#PR_EPISODE21
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Let me intimate you with a little of my
family background. I grew up believing
I am the first child of my parent, only to
be told by my mother when my father
died that he’s not my biological father. I
was twelve years old at that time. She
told me my step father whom I’ve
always known as my father only took
me as his son when he got married to
her. The question then was who and
where is my father? The answer was
another tragic story as my mother told
me my father died while she was some
months pregnant of me. Since then I
decided to recognize my step father as
my real father for the rest of my life,
after-all I answer his last name and he
has never let me feel I wasn’t his
biological son while he was alive.
This is why I am so sure Aramide is
mixing things up as there is no way I
can be a twin. Nobody in my family, not
even my grandparents ever made the
mistake of calling me a twin at any
point. Though I’ll love to hear her out as
funny things do happen, but I’m never
going to ask my mother about this. She
has gone through a lot for me and
asking her that might hurt her.
Aramide and I did meet but not until
Thursday as she only came back on
Wednesday and I’ve been busy reading
towards my last examination as an
undergraduate.
Aramide: Thank God we are finally able
to talk. How are you?
Me: I’m fine. How was your journey?
Aramide: Successful. I was not able to
get the money I was expecting and
that’s why I couldn’t make it down on
Sunday.
Me: No problem. How is Bankole?
Aramide: He’s good. He sends his
regards. How is your girlfriend? I forgot
her name.
Me: Are you talking about Funmi?
Aramide: Yes, how is she?
Me: She’ll be fine I’m sure. She’s not my
girlfriend though, not yet.
Aramide: What happened? You guys
fought?
Me: Not really, it’s complicated. I’ve not
heard from her since Saturday.
Aramide: I think I like her though. Try to
settle things with her.
Me: That will be after my exams. I really
can’t get distracted at this point. It’s my
last hurdle.
Aramide: You are right. Have you ask
your mum if you are a twin?
Me: No I did not. There is no point
asking her when I know I’m not.
Aramide: How can you tell?
Me: None of my numerous names is
Taiwo or Kehinde, and nobody in my
family has ever made the mistake of
calling me “Ejire”, not even my
grandparents.
Aramide: Hmm, where is your dad?
Me: He’s long gone; he died while I was
12.
Aramide: Are you sure about that?
Me: Well, he’s my stepfather. My
biological father died before I was
given birth to.
Aramide: Oh Oh! How did you know
that?
Me: I was told by the only person that
can say the truth about it; my mother.
Aramide: You might have to ask her
again
Me: That will be improper to do and
why will I be doubting my own mother?
Besides, I don’t think I need a father
anymore. My mother is my everything,
she has always been.
Aramide: I’m not asking you to doubt
your mother, I’m only asking you to
search and get the truth, and one of
such truth is your mother might not be
your biological mother.
Me: That’s ridiculous. Where are all
these coming from? Why will she be
lying about conceiving me if she did
not? And why do I resemble her that
much?
Aramide: You resemble your mother?
Me: Yes, facially. Let’s even assume
she’s not my biological mother, she’s
still the only person I’ll ever know as my
mother.
Aramide: Well, you seem not ready for
the truth.
Me: Aramide, this is our second
conversation since we met. You don’t
think I’ll just accept stuffs like that from
you that I barely know without
overwhelming evidences. What exactly
did you see, what’s your point?
Aramide: I think it is best we leave the
issue till after your exams so you won’t
get distracted.
Me: All my papers falls to next week, so
by upper week I’ll be free.
Aramide: Okay, till then. But let me ask
you these questions before you leave
Me: Alright I’m listening
Aramide: Why do you answer Albert?
Me: That’s my step fathers’ last name.
Aramide: And why not the last name of
your own father?
Me: Nobody ever mention his name to
me
Aramide: If you see his picture, I mean
your biological father, can you
recognize him?
Me: I’ve never come across his picture
anywhere, so I don’t have it in my
memory bank. Even my mother doesn’t
have any of his pictures.
Aramide: And you did not know any of
his family members that can show you?
Like his brother or sister?
Me: Maybe they rejected my mother
and I after my father passed away
because I don’t know a single soul from
that family. I can’t even say if they still
exist.
Aramide: Hmmm. Answer this last but
funny question, not too necessary
though. How much of porridge do you
love?
Me: It’s indeed funny because I don’t
take porridge. Whether yam or not, it
makes me feel like vomiting every time
I tried it.
Aramide: Really, do you know why?
Me: I’m not sure. But I think it’s because
I don’t like it personally. I don’t believe
allergy to food exist in this part of the
world. We eat anything.
Aramide: Alright. I’ll like you to ponder
on these questions till we meet after
your papers. You can still ask your
mother you know. I think she have
answers to these questions.
