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BABA NI JIGI "Tales Of A Coloured Girl".

My father never smiled. He was a disciplinarian. We called him "Baba mi". He never wanted us running around the house. We were always in our room.
A very small room.
Baba mi was not the man in the mirror.
The man in the mirror had the face of a gentle and kind man. The man in the mirror always had a warm smile. The man in the mirror was a good man. The man in the mirror was handsome. The man in the mirror was a good father. The world only saw the man in the mirror.
The man in the mirror...
Baba mi was not the man in the mirror.
Baba mi was a gentle monster. He was a discplinarian. He was never concerned. He was that man that would ask for the other 20 percent if you scored 80 percent in your exams. He was that man that never wished you a happy birthday. He was bitter, not bitter like the cola nut. He was that kind of bitter that lingered on your tongue when you drink water after eating a pineapple. He was a complete stranger to the man in the mirror.
How was he so different from the man in the mirror ??
It was a mystery.
*
We only came out when he had to lash out butts. He said it was a reminder.
Reminder for what ?? He never told us.
My name is Kofo Ajani. My younger brother is Jinadu Ajani.
We lived in lagos.
Mushin Olosha, Lagos.
Our house was a two bedroom flat. We hardly came out of the house. Baba mi never wanted us going out, he employed an home tutor for us. We only went out of the house when it was necessary.
All we knew about the world was revealed to us by Mr Isqilu, our home tutor. He was a different man from Baba mi. He was kind and gentle, he never lashed our butts. He always had goodies for us. He was a good man.
Today is monday,
Baba mi never went to work on mondays. That was strange. Mr isqilu had told us that monday was the most important working day in the week. If you had to stay away from your workplace for any reason, it shouldn't be on a monday. Baba mi is a strange man, I wonder where he works.
I was lost in my thoughts...
Kofooooo !!!!
The voice was loud and distant. I wonder how he did that. Baba mi was calling, I raced to his room.
His head was buried deep in a newspaper. It was Alawiye. A Yoruba gossip paper. The sun shined on his head, I could see strands of grey. The man was getting old.
He wanted a cup of lipton. I headed to the kitchen.
Panic stricken.
Why did he do that? It was not necessary. We were good children. We never disobeyed him. We never told lies. He was just a wicked man. A wicked and lonely man who took out his frustrations on his children.
Thank God our thoughts were private. He would have killed us a long time ago.
He was going to lash our butts after he had the cup of lipton. That was his daily routine.
I dropped the hot cup of lipton on a stool beside him. I hurried out of the room and went to Jinadus room.
"Jina Jina" that was what I called him, he never liked the name, but I never stopped calling.
" You had better get out of bed and come for todays lashes, Baba mi is having is lipton now, and you know what follows after that."
I pitied Jinadu, he was just 8, he shouldn't have to be subjected to unnecessary lashes of "Pankere"
One day I promise, one day I will put an end to all of this.
"Oya get up and let us go before Baba mi calls, you know how terrible that can be"
He was still turning and tossing. I carried him. We made for Baba mi's room."
Jinadu had a small frame, so it was easy to carry him.

