MY PAINS Part 31
© PRINCESS MOTUNRAYO DUROJAIYE
After I was discharged from the hospital, my parents took me home. It was really God who saved me,
that I was alive hale and healthy even the Doctor confirmed that. My parents and siblings were so happy
there was celebration that day at home.
All that was on my mind was my son that was missing. I had no phone, the harm robbers took it from me
on that day, getting a new phone wasn’t what was on my mind at that time. I didn’t even know what to
do at all. I wanted to use my sister’s phone to call Ibrahim to tell him what had happened but I felt he
will be too worried over there, I didn’t want to put him in panic.
My mom told me she had informed the police, she kept on encouraging me, Johnson will be found that
God was with him where he was but i still kept on weeping, the pains of my missing son was too much
for me to bear.
“That’s not enough, I want to go out there and look for me son”, I said to my mom as I cried out.
She said, I just recovered by the Grace of God, she won’t let me go out alone, that God will bring
Johnson back.
“Johnson, is my son, you don’t know how I’m feeling right now, he is my blood, part of me is missing
right now and you expect me to sit down here, I said to my mom crying.
“I understand you. What if you had died? God forbid! Will you be here now talking about your son, God
forbid”, she said.
“Mommy, he is your own son also, you only know his name you haven’t even seen him for once only
through his pictures and here you are talking this way, Johnson doesn’t even know you, you never came
since he was born, and you warned me never to come to your house if I ended up with Ibrahim”, I said
crying bitterly.
The next day, I wrote something in a piece of paper saying__ I'm sorry I just have to leave to find my son, don't bother about me, I'm fine My parents were in their rooms, my siblings went out, I dropped
the paper on the table and sneaked out, if they knew I was leaving they won’t allow me to so I had to
write that so they won’t think anything happened to me, so they will know I left on my own.
I had three thousand naira on me it was the money I asked from my sister earlier that morning before
she went out. The bus stop wasn’t far from my parent house, I trekked it. I boarded about three cabs
before I got to my house.
When I got to my house I knocked at the gate.
“Haaaaaaa, madam! Baba God thank you ooooo! Ha! Madam i thank Baba God say you dey alive o ha!
Madam that night as them come them con dey knock the gate ehnnn, na e I run to open gate to see who
they there them use something cover my nose o, I no know wetin be that o when I open eyes I see say I
day for floor lie down. Miriam say she dey always dey come check you o say you dey fine, Baba God I
thank you say my madam dey alive, the gateman said with his kneels down and his two hands up
thanking God.
Tears started flowing from my eyes.
“Haaa, madam you dey cry Haa, ok I understand na tears of Joy” he said.
I breathed in and out heavily.
“Madam, what about small oga ur pikin, Miriam talk say she follow your brother go he house”, the
gateman said.
Have heard, I managed to say and walked in.
When I entered, I saw Miriam seated comfortably watching TV, she didn’t even turn to look at me, she
acted like she didn’t see me.
Miriam! I shouted her name crying. She looked at me and hissed and continued watching TV I couldn’t
believe it.
Miriam, my son is missing, I was in the hospital and here you are sitting watching TV.
She turned to look at me surprised.
“Ha! I don’t know Ahmed is missing o, I think is with your brother, I think he follow him go that day”,
she said managing to speak English, she spoke Yoruba most of the time, she focused back on the TV.
Miriam, I know all you did, upon all I did to you, you are treating me this way, I said crying bitterly. But
she didn’t say a word.
I wished Ibrahim was there with me at that time, but I didn’t still want to call him so he won’t be
worried where he was.
I flashed back to the day Miriam came to our house.
I told you earlier in my story, who Miriam is.
She lived in ijebu, in Ogun state. She came to spend ileya in our house a year, I loved her so much she
was hardworking, nice and respectful.
After ileya festival was over, she was about leaving, I talked to Ibrahim about letting her to live with us,
at first he disagreed later he agreed.
I wanted to help her secure admission into the university but she refused saying she doesn’t want to go
to school she wanted to learn a hand work, I registered her in a fashion and designing school, as she
wanted.
