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Home Coming - Literature - Nairaland

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Home Coming by ghostwritter(m): 11:24pm On Dec 30, 2014
This is a total work of my imagination, non of the events you are about to read is real.....My name is Omotayo Suleman and i am the ghostwritter
This short write-up is dedicated to all the dead ones cry, may their souls rest in peace.
I decided to compose this story within a short frame of time, errors are bound to occure and emotions are meant to be triggered.


osuleman11@gmail.com

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It was a day before Christmas, a sunny afternoon which saw every shadows casted upon the burning grounds. I was sent on an errand to ‘Mama Akeem’ who had a rental shop to go collect bigger pot which my mother will use the next day to prepare rice for the entire neighbourhood (she is famous for her generosity). I passed through the lonely footpath which was a short-cut to my destination, then I suddenly came across Brother Akin, Brother Akin was the son to the famouse ‘Iya-Akin elewa’ (Iya-Akin the beans seller) he had travelled to Lagos for a very long time. I hear he has acquired much wealth in the big-city because last year he even sent me a leather wrist-watch and a pair of under-sized shoes, I guess he must have assumed I couldn’t have grown so fast even though I celebrated my eleventh years birthday with my peers in form one. Brother Akin was also generous to every member of his family; I hear he sends money home to his mother through ‘Akowe agba’ who visits the city every month to go get his unsteady pension.
“Broda Akin eka san, Oma tojo meta (Brother Akin Good Afternoon, it’s been awhile)I joyously ejaculated
“Ojo kan pelu, Oma ti di big-boy niyen, bawo ni mummy ati daddy?” (Truly, it’s been a while, you are now a big-boy, how is mummy and daddy?)
“Gbogbo won wa, inu mi dun pe eyin na wale odun keresi ati ayajo odun tutun, otie ti da, eje kin ba yin gbe bagi yin” (They are all fine, I am happy you came home for the Christmas celebration and the new year, that is good, let me help carry your bag) I collected the two heavy bags from him with jolly smile hanging on my face.
“O seun gan, bami gbe bagi yi fun maami, ko ba mi so fun won wipe mo n bo, wipe mo sare fe yooju si baba alagbede loke-odo, Gba ikan odun tie (thanks a lot, help give these bags to my mother, and help tell her I will be back, that I quickly want to check upon the Black smith up the river-bank, take your festive gift). Brother Akin brought a two shiny coins from his trouser pocket and stretched it towards me.
“Ahhh!! E seun gan sir, olorun a jeko dafun yin sir, owo yin a ma ro ke sir, emi yin a gun sir…..” (Ahhh!! Thank you very much sir, may God bless you sir, may you prosper sir, may you live long sir…) I confusedly showered whatever I thought could be a prayer upon my God-sent benefactor who has just made my Christmas and new-year celebration juicy.
I made a quick ‘about-turn’ and ran as fast as my legs could carry me towards Iya- Akin’s compound, ‘Iya-Akin’ had been a widow for the past twenty-years and brother Akin was her only child. As I was on my way to Iya-Akin’s compound, I realised brother Akin didn’t say ‘Amen’ after I had prayed for him, he simply made a deep sigh and had a depressing outlook, It was obvious he wasn’t happy.
“it could be the stress of the big city called Lagos….. abi he has got family issues…..abi his business is not moving very well….abi he….Wetin be my own self…?.” I discarded the idea of asking him whatever could be bothering him whenever he comes back. I then focused on drafting a blueprint on how to spend the two-naira I just received.
About five minutes later, on reaching the popular ‘Iya-Akin compound’, I heard and saw a lot of people wailing and crying, I saw few men and a lot women grieving, I heard people say a lot of emotional words, I heard people asking strange questions, I saw people answering such questions in tears, I saw Iya -Akin looking like a mad woman in the midst of group of women who were all busy consoling her amidst tears, her cloths were torn, her eyes were sore with tears flowing freely, her hair were scattered, her body was lightly shaking, her nose was dripping of mucus, her veins all shot out, and her mouth kept grumbling.
“Ayee mi ti baje, won ti pa mi ona idunu mi kan so so” (My life is ruined, they have killed my only source of happiness) Iya- Akin suddenly busted out like a lunatic whose child had been taken from her.
After seeing an entire strange attitude by everyone and most especially by Iya-Akin whose son had sent me to her, I concluded something bad must have happened and maybe that was why Brother Akin seem to be unhappy early. I walked into the midst of gathered sympathizers to quickly go deliver the message of the arrival of brother Akin’s arrival to his mother who seems to be in a very bad mood. I walked pass everyone towards Iya-Akin with the two baggage on both arms. At first, it seems awkward as I was about to tell her of her son’s arrival to the village but It I have to deliver the baggage to her in whatever state of mind she could be.
“Oya jade si ta, kilon she ni bi?” (Common go outside, what are you doing here) one of the female sympathizers harshly whispered to me as she pointed towards the door indicating I make use of that direction).
“Broda Akin lo ni kin fun mummy won ni awon bagi won yi” (Brother Akin said I should give his mother these bags) I replied in an innocent tone.
“Broda Akin wo?” (Which brother Akin) she asked with a tone that sounded more shocking than surprising. The room slightly went quiet and most of the givers all had their eyes on me by then like I was a sought of an outcast and there I stood looking puzzled.
