"Dawn" Episode 2 written by Funke Ogunsanya (cont'd)

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Uncle Debo’s presence on the dining table caused an astonishment. Seeing him made my heart skip twice.

“E karo sir, e karo ma. Good morning uncle Debo.” I knelt repeatedly in accordance with the Yoruba tradition.

Immediately uncle Debo acknowledged my presence, he expressed disbelief 

”Iro ni o. It’s a lie. Is this Keji? Wonders shall never cease. She has grown up too fast”

Dad was smiling while Uncle Debo performed his drama. I remained kneeling and smiling.

“Come here let me see you properly.” Uncle Debo beckoned. I obeyed and moved to his direction on the table. 

“You have grown taller, fatter and finer. See your cheeks” He touched them “How old are you now?”

“Sixteen.” I replied as I sat on the chair next to his. Breakfast was yam and egg sauce.

He kept talking about how much I had changed physically since two years ago when he last saw me. Something in me meant to ask him,

“Do you expect me to remain the way I was two years ago?” but my nerves failed and the thought of asking such question disappeared as quick as it came. I dared not utter such to anyone older especially uncle Debo, dad’s immediate younger brother. Instead, I thought quietly “Nigerian uncles though? Do they want you to remain the same forever? Even uncle Shola who saw me two months before he saw me again behaved likewise. That’s what food does. It makes you grow. And I eat a lot!”

I was fully aware that uncle Debo put up this performance because of dad. I wondered why dad showed so much excitement whenever anyone commented that i had grown fast. It made him shine his teeth. When I looked at him, I met his mouth wide open and his teeth glittering.

In the midst of my current travail, I managed to ask “How is Jumoke and Ade?”

“My children are doing well thank you. They are just as big as you are.” He too replied happily and continued to talk. I examined him. He had changed, the beards on his chin had grown longer and were changing to white color.

Uncle Debo had just returned from Ghana where he managed dad’s paper company. Amongst dad’s relatives, he was the closest to the family and the only benefiter from dad’s wealth.Threeyears back, Aunty Bukky (dad’s sister) had confirmed saying,

“Your father is a very stingy man. He does not render financial assistance to anyone. Not even his family members. God will judge him and take all his wealth.” She was bitter and I heard dad and her exchange words later. 

“Oniranu! Awun.” Aunty Bukky called dad all sorts of bad names “So you will sit back, relax and watch my children sent out of school for school fees? You are a wicked brother.”

“Whoever told you to marry a poor man? Ole oshi. Lazy husband and wife. Leave my house and never come back.” Dad spoke at the top of his voice.

They moved from the sitting room to the compound.

Dad told Ramoni, the gateman “Never open the gate of my house for this wretched woman.”

Aunty Bukky reacted immediately “You called me wretched? I would show you what a wretched woman can do. You will kill me today.”

She grabbed dad’s cloth by the neck and he struggled with her to release himself. I knew trouble was around.

Ramoni and I were confused and unsure of what to do to stop the scenario. Fortunately big mommy came back from the market on time to dismiss the scene. Aunty Bukky left and never returned to the house. Family members dad treated likewise also never came back.

That evening, dad explained his actions towards his family members to me “I am not a wickedman. I just don’t want any family member around me. I am contented with you, Boye and IyaBoye. You see, when times were hard and I needed financial support for my university education, help was nowhere to be found. Keji, I suffered and I can never forgive them. Now that I am rich, they want to benefit from my wealth. Olorun maa je. God forbid! I will pay them back in their coins.” He explained further. “Debo is the only one I am obligated to take care of. And it’s because we share the same father and mother. “After him, no one else.”

Suffice to say, uncle Debo was our only relative who was granted access into the house. For the wedding, dad did not give invitation cards to his family members. Instead, he sent invites and save the date to his fellow big men including the president.

“You are still in Atlantic hall?” Uncle Debo asked me. We started a conversation.

“Yes uncle.”

“You are in which class?”

“SSS 3”

“Wow! Very interesting. You are now preparing for WAEC and NECO examinations which course will you like to study at the university?”

Dad broke in before I could answer.

“Keji will be going to America to study her dream course mass communication.”

“That’s good to know.” Uncle Debo acknowledged dad’s efforts in my educational development.

“You know Boye just completed her masters education? She finished with flying colours.” Dad supplied more information.

“Your girls are really doing well.”

“You can say that again Debo. Who says female children are not beneficial? I have no male child but I am happy. My two girls are my source of pride.”