I didn’t know what came over her that she changed, I walked up to my room crying. The pains were just
too much for me to bear, a second part of me was missing I felt my life wasn’t complete. When I entered
my room, I saw blood stains on the floor, I flashed back to when the harm robbers broke in. I sat down
on my bed crying.
Oh Lord, it was on the seventh day I completed my fasting this incident happened, what have I done o
Lord, I said crying the more.
May be this was my punishment for marrying a muslim for disobeying my mom and offending God, I said
in my mind as I cried out in pains.
Could Miriam be responsible for all this? I asked myself thinking. But what did I do to her? Did I make a
mistake by accepting her to live with us? I asked myself crying bitterly in pains.
I took my wallet on the bed there was no money in it, the harm robbers took the money in it that day. I
searched for my ATM and put it in my wallet.
I needed to go in search of Johnson as that was all that mattered to me at that time. I whipped my tears
and
trekked to the nearest ATM machine, I withdrew Ten thousand naira from my account.
I stopped a bike rider and told him the police station I was going to.
“Your money na 150 o”, the bike rider said.
I nodded my head.
When we got there, I came down and gave him one thousand naira note.
“I no get change o u for tell me say na one thousand dey your hand o, na seven hundred I get, I no get
N150 o”, he said.
I told him to give me and go with the N150 balance.
The pains I was feeling at that time were so much.
I entered the station and made my report, I sent Johnson’s picture to one of the policemen phone. They
asked me a lot of questions I answered. I gave them 5,000 and left. You know policemen will always
want you to drop something for them.
When I left, I went to a shop I asked for pure water, i sat on one of the chairs in front of the shop to rest.
“Ma, we also have soft drinks, different kind of delicious meals, would you love to drink or eat any?” A
young girl in her teenage age asked me.
No, just pure water two, I said and sighed.
Only if she knew what I’m going through she won’t be asking me such, I said in my mind as tears rolled
down my eyes and I whipped it off with my hand.
I was ready to give up all I had to find Johnson at that time.
Where do I begin from? Where do I search, who do I talk to? I asked myself, defiantly not my mother inlaw
she hated me right from the time she knew I converted back to being a Christian.
Who is behind a this? I asked myself.
I just wish I could see you right now son, I love you so much Johnson, I said, and whipped my tears. My
mind flashed back again to when the day the harm robbers came, I was calling Johnson but he didn’t
answer, I wished he listened.
What if he stayed and the harm robbers shot him also?” My mind asked me.
Johnson, I will see you, I kept on saying in my mind as walked out and washed my face with the pure
water left.
I stopped a bike to go home.
That night when I slept I saw Johnson in my dream shouting “mommy! mommy!!” As I was running to go
meet him the dream ended.
The next morning, I managed to brush my mouth, I didn’t bath before I rushed to the police station
hoping Johnson would have been found with the dream I had.
To be continued.
PART 32
MY PAINS
© PRINCESSS MOTUNRAYO DUROJAIYE
When I got to the police station, i got a negative reply that they hadn’t found Johnson. I broke down the
more.
I kept on wandering all around, not knowing where I was going to, hoping I may find Johnson.
When I got tired, I stopped at any shop to buy pure water and rest.
“What if Johnson is dead?” My mind asked me.
No, no, no Johnson you are not dead! I screamed in my mind.
“What if he is truly dead?” My mind asked me again.
I became sacred the more as I screamed out his name, Johnson!
People around would have thought I was calling one of the kids walking on the street.
I still kept on walking, it was like I was loosing my senses at that moment.
When it was dark I realized I didn’t know where I was, it was a different place entirely. I had walked far
away without realizing it.
I stopped many bike rider and told them where I was going to, but they all said they are not going there.
One stopped and I told him where I was going to.
“Ha, for this night. o far ghon o, pay N1000, I no charge you at all na night”, he said with a hard voice.
Then I realized I must have really walked far away from my house.
I agreed as it was already 7pm it was very dark on that day.
The bike rider kept on riding on a very high speed, I pleaded on him to slow down but he didn’t.
