Holding the pictures we took together, Tears rolled down from my eyes. While I was trying to wipe away the tears from my eyes, I overheard it on the radio that she had just been given a scholarship to study abroad, any course of her choice. That was because of the high score she got in her jamb exam.
Even these two things only were enough to make me go blind as a result of the tears dropping down from my eyes like rainfall, But then I still remembered one of the great moments we shared together, My late sister, Bukky, and I.
It was on Monday's morning, I was about to step out, when I overheard my mum advising my late younger sister, Bukky, on vìrgin!ty.
" Listen to me, Bukky. Your vìrgin!ty is your pride. Do not allow any man to break it out of wedlock. It's a special gift that's meant to be presented to your husband on your wedding's night______" Mum continued talking.
I wished I could go back because it was a private discussion between mum and her daughter, But then I was very late to school. I couldn't hold it, I stepped into the parlour where they were talking.
" kkuchukuikk" I coughed as I stepped into the parlour.
As my sister looked at me, she couldn't hold it, she laughed out loud.
"Well, I know you to be a Good Girl. I'm very much proud of you. Keep making me feel proud" Mum added.
I noticed that my sister was no more concentrating on what mum was saying, rather she kept looking at me.
" hope you didn't hear anything,bro" she asked me. I had to lie " Yes, I didn't".
She knew I've heard everything but she just wouldn't let me rest, I had to lie to her, so she could free me.
" anyway, I hope you're also keeping your vìrginity for your future wife?" She asked me. Honestly, She only want to put me into troûble. Would I ever say No?. I had to leave there immediately before mummy started asking me questions.
Bukky, My younger sister, was a very serious, smart, and brilliant student. You would hardly see her playing around, she always played with her books and always practicing what she was being taught.
It all went bad after two days she sat for her jamb exam. I had written her registration number down and all the required numbers to check her result without her knowing.
Immediately I heard their scores have been pasted on the jamb website, I hurriedly went to a computer center and I was wowed by what I saw. She scored 360. I couldn't believe it. With a broad smile on my face, I left what I was doing straight to home, but as I got home, I met my sister all alone in the parlour crying.
In the first place, I thought she had seen the result "maybe, it's a tear of joy" I said in my mind as I moved closer to her.
I quickly moved closer to her, But then , her eyes were reddish.
" wait, what happened?" I asked her, But she couldn't say anything. Just " everything is fine" she kept saying.
No way I didn't try to convince her to tell me what happened to her, But she didn't.
Mum, as a Nurse, was in a night duty, but I had to call her home. Before mum could arrive in the night, It was Dad that came in first, But he wasn't in a position where one could ask him anything.
Then after few minutes, I heard a knock on the door, It was mum, Followed by her voice.
" You these children, And you know I'm in nights- shift. I've just started yesterday. Why the sudden call ehn?" Mum curiously asked.
Mum sat down beside her " what happened, my dear?" Mum asked many times, But she didn't talk still, even though mum kept disturbing her.
When the disturbance was too much, she opened up. She said she lost one of her friends to the hand of dèath.
" which of your friends?" mum asked. " I know all your friends. Who among them" Mum added. She said mum couldn't know her, that she should just forget about it. " Okay oh" Mum said, as she went back to work.
After two weeks, Mum discovered that Dammy, My younger sister, was pregnant. It was to us, my mum and I, and even Dad.
Mum couldn't believe it, she ran another test for her, and the result was still the same.
" yeee! Bukky ti pámi" mum shouted. ~Bukky has kîlled me~.
Ever since this was known to mum, house has became really hard and hòt for Bukky. Both mum and Dad were tòrmenting her. I was the only one cuddling and gladdening her. The matter wouldn't have been that so bàd and worsen, But the fact that Bukky couldn't point at the unborn baby's father made the matter worst.
Mummy had tried to abort the pregnancy many times, But sadly, it didn't work out.
The torment and pain in the house were too unbearable for Bukky, my younger sister , so much that she told me one day.
"I'll end it" She said. I didn't understand what she meant by that, so I asked her " end what? I don't get" I asked. She sádly smiled and said, " You'll soon understand".
" I mustn't just sit down and be watching " I said as I went to my father friend's place and my Mum friend's place to help me talk to their friends.
They honestly called them and talked to them, But they didn't listen. Rather to stop the hard times they were giving my sister, they kept doing it.
On a bàd Tuesday's afternoon, I was coming back from school. As I got home, I knocked the door, But no one responded. " Where has Bukky gone to?" I said, as I went to look through the window.
But as I looked through the window, I saw bukky, hanging herself on the ceiling with a rope. She had released her leg, and I could see her striving for survival. I couldn't stand it, I began breaking the door. But before I could break the door, She had given up to ghòst. I couldn't hold the tears, tears started rolling down my eyes uncontrollably.
On the table was a paper and a pen, I picked the paper up, It was a note from Bukky.
" if only Daddy could remember what happened on the 12 of this month, when no body was home except me in the night, Neither my mum or Dad himself would be that so harsh on me. To my brother, Thank you so much for the love. I can't just take it anymore. I'm deeply sorry".
Well, Dad was a drunkard, He ràped her that night, when no one was home. He couldn't remember because he was drunk.
This is not to support illegal pregnancy or s*x out of wedlock, But parents should understand that, Two wrongs don't make a right.
kindly follow Ajibola Akolade for more stories
blogpay
