#PERFECT_REJECTION_SEASON2_EPISODE1
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After the emotional hug, we both sat on
the mattress discussing and narrating
our different ordeals in life. It was then I
realized I had it easier than she does.
She grew up with the emotional torment
of losing her twin brother which
sometimes makes her feel lonely and
neglected. Many times she was been
treated like an outcast with preference
always given to her younger sisters over
her, coupled with so many physical
abuse she suffered from her step-father.
I was surprised she still got a good
heart towards the man despite all she’s
gone through because of him. I
wondered how our mother coped with
such a man for the long years they’ve
stayed together.
Me: How was your mother able to cope
with him for this long?
Aramide: Stop saying your mother Will,
she’s our mother.
Me: I’ll get used to it. How did she cope?
Aramide: He’s her husband; I don’t think
she got many options
Me: There are always many options. Tell
me about her.
Aramide: Well for starter, she’s your
mother.
Me: I know, but I want to know her kind
of person; is she cool or hot, and so on
Aramide: Why don’t you try to get to
know her by yourself?
Me: I’ve never met her before and I’m
really scared about that. I think having
the idea of the kind of person she is will
allow me to prepare my mind towards it.
Aramide: She’s a cool personality,
although she’s now very religious and
she has always been strict.
Me: Hmm, so far she’s cool I think I won’t
have a problem.
Aramide: Of course you won’t have a
problem, she’s your mother.
Me: Have you told her we’ve met?
No: I’ve only told Vera
Me: Who is Vera?
Aramide: My younger sister. She’s our
Idowu and she’s the one I wanted you
to meet today.
Me: She’s around?
Aramide: She’s on her way here
Me: Oh! I pray she meet us here
Aramide: Are you not going to stay
longer?
Me: I’ll have to find another day we can
both spend together. I want to get to
know you well but I’ve promised to
spend today with Funmi.
Aramide: Really, are you guys now
dating?
Me: Something like that
Aramide: At last! I’m happy to hear that, I
really like her.
Me: That’s obvious
Aramide: Very cool. When will you like to
go to mum?
Me: I don’t know, maybe when I’m ready
emotionally.
Aramide: You are ready Will. After your
project defense let’s go to her.
Me: I’m not sure I want to go for now.
Besides, I don’t think she wants to see
me.
Aramide: Why will you say that?
Me: I can’t see the effort. She could have
asked for my number from my mum to
at least call me, but she did not.
Aramide: I could have asked for your
number too the day I met your mum, but
I didn’t because it will look somehow for
somebody to just call you out of the blue
telling you she’s your mother or your
sister. Would you have taken such a
person seriously?
Me: Of course I won’t
Aramide: That’s exactly what I thought.
It’s better to come to you directly.
Me: But she didn’t come either.
Aramide: Will, you don’t understand. She
knows you are the only male child she’s
got, yet she didn’t come looking for you
because she was ashamed to face you.
She’s not even proud of herself calling
you a son.
Me: Alright, I’ll go to her.
Aramide: I’m happy to hear that. We’ll go
after your project defense.
We were still in discussion when
somebody knocked at the door and
entered without waiting for an answer.
She has my height, my smile and looks
exactly like I do, to the extent I could
mistook her for a mirror. If she wasn’t a
lady, she could impersonate me
anywhere. I stood up staring at her
while she was looking at me in awe. It
took Aramide’s intervention to break the
awkwardly amazing starring
competition we both engaged in.
Aramide: Will, meet my sister, our Idowu,
Vera. Vera, this is William, my twin
brother and your long awaited elder
brother.
Vera went down on her full knees the
way a typical Yoruba lady would greet
her parents or blood brothers she has
seen a very long time ago. I pulled her
up and gave her a hug.
Me: I’m confused, who’s my twin sister
among you two?
Aramide: That’s the reason why I
wanted you to meet.
Vera: No wonder mum calls me Kehinde
sometimes. I’m happy to finally meet you
sir, I’ve always pray and wish for an
elder brother.
Me: I am privileged to meet the female
version of me. How can we look so
much alike when we do not share the
same father?
Vera: Mum said, I took after her father.
Me: I’ll love to meet her father. That will
be a good way to peep into my future
look.
Aramide: He’s long gone. How is mum
Vera?
Vera: We came together. She was the
one that delayed me.
Aramide: She’s in this town?
Vera: Yes, she followed her church
members down to visit their former
pastor whose wife just gave birth.
Aramide: Oh, that man was posted here?
Vera: Yeah, today is his child naming
ceremony. Mum said she might branch
here if the program was concluded on
time. It’s even good you are here my
brother, you’ll be able to meet mum.
Hearing that, I started to feel unease. I
don’t know why, but I was highly
nervous about meeting my biological
mother. The three of us left the room to
join the others in the sitting room. We
met them debating who my real twin
sister is between Aramide and Vera.