When he reached a filling station, he stopped to buy fuel.
“Give me fuel N500”, he told the lady at the filling station.
When she was done the bike rider turned to me.
“Give me N500 first may I pay her” he said.
I checked my jean trouser pocket first, I searched myself looking for my wallet I couldn’t find it, it was
then I found out my purse was missing.
“Fast abeg, na night”, he said.
Oh Lord help me I said, as I still kept on searching myself.
“No delay me o, if I no sef I for nor agree carry you” he said angrily with his hard voice.
Please, I can’t find my wallet, I said as tears rolled down from my eyes.
“You talk say wetin, see I no dey that one o.”
What am I going to do now? I asked myself in tears.
“See ehnn, I no even dey go again na half of the way I done carry you reach, just give me N500 may I dey
go.”
Please, there is money in my purse, but I can’t find it again, I said as the tears still rolled down my face.
“Wo, funmi ni owo o” (see, give me my money o), the bike rider said.
“My money for fuel o”, the lady said looking at the bike rider angrily.
“You no gree say you go pay! Na now we reach here you con dey lie say you no see your purse, where
you put the money!
I knelt down begging him.
“You not fit deceive me o. You think say I no know say you be ashewo na man house you dey go this
night, he no give you t.fare to come he house ni, no use be play o, the bike rider shouted at me angrily.
He kept on embarrassing me, till a car drove and stopped to get fuel.
“What’s happening?” The man in the car asked me.
Before I could say a word the bike rider answered.
“Na all this ladies, when dem think say dem wise o. She stop say she dey go, i tell am say her money na
1k she agree. As we reach here, i stop say make i buy fuel, i con tell am say may she give me N500,i won
pay person when i buy fuel, she talk say she lost her purse say……” Before he could complete his
statement, the man spoke.
“So just 1k is the problem now”, the man said calmly.
I just kept mute looking, tears were still dripping from my eyes.
“Oga I no be bad person, since I no take am reach where she dey go, na N500 I go collect from am.”
The man took his wallet, brought out N500 and gave the bike rider. He thanked him and rode off.
I thanked the man so much, as I was about to walk away I thought of begging the young man for
transport fare to go home. As I walked closer to his car, the lady with him in the car said what hurt me
more, that I couldn’t ask.
“Baby please be fast, you are wasting time. You give all the time, you even paid a prostitute transport
fare nonsense! Who knows if you had sleeping with her”, she said angrily and hissed.
What she said hit my heart, I felt pains the more, I walked away crying. In my life I never imagined life to
be hard that way for me.
If I knew, i would have listened to my mom, if I knew I won’t have gone back to him that day, all this
won’t be happening now, i said as i cried out.
Oh Lord is all this happening to me because I’m married to a Muslim? Lord why after my seven days
fasting all this started. Lord i have no right to question you, have mercy on me and bring my son back
please, please, please, Lord, I said in my mind crying bitterly.
I had no phone with me, no money and I didn’t know where i was also.
I started begging people for money on the street, few gave me N5, N10, N50, the highest was N50.
Some of the money were turn.
When I counted it, I had N180. When I separated the torn ones, i had just N100. No one was going to
collect a money that had turn. I started begging car drivers and bike ridders to take me to my
destination but they all turned me down. I cried bitterly than ever. I begged people from money again
but they didn’t answer me, only two people gave me N10 notes each.
Where do I go with N120? I asked myself as I sat down on a bench in front of a shop which had closed,
other shops were still open.
Not up to thirty minutes I sat down crying,
It started becoming darker, it was becoming cloudy, breeze started to blow heavily, people started
running to get to their destination, people started packing their goods in to lock their shops. It was
about to rain heavily, it was during the rainy reason at that time. I didn’t know where to go, before I
knew it, it started raining heavily, I mean very heavily. The wind was strong.
The breeze spread the rain to where I was sitting, I statred shivering.
The rain was falling on me heavily as I walked down the road looking for a place I could stay. I made sure
the money I had in my hand was intact. I got drained by the rain before I saw an uncompleted building, I
decided to walk in.