Me: Okay. Though I’ve never thought
about most of the questions before, I’ll
reason it, thank you Aramide.
Aramide: It is my pleasure and sorry for
disturbing your reading.
Me: No problem, by the way where is
the other twin you said is alive?
Aramide: You’ll meet each other when
we confirm and you are convinced you
are the other twin.
Me: Okay till then
Aramide: I’ll call you okay. Do well in
your papers and I wish you the best.
Me: Thank you. Are you guys not writing
exams?
Aramide: Our calendar is a little
different from the whole school.
Me: I’ve heard that before. Send my
regards to your fiancé
Aramide: I will. Hope there was no
complication from that place you got
hit?
Me: No, not at all. I’m perfectly fine.
Thank you so much.
Aramide: You are welcome.
I left our meeting place and headed
back to convocation ground where I
was reading under a tree before
Aramide called me out to meet her.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to
concentrate again as question upon
questions keep coming up on my mind.
“Is my mother really not my mother?”,
“Is my biological father still alive?”, “If
all these were lies, why did Aramide
chose me and not somebody else?”. I
remember that guy telling me in my
dream my mortal father is still alive.
“Even if he’s alive do I need him? Would
it be a bad thing to know my father at
least, even though I don’t need him?”.
The more I think about these questions
the more I feel dejected, desperate and
angry. I decided to think about another
thing so I’ll be able to concentrate on
my reading but the questions kept
coming up. I felt strangely cold in a
moment, though the weather isn’t that
bright but it wasn’t breezing cold. I
wonder where this cold is coming from
and to make it worse, I started feeling
like using the toilet as my stomach start
developing strange reactions. I’m not
supposed to feel that way as I’ve not
taken anything as food that morning.
What could be the cause of all this? I
seriously hope it’s not coming from my
discussion with Aramide. I put on a
strong face and forced everything back
to normal, but the questions were still
coming up. I put on the music on my
phone, listening through the headset
with the aim of diverting my attention
to the melody of the music but it
instead replace the questions
temporarily with Funmi’s thought.
I have not heard anything from her
since the time I made that foolish call to
her. I can’t even say if she’s fine or not.
I guess I was a little angry about the
way she responded that time, but not
calling her at all is a bad step in its self.
What if I’m really going to lose her to
that new guy she’s flooding her DP with
his pictures? I think I’ll have to start
preparing myself for the worst. On the
other hand it is unusual of her to be
using a guy’s picture as DP; I’ve not
seen many like that since I knew her. It
is also unusual of her not to have called
me or try looking for me for over five
days now. I hope she’s fine and nothing
is wrong. By the way, I could use her
words right now as I’m really getting
disturbed with all these new funny
questions about my origin. I decided to
put a call through to her to at least
know how she’s faring.
Me: Hello Funmi
Funmi: Hello, I thought you’ll never call
me again
Me: Why would I do that?
Funmi: I don’t know
Me: Why didn’t you call me?
Funmi: I don’t know, I guess I’m busy.
Me: Too busy to put a call through?
Funmi: In fact, I am busy right now, so
we’ll have to talk later if you want to
talk
Me: Okay, I just want to know if you are
doing fine.
Funmi: Oh! Thanks. Good to know, Bye.
That call ended in less than 30secs and
I blamed myself for making the call. Why
is she getting bitter on me? Even if we
aren’t dating, I thought we are still
friends. Well, this attitude might be
putting me off gradually and maybe
Temmy was right after-all; this dating of
a thing is a wrong thing at a wrong
time. That does not change the fact I’ll
still love her to be by my side forever.
The bitter truth was I called her
because I needed somebody very dear
to me to talk to, because my mood is
gradually turning sour. I used to have
mood swing which I thought I’ve
overcame but it’s like this matter of my
origin is reviving it in me. I couldn’t do
anything again and my countenance
has obviously changed. Temmy is the
best person to talk to at moment like
this but he’s out of coverage as he is
currently in a no network area with his
supervisor, gathering the last sets of
results for his project.
Oliver Wendell Holmes said and I quote
“What lies behind us and what lies
before us are tiny matters compared to
what lies within us” and this made me
try to source for inner strength since it’s
obvious I’m not going to get my desire
comfort from people I cherished, at
least not now. I decided to go back to
the hostel to take a nap, hoping that my
brain will be somehow fresh and free
of worries by the time I wake up,
because I really need to study as there
is a lot to cover.
As I was on my way home, my phone
rang and it was Janet. I really don’t
think I can add her disturbance to my
current predicament; therefore I ignore
the call only for me to hear a voice over
my shoulder
Janet: So this is how you do reject my
calls Will
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TBC