Dad explained his plans for my life. What will do, the school I will attend, where I will live and many more. He talked with happiness like he long waited for someone to share them with. They continued to talk about me as if I was absent.

“I wish these people can stop talking about me and make me concentrate wholly on my food.” I thought.

Big mommy who left long earlier to administer some affairs in the kitchen came back to the dining table. It was then uncle Debo and dad switched their topic of discussion from me to something else. I muttered quietly “Thank God!”

“Egbon mi, I know you will win the upcoming election and emerge as the governor of Lagos State. The other candidates are definitely not your match.” Uncle Debo told dad.

Dad was the gubernatorial candidate for Lagos State representing APN party. Already, campaigns, fliers and other necessities in readiness for the election had been put in place.

“Fashola and Obanikoro seem to be tough competitors but I know I will win abi lya Boye?” Dad needed further assurance from his wife. 

“You will definitely win Alao.”

“People will remember and consider my past successes when I was a commissioner. I renovated several roads in Surulere, Ketu, Ajegunle, and Mushin. Fashola and Obanikoro do not have such records. They will vote me in. I know they will” He was certain.

“Beeni egbon mi. You are right.” Uncle Debo confirmed his certainty.

“And Iya Boye has been putting all the women empowerment program in place. The women are entrances to their husband’s hearts. A ti wole tan, we have won!”

“All hands are on deck. We are ready for the election” Big mommy added.

They talked about the current president “That man thinks he can put anyone into power. He intends to give power to a living corpse and make him president. How can an almost dead man rule a whole nation?” Uncle Debo laughed sarcastically before he said “He should spend the rest of his life at home with his wives and children and not as president.” They laughed easily and I wondered what amused them. 

After food, I remained glued to my chair. The sincere truth was that I wasn’t enjoying the conversation. However, custom since genesis ruled out younger ones leaving the dining table before older ones no matter how important what you had to do was. Once, when sister Boye pulled out her chair and made way for her room, dad has shouted angrily. “It is very rude to walkout of your older ones. How can I, your father be on this table and you leave to answer a telephone call? Come back here and sit. Do not leave until I do so.” That day, he was upset as never been. So, whether you liked the discussion or not, you had to wait for the older ones to leave the table before you could have the permission to leave. It was a weird tradition dad has passed down to us buried in the umbrella as ‘family time’ and he insisted we need to spend quality family time together. For this reason, I was still at the dining table that day.

Sister Boye came to the dining room.

“Hi dad, hi mom. Hello Uncle Debo.”

“It is good morning Boye” Big mommy corrected mildly and later said “Karo omo mi. How are you?”

“Karo o jare.” Dad answered.

“Good morning Boye. How are you today? Your hair looks good” Uncle Debo complimented.

“Thanks Uncle” she replied.

Uncle Debo was a renowned talkative but I couldn’t find clues why his tight schedule in Ghana had not transformed him.

“Your bridal shower is the talk of the town I read about it and saw the pictures on Linda Ikeja and Bella naija. It was amazing.”

“I know! Uncle, it was so much fun. D’banj’s performance was fantastic, Basket mouth was hilarious. I am glad I listened to Dad when he asked me to do my wedding ceremony in Nigeria. I thought a destination wedding would be preferable but I am sure having a nice time here.”

Dad smiled in response. Sister Boye continued to talk about the event. “The most fascinating was the cake made by Rhemiiz cakes in Aguda. Its beauty wowed everyone and it tasted excellent.”

“Let me see the picture” Big mommy requested. Sister Boye brought out her phone, scrolled through and finally handed it over to big mommy.

“Very true. Excellent sight! She is doing the wedding cake too?” Big mommy asked.

“Of course! No one else makes better cakes in Nigeria”

“Let me see.” Dad told big mommy and she passed the phone to him.

“And I saw you dancing with two naked men.” Uncle Debo teased sister Boye.

“Uncle, they were strippers my friends organized for entertainment. No strings attached” She laughed.

“Eyin omo isin, you children of nowadays.” He nodded “Ma jaye e lo, enjoy your life my beautiful niece” We laughed. 

“Mom, could you tell Ramoni, Tara’s gonna be here as early as 5am for my makeup. Tell Ramoni to please be vigilant and open the gate.”

“I will my daughter.”

Before we left the table, Dad asked her 

“Are you ready to be a wife?”

“I can’t wait dad. I’m so excited?