Resuscitated Hope - Episode 11

 

Life wasn't easy staying with Mama Bola.

Her children were of age, but Ifeoma did basically everything. They turned her to a house girl, while Bola and Bose were spoilt.
She spent days thinking how horrible life had been for her.
She kept praying for God to at least make Mrs Bamiloye come home to visit, so she would be free.
"Ifeoma, come and clear our plates", Bola and Bose would yell.
"Come and pick this, and that, you house girl", they always chorus.
It always look like they do some practice on how to bully Ifeoma.

One Saturday morning,
Ifeoma had woken up as usual, cleaned the house and it was sparkling neat.
She cooked and did all the chores.
Bola and Bose were still far asleep.
After she was done, she sat on the sofa, in the sitting room and stretched her legs on a stool.
Bose, the younger one entered the parlour and saw Ifeoma in the position she found unworthy of her.
She was two years older than Ifeoma
"You, what do you think you are doing, sitting like that?", Bose yelled loudly.
Bose continued, "like it's your house and your wretched unfortunate mother's property, right?"
Ifeoma fumed, stood and shouted back, "don't you ever bring my mother in your madness".
"Me?, Madness? Which mother are you talking about?", Bose pointed at her and came closer.
They were already making a scene.
Meanwhile, they woke Bola and their mum who were asleep.
They both stood at the door to watch the drama unfolds.

Ifeoma hissed and snapped her fingers.
"Twaaah", a heavy slap from Bose descended on Ifeoma's face.
Before Bola could mutter their slang, Oshey baddest, while she nodded with her mum on how they are proud of Bose, a blow landed on Bose's face.
"Kpiiiim", it sounded.
She fell on the chair, stood and a serious fight begun.
Then, Mama Bola and Bola ran to them.
"You this witch that killed your mother, wants to kill my child, eh?", a slap from Mama Bola's landed on Ifeoma's face followed by a thorough beatings from Bose and Bola..

1995
Despite maltreatment and not having time for her study, Ifeoma was still top of her class.
Bola and Bose didn't care about the achievement even when their mother was wary.
She didn't want Ifeoma to continue her education and take WASSCE as she might pass and become more successful than her daughters.
Bola had managed to pass WASSCE but was finding it hard entering University while Bose was still in SS3.
Ifeoma was fifteen years, she was in a commercial discipline and in SS1.
She had always had the passion to study Economics and become a world renowned Economist.
Anytime, Bose and Bola hears her mutter the sentence, they'd laugh at her and yell, "if wishes were horses, beggars would ride".
Mama Bola on the other hand would reject it and tell her, that house girl is where she belonged and would be married off to one wheel barrow pusher if she was lucky enough to find a husband.
"Don't be deceived by the useless Public school you are attending, you aren't that intelligent", Bola and Bose would mock.

**********************
Meanwhile in the village,
Emeka's relative and Mama had sold and shared his wealth among themselves.
They all spent it carelessly except Ichie Odogwu who invested his own, became rich and abandoned his people.
None of the relative cared for themselves any longer.
Mama was always sober whenever she remembered his dead son, but whenever she sees Emeka's jnr face, she feels relieved.
Papa had died three years ago.
Not until then did Chief Odogwu remember them.
He brought a cow for Papa's burial.
Emeka, jnr was ten years and worked in the farm.
He rarely went to school.
Not like Mama couldn't sponsor him but he didn't have the passion.
He wanted to become a farmer and go to Lagos later to do servant for one man, then he'd be settled after, and he becomes rich.
"These were your father's passion, and he fulfilled it to his wealth", Mama told him.
"Where is my mother?", he asked inquisitively.
"She was the one that killed your father and we banished her. What a wicked Yoruba girl", Mama smirked.
Emeka, jnr shook his head and rested on Mama's body.

**********************
Since Ifeoma entered senior secondary school, she became more serious with her studies, because she believed this was a decider in her life.
"Nobody would stop me from attending University", she cried everyday after they had all gone to sleep.
Mama Bola noticed her studiousness and started punishing her with more chores but she created time in the night to read after they had all gone to sleep too.
One faithful day, Mama Bola caught her reading in the night and she was furious.
"So, you read here and start sleeping whenever I give you chores in the morning?"she shouted as she slapped Ifeoma with a force.
Ifeoma fell and started crying.
Bola came by and started telling her mother, "my own problem is that she sleeps when you give her chores, apart from that, they teach them nothing in public school; I don't see her passing", she boasted assuredly.
"Are you sure", Mama Bola asked.
Bola laughed hysterically and let out, "why did you put her in a public school and not a private one"
"Err....", Mama Bola stuttered.
"You have your answer", Bola said and walked away.

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

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Read " Outcast " by the same author ( Obinna Tony )