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I miss my mother. The world seems empty without her. Insipid,bland, tasteless. Nothing interests me as much anymore. I went to her grave yesterday, with the freshest and brightest sunflowers I could find at the central market. They didn’t quite reflect the brightness that she was, but they did serve their purpose and I was thankful to them for that. The universe had cheated me. It took away the very source of my existence, and it hurt. Terribly so.
The visit to her grave had been instinctive, but the sunflowers weren’t. Throughout my life, and in the little time that I’d watched her grow, I’d always thought her to be delicate, yet strong, unwavering, unbending. I thought her to be bright, and beautiful. I saw strength in the way she walked, with those unmistakably proud shoulders held high up. Her gait was firm, yet oh so graceful. In the face of life’s turmoils, she would dance, daintily through her problems, just like a sunflower.
These sunflowers remind me of a woman. A strong woman, a beautiful woman. A woman who was never afraid to live life, a woman who knew what it felt like to love, fiercely, and to be loved with the same intensity, a woman who knew who she was, who would accept nothing less than what she wanted, a woman who was willing to die for her faith, a woman who was murdered, gruelly for her faith. These sunflowers remind me of a woman. These sunflowers remind me of my mother, and I miss her. Terribly.


https://adoseries.com/2017/07/21/sunflowers/

Mondays were ruined forever. BelwareU was not the place to be on Mondays or any other day of the week. Mr Bodega was one of the many reasons why Mondays were ruined.
Mr Bodega was the guidance counsellor and doubled as an accounting professor. His class started 10:40am but he would show up by 9:30am to give us what he tagged “Pre martial sex, drugs and alcohol: the death of many bright futures”.
Mr Bodega’s class starts at 10:40am and ends at 1:00pm. Half of this class, he would sometimes talk about Susan;his university girlfriend who was about to ruin his life and during the other half of the class he would sometimes deviate when a student was not paying attention.
Well at least that what I heard. I skipped this part of class because I had other important issues to attend to like sleeping in after I pulled an all nighter or skyping with my long distance best friend who lived in a different time zone.
I usually snook in through the back of the class because every time he was indulging in his unnecessary talks he took off his glasses and without them he was practically blind.
“Miss Goodwin. Nice of you to join us”. In that moment my heart dropped and it was not just because everyone turned and gave that soul piercing glare.
“12:07”. He said as he turned faced the wall clock.
“Do you mind telling us why you came late or would you rather explain to the Dean?”. He said as he drew a stool from underneath the table
Everyone kept staring. Well I had two options; to tell the truth and get in a whole lot of trouble or lie and go scot free. I could hear my heart racing.
“Uhh ugh…”. As I thought hard of which options I was going to pick.
“I am on my period”. The lie just fell out of my mouth like saliva
“I had to grab lunch and the cafeteria was crowded with the construction workers which were working on the BelwareU’s medical centre. Getting lunch took forever and I had to wait a while before I could regain myself,you know how those cramps can get”.
I didn’t know whether to be disappointed or amazed at how good I got. He looked at me for a while and in that moment I analysed the lie.
The BelwareU medical centre was under construction but I was not exhibiting the signs of cramps but because I wasn’t on my period and didn’t even experience cramps and I didn’t even eat at the cafeteria
“I’m going to need to see a doctor’s note”. He said as he called me to the front and stretched out his hand.
Running temperature,mood swings and extreme weakness were the signs of cramps. Well at least that’s what’s google said and I didn’t exhibit any of this. Knowing Nurse Jane, she would check for all these before administering drugs so I couldn’t go and fake it at the clinic.
“I’m fine I already took drugs I don’t need to see Nurse Jane”. I said as I tried convincing him.
“Drugs, from where the clinic? See kids…”. As he began rumbling on about how self medication was not advisable and someone out there went through seven years of medical school just for that purpose of caring for the sick.
He got lost in his talk and that was the moment I took a seat at the back and he didn’t notice.
The class was over but I had already fallen asleep. What! I was tired from all that lying.