They were all laughing and making
funny comments about the situations
but I just sat there by Funmi’s side,
thinking about the potential meeting
with my mother.
Funmi: Baby, what’s wrong? (I shook my
head to say nothing). Don’t give me that,
you don’t look happy since you came out
of the room.
Me: I might be meeting my mother
today.
Funmi: That’s good news. Is that why
you are sad?
Me: I’m skeptical about the whole thing.
I’m having a feeling something will go
wrong.
Funmi: Nothing will go wrong dear.
She’s your mother and will always be
happy to see you.
Me: I really hope so.
Let me intimate you with a little
description of how we all looked that
moment. Temmy was wearing a stripe
shirt on a black trouser with his old
school hair style a little lower than mine.
Both Funmi and Sewa wore a pink top
on trousers, both having a fixing hair
style with dangling hear rings. Dan was
on Cleverland basketball team jersey on a
three-quarter trouser toned with white
canvas.
The guys were still having fun, joking
and sometimes mimicking funny
characters in movies when we had a
knock on the door and three elderly
women entered. They were all dressed
in the same Ankara style. It was one of
the women that first salute us before we
could greet them.
Woman1: Good afternoon here o. hope
we meet you well? (We all stood up and
responded to greet the three of them).
Taiwo how are you? It’s been long I set
my eye on you.
Aramide: I’m fine ma
Woman1: Is it that you don’t come home
or you don’t come to church when you
do?
Woman2: I saw her at home like two
weeks ago but she did not show up in
church.
Woman1: Really, Taiwo why didn’t you
come to church while you were around?
Aramide: I didn’t stay that long ma. I left
on that Sunday.
Woman1: You could have come to
church still
Aramide: I went to early morning service
so I’ll be able to travel on time.
Woman2: We don’t have early morning
service in our church, maybe she
attended another church.
Woman1: Is that true Taiwo? You left
your church to attend another church?
Aramide: No, I did. . .
Woman3: Shut up there Taiwo! (Facing
the other women) This is what I was
telling you. My child has joined bad gang.
She now attends disco party they call
church. Look at the caliber of people
she’s dining with (pointing to Funmi and
Sewa), looking just like harlots. Look at
their hair and they are even wearing
trousers when you are not men. This is
the reason why my daughter will not
come to our church.
Woman2: That’s the trend in town, she
wants to feel among.
Woman3: Imagine that! That’s a child
that was brought up from a Christian
home.
Woman1: Even the boys are not different
from touts. The one with good hair style
is wearing knickers while the other two
carry heavy hair style like a mad man in
the streets. Or don’t you children know
it’s the mad men that have their hair
uncut like this?
Woman3: You see my life. Now she’ll
bring one of these thugs home and say
she has seeing husband. You children
better rethink your life and follow the
right path.
Woman2: Accept Christ and serve God
Woman3: (Facing me) This one’s hair is
even more than my own.
Woman2: Maybe he wants to weave it.
Woman1: Some of them do weave hair,
so I’m not surprised.
Woman3: If you were to be my child, I
would deal with you seriously or send
you out of my house before you spoil my
name if you won’t listen, because I’m
sure your mother didn’t know this is
how you are.
Aramide: Mum, he’s actually. . .
Woman3: Shut up and listen! Shameless
girl, you even have gut to talk.
All these while, we all kept mute and
looking as if we saw ghost. I was
particularly waiting for them to finish
their condemnation crusade before I’ll
take my leave as the fear of meeting my
mother has turned to anger in me. They
continued to talk and would not stop to
which I couldn’t bear again. I signal to
Temmy and Dan while I held Funmi’s
hand as we decided to leave before we
make any disrespectful remark. It was
Vera that took the scene upon herself to
my amazement.
Vera: It’s okay mum. This is the reason
why I’m planning of not coming back to
your church the moment I gain
admission. You preach gospel of
condemnation, hatred and abuse
instead of Gospel of love that Christ
instituted. You instill fear and hatred in
people instead of faith and hope. This
wasn’t how Jesus preached to save
many. Mummy I’ve told you, this your
style doesn’t work any longer. Everybody
is not your child. You can’t be talking to
everybody like that. We are used to it but
I don’t think brother Kehinde and his
friends are.
Woman3: Who is Kehinde?
Vera: (Pointing to me) The same person
you’ve been condemning all these while.
If you had at least chill and look at his
face properly you’ll know who he is.
Aramide: You know he was really scared
about meeting you and you’ve just make
everything so easy for him.
Woman1: (Looking at me) I’m just
noticing this, he looks so much like Vera.
At this point, emotion started running
through my body and I’m not sure what
I’ll do next if I stay. I drew Funmi along
as I walk past the women even though
Funmi was asking me to wait. I left the
place, entered her car and asked her to
drive as I’m not in the right state of
mind. “Where are we going?” she asked.
“To your lodge” I responded. She drove
off as we left the place while Temmy,
Dan and Sewa followed suit.
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TBC
