SARE by Olowojesiku Deborah Iyanu
Episode 13
Ore came out of the house looking beautiful, truth be told, she’s got Papa’s beauty but then, her facial expression was something else. She wore a frown and walked to my car, I stood from the ground and went to open the door. I drove the car out of the compound asking her for directions but she told me to stop at any eatery I liked. I stopped at an eatery I felt was okay and we went in. The atmosphere between us was tensed, it was all my fault that there was no relationship between us. I ordered two plates of food and tried to start a conversation.
Me: How are you?
Ore: I am fine, God helped Dad to make me fine.
Me: Ore, I wish you could see my heart, I am very sorry for abandoning you.
Ore: Why did you come for me? To take me away from Dad?
Me: Not at all, I just want to rewrite my wrong. Besides, I don’t have the right to take you from him.
Ore: Better.
Me: What can I do to make you forgive me?
Ore: Nothing.
Me: What if I take you shopping?
Ore: I don’t need it, Dad shops for me every month, I am thinking of giving out some other clothes because I have excess.
Me: What about money?
Ore: I have almost three million in my account courtesy of my Dad so, I don’t need it.
Me: What if I decide to add to it?
Ore: It’s not needed.
Me: Hmmm, my daughter, please, forgive me. I don’t mind going on my knees, I know I messed up greatly but God has been dealing with me. Please, allow me to amend my ways.
Ore: Give me time to think about it.
Me: Thank you, my love.
I brought up several topics and tried to make her talk but she was not willing. After two hours, she asked if she could be taken back home and I had no choice but to drive her home.
I went back that day and all I began to do was to pray that God would touch my daughter’s heart. I then asked Papa what I could do to make my daughter happy and he suggested I give her a surprise birthday party. That was all I needed to do, I began to plan her fourteenth birthday very early and saved towards it. On D-day, I sent three gigantic cakes to her school which surprised her. Her class teacher told me she screamed in happiness. After school, I told her dad to bring her to an event hall where her party was to be held.
I sat in one corner watching my daughter, I wanted her to have fun and be happy, and seeing me may cut that short so, I decided to watch her from a corner. Earlier, I had brought my girls to decorate the hall while some prepared the food and small chops. I sent the wedding invitation to her school and her friends were invited without her knowledge, little wonder she was shocked to see her friends in the hall when she walked in.
The MC handled the event so well and it was obvious Ore enjoyed herself, I could see her laughing heartily. Before the party finally came to an end, Ore received so many gifts from family and friends. She kept embracing her dad and his wife, where I sat, I wished I could walk up to her and give her a motherly embrace. I picked up my cell phone and began to read a story to distract myself when I felt a gentle touch on my shoulder. I looked up and saw Ore staring at me.
Ore: Dad said you planned all these for my birthday, gosh, I am so happy, my friends couldn’t stop talking about everything. Thank you very much, mummy, God bless you.
Me: (with tears dropping from my eyes) Oh darling, I love you, too.
That was the beginning of a great relationship between my daughter and me, from that day, we became close, there were days we would talk even late at night. I would call to ask about how her day went and vice versa. During holidays, she would come to spend weeks with me. Indeed, I was happy for God’s mercies.
During one of her holiday periods, Ore and I were engrossed in a conversation when my phone began to ring, I ended the call but the caller wouldn’t stop calling. He was someone I didn’t want to talk to and my conversation with Ore was a very interesting one, we were talking about the guys crushing on her and the love letters she always meets in her locker.
Ore: Mom, don’t you think Dad is overprotective?
Me: Why do you say so?
Ore: There was this day Kehinde escorted me home, he was crushing on me then, that day after asking me out, he requested permission to walk me home, and on getting home, I invited him in with the intention of giving him a chilled bottled drink since the weather was hot only for Dad to come out of his room.
Me: Jeez, what was your Dad’s reaction?
Ore: He told us to come see something outside, when we got outside, he told us to wait only for him to come back with our scariest dog. He ordered me in and left Kehinde and the dog in the compound. Ohh, the dog chased Kehinde, he ran and ran but the dog kept pushing him around the compound, it was an hour before Dad spoke to our dog and then, promised to beat Kehinde up if he ever saw him with me again. I was hurt, you know.
Me: Hmmm, were you in love with Kenhinde?
Ore: Mom!
Me: Tell me.
Ore: Kind of but not anymore, the next day he saw me in school, and he warned me not to ever come near him again.
Me: Your Dad did a good job.
Ore: Mom, I think that was cruel.
Me: Baby, you are so special to us and we wouldn’t want any boy to defile you. You carry some special and for you to enjoy what you carry, sex must be after your wedding. Do you want to make the mistake I made?
Ore: Not all.
Me: Then, forget those boys and focus on God and your studies. When you are ready for marriage, God will bring someone far more handsome and better than all those boys, and guess what? He will treat you like the queen that you are.
Ore: Oh Mom! You are making me blush.
Me: Blush baby.
Ore: Mom, you have been ending your call.
Me: I don’t want to talk to him.
Ore: (wrap her hands around me) A him? My mom is in love. Tell me, Mom, is he tall? Handsome? Please, tell me.
Me: See this young woman.
Ore: Mommy, please na.
Me: Okay. He is handsome, nice, and Godfearing but I am afraid, I don’t want to make any mistake again.
Ore: Ouch! Let’s do this, Mom. Invite him over tomorrow, I am going to have a conversation with him and see if he is a good guy.
Me: Jesus! When did you become a marriage counselor?
Ore: Mom, try me. There is a Spirit in me that tells me what is right and wrong.
Me: Okay? I am going to invite him over.
Ore: Yay! And if it works out well, I am going to bill you.
Me: See this girl, let’s see how it goes now.
To be continued