“Hey Doc. Class’s over and guess who gets to carry my things”. I rose my head and he dropped his heavy leather bag on my locker.
I hung my bag on my left shoulder and lifted his’ with all my might. We walked to the office.
I always thought the guidance counselor’s office were for people with boyfriend girlfriend and mommy daddy issue.
I could never come to his office because I was in a committed long distance relationship with my future husband and my parents were super religious and those people don’t go around cheating and wrecking their marriages
“The construction workers resumed by 11am and not once did you stand up to go to the ladies’,so why did you come late to my class”. I was shocked and it showed on my face as Mr Bodega unlocked his office.
“Ugh…”. At this point I was short of words, I was cut in my own web of lies but I still wanted to stick with my story
“Have a seat, would you?”. As he took of his coat and offered me water.
“You didn’t have to lie you know.We love and care about you”. As he took a sip out of his glass and I giggled as that reminded me of one of Wilson’s pickup lines.
“Did I say something funny?”. As he gave a very confused face.
“No, you just reminded of one of Wilson’s pickup lines. He’s this guy I met on Facebook: he’s quite cocky and funny…”. As I took a sip out of the plastic cup
“Online dating is bad…”. As he began babbling on about the dangers of online dating.
“Oh thank you Mr Bodega. I appreciate that I have such a caring personality in my life”. I said in a sarcastic tone but he didn’t quite understand because he replied “You’re most welcome” and gave a satisfactory smile and I got up and left before he could say anything else.
I came out of his office and I bumped into someone, I bent to pick up my bag and looked up and gazed into those eyes and I instantly got lost in them hehe no I didn’t I couldnt because those eyes belonged to Charlie.
Charlie was my best friend I thought I would never have after Tola moved all the way across the world and I had to go through all that stress just to be in contact with her.
Wait that’s not how I offically met Charlie, I must have gone too far into the future. But remember that name Charlie…
“Watch where you’re going!”. I picked myself up and walked away.
“Ugh…You bumped into me”. He replied with a tone that was expecting an apology but he didn’t get any.
I turned and he was staring as I descended the stairs and he approached the railings. I gave a nasty look and he gave an even nastier look.
Jennifer, Danielle and Uzo were considered the IT girls I mean IT not IT please tell me you understand me. Anyways Uzo Aduba was the queen bee she ran the hive and called all the shots. Jennifer Matthews and Danielle Ajayi were best friends way before Uzo Aduba came into the picture.
These girls were notorious not because they did bad things but because they did bad things and they were caught. Well their little squad broke up. Uzo got a boyfriend Toby Adeyemi and she spent her whole life with him, well that was one of the many things that caused their fallout.
To be honest, I didn’t know about the squad thing because in my first year I was hooked on something that took all my attention and no it was not school. Well not after I became Jennifer’s friend and she gave me the story although she tweaked it a bit.
“Hey Jaime!”. Jennifer yelled as she ran towards me. Jennifer was my friend because my mother complained to the pastor that I was not making new friends, Mrs Goodwin is weird like that and Jennifer happened to go to the same church as I did, so you can piece two and two together.
“Hey you”. I said as extended my arms for hug.
“I heard you got busted by Mr Bodega,what did he say?. I wouldn’t say I told you so…”. She began her babbling.
Between her and Mr Bodega I didn’t know who was worse. Oh yeah Jennifer:Mr Bodega was paid to babble but Jennifer took it up as a habit.
“Eh! the usual babbles nothing serious, let’s go get you lunch I know you must be starving after that physics test”. I said so she wouldn’t ask any further unnecessary question but she still spoke my ears off the whole walk there.
I didn’t eat at the cafeteria so I waited for Jennifer to grab lunch.
Then out of the blues Toby appeared and started talking to us which was weird also awkward at least for me it was. Jennifer acted like she knew the guy pretty well.
“So you guys are coming to the match this evening, right?”. I was still confused at the fact he referred to me using the term “you guys” and since when did Jennifer attend football matches she would rather read than indulge in those things and she despised reading.
