Elijah Dibia @elijahomp

EPISODE FIVE

By September, we were all used to our new locality. Rita was finding it difficult to cope with Mathematics especially having changed her school, so, I began putting her through. I became more like a coach to her. The children were so used to me that they began seeing me as their brother. November, I asked Mr. Ogah to stop paying me as a house help for I still feed and live in their house. He agreed even his wife to.

At the dawn of a new year 2003, Mr. and Mrs. Ogah decided that I should register for WAEC, but I would need all the necessary Certificates, declaration of age, state of origin, first school leaving certificate, etc. They promised to work them out for me so I could register for WAEC. So, while acquiring all these Certificates I was also preparing for WAEC together with Rita. I began bearing James Gbenga (Gbenga was my middle name). Rita and I wrote WAEC examination that year and had a very wonderful results especially Rita.

We started preparing for UME against 2004. Rita wanted to study accounting and become an Accountant while I wanted to study mathematics education and become a Teacher. Things moved from glory to glory for the Ogahs. God’s favour was upon them and upon me too. I realised that they were the helping hands for me. Rita and I got admission into the University in 2004 which made Mr. Ogah very happy and he tasked me on keeping his daughter safe. Rita and I became really bounded and in school, we were always seen together. Soon, it was Peter’s turn, he wanted to become an Engineer. He also got admission in the University and came to join us. Rita and I graduated with first class which brought delight to Mr. Ogah. Luckily, we were both posted to Ondo state for our service. We were together again. After our service, we got job offers but decided to go back to Niger State. We got very lucrative jobs and I began to settle down on my own. With the help of Mr. Ogah, I was able to build my own house and for my 30th birthday, he bought a car for me.

to be continued......
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"After the last episode tomorrow, I will do a quiz on the story on Friday!!!"

EPISODE FOUR

At age 19, I had to start thinking of how to survive on my own. In tears I fell asleep under a mango tree. I had a dream, I saw a building very beautiful well furnished. It was demolished right in front of me and I was asked to rebuild it to a better structure with better furniture and house hold equipment in it. I wasn’t giving any tool to work with just a shovel. So, I started digging and as I dug, more hands appeared and helped me digging. Then I woke up. I knew that was God answering me.

When morning came, I left the city and walked to the next city and the next looking around for a job vacancy. I saw one which read “house help needed”. I went in to the house immediately, I met the mother of the house at home who interviewed me. I narrated my story to her though reluctant to give me the job, she asked me to wait for her husband to be back from work. So I stayed their till evening when her husband returned. He agreed that I should be given the job after all I could do all the house chores and cook. It was a family of six, four children with the father and mother. My life took another new turn as I became bounded to Mr. and Mrs. Ogah and family.
Two weeks passed by the Ogahs were happy with me. We moved along like a family. Mr. Ogah was transferred to Niger State, so we all had to move to Niger State. Getting transfer for his children was not a big problem as they were on holiday and were to enter a new class by September. Rita the first child, was 16 years and was going to S.S. 3, Peter, 13 years old, was going to J.S 3, Edward, 10 years old, was going to J.S.1 and Victor, 8 years old, was going to primary 4. I went with them to Niger State and I was really becoming a full member of the family.

to be continued......
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EPISODE THREE

A period of joy changed dramatically to a period of sorrows and pains for me. I returned from an errand my mum sent me and when I stepped inside the house, I could sense that something was really wrong. There was Vera, her parent and 3 of her friends sitting down in our parlour. When I stepped in, I was asked to sit down, my mum asked if I knew Vera, I replied in the affirmative. I was asked how close we were, “just friends” I replied. Vera’s dad then asked if I knew that Vera was pregnant, I said no. But looking at their faces, I knew they did not believe me. Vera that I had not seen for two weeks was three weeks pregnant and she is accusing me of being responsible for it. I was very much surprised mostly at my mum for believing Vera, for I was very close to her more than my dad and I used to let her in on my secrets. I was questioning Vera for lying on me and my parent for believing her. My parent and I got into a heated argument in front of Vera, her friends who were standing as witnesses and her parent who were threatening to arrest me. I was slapped twice by my dad. With tears in my eyes, I pleaded with Vera to speak the truth but, she was quiet all through. After much heated arguments again, Vera and everybody left our house with the dad promising to bring police to arrest me.

My situation went from bad to worst. After Vera with her parent left, my dad began to rain abuses on me, saying I brought disgrace to his name even as he agreed to take me as his sons and am rewarding him with this kind of situation and disgrace to his name he said that and went inside. I asked my mum what that meant and she said I am not Mr Olaniyi’s son. I was shocked and in tears again. She said she was raped by a man called Alhaji Musa, who was her boss then. She became pregnant but the man had denied the allegation even when taken to court. My dad accepted that she kept the child on the ground that the child is only going to be a boy to stay in his house but if a girl, she would be given to the orphanage. And so it was a boy, born after three still births all males. But my dad has not being really happy just for the fact that the first male child from my mum was not his child. When I was discussing with my mum, my dad went inside, took all my Certificate and everything that bears his name and destroyed them by fire. He then ordered me out of his house and their lives forever forbidding me from ever stepping foot in his house again. My younger ones pleaded and pleaded even in tears but my dad was adamant, my elder sister Nike, was not around and so I took few of my clothing’s and left to a world of my own in confusion, anger and pain. I cried to God, but it was as if he too was silent. That night, I went to Vera’s house pleading with her to say the truth and clear my name, but she remained silent, in fact, her father released their dogs on me leaving me to run for my life.

to be continued......
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EPISODE TWO

In preparation for my third UME, I started attending JAMB classes. February 2002, there was a heated argument between my dad and me. He called me “money waster” with no future ambition. I was deeply hurt and spoke back at him. He almost disowned me that day. He told my mum to return me back to my father that none of his sons would dare talk back at him like that. All this happened because I was not able to iron his cloth, I was trying to explain to him that there was no light before I left for tutorial class by 4pm. Then he flared up that I am even talking back at him. Everything was settled after two days as things began to move as usual.

I practiced so hard for UME 2002 that I began to put some of my friends through in what had become my best subject, Mathematics. That was when I met Vera. Vera was a pretty girl but very hostile especially to boys. I wanted nothing to do with her. But we attended the same church, her house is close to mine and now, we were attending the same tutorial classes. She was not that bright, she and some other of my friends used to come to my house in the morning and we would solve some Maths problems together, study other subjects and meet in the evening to proceed for tutorial class. Vera began to come closer to me which made Johnson jealous because he had an eye for Vera, but she had rejected him on many occasions. I made it clear to Vera that I am not interested in any relationship of any kind and she said there is no problem. I began talking to her about changing her ways and becoming friendly as a lady should be. Her character began to change as she got closer to me and heeded to my advice. I taught her how important it is to study and practice the word of God and stay connected to Him. There was a remarkable transformation going on in her life and I was happy and grateful to God about it.

In the month of May 2002, we wrote the UME. We were all highly expecting a very good result and so it was. I had 225, Vera scored 216 some of my other friends scored very high. It was now time to prepare for post-UME. I was very happy. My birthday came and went, I even had a gift from Vera. But all of a sudden, I did not hear from her again. I did not see her in the church, neither could I reach her on the phone. I wanted to check on her at home but I had never been at her place before.
to be continued......
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