the weired story of my brother childhood

School closes a few weeks later and Bola leaves for home on a Friday. Her mum is delighted to see her when she gets back from work in the evening. Since Bola has her own key to the house, she had let herself in earlier in the day and prepared dinner for her mum. They both sit at the dining table and talk about school, work and other matters. After clearing out the dishes and the kitchen, Bola retires to bed and decides to call Gboyega. It has been a week since she last heard from him and she was beginning to get worried. “Hi”. She says as he picks up on the first ring. “Hey you. How are you doing?” “I’m good. I was wondering why I had not heard from you in a while”. “I’m sorry. I have actually been busy”. Gboyega apologizes. “Wow! Too busy to talk to a friend?” “No way! I apologize”. Bola smiles. “Hmm, so what have you been up to?” The door to Bola’s room opens and her mum peeps in. She sees her talking on the phone and turns back. “Trying to raise chicks”. “What?” Gboyega laughs. “You heard me right. I bought a few chicks and have been breeding them. Something to keep me busy till I go for my NYSC orientation programme”. “That’s nice”. “I need to start making money so you can take me serious”. Gboyega teases. “Serious?” “Yes, Bola. Serious about dating you”. Bola exhales. She stands up from her bed and walks towards her reading table. She picks up his graduation picture and goes back to lie on her bed. “Bola, are you still there?” Gboyega asks as she has been quiet for too long. “Yes, I am”. “The only picture I have of you is the one from my graduation. But your face is ingrained in my memory. And the truth is, I’m in love with you. I remember our gists, our bible sessions and the look on your face when you pretend to be angry”. He laughs. Bola takes a deep breath. “Please give me a chance”. He pleads. “Can we talk about this some other time?” “Bola, you keep on pushing this. Are you scared that I will hurt you?” “I really can’t talk about this right now”. “Okay. If you say so. It’s late. You should go to bed now”. Gboyega concludes. Even though Bola still wishes they could talk some more, she willingly accepts to end the call. “Good night Gboyega”. “Good night Bola. I love you”. ********* The next day, Bola is up early. She goes to the kitchen to make breakfast for herself and her mum. She sets the table for two and calls on her mum when she is through. As Banke walks towards the dining table, Bola kneels to greet her. “Good morning, darling. You are up pretty early”. Banke says hugging her daughter. “Yes, mum. I wake up early to read. Since I’m home and not reading, I decided to make breakfast”. They both sit at the table to eat. “So, who’s the young man you were chatting with last night?” Banke asks. Bola looks at her mum from the corner of her eyes. “Mum? Were you eavesdropping on my conversation?” Banke puts her hand on her chest faking a hurt. “Eavesdropping on you? Why would I? “Just asking”. “You haven’t answered my question”. Banke says as she butters a slice of bread. “He’s just a friend”. Bola says without looking at her mum. “Hmm, just a friend”. “Yes mum. Just a friend”. Bola emphasizes. “It did not seem like you were talking to just a friend”. Her mum says eyeing her. Bola looks up at her mum. “You were all smiles. And even giggling”. “Mummy?” Banke raises up her hands and nods. “Okay, okay. He’s just a friend”. Throughout Bola’s vacation, she and Gboyega keep in touch calling each other every other day. Bola steers clear of discussions relating to dating or relationships. Anytime, Gboyega brings it up, she immediately changes the topic of discussion. In a few weeks, she is back to school and Gboyega also prepares to go for his National Youth Service Orientation Programme. Three weeks later, Gboyega returns from Ogun state after a grueling orientation programme. He drops his travel bag at home and takes a quick shower. He knows he should wait till the next day before embarking on a trip to Akure, but he has missed Bola so much that he would rather see her today. He gets to the bus garage at about noon. In five hours, all things being equal, he should be in Akure. Bola is walking towards her hostel when she sees a silhouette like Gboyega’s from afar. She stops and squints.No, it must be my imagination. What would Gboyega be doing in Akure at this time of the evening?She turns back and begins to walk away. She gets to her room and meet her roommates all crouched on a bed watching a movie on a laptop. They look up briefly from their movie to acknowledge her presence. She lies on her bed and faces the wall. The person she saw from afar has brought thoughts of Gboyega and she realizes that she misses him. They haven’t spoken in a week now. He was supposed to be through with his National Youth Service Orientation Programme. She knows she should call him at least to find out how he is doing but she does not want to. She does not trust her feelings any longer. She is lost in her own world and does not hear the door open. Her roommate taps her and as she turns her head, she sees Gboyega standing before her. Her jaw drops as she rubs her eyes to be sure she is not dreaming. He smiles at her and takes her hand. She lifts herself from the bed and instinctively hugs him. Gboyega leads her out of the room before her roommates decide to have a field day feasting on them.