SARÉ by Olowojesiku Deborah Iyanu
Episode 12
The family of four drove home in a black Lexus jeep while I followed behind. Looking at the family, I could see that God has blessed Papa. At thirty-five, he had achieved a whole lot, he had a house of his own, two cars and some properties to his name. After a ride of thirty minutes, we arrived at his house and as we went in, I couldn’t help but admire his house, the interior and exterior decoration were beautifully crafted.
Ore greeted me and walked into her room, it was obvious she didn’t want to talk to me. Papa called her back but she claimed she needed to rest her head that was hurting. Well, I wasn’t expecting her to jump into my arms because I hurt that girl so much. I remember few days to her tenth birthday, she called me with Papa’s phone and pleaded I come around for her birthday, she wanted to show me off to her friends who called her a motherless child but I told her I was too busy to attend her birthday.
Papa asked me to sit in the living room while he go get her for me, he came back twenty minutes later, I knew he had to convince her to come see me.
Ore: I am here, say what you want to say in five minutes, I need to go back into my room.
Papa: You don’t talk to adult like that, young lady, not to talk of your mother.
Ore: She isn’t my mother, Dad. Which mother would abandon her child just because she came the wrong time? Did I ask her to give birth to me? She sees me as a mistake and wants nothing to do with me, let it remain like that.
Papa: Ore, I taught raised you better.
Me: Please, let her be. I wronged her, let her vent all her anger on me. I have been a bad mother, she is right, which mother abandons her child.
I looked at my daughter and I saw her trying to fight back tears, I knelt before her asking for her forgiveness but she moved away. Papa had to come to my aid again, he moved closer and drew her to himself. Immediately her head touched his shoulder, Ore broke down in tears, it was obvious her heart was heavy. After sometimes, Papa made her sit beside him on the cushion and asked me to stand from where I was kneeling.
Papa: You hurt this girl, for years, she cried and yearned for your motherly love but didn’t get it. When you refused to show up for the tenth birthday, she went into depression, I spent so much to make her become the bubbling child she had been.
Ore: Every birthday I celebrated, I keep looking at the door hoping you would come in holding a birthday cake in your hands and then, say I am the best thing that ever happened to you but then, I learned to live without you and when Dad’s wife came into our lives, she showed me true love, she became the mother I never had and I don’t think I want to change that. I love her.
Papa: My Jewel, mummy says she is sorry.
Ore: I am not angry with her, she isn’t just needed in my life.
Papa’s wife: Ore darling, you know she will always be your mother.
Ore: I don’t know her to be my mother. Dad, I hope you are not thinking of asking me to go live with her because I would stab myself before that happens. If you would excuse me, I would be in my room.
With that Ore, went into her room. Where I sat, I couldn’t stop sobbing. I wished I had done things the right way, I wished I took the right decisions. Papa was talking but I didn’t hear anything, I picked my bag and walked out of his living room. As I got to the entrance, I sat on the floor weeping. Looking into my daughter’s eyes reminded me of how I treated her right from when she was born. I hated her with everything in me while in the actual fact, she wasn’t at fault. It was obvious my daughter was dying to be loved by me.
I remained at that spot for almost three hours, I didn’t even know I had spent so much time on that spot till I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up and saw that it was Papa’s wife. Her gentle smiled and pat at the back calmed my troubled soul. I was expecting her to he harsh on me and be insecure knowing fully well that I and Papa had something in the past but, she shocked me by sitting beside me and then placed my head on her shoulder.
Papa’s wife: Ore is a sweet soul and she would definitely come around. You know, we all make mistakes but we shouldn’t let our mistakes define us, we just need to realize that a mistake was made and then look for how to make things better. Papa did so by moulding Ore, you also need to realize this and make better decisions.
Me: Hmmm, You are right.
Papa’s wife: Do you know I have a hand in what happened between you and Papa?
Me: How?
Papa’s wife: I used to be one of Papa’s mentees back in those days, along the line, the Holy Spirit told me that I would be Papa’s wife. The Holy Spirit told me I needed to be his secret intercessor, I was to always pray for him in my secret place and when I started, The Holy Spirit will always reveal every plan against Papa to me then, I will then pray and it will be destroyed.
Me: Wow!
Papa’s wife: As usual, the Holy Spirit told me a pit of immorality had been dug for him but I refused to pray for him simply because when he came home for holiday, he didn’t acknowledge my presence, instead, he was always moving with one sister in our home church.
Me: Haaa!
Papa’s wife: I allowed my flesh take over me, I refused to pray despite the Holy Spirit prompting, two weeks later, the Holy Spirit told me Papa had fallen into the pit of fornication. It was then my eyes got opened, the Holy Spirit didn’t speak to me for weeks. I prayed and fasted, I asked for God’s forgiveness. In fact, I began to pray for Papa like my life depended on it.
Me: Wow!
Papa’s wife: After he finally proposed to me, he told me about his one year old daughter. I wasn’t happy when he told me that he had a child outside wedlock but the Holy Spirit warned me never to maltreat her. I had to be a mother to her because I discovered she was lacking the love of a mother. I realized my mistake and then made something beautiful out of it. Can you make something beautiful out of your mistake?
Me: (wiped my tears) Yea, I will.
Papa’s wife: Good. Ore will be out in a few minutes, I told her to dress up and go out with you. You two need to talk and make her understand all that happened and I believe she will come around.
Me: I owe you something big, thank you for being the definition of a virtuous woman.
Papa’s wife: You owe me nothing. I have to go now, Ore will be here any moment from now.
To be continued.