“Who dey there?” A masculine voice shouted.
I became scared. He came out, pointing a touch light on me.
“Wetin you dey find?” he asked.
To be continued.
PART 33
MY PAINS
© PRINCESS MOTUNRAYO DUROJAIYE
“Wentin you dey find”, he asked.
I’m sorry sir, I didn’t know someone is living here sir, I said.
He looked at me well.
“How may I help you?” He asked.
Sir, I’m sorry I don’t have anywhere to go now, it’s raining so I thought may be I could sleep here. I’m
sorry sir.
He looked at me well again, with his touch light.
He asked me a lot of questions. He said he feelt the Holy Spirit telling me to let me in.
To cut the long story short, he let me in.
I was surprised. At first my mind told me not to go in, another part of me said I should go in. I had no
option, because I had no where else to stay. I said some prayers in my mind. I thanked him, and i
entered.
The windows of the house were covered with nylons, the floor was sandy, the walls were not plastered,
some part in the house were leaking, he gave me a wooden chair to sit on.
He opened an old curtain that had turn and entered a place in the uncompleted building, I could see
rays of light from the curtain, like a lantern or candle was on.
I heard him talking to someone, later the curtain opened again he and a woman walked out. I raised my
face up immediately, looking.
Good evening, ma, i said.
The woman replied.
“This is my wife, we live here with our only daughter, who is asleep now”, the man said.
I wondered how a married man with his wife and a child could be living in such a place.
“Yes, you are welcome, we are sorry we don’t have anything to offer you. You are soaked take my
clothes and wear, change your wet cloth, she said giving me her cloths to put on.
I thanked her and took it as I was very cold.
“You can come into our room to change your clothes.”
After I changed I came out.
“Bring, the gown let me ring it for you” she said.
No, thanks ma, I said but she took the clothes from my hands. It was a gown Ibrahim bought for me on
my birthday that year, it was an expensive gown but due to the fact I wasn’t okay, and I was in a hurry I
opened my wardrobe and dragged it out, I didn’t notice it was the gown, till she collected it from me.
“Don’t fear sister, we are Christians, we believe as we have accommodated you, we have
accommodated Christ into our house”, she said smiling.
I truly felt christianity in them. Only a true christian would have done what they did, by accepting a
stranger like me to them in.
Even though they are poor, they have joy and peace of mind their child isn’t missing like mine, I said in
my mind trying to hold back my tears.
They asked me a lot of questions, I answered, I only told them I was going home when the bike I entered
stopped to buy fuel, asked me for my money, I noticed I lost my purse a man paid my transport fare the
money I begged wasn’t enough to take me home, was all I told them.
I spent the night there.
The next morning at 7am. To cut the story shorter, Their daughter came out crying that morning, that
she was hungry. I pitted the little girl.
“The money I was expecting today 1,500 from the work I did I called the man today he said he has
travelled, I don’t know now but don’t worry I will go meet a friend of mine to see if he can help me, the
man said calmly and sighed.
I was surprised.
“No sir, don’t worry you have really helped me sir, I will find my way, I said.
But he still insisted and left.
Their daughter was still crying. The woman her mother, was at the back yard of the house. I
remembered I had N120 in my pocket gown I went to where she spread the gown in the house brought
out the money and gave it to the little girl who was like five years, to go get something to eat, she
accepted it happily running to go tell her mom, I got up to leave without telling the woman I was living,
if I did she would have forced me to wait for her husband but I didn’t want a poor family to go into debt
because they had to help me, they had helped me enough.
Luckily enough, when I came out I saw a man who agreed to drive me home without me paying. It was
like God sent him to be that day. I thanked him so much than ever that day.
When I got in, i saw Miriam cooking. I asked her to borrow me N300 that I will use for transport fare to
go to the police station and come, to know if they had gotten any information about Johnson. But she
just looked at me and hissed. I didn’t say a word to her, I left quietly. I went to my gateman, I told him I
lost my ATM card and I needed N300 that I was out of cash, i felt there was no need explaining things in
details to him, as it will waste my time and there was noting he could do to help the situation. He gave
me N500, that he didn’t have N300.