Paarh, Paarh, Paarh, Paarh, Paarh, Paarh. Paarh, Paarh, Paarh, Paarh...
It was six lashes for me, and four lashes for Jinadu.
I had gotten used to it already, for 13 years of my life the pankere had been a loyal punisher. I didn't see any need to shed tears again.
For Jinadu, it was a different story.
There's only one abbreviation to capture my reactions to his display of emotions.
L.O.L -Laugh Out Loud.
Mr isqilu used it whenever he wanted to express laughter when he was chatting on his blackberry.
One day I will own a blackberry.
*******
"Amrica"
No, its A-M-E-R-I-C-A,
Repeat after me,
"Amewica"
Jinadu, its A-M-E-R-I-C-A and not what you are calling it. Repeat it for the last time.
"Amewica"
Ok, we will continue from here tomorow. Make sure you read the passage on "Public Opinion"
Yes sir,
Jinadu had finished his session with Mr Isqilu. It was my turn.
I had an opinion about why my younger brother could not pronounce "America", I decided to tell Mr Isqilu.
" Mr isqilu, I think Jinadu has R-factor" he cannot pronounce the letter R.
Mr isqilu agreed with me, I felt like an "Efiwe" but then, he went further to explain.
He talked about Linguistics. He talked about an international phonetic alphabet chart. He talked about the place and manner of articulation.
I always enjoyed his lessons, even when I didn't understand what he was saying.
Amewica..
Baba mi had told us that maami travelled to America and would not be back in a long time.
I miss maami.
I wonder if she still remembers us, she never calls.
Would I even recognize maami if I saw her ?
I wondered.
Mr isqilu rounded up his session with me talking about menstration. He said I was going to experience it.
I wanted to ask questions,
Why would I bleed?
How long was I goin to bleed for?
What are ovaries and eggs?
So many questions, but Mr isqilu had other pressing issues to attend to, he promised to answer my questions the next day.
****
The room was dark and big. It was endless.
I was running out of breath, it was still chasing me, I wanted to scream, but I felt a big lump in my throat .
I stopped to catch my breath.
Oh my goodness, is this the end?
It was catching up with me, I started running again with double speed.
How come there was no one around to help me,
Where is Baba mi?
Where is Jinadu?
I kept on running, I was getting tired.
I was loosing hope, the life was slipping out of me...
I said a little prayer.
Dear God, forgive my sins.
Bless "Baba mi".
Give Jinadu strength to endure Baba mi's lashes.
Open the gates of heaven for me.
Amen... My eyes remained closed.
Suddenly!, I heard a voice.
It was loud and distant! I wanted to open my eyes, but the strong rays of bright light that hit my pupils made me close them slightly.
I could see a very bright light ahead, it reflected from a man in white,
The light was so bright and blinding.
The man was moving closer, the light was shining brighter
he called my name
"Kofoooooo"
He was my saviour. He was the son of God.
He held out his hand, I reached for it.
I was going to heaven.
"Paargh, Paargh, Paargh"
The sharp pain from Baba Mi's Pankere brought me back to the world of the living.
I coiled into a tight knot and screamed with all my strength.
It was the first time in years that the Pankere would put my lips apart.
I was dreaming the whole while, and Baba mi was the man in my dream. I managed a silent laugh.
" I'm off to work " he said, as he walked out of the room.
I was about to get out of bed when I felt a sickening moist in my pant.
My hands probed the area.
I thought I had bed-wetted.
I was wrong. I stopped wetting the bed a long time ago.
This was a different moist, it was a red one.
I was bleeding.
"No more pankere from Baba mi, no more lashes."
I'm going to fight back if he tries to...
I'm going to protect Jinadu.
I just became a woman!
To be continued.
Written By : Odutuyo Adeyinka Sasa-Eniyan.

RUTH ABOKO KU "Love On Top"
(The concluding part.)

The barber !!!, yes the barber...
I had to locate the barber.
Apart from the love of my life, he was the only one that could answer this troubling questions.
I rushed into the room and picked up my check book and some other random materials.
Confusion played in my head.
Should I head to the hospital or I should go look for the barber?? I wasn't sure.
I left the house, feeling like I had forgotten something important.
Oh yes, the "Brokoto" I hadn't disposed it and disinfected the dining table. That wasn't important now.
I marched forward.
MUKAILA KUKO, the name rang like a bell.
I marched forward.
Positive HIV test results, what was the connection??
I marched forward.
The building was big and ugly, it was a dull red, with ugly posters and ugly faces peering through the windows.
Everything was ugly !!!
There was a crowd. There was wailing. There was a suicide !!!
No one wanted to talk to me, but I needed answers. I saw an old woman across the street, she was roasting corns. I walked up to her.
"Mama good afternoon, she didn't even look at me, she recited the price of the roasted corns. I wasn't interested.
Mama, please I'm looking for the barber that owns the hair salon across the street.
She went on and on, the only words that stuck to my memory were sharp and short. " as the barber see say he get HIV/AIDS, na so he kill himself o"
The barber was dead, he committed suicide after he found out that he was HIV positive.
I left the place feeling more confused than I was. I wanted to see the love of my life.
I marched forward.
The traffic light was on green. The cars could move.
I wasn't bothered . I matched forward. I was confused, green could pass for red. I wasn't concerned. The drivers came to halt , screaming and cursing as I marched forward.
I was unbothered.
I had to see the love of my life.
*************
The silence was loud. It screamed.
He stared at me, and I listened to his songs of silence. I wanted to ask him several questions, but I couldn't .
We had to go for an HIV test, that was the only logical explanation I could come up with. The barber was dead, the love of my life could not communicate and the hiv test result was still with me.
I didn't care about MUKAILO KUKO anymore, he could ride to hell for all I care.
We had to wait for our turn. The queue was long and strange.
Even babies came to test for HIV
I could never have imagined. The doctor called on us and the whole episode was long and boring.
We had to wait for about an hour before the test results came in.
The love of my life was beside me. We were still together, that was all that mattered to me.
Its amazing how the devil plays with our head.
" The love of your life has been cheating on you, why else would you need to come for an HIV test, he is a cheat!, he doesn't deserve your love, leave him, let him suffer...he cheated on you"
Satan be gone!!
What terrible thoughts, he would never cheat on me. He is the love of my life.
The test result came in.
He tested positive.
HIV POSITIVE.