“Broda Akin Jegede, omo Iya-Akin, won ni kin fun….” (Brother Akin Jegede, the son of Iya-Akin, he said I should give….) I pointed my finger towards the direction I had earlier encountered brother Akin and pointed to Iya-Akin respectively as I spoke with higher level of certainty.
“Igba wo lori keyin!!” (when last did you see him?) Another woman snapped at me like I was been interrogated for stealing our village oracle, and the room totally went quiet at that moment and all eyes and ears was to my next word like I was the ‘Abore’ (Village-priest)
“Koyi ti ju iseju mewa lo, awon gan loni kin fun mummy won ni bagi yi, wo sini awon o ni pe de, wipe awon kon fe yoju si baba alagbede ni ona oke-odo” (it’s was less than ten minutes ago, he was even the one that gave these bags to me and instructed i give his mother, he said he will soon be back, that he only wants to go check the blacksmith down the riverbank). And by the time I was done explaining all I knew, it felt as if I was in the midst of hungry witches and wizard whose life all depends on my flesh and blood. They all looked at me like I had just vomited abominable words and that made me regretted coming across brother Akin in the first place.
“Na which kain bad soap I use baff dis morning sef?” I rhetorically asked inwardly as I began to tremble in the midst of the piercing eyes.
“Ahhh!! Ahhh!!!!.... oma she oo, shey iwo oma wipe Akin ti ku lati ale ana, oku re lo fara han e” (Ahhh!!!... what a pity, don’t you know Akin had died since yesterday night, it was his spirit that must have appeared to you) an old woman sitting close to where I stood suddenly said as drops of tear rolled down her tribal-marked cheeks.
At first, I felt the woman was talking to someone else behind me or maybe she heard me wrong or maybe she had also gone insane just like Iya-Akin or maybe I didn’t understand what ever she was trying hard to explain to me.
“Definitely I was the one who do not understand whatever she was trying to say” I concluded within me and was curious to understand what the woman had said earlier and that made me asked the same question for the second time hoping to get a clearer understanding of what the reply would be.
“Akin ti ku lati ale ana, woni awon ole yinbon pa bi o ti fe soda titi yi, gbogbo eru re ni won si ko lo ” (Akin had died since yester night, they said he was shot to death while he was about to cross this street and all his belongings stolen) another woman elaborated and pointed her finger towards the street across Iya-Akin’s compound.
The way I felt that particular moment was unexplainable, I felt I had walked into the midst of insane women and that got me really scared. I felt like dashing out of the tensed room but it was too late. One of the women held me firm by my thin arm, I assumed she was trying to console my state of insanity; she must have noticed I was off-minded after calling me several times without response. Surely I was off-minded; how could I beliefe that the village women whom I had respected all ganged up to play an unsuccessful prank on me?, how could I belief that the man I saw few minutes ago had died many hours ago?, how could I belief that the man who gave me money for the Christmas and new year celebration was a ghost?, how could I belief that brother Akin whom I thought i had seen earlier was just the end result of my own mysterious illusion?.
“Never, that was not an illusion….. I saw him” I tried to convince myself.
As I was in the process of convincing my self that the mann I had seen earlier wasn’t dead, I was almost practically dragged into another quiet and stuffy room by an old woman who was a distance relative from my maternal side, the room was a bit dark but I could manage to see after a strained eyes.
“Oku Akin ni yen, shey oti ri?” (that is Akin’s remains, have you seen it?) she simply pointed to a long figure covered in white cotton. She looked down at me and must have notice the doubtful appearance on it, so she moved closer to unveil whatever was beneath the white cloth for me to see
And yes I saw it!
I saw a human figure laying still on the mat
I saw the split image of brother Akin…..No, not him…I mean it can’t be possible….. shocked shocked shocked
I cleared my eyes with my palms to confirm the true identity of the deceased.
“Aaaahhhhhh……broad Akin!!!!” I screamed so loud that my head suddenly went blank…. (I was told I fainted afterwards but i remembered waking-up a week after the new year in 1998)

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HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL.....may the Almighty God see us through 2015. wink wink
Re: Home Coming by ghostwritter(m): 9:10am On Jan 01, 2015
Happy New year to all my mentors on nairaland. Hope to read better stories this year.
Re: Home Coming by ghostwritter(m): 9:37pm On Aug 21, 2017
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HURRAY!!
Ghostwritter is a year plus... August22.
In full acknowledge of God's favour in my life all along, I am using this wonderful medium to say a HAPPY BIRTHDAY to myself. I wish myself good health in abundance of wealth by the special grace of God.
Guys, please show some love to a brother by dropping your well wishes, it will go a long way in making my day.
Re: Home Coming by souloho19(m): 10:41pm On Aug 21, 2017
Guess I should wait till 12 but incase I sleep off..happy birthday Mr ghostwriter I pray for more grace and more wisdom plus favour and success in all your endeavours. Have fun bro.

P.s: just reading this story from two years ago..pls kwantinu it

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Christmas Eve / Shadows Of Pain / ANJONU- Based On A True Life Story by a Nairalander

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