I got to the police station hoping to get a positive reply, but I got a negative one.
I felt pains the more, I broke down the more crying. I flashed back to the time the harm robbers came.
The pains were just too much for me to bear.
“Johnson is dead”, my mind kept on telling me.
But he harm robbers didn’t killl him, I said in my mind crying.
“What if they killed him and took him away after you were shot”, my mind told me.
I couldn’t bear the pains as my mind kept on telling me Johnson was dead.
On my way going home, I turned to my left to a shop to get pure water.
I saw a container, I knew it was a dangerous chemical as it was inscribed on it that it could kill all types of
reptiles.
“Commit suicide to end your pains. Johnson is dead”, my mind kept on telling me as I waited for the
woman to get me the pure water I asked for.
To be continued.
PART 34
MY PAINS
© PRINCESS MOTUNRAYO DUROJAIYE
“Commit suicide, so your pains will end”, my mind kept on telling me.
I flashed back to Joyce who betrayed me, if i had married Abel all this won’t be happening to me, I said
in my mind as tears rolled down my face.
I flashed back to the last time I saw Johnson. The pains increased the more, it was like it wasn’t going to
end but increase the more.
Lord…..! I screamed in my mind, in tears. I whipped my tears with my hands.
If I just commit suicide and die, I won’t feel pains anymore, I said in my mind.
The pains were too much for me to bear. I made up my mind to buy the chemical and i paid for it. I
walked to a place where no one would easily see me.
“Thou shall not commit suicide”, my mind kept on telling me.
The pains were too much for me to bear, as my mind kept on telling me Johnson was dead already.I
couldn’t stand the pains, at the same time I was scared of committing suicide.
“If you commit suicide, you shall go to hell”, my mind said to me.
I became scared the more.
But the pains were just too much for me to bear. I had lost my own son I was really broken. I shanked
the bottle and opened it, as tears rolled down my eyes.
I put it closer to my mind, I stopped. I did it again and stopped, I broke down crying.
I took up courage and drank a bit of it. I wanted to drink more but fear gripped me. I got out of the place
I hid and started walking on the main road at least when I give up people would easily see my body. As I
stood on the road about to cross, a car drove and passed me. The car reserved and drove back to the
direction I was, it was a taxi. I walked passed the car. I noticed someone was following me at my back, I
turned back to look at who it was, lo and behold it was Ibrahim, he just arrived to Nigeria. We both
stood still looking at each other.
This is the last time I will be seeing you. I’m sorry dear, I can’t bear the pains anymore, I said in my mind
as tears rolled down from my eyes heavily.
“Baby, are you the one?” Ibrahim asked me with his eyes fixed on me.
I nodded my head in tears. It was hard for him to recognise me, I was putting on a different cloth
entirely, my hair was scattered, I looked so thin, I was looking darker and worn out. He walked up to me.
“What happened?” He asked me, hugging me tightly to himself.
As I was about to talk, I felt a sharp pain in my stomach down to my abdomen, I screamed out.
“What’s wrong? What’s wrong? Ibrahim asked in fear.
I started coughing out blood.
I opened my eyes to find myself in the hospital. It was all like a dream to me, as I tried to recollect what
had happened to me and It was like i heard a voice say… “it’s not yet time for you to come.”
I’m very sure God gave me a second chance to live.
Ibrahim walked in and came closer to me on the bed.
“Thank God you are alive, what happened? Talk to me, the doctor said you took a poisonous substance”,
he said.
I started crying again.
“Baby please talk to me, please.”
Johnson, is missing, I told him.
“I don’t understand”, he said looking confused.
Johnson, is missing I don’t know where he is again, I told him crying.
“How? Since when?” He asked me.
I managed to narrate all to him, he was shocked.
“I said it, I said it something was wrong. At a time I kept on calling you but it wasn’t reachable. I called
my dad, he came to our house the next day, he told me Miriam said you went to your parents house
with Ahmed, that you were fine just that you lost your phone. I had no rest of mind that’s why I decided
to leave yesterday”, he said with his two hands on his head faced down.