**********************
Friends never came. Families texted us. It was the short and empty text messages.
The first came from my dad.
" I heard the news, u need to move on , his life is ruined. I was never in support of the marriage"
There was one from my sister
" I told you he was a wrong choice, now brace up and let's get you a proper man."
A mothers love supercedes all...
" My daughter, sorry I'v not been able to visit you, your father wouldn't allow me. I pray for you. I pray for you always. Stay protected..regards to your man"
" My dear daughter, I should be able to visit you soon. Let me know of any decision you want to make. I will support you. I trust you would make a wise decision"
Wise decision??..whatever she meant.

********************
The speech pathologist became part of our lives, he was a sweet young man. Nice and warm. He was a friend.
The love of my life responded to treatment.
But he couldn't communicate just yet.
How did things get this way??
The love of my life is a vegetable. He is HIV positive.
Life is black.
I hated black.
I would take off every shades of black.
I would tint my hair to a bright gold.
I would burn down the black shoes and ties.
We had enough of black in our lives,
Pain and sorrow is black.
We had pain and sorrow.
I broke down in tears, the tear drops were hot, they burned my cheeks.
I wanted a cup of strongly brewed lipton.

*********
Everyone wanted me to leave the love of my life. The man is finished, you are young and beautiful... they said.
Ignorant lot....what did they know about love.
He was the love of my life, he his the love of my life.
**********
I got married at the age of 22.
The accident was several months after our wedding.
I'm 23 years old now.
My breast were still firm. My hair was a tinted gold. No more black.
The speech pathologist stopped coming after six straight months of service.
The love of my life could wink when he was dissatisfied, he could smile when he was hungry, he could sniff his nose when he had to use the loo. He could bite his lips when he wanted sex. Sex made him glow. He could communicate. He was happy. Well that was what I thought.
There was still a question unanswered.
If he never cheated, how did HIV come to play ??
I wanted an answer, but I was ready to wait. He would talk to me one day, he would regain his ability to produce speech...
*
It was a bright sunday morning. I hadn't been to the church in a years. I was going to attend the church service today. I had to pray. I had to pray for the love of my life. I had to thank God for the gift of life.
The church service lasted about 3 hrs. The pastor preached about love and persevearance.
Something gained.
I left the church when the service when ended. I had to cook something different today. I made a quick mental deduction as I approached a fat woman.
She sold "Brokoto". We were never going to eat "Brokoto" again. I made this promise the day I disinfected the dining area. I walked past the display of cow legs.
I was going to cook "Efo riro" . That is different.
I got all that I needed. I headed home. There was a smile on my face, I was goin to meet the love of my life, The one who I lived for.

********
There was a smile on his face.
He was putting on an expensive linen shirt.
There was a knife on the bed.
There was a long thick rope on the bed.
There was a bottle on the bed.
There was a paper on the bed.
I walked towards him. He was cold as ice.
He was dead.
I picked up the paper, the love of my life had written a letter. I smiled.
" mAi there whyF, ai NEfa chEEted On YUU. MOoKAilah kuKO was HIV pORsitiv. Thii BArBa yoused sAme Clipper for us. I HAd a dEEp cut. Wii were edED 2 H.I.-fii testINg senta.
Ai lorV yUuu diiplii, diply, deply, DEEPLY!."
I made a quick mental translation.
" My dear wife, I never cheated on you. Mukaila Kuko was H.I.V positive. The barber used the same clipper for us. I had a deep cut. We were headed to H.I.V testing center. I love you deeply".
He loved me. He loved me deeply. Love on top. Love is all that matters.
I had to look good.
I decided to put on a print material.
Ankara.
It was an expesive one, a yard sold for 7000 naira. It had to be the best of everything for the love of my life.
My make-up was heavy. The lipstick was a bright red. The eyeshadow was gold. The foundation powder suited my skin color. I was beautiful.
I gulped the contents of the bottle. It was the colour of death.
The taste was strong.
Belladona was the name. It meant Beautiful woman in Italian.
I layed beside the love of my life. My head rested on his broad chest. I smiled. I was going to be with him. I closed my eyes. I was afterall RUTH.
RUTH ABOKO KU.

THE END.

Written By : Odutuyo Adeyinka Sasa-Eniyan.

My dear readers, you probably took the assumption that my name is Ruth, however, my name is not Ruth. My name is Ifetofunmi, but friends and family call me Ruth. RUTH ABOKOKU.

I got married to the love of my life at the age of 22. He was everything I dreamed about of what my future husband would be when I get to choose one. My parents were not so happy with my choice, but yes, like every other loving parents on planet earth, they showed support and spent an incredible amount of their money on my wedding with the love of my life.

