WhAt He ReAlly Did

Tade Balogun knew he was a bad father. He hadn't done right by Tara. It wasn't that he did not provide her needs because he did. He payed her fees, gave her shelter, food and other necessities. He was aware she cooked up 'money laundering' schemes but he indulged her because he didn't have the time or patience to argue or berate her. It had always been this way. She was always trying to get his attention and he couldn't and wouldn't be bothered. But in all his wildest dreams, he never thought Tara would become a replica of him-selfish and arrogant brat! It wasn't his fault that he hated his daughter. She symbolized everything he had lost the day she entered the world. He had lost -Nike-His life! Nike had begged him  to stay by her side during the childbirth but he had vehemently refused stating 'money must be made' especially with a child coming. The irony of life was he had lost his job that day and was saddled with the responsibility of a daughter with NO WIFE! Life had become bland and lacking in color and its spark without Nike. He had stopped living that day. He simply existed a shadow of the man he used to be.

He married Sandra a year later because he was tired of the army of house-helps and nannies that had come and gone. Plus well meaning relations kept saying the baby needed  stability aka - A Mother especially since his obvious neglect for the child was apparent. They were happy when he introduced Sandra as his intended. They felt she would cure him of the malady that Nike's death had caused but if only they knew...
   Sandra was out matched! she couldn't light a candle near Nike's memory thus she was an ornamental wife. Tade didn't know why but he never got over his resentment for Tara. He had really tried but the fact that she was a splitting image of her mother only worsened issues. When he saw her, she reminded him of what she stole from him in order for her to live.
Over the years, Sandra had turned into a real pain. She was no longer content to lavishly spend his money on her eccentricities. She was always looking for a reason to fight and argue. Her high pitched voice always attracted the neighbors. He was a family man and respected in church he didn't need the bad publicity and he had told her so. But  it seemed to have the opposite effects. She had totally redefined the phrase 'a nagging wife'. She blamed him for her childlessness.
On that fateful day, Tade had stomached way too much. He was about leaving for work when Sandra planted herself in his path and started her rant. He didn't know what made him do it or maybe he did- SUPPRESSED ANGER! In an attempt to move her from his path he had pushed her but what happened next he couldn't explain. Sandra was lifeless at the bottom of the stairs and his dear Tara had just come in through the front door, so she had witnessed it.



(Cee's notes: Thanks everyone for the wonderful suggestions... kept me laughing and thanks to Alfafuss for inspiring this one ;)! )

Yours Sincerely,

Cee

WhAt ShE FouNd oUT

Tara always heard her name whispered in corridors. It wasn’t the hush-hush “bad gossip”, in fact anytime she heard it her face lit. Her name was mentioned with great awe. They all envied her. Everyone felt she had it all and with little effort. Although some called her obnoxious, spoilt and carefree; she couldn’t be bothered.

She prided herself in the fact that all her ‘eye-catching’ possessions and spending money were legitimate. She didn’t have to sleep around, beg or steal to get the money. Her Daddy gave it to her. it wasn’t her fault that her Dad was shrewd  and she had to keep inventing authentic  foolproof reasons why she needed money.

At an early age of seven, she had learnt that Daddy won’t give her five Naira to buy sweets but would happily give her five hundred Naira to buy a non-existent textbook. As she grew older her schemes became more convincing and tactful. By Js2 she could forge her principals and the school bursar’s signatures in her sleep. She reasoned her father had too much money to spare and since she had worked hard thinking and executing her schemes, she was worthy of a pay all the same, plus she hadn’t  begged him to knock her mother up so he was responsible for catering to her needs.

She kept living life like a normal girl her age but with the occasional scamming and scheming until one fateful day. She had come home unexpectedly and saw the unsayable…

 It’s funny how a little coincidence can change one’s fate. Her teachers were correct; KNOWLEDGE IS POWER! Now she no longer had to crack her brain thinking of schemes for poor old Daddy. BLACKMAIL-was much better and its rewards more gratifying. Daddy loved his position in society and church to risk the ‘truth’ leaking out and he also depended on her for the “robe of respectability” that having adorable daughter endowed him.

[Cee’s note: Since my blog readers are great thinkers… I’m curious to know what you think Tara found out that ‘fateful day’…]

Yours Sincerely,

Cee

The Mosquito Analogy

I was talking to my friend yesterday about a big 'blood sucking' mosquito i had killed and how nauseating it was to see MY blood splattered all over, when it suddenly occured to me that Christ must have felt the same way, although to a greater degree and with a lot of pain involved. Each stripe He took, involved sharp thorns digging deep into His flesh and ripping it until His blood was splattered all over.

But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him - our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed.

Isaiah 53:5 (MSG)

...He did it all

so that I might have it all

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!!