“First guy! Don’t ever refer to me as ‘you guys’ and second we are not coming”. Then the weirdest thing happened Jennifer stepped on my foot to get me to shut up.
“Don’t mind my friend, she’s angry because she got called into Mr Bodega’s office today and we’ll be there”. She giggled and waved at him as he walked away.
“Girl, are you going crazy or what?”. Hoping to hear something but she just kept quiet and walked away.
“You coming?”. She turned and gave the “aren’t you coming” gesture. Heavens knew I was angry but I didn’t want to throw a tantrum infront of all those people.
“I ask again. Girl, are you mad or what? That’s Toby Adeyemi; Uzo Aduba’s boyfriend”. As we both walked towards the dorms.
“We’re just friends, Jaims”. Jaims? That confirmed she was mad because she knew very well I hate being called pet names because I’m not an animal.
“Jaims?”. I dragged her to stop her from going any further.
“Don’t you ever call me that”. I pointed my finger in her face as I let go of her and walked ahead of her to show her how furious I was.
Jennifer had another thing coming if she thought I would apologize to her. I was so pissed I forgot to meet up with Wilson because I fell asleep trying to calm my nerves.
This is the part I tell you who Wilson is and why I was meeting up with him.
Wilson Badmus was my boyfriend or should I say is, I know I said I was in a committed long distance relationship with my future husband, well I said that because I wasn’t so sure about Wilson and I anymore since we were going to some rough patches but one thing I knew for sure was that I wasn’t going to run cry to Mr Bodega if we called it quits.
I didn’t just like him because he was 6″3 or he had the looks that are to die for or maybe that was why I held on to whatever it was we alledged had.
I met Wilson on Facebook like six years ago I was like 12 years old and we hit it off when I was 15 and promised to meet in BelwareU and we surprisingly did. Since then we have been off and on for three years. We even kept our relationship under wraps and I sometimes wished we didn’t.
Wilson started cheating on me: that was the beginning of rough patches. Our first year in BelwareU with some chick in her final year, Wilson was smarter than I gave him credit.
He apologised and I had to take him in after the whole drama but this time I was the one responsible for the patch. He said and I quoted “Babe you are spending less time as my girlfriend and more time doing other stuff which didn’t matter as much”. Wilson was the one I could tolerate calling me all those silly pet names.
“Jaime!”. As Jennifer shook me out of bed.
“What the heck?”. I said face down to the floor.
“I need your red lipstick, you know the Taylor Swift red”. She said she opened the cupboard.
“Jennifer, what is the matter with you? First you step on my pride and now you barge in my room ‘borrowing’ my personal very personal lipstick”. I laid emphasis on borrowing by air quoting.
“OK, I apologise for stepping…on your pride?Although I can’t remember that happening. But know I am sorry…”. That was the worst apology I heard in my life and I gave one to Wilson every night.
“Oh shoot Wilson”. I said as I got up and put on my sweat pants and a jacket.
“Yeah Wilson”. She said as she put on the lipstick.
“Jennifer lock the door on your way out and good luck at whatever it is you intend on doing at the field that you need to put on makeup and bright lipstick”. I put on my sandals zipped up my jacket and took my phone, debit card, key card and left.
Wilson’s middle names combined were Jay Jay which means Jumiloju Johnson so he was Wilson Jay Jay Badmus. So instead of calling him Wilson I called him Jay Jay.
“Jay Jay! Honey! Babe!”. He was standing in our usual spot leaning on his car.
“What’s your excuse now?”. He folded his arms and gave a smirk because he said the next time I came late I was paying for dinner.
“I got my card”. I waved it at his face and unfolded his arms and knocked that wicked smirk off his face.
“Ugh…you need to learn to how take things seriously”. He sighed, opened the passenger’s door but this time the wicked smirk was on my face.
“Thank you…love”. I got in and he closed the door got in the car and we drove to this restaurant that just opened a few miles away I think it was called Bamidele’s place.


. https://adoseries.com/2017/10/28/friday-13/

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