He was the love of my life, he is the love of my life. He never liked his food hot, it had to be served at room temperature. Sex in the morning made him glow, and kisses on his nose tickled him. He was tall and handsome. He reminded me of cinderellas prince charming. He was my prince charming. He was Sasa-Eniyan.

The news came on a very hot sunday afternoon, I had just served lunch and was waiting on the love of my life to join me at the table. Then there was a knock on the door. Who could have been visiting?? We never had visitors on sundays. These were the thoughts running through my head as I strolled towards the door.

He was tall and short, fair and dark, fat and slim. He was different.

"Good afternoon madam, my name na Maku, na me dey barb hair for your husband. Madam, wahala dey o, something don happen. Abeg, where ya husband dey??"
Wahala, where , when and how This were the questions the love of my life asked his barber as he lead him into the sitting room.

I had to go check the dining table, the food had to be served at room temperature. The love of my life doesn't like his food too hot or too cold. Everything was perfect. The thought of serving the "Brokoto" played in my head as i strolled back into the sitting room. The mama at the market had told me it was the biggest she had sold in months. I smiled. It had to be the best of eveything for the love of my life.

The sight in the sitting room was an unpleasant one. The love of my life staired at me lifelessly. He was not dead. The barber was sitted with a careless look on his face. There was a slightly rumpled paper on the floor.
Tear drops struggled for freedom.
I didn't know what to attend to. The slightly rumpled paper or the love of my life.
Damn the paper!, it had to be the love of my life. "Ife aiye mi"...
********************
The ride was a dangerous one. I knew the love of my life shouldn't be driving. But he had to vent his anger. He had to do something. Why was he angry? Where were we headed too? What news did the barber come bearing?
Questions unanswered.
I reached for his strong arms. He smiled. The smile lacked emotions. It was a cold one, but it meant the world to me. He fixed his gaze on the road. He was driving fast.
My mind wandered. The "Brokoto" must have gotten cold. I would warm it when we get back home. I had not spoken to my mum in days, I would give her a call when we get back home. I had not ironed the expensive linen shirt I got for the love of my life. I would do that when we get back home.
When we get back home...
I was buried deep in my thoughts.
It all happened so fast!, the truck in front of us got into a pot-hole. It was a big and ugly truck that conveyed stones and constrcution materials. Stones from the truck had gotten under the tire of our car, causing it to roll over three times.
It was an accident.
I could here sounds around me. My favourite tv programme was on. There was another sound, soft and strong. I wanted to open my eyes, I could not. I had to.
My mind was racing as the stream of consciousness hit me. We had been in a fatal car accident. Where is the love of my life?? I had to open my eyes. They wouldn't bulge. I struggled, then I heard a loud and strong voice. He was walking towards me, he was the doctor.
"Mummy, your daughter is ok, she would be discharged once she's awake, but sadly I cannot say the same about the young man who was driving. He suffered severe injury to his brain and the test results have shown that he suffers from Aphasia. Global aphasia precisely. The young man will loose his ability to communicate , however with the help of a speech pathologist, we should be able to help him communicate.
The words hit me hard and strong. The words hit me where it hurts. Aphasia?? The love of my life?? I wouldn't hear his sweet voice again ?? He becomes a vegetable??
NOOOOoooooooooooooo!!!!
I didn't want to open my eyes if this is what I had to wake up to , but I had to see the love of my life... My movement was swift and fast... My mum and the doctor were stunned.
Where is he?
Where is the love of my life
Take me to him, take me to the love of my life. Take me to Sasa-Eniyan...
********************
The doctor had told me to make payments so as to employ the services of a speech pathologist as soon as possible.
I had not been to our house since the accident. Mum had insisted that I stayed with her till I was well enough.
I had to go take my cheque book, so I could withdraw sufficient money for the services of a speech pathologist.
The thought of going to the house without seeing the love of my life was a terrible one, but I had to. It was a necessary evil.
The house was the same way we left it about 3 days ago.
I raced to the dining table , the smell was horrid. It was disgusting. It was the "BROKOTO".
I headed to the sitting room, promising myself to properly disinfect the dining table before I left the house.
It was lying lifeless on the floor.
It was pink.
It was rumpled.
It was a paper.
I raced to pick it up, as I remembered it was the paper I had seen with the love of my life about 3 days ago.
The information the paper contained was confusing. It was a positive "HIV" test result belonging to one "MUKAILA KUKO".
Who is MUKAILA KUKO ?
Why does he have his test results in my house ?
How does this connect to the love of my life ?
Where were we headed to the day we had the car accident?
I needed answers to this questions.
The love of my life has been diagnosed with global aphasia, he cannot answer this questions.
The barber !!!, yes the barber...

To be continued.
Written By : Odutuyo Adeyinka Sasa-Eniyan.