Hope you had as much fun as I did ;)

yours sincerely,

Cee

April Fool's DaY FoR Me

Every year I look forward to the 1st of April but not for the conventional reasons of playing practical jokes on other people. It’s the day I celebrate the greatest Dad ever (that sounds cliché but it’s the truth)

As a child, I remember racing to the door daily screaming “Daddy is back” just before throwing myself  at him, never doubting the fact that my daddy will catch me and give me the goodies he always brought back.

The only threat that ‘held any water’ and I never got tired of using on anyone who dared offend me was ‘I’ll tell my daddy for you’ for in my mind and heart he was my Superman and he’ll surely get the bad guys ;)

My dad gave me an important gift. He taught me how to write, especially essays and how to use big words like ‘eradicate’, ‘tautology’ and ‘relegate’. He also gave me the freedom to express myself.

He is the only person authorized to give me nicknames that stick and he loves to oblige me by making use of this privilege frequently. Just last month he added a new one to the collection.

I can never forget the day my dad gave me a lesson on logic stating ‘we were age mates’ because the first time I saw him was also the first time he saw me thus making us equals.

He taught me about ‘inward beauty’. One fateful day after spending hours in the salon making my hair, I came home to ask my dad, “How do I look?” He smiled and told me Igbo proverb… ‘The beauty/goodness of a peacock is not its colorful feathers but in the meat inside.’

My dad respects my opinion and has always made it a point of duty to discuss ‘big people’ things with me. Nowadays he calls me ‘my fellow graduate’ to further reinstate the value of my opinion.

Just calling my dad and hearing him say ‘my darling daughter’ as soon as he sees the caller ID has a way of brightening my day and reminding me that I’m loved. For to him, I’ll always be his adorable little girl.

So on this day I celebrate

My ‘CATCHER’

My SUPERMAN

My TEACHER

My NICK NAME GIVER

My LOGIC TEACHER/AGEMATE

My FELLOW GRADUATE

My FRIEND

My CARE GIVER

My FATHER, My LOVE

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD

With Love,

Cee

TRUTHS ABOUT HER

With her eyes alone she can give the best set down to an erring child and still be able to instruct us on what course of action to take next.

With her nose, she can decipher and fish out the child who hadn’t taken their bath from a mile away or a pile of dirty clothes stashed away or faulty business deal.

With her lips, she has kissed away our tears  ensuring we knew how much she loved us but more importantly how much more God loved us.

With her smile, she has been known to win many battles involving persuasion and bargaining; for she has the killer smile that disarms her opponent.

With her laughter, she always had way of convincing us to see the good in every situation e.g. when gas finished one year on Christmas day and every store was closed.

With her tears, she has assured us that it’s okay to cry but it doesn’t mean we should go overboard, displaying tantrums and melancholia especially since there is still a God.

With her ears, she has proven that it is possible to hear what we are not saying and decipher when we are telling half-truths or feigning ignorance.

With her legs, she has gone to great lengths to ensure she was and is always available when we need her the most especially with teeth removals and visiting days ranking high.

With her cooking, she has nourished and endowed us with robust figures and a given us a refined taste appreciative of the good things of life

With her words, she has guided, encouraged and challenged us to be the best we can be and has never failed to tell us the truth whether we wanted to hear it or not.

With her heart, she has shown us the true meaning of love and trust; never blind sighted to our faults but loving us in spite of it and yet hopeful for the future.

With her life, she has taught us and still demonstrates who a Christian really is especially behind the scenes when the lights fade.

...She is my MOTHER!

Yours Sincerely,

Cee

KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR

I just overhead a very funny phone conversation…

“Hello! Why are you calling my boyfriend? No! You keep flashing him. You just flashed him now sef. We are together. He doesn’t know you. I’m his fiancee. Please stop barging him…”

It reminded me of a similar incident. We were driving to church one fine Sunday morning when a very angry and bitter wife who in an attempt to call her husband’s girlfriend had called my mom. She started ranting and calling names. You can imagine our befuddlement. At first the angry lady refused to believe my mom (who is Igbo) was not Folashade, her husband’s girlfriend/snatcher. It took a lot of convincing before she finally believed and then hurriedly cut the phone call amidst tears. My mom immediately called her back and prayed with her- asking God to heal the lady’s emotions, intervene and restore her family.

Sometimes I wonder whether these men (the likes of those mentioned above) are worth fighting for. It’s annoying to say the least when the lady has to be her own knight in shining armor all the time and champion her relationships, marriage and children’s future. She has to ‘save the day’ since the man in her life has chosen to be a sissy in desperate need of rescuing from the ‘other woman’, alcohol and other forms of debauchery.

“You only need to remain calm; the Lord will fight for you.”

