sommy asked turning towards Taye. "Well..." He paused. "It's just a normal sickness, we've given her Malaria drugs, although it didn't work oh but we have tried typhoid."
"Self medication shea?" She asked and he laughed, he seemed rather embarrassed. 
"We'll take her to an hospital and we'll pay the bills" I suggested and he refused.
"We don't want to stress you"
"It's okay Sir" Sommy answered. "It's no stress at all, this is our way of showing appreciation for what you did years ago" she continued now looking at me. 
"We would love to do more" she added and Mercy smiled. 
"Can I be alone with Bosco?" She requested. Taye and Sommy walked out of the room.
"Is she your wife?" She asked and I shook my head. "She's my girlfriend" "She looks like a good woman. I can feel it in my guts"
"She is"
"You don't need money to marry this kind of woman. You grab them fast" she added then looked at the door.
 "I didn't want her to hear what i wanted to say about what happened in the past"
"I don't want to talk about it"
"I want you to know that your offenders have been judged. My sister is currently serving life imprisonment, Celestine the guy who ....." She stalled. 
I never knew his name. "He was burnt alive oneday after he was caught kidnapping. Jungle justice was the least he deserved for what he has done to a lot of kids"

Sommy's POV
Mercy requested she wanted to be alone with Bosco. Taye and I left the room to the sitting room where the daughter was watching t.v.
"I'll be outside if you guys want me" he said leaving the house.
I sat close to the girl looking at the t.v. It looked smaller. It's been a while since I've seen a television as small as that. I never knew people still used that. 
"What's your name?" I asked, "My name is blessing" she answered and I nodded. "Any other siblings?"
"One but he's dead"
"I'm sorry"
"It's okay, he was little when he died" she answered. "How old are you?"
"I'm nineteen years old"
"Any university plans?" I asked and she laughed. "There isn't enough money to give Mom proper treatment, how much more" she paused. 
"Would you like to go?"
"Would you sponsor me?"
"You might be shocked" I answered with a smile. 
"Don't even waste your money Ma. I didn't drop out of school, I dropped myself out of school. I don't have mind on school things, reading and all those things." She hissed loudly, "You guys would just wake up oneday to find out someone died of headache" she explained and I laughed.
"I'm serious, I'm a first class Olodo (Dull-headed person), but I can talk oh"
"Fashion designing is nice"
"As if I didn't try it. They almost used beating to destroy my life" she scoffed, I noticed a break in her voice as though she wanted to cry.
"What do you now?"
"I help out in market, I help people sell. I have to survive"
"Would you like to work for me?"
"I didn't finish secondary school oh, shea I said it already"
 "There are lots of opening spots in my company. It's new but... I can think of something you can do for me"
"Why would you help me out? You don't even know me. Family members have even abandoned us, I don't understand." I saw tears stream down her eyes.
"Your mother is a very good woman I hope you know that"
"I do but what have her good fetched her?"
"She did something praiseworthy twenty five years ago. What she did, helped a very young boy. We can't thank her enough, all we have to do is help in whatever way we can, even if it means helping you too."

Mercy dressed up and we all drove over to the nearest clinic where she was admitted. It was evening by the time we set off to go home. Bosco gave them some money then promised to stop by.
 It was a silent drive back home. I began to think the visit had some psychological effect on him.
"I'm fine" I heard him say later. I didn't ask any question. I turned over to him and I heard him laugh.
 "You had it mind. You were begininig to wonder if visiting her had an effect on me mentally" he added and I laughed.
"See who's reading my mind; someone should have read psychology instead."
"I don't think I would have been interesting as you are" he answered and I laughed harder.
"I'm glad I went there" he said to me with a big smile on his face. "What did you two talk about?"
"We talked about the past. She didn't want you to know. She said her sister is currently serving life imprisonment" "Serves her right" I interrupted. 
"The guy who molested me, I got to find out his name is Celestine" "Such an angelic name for a devil. Was he also arrested? That's like heaven to him. He'll be among guys"
"He was caught trying to kidnap another child. He was burnt alive" "Now I believe there's justice in the world" I said with a sigh of relief.
I noticed he took a wrong turn and I wondered where he was going to. "This is not the way home dear"
I know... I have something else in mind" he answered then we stopped at a jewelry store. We got out and I gave him a "what are you doing?' look and he laughed.
"Bosco" I sighed from being tired. "I have to go home, I'm really tired." I complained and he held my hands in.
"What are we doing here?"
"Engagement ring shopping" he answered truthfully and I chuckled. I saw a lady walk towards us. She seemed to know Bosco. 
"Good evening Sir" she said with a smile. "Is she the one?" She asked and Bosco nodded. 
I was lost. I didn't know that was going on. 
We walked around and he pointed at several rings, I didn't like. "How about this?" He pointed to another and I smiled in acceptance. 
"Why didn't you just surprise me like a normal boyfriend would?" I asked and he took the kneeling on the floor. 
"You haven't even paid for it "
I'll take this!" He got up raising the ring up then he moved closer to me. 
"I would have bought the ring alone but I want to do it today and not any other day. Sommy I've finally realized that you're not worth being just my girlfriend. I don't like you being just my girlfriend, I hate it when I give that reply that  you're just my girlfriend.

Read " Palm lines " by the same author ( Essien Eno )

. You shouldn't be just anything. You deserve to be much more" he confessed.
"Touch my chest" he requested and I placed my palm on his chest. "Do you feel that?" He asked, "That's me having a peace of mind and that's my heart beating for you" he added I smiled then he knelt down.
"A wise woman once said to me, the first question you have to ask before popping a proposal is, is she worth it? Is she the kind of person you want to spend the rest of your life with? Sommy you're worth it. I may have my short comings but it's you I want to spend my life. I hope with my short comings, you will still take me to me your husband. Will you marry me?" He asked and i giggled almost in tears. I was embarrassed too, people were begining to stare. 
"Yes" I answered and he rose up kissing me on the lips then he inserted the ring in  my finger. I bit my lower lip. 
"I'm so turned on right now" he whispered to me and I laughed. 
"I can't wait to get home" he added. I was blushing like a school girl. I couldn't wait to get home. I had a good feeling about this.