When he looked up I saw his eyes looking reddish he was just trying to hold back his tears as a man.
“Who so ever did this will be exposed, I will get to the root of this matter” he said.
The pains were so much, it was like the whole world was crashing on me, my only beloved child and son
was missing, it was like half of me was gone already. I laid down on the bed weeping, Ibrahim kept on
consoling me to be strong.
PART 35
MY PAINS
© PRINCESS MOTUNRAYO DUROJAIYE
“Don’t cry baby please. Don’t give hope, we are going to find our so ok”, he said, holding my hand tightly
to his chest.
I can’t bear the pains anymore, you should have just let me die ok, if I were to be dead now I won’t be
feeling any pains now, I said crying.
“Never, never, you won’t die, don’t repeat such again.”
When I was discharged from the hospital, we boarded a cab to go home. He held me close to himself,
we didn’t say a word till we got home. When we got home he was surprised to see the house
disarranged. I flashed back to the day the harm robbers came I broke down and started crying. Ibrahim
was consoling me.
“Miriam! Miriam, he called her name twice but there was no response. He walked up to her room
angrily. He came back with a paper in his hand, he was looking at the paper seriously.
“This a report from the hospital, showing Miriam is two weeks pregnant”, he said in anger.
I didn’t care as that wasn’t my concern, all that concerned me at that time was to see my son. He walked
up to her, to put back the paper. He sat on the chair and covered his face with his two hands, he was
just trying to strong. I sat down crying.
We went to different police stations to make a report. They Ibrahim and i a lot of questions, we
answered. They assured us they will look into the matter and Johnson will be found. Two other
policemen followed us home, to guide our house for safety reasons.
When we got home, Ibrahim called his parent and told them all that happened.
I sat down on the stairs leading to the rooms, crying, Ibrahim walked up to me, whipping my tears and
petting me.
When Miriam walked in, she was shocked on seeing him. She greeted him but he didn’t answer. She
walked up to her room silently.
That night as I slept I had a dream.
“Mommy, I love you”, Johnson said in my dream.
As I was running to carry him, a wind came and took him up. I woke up immediately, crying. Ibrahim, got
up too immediately, he wasn’t sleeping. I didn’t sleep that night, Ibrahim kept on consoling me.
The next day, Ibrahim’s parents arrived, they looked sad. The way his mom replied to my greeting I
could tell his mom still disliked me because I wasn’t a Muslim, but that was not the time for her to really
show it. His mom and dad talked to us, they couldn’t believe it. They thanked God I survived the gun
shot. They also told us they had been praying since yesterday when they heard the story of what
happened from Ibrahim.
After talking for a long time of talking and consoling, Ibrahim told his parents Miriam was pregnant,
they were surprised.
An hour later, Miriam walked in.
“Where are you coming from? Ibrahim’s mom yelled at her immediately she walked in.
His dad was looking at her in great anger.
“So you lied to me, Miriam!” Ibrahim’s dad yelled at her.
She was shriving in fear. His parents didn’t take it lightly with her at all that day. She apologized for lying
to his dad. She said she lied to him so he won’t be worried, she didn’t want anything to happen to him
that’s why she lied. She also confessed that, our gate man Idris, was the responsible for her pregnancy.
That day his mom sent Miriam and our gateman out of the house. His mom have her transport fare to
go back to her parent house. I knew Miriam won’t go back to her parents, out of the shame that she was
pregnant. I felt pity for Miriam, even though she later changed towards me I still had human feelings. I
pleaded on Ibrahim to talk to his mom to change her mind as she was pregnant, but Ibrahim didn’t say a
word.
His parent tried, their possible best to also do things to make sure Johnson was found. They assured us
that Johnson would be found before they left the next day.
Me and Ibrahim were left alone in the house, we kept of waiting for our phones to ring to get a positive
reply from the policemen but they didn’t call. Ibrahim picked up his phone and called but they told him
they still had not find any trace of Jonson, that we should still be patient.
MY PAINS Part 31
#OpraDre
To be continued.
Interesting story