Exodus 14:14 (NCV)

Yours sincerely,

Cee

Homecoming 2

So for two weeks he had been traipsing round about town having fun. It was really good to be home but time was really flying fast, he was dreading his departure. So much had happened in these two weeks, his younger sister Ifeoma had gotten married to a good family friend, Kene and it was obvious theirs was a love-match.

He had been right; Cynthia, the lady he had met on the plane was really something. She had attended the wedding and had blended in well even with Uncle Joe and Anthony, the renowned family jesters. Even His grand aunt fell in love with her and had cornered him to tell him not to leave the country without putting a stake on her. He had laughed inwardly because he didn’t need anyone to tell him what he already knew. They had spent every minute they could spare together except when she had to be at work or when he had family obligations. They both knew his departure date was looming in the shadows and had set out to make the most of it.

The mere thought of her always made his spirit soar. She was a mix of wit, charisma and beauty. It was funny how she understood him so well and she had only known him a few days while so many people in his life after so many years were still barely scratching the surface. With her there was no pretense, he always knew where he stood and when he made a faux pas. They had talked and asked each other different questions both mundane and important. So He could beat his chest to great extent that he knew her.

So yesterday when she had asked him what he thought about single parenting and the ladies who had children out of wedlock, it didn’t sound unusual. She went ahead to narrate a story of a close friend who was in such a dilemma and how the guy she was dating has been behaving standoffish to the child and has started avoiding her altogether. Up until this moment he still didn’t know why he said it but he blurted out, “Can’t blame the guy, nobody wants to raise another man’s bastard.” Immediately the words left his lips he regretted especially since as Cynthia winced. She was looking at him with a mixture sadness, shock and disappointment. He tried being diplomatic and made a joke of it but it didn’t help. For remaining part of the meal she was silent with exception of her brief replies to his questions.

By Wednesday, two days shy of his departure the issue had escalated. She was ignoring his calls and messages. His flight was Friday morning so time was running out. Since that fateful dinner on Sunday, it was as if Cynthia had turned into a ghost of her former self. Initially she had given the excuse of being swamped at work to avoid seeing him but now she wasn’t even talking or replying him anymore. He would give an arm to get that careless remark back but he couldn’t. He   still didn’t understand why she was overreacting and taking it personal. After all it was just a friend and he was sorry about it. The way things were going it was obvious she was going to avoid him until he left and he wasn’t going to sit back and let that happen. What they had was special and definitely worth fighting for. He had never been inside her home. She had always insisted on saying goodbye in the car. Since going to her office was out of the question since he knew how much she hated office drama or ‘scenes’ plus he didn’t want to embarrass her. So that left going to her house uninvited the only alternative.  As he sat in his rental car, across her street, thinking of what he wanted to say, a school bus passed by and stopped in front of her house and a little girl whom he guessed was about eight years old came alighted. When she turned to wave at her friends on the bus he got a glance at her face and then it hit him. It was like looking at a very young replica of Cynthia. There was no doubt this was Cynthia’s daughter. So many things were going through his head and he needed answers quick. He waited a few minutes to put his thoughts in check before approaching the house. He knocked and was about to give up and go back to the car when the door was opened by the help with little girl in tow. He said his name and introduced himself as a friend of Cynthia and lied that she was expecting him and had told him to wait here for her. He had half expected his bluff to be called or told to wait on the porch or something but what he didn’t except was the little girl to lunge at him and give him a fierce bear hug. It was so unexpected that he almost didn’t catch her. She started screaming and talking with a high pitch that it took awhile for him to understand what she was saying. After what felt like forever, she lead him to the living room and told him her name was Ama and that her mom had showed her picture of him on her phone and had said he was her special friend just like Jennifer and Tunde were Ama’s special friends. For the next few minutes he found himself interrogated and loving every minute of it, she asked him a lot of questions from his best food to why he liked her mother. She was a smart and that didn’t surprise him. Anyone who had Cynthia as a mother would be. He was still enthralled as she told him about her friends, mom and grandparents in Enugu.  She was still talking when he heard someone insert a key into the front door and open it. Immediately Ama jumped off the sofa shouting Mommy! He couldn’t make out what Cynthia was saying but he could hear the both of them laughing and it did wonders to his heart. As she entered the foyer, she looked up and was startled to see him. She whispered into her daughter’s ears and little girl said OK then waved at him before leaving the room. As she turned to face him, he noticed she was angry and had a few words for him. But at that moment Chuks couldn’t care less. He loved her and everything thing about her especially her child. He would be a fool to walk away for in her eyes and that little girls he had seen a glimpse of his future and it was wonderful. He didn’t care if he had to grovel or beg or use any other tactic to make her see reason, he had finally come home and he had every intention of staying home.

Yours sincerely,

Cee