I kept staring at the object on my
soft palm as i sat comfortably on the
sofa with my seat belt well tightened.
In the air i was yes but not really
sure if this is a journey i should be
making. My decision was irrevocable
cause in a few hours my plane will
begin to taxi on the runway of the
place my mom called hell.
She must have believed me to be
visiting a friend in Las Vegas
oblivious of the fact that i am out of
the continent to find the man she
told me was a monster.
I spined the white cowry sitting on
my palm with my finger clockwisely
as i remembered the day it was
given to me. It puzzled me why the
man was so desperate to give me
such an object, despite guns being
pointed at him by the security
agents, he ran to me without caring
if he get shot.
'Where ever you go, do not forget the
blood that flows in your vein' he said
as he slipped the object in my four
years old hand.
It's been a decade and half now but
i still remember the expression on
his face that day, it wasn't that of a
monster.
Eventhough mom and Teddy (my step
father) proved themselves as the best
parent to me, i still found it difficult
to get my mind off the monster and
his mysterious gift. I asked a black
friend Kunle who i met in the college
what the cowry signifies and he told
me it is a good luck charm that
symbolizes the strength of Africa.
I found myself entangled in the web
of curiousity, i wanted to know who
the monster was and what happened
at the court that day. My curiosity
drove me to find a document which
mum concealed in her room and I
learnt that she divorced the monster
whose named was Samuel Olatunji
Oladiti at the court that day. I felt
compelled to know the truth why
mom divorced him and what he did
to deserve being tag a monster.
I found the address of the attorney
who solicited for the man and i went
to seek him out. It was he who told
me how hard the man who happened
to be my father fought to keep me in
his custody when my mum sued for a
divorce but he lost the battle. The
attorney gave me his photograph and
also his current address in Nigeria
incase i wanted to pay him a visit.
Since the lawyer didn't fully quench
my information thirst, i set out on a
mission to find the monster.
After long hours, i felt the plane
jolted on the runway of my native
country. I came down from the plane
to feel the hot air of my mum's hell.
I grabbed a taxi outside the airport
to convey me to my father's abode.
The taxi driver kept staring at me
from his mirror as if i were a ghost.
It took me time to realise that it was
my light skin that amazed him.
The taxi finally stopped opposite the
huge gate of a duplex after what
seems like an endless ride.
'Is this the house?' i inquired and he
told me he was positive, after which i
rewarded him handsomely and he
went his way, leaving me to my fate.
I pressed the door bell twice but
heard no sound, gave the iron gate a
tap and heard someone shouted from
the inside. Minutes later a shabby
looking old man opened the gate.
'Oyinbo oooo' he shouted gleefully as
he saw me, he quickly ushered me in
and threw me a hug as if we were
longtime friend. I told him who i
seek and he led me inside to meet
him.
My heart beat faster with each step i
took into the house. We soon got to
the sitting room and found a man
whose face was buried beneath the
news paper he was reading.
'Oga you get visitor' the shabby
looking man announced.
The man put down the paper and i
got a clear look at his face. It was he,
the man who gave me the cowry. If
he recognised me i knew not but i
was elated to finally set my eyes on
him again.
'What can i do for you?' i heard the
monster said but i gave no reply.
I brought out the gift he gave me
and showed it to him. He went on
long pause for a few seconds before
he recovered himself.
'Marcus' he pronounced my name
and i saw the word bemuse written
over his face.
I nodded in confirmation and he
came at me with a deep hug which
lasted for about twenty-five seconds.
Within those seconds, i found the
solace i have missed for fifteen years
and when he withdrew from me,
tears materialized into his eyes.
'Why did you left dad?' i found those
words slipped out of my lips.
He ushered me to seat down and he
explained the whole issue to me. He
and mum were legally married and
they were both living happily until
Teddy came into the picture. He
caught mum and Teddy having sex
on their matrimonial bed and he
yelled at her but was surprised when
he saw the cops my mum called for
him. They took him away and the
next time he saw mum was at the
court where she divorced him and
striped him off all his properties and
his parentage right on me.
'This man didn't deserve being call a
monster, the real monster was my
mother who robbed an innocent man
of all he had' i thought after he
concluded his explanation.


Written by Oluwafunminiyi
Komolafe

Interesting storyline.

Too many plot holes, too many things gone unexplained, like how a lawyer can just give out client information with a snap of a finger. Very 'nollywoodish'.

In all, an average, amateurish attempt. The writer can do better.

A critique's view....Nice!

Interestin ama folow