chapter 4

At the time when Kate had come to get him from school, teachers rained complaints to her. She casted a nasty look on him and let out a loud sob followed by a river of tears. Wole knew that now his father was paralyzed, Kate would turn him inside-out and his father could do nothing about it. “I’m talking to you O, why did you sleep when your teachers taught today”. “I-I-I-I…..”Wole stammered. “You don’t want to answer me?, don’t worry we shall see when we get home”, shouted Kate to Wole and immediately Wole ran and hid behind Mrs. Sharon. He didn’t want to get beaten up anymore. Forcefully, Kate dragged him into the car and drove home. That evening Wole received the beating of his life. Mr. Ajayimore yelled from his room that she should stop but rather she intensified the force at which she flogged the poor boy. Amaka, the caretaker had even gone to the extent of holding the cane that Kate was holding. “Ah Madam, he don do na{it is enough}, Oga they shout since make you stop but you no won hear word, you won kill this pikin{ His father has been shouting that you should stop but you won’t stop, do you want to kill him?}”, said Amaka. With anger written all over Kate’s face she dashed Amaka a dirty slap on her face. “Who gave you the right to interfere”, said Kate with her head high. “Wait, wait, wait, na small pikin na make you slap me so?{was it because of a small child that you slapped me}, ehn Kate, said Kate as she returned the slap. The two women burst into a wild fight.

Wole ran to his father’s room with his body filled with bruises, he held unto his hand and poured out his heart to his dear father, he told him everything. “Don’t worry everything will be alright”, said Mr. Ajayimore. “My son, in this life I want you to understand that we all make mistake, it seems that my greatest mistake was to marry that woman. I’m sorry for whatever, she has been inflicting on you. It was never my intentions to hurt you at all. You know I love you so much”, said his father. Wole cried the more, the words of his father pierced him. Soon, neighbors stormed into the house and tore Kate and Amaka apart. “I will show you, I will show you, come, come, let me show you who I am “, said Kate still trying to strike a blow at Amaka.    

After much intervention Amaka went in and packed her things the only reason holding her back was the young boy and his father. She knew that she had no right to interfere, but it was so pronounced that what Kate was doing was far more than correcting the young boy, it was wickedness, she could see the joy in her eyes as she dealt with the boy.                                   

“If you like, now when me they go if you like, kill them o. Witch!”, hissed Amaka as she rolled her luggage bag out. She boarded a motorcycle and was off. Mirabel, who had been sleeping peacefully in the room next to the sitting room, had started a crying tantrum, from all the shouting and argument that has been going on. Kate forced everyone out of the house. She was happy that Amaka was now gone, there was no one to oppose her actions again, not even the old man. She didn’t hire any caretaker after her. She became the alpha, the new head of the family both in decisions and provisions. In the past she and the doctor shared one common account, now that he was disabled, she took all the money to hers. What was left in her wicked scheme was to take all the properties the doctor owned and render his hospital in her name as the sole proprietor.The following day, at school, Wole told Mrs. Sharon everything, right from the very genesis. “My daddy is just on his bed, he cannot walk or get up and stand”, said Wole to her, holding up a picture of them in his hands.  “David dooh, Oya clean those eyes, do you know what?”, said Mrs. Sharon. Wole looked intently at her. “What ma?”, said Wole wiping his eyes.                                                                                          

“Today, after lessons I will follow you home, I think it’s time I had a little chit-chat with your so-called stepmother”. “No! ma, if you talk to her, immediately you leave she would skin me inside out. She might even walk you out of the house”, he pleaded. “Don’t worry everything would be fine, just keep praying that he would turn her heart towards you, if I, going to see your mother is not okay by you, I won’t go”, replied Mrs. Sharon. She brought out a wafer biscuit and handed it over to him. “I’ve been praying ma, but nothing seems to change, other than her becoming more cruel each day, please don’t appeal to her, I’m still recovering from the scars of the previous beating, last night”, said Wole, taking the biscuit from her hands. “Thank you ma” he added. “Are you sure that I should not call her to order, I mean look at you, David, you are a handsome young boy but the scars that she has inflicted on your arms and your handsome face, has spoilt your appearance”. “I prefer to keep my trust in God and continue praying that she has a change of heart and she does not hurt me at all than risk you talking to her and receiving another round of a hell-like beating again”, concluded Wole as he stood up to leave.