MY MOTHER, MY HELP
(Her love changed me)

I am Akintunde Omolagba from Aiyeteju. I hide nothing from you, I was v-e-r-y stubborn in my days, the stubborn called me stubborn. I fought those who I was older than, my age mates and those that were older than me. Mention a trouble event that happened in Aiyeteju that I wasn't there, none. To go to another persons farm to pluck fruits, I was the head. To beat another persons child till the mother could not contain, I was the one. I was a master trouble maker and the land knew me, it doesn't take months before strangers knew me. I was all these and everyone lose interest in me, even my father but my mother kept on.
      Ask me the tactics she did not use. She cried, she loved, she begged, she yelled, she threatened, she cared, she petted. All to no avail. It was as if I was chosen for trouble making. I have been before the street chiefs, my street and other streets, mostly with my lone mother, others were tired of going with me. Other times, I was before the king with my mother crying, begging, making promises she was not sure I was going to fulfill. I went to prison for the things I did and my mother kept coming. My sibling showed up ones or twice but my mother was the key figure that followed me about. She prayed to the gods and gave sacrifices, she consulted men and women of power, she kept moving for my release. Her friends mocked her as she seemed to have brought forth for trouble.
       After my release, she felt I should have a work to hold the future. She took me to a blacksmith workshop, after a lot of pleading and begging, he accept me but my trouble pulled me out. She took me to a good business man, same trouble making evicted me. Counting up like that to five places and more. She took me to the farm, I planted by her moves but played away until weed overtook the farm. I never thought any day about the future, the future was secured, my mother fed me! I just troubled the ones I troubled, form Aiyeteju to Aiyetoro to Aiyegbaju. But mother never gave up, she kept the labour of passion. Oh, what a enduring  mother!
I told her one day, 'I will hunt'
Oh what joy! She took me to the chief hunters house and announced 'Your son will hunt'
He looked puzzled.
'My son' he sighed out.
'He said, he likes to hunt and I came to hand over him to you' my mother said
That was all she could do. She just kept the move, most times not knowing what to get in response.
'The hunting job does not need your sons personality, this is not beating another person's child' He replied
'My mother is not meant for trouble. He can do good things. He will do it, he will work with you' mother said determined
Seeing her zeal and plea, he said 'I will watch over him'
Whenever I am with him, I behaved. When I am out, I become me, beating those I could, slapping the small ones for fun of it. My mother kept speaking, loving, rebuking, praying and all she could do. I was still me.
    My turning came after a trouble event, I made trouble, beat a lady. Her family member came to pay back what I did to her. When my mother saw them, she said to me 'run and hide' and I did. They came in and asked of me, she replied that, I was not around. They pounced on the mother of an untrained child, if she could not train her child, she would receive his cane. Broken! They left her. Other members of the house came to carry her into her room.  After a while I came out of my hiding place to the house. The whole house boiled against me.
'You will kill your mother'
'You are a bad child'
'You are no more my child' Father shouted loud.
My mother could not say anything, she just lied on the bed in pains. She could only sigh, as she did, I felt her pains in me, that was the first time I felt anybody in me. Tears came but I refrained. Oh mother, I wept within, how could I? Her person ran through my mind in seconds, 'She do not deserve this' Right there, I made a vow.
After all had gone, I sat beside her bed, held her hand and said 'Mother I am sorry, I vowed not to bring you trouble any more. I will be a good child'
I felt energy surged in her, she managed to seat. She open her mouth, faintly, she blessed my life.
What an enduring mother, she blessed! From that day, I changed and faced my hunting life. It was like a miracle to many, they could believe it but it was real. Her love changed me. I  worked on her farm during the day until she adviced me to get mine. I did. I worked on my farm in the day and hunted in the night. Not until I left my trouble making life, I have no meaning for my life. Thanks to mother, who never gave up.
When asked what kept her, she said, ' The gods gave us these children to mould, whatever happens, we must never allow bad to take the lead in their lives. They are given for good. Though the tide may turn. The storm may storm. If we will stand our ground, we shall win the battle over them. There is a battle to fight. Fight and make sure you win so your ending shall be joy.'

Written by:
OMOJUWURA (2017)

This fictional story teaches us something. It is endurance. Parents out there, with a child that brings them challenge, do not give up! It might be health, academics, character, whatever. Do not give up on the child, give it all takes to build your child, you will have your joy at the end, which matters more. It might look tiring, do not give up, sometimes it may not be yielding, do not give up. Keep moving. At the end it shall speak. Fight out the child you want to see in you child not just any form. If we leave our children to what they do, they take any shape. Fight and make sure you win.

From:
www.inkeysword..com