“You looked like you saw a ghost in there”. Gboyega says laughing. “I thought I saw someone that looked like you earlier on campus. I imagined my mind was playing tricks on me”. “I would take that to mean you missed me”. “Well, I think I did”. Bola smiles. “You think? You are not sure?” Gboyega teases her. Bola hits him playfully. “Hey, stop! Whatever!” They walk towards the campus gate. Bola looks at her wristwatch. It is almost 5.00pm. “When did you come back from camp? I hope you ain’t going back to Lagos today”. “I came back today. And I am going back to Lagos today”. Bola stops walking. “But it is late”. “I know. I just had to see you today. Now, that I have, I can have a good night’s sleep”. Bola blushes. “Gboyega, you could have waited till tomorrow. Now, that you are here, why don’t you sleep with a friend in the hostel”. “Nah, I don’t want to inconvenience anyone”. He says shaking his head. “Please?” Gboyega winks at her as he smiles. “Under one condition?” “And that is?” “I get to see you before I leave for Lagos tomorrow”. Bola smiles. “Definitely”. Bola sees Gboyega off to the bus garage the next morning. Before he leaves, he asks her one more time if she has given their relationship a thought. She shakes her head. She tells him that she loves the relationship they have together now. She does not want to get her heart involved. Gboyega holds her hands as they sit in a corner at the garage. “Bola, I love you. Don’t you understand?” “Please give me more time. I am scared of getting into a relationship”. “I would never hurt you, Bola. You have given me a reason to look to the future”. Gboyega says. Bola sighs. “Give me some time, please”. “Okay. I will”. He says. He wonders how long he would have to wait but he will, if that is what it takes. Kofo had noticed him standing on the patio. She had watched him for about ten minutes before she decided to walk up to him. His frame had been her attraction. He had well-built, toned muscles and she was a sucker for such. She had thrown the party because she knew there would be an abundance of young men. She only needed to find the one she needed. Apart from her political associates at the party, most people did not know that she owned the house. The young men in the living room were all stoned. They were obviously not disciplined. She had scanned the house looking for someone of interest when she found him alone with a glass of wine in his hand. He was lost in thought as he looked at the lagoon. When he looked at her, she almost felt him caressing her body with his look. She could see that he was bored but he refused to say so. He hadn’t even asked the school she attended when she talked about campus life. He was a mystery and she longed to unravel him. She noticed that he left before the party ended and this further piqued her interest. As she lay on her bed in the early hours of the morning, she took out her tablet, opened Facebook and searched him by his first name. He had to be on Facebook. Most of the students she knew could not do without social media. If he was one of such, she knew she would find him. She imagined it could take some time before she found him but she was ready for the search. Luck however smiled on her as she saw a profile picture of him after scanning through about ten names. She clicked on his photos and heat flowed through her as she looked at a picture of him bare chested. She had to have him. He was what she wanted. She picked up her phone and dialed his number. He picked up after three rings. “Hi.” She said almost in a whisper. “Hello.” “I guess you were really bored last night.” “Who am I speaking with?” Gboyega asked. “Kofo.” “Oh, hi. I’m sorry I did not realize you were the one.” Kofo smiled. “That means you did not bother to save my number.” “I’m sorry. I would save it now. So what time did you leave the party?” Gboyega asked. “Sometime this morning and I just decided to check up on you.” “Thanks.” Kofo made it a duty to call him every morning and evening. She was intent on getting under his skin pretty fast. Every night, she imagined what it would feel like to have him in her bed. She bought him expensive boxers, belts and wristwatches and had them delivered by courier to him in school. His roommates began to tease him about how sophisticated and wealthy his new catch was. It had only been two weeks ago he met her and she was already making an impression on him. He wondered how she was able to afford all the expensive gifts as a student.Her parents must be wealthy. He thought. His birthday was a Saturday and he had nothing scheduled for the day. He had planned to just lie in bed and do nothing. His mum had called him as early as 6.00am to wish him happy birthday. His brothers and his father sent text messages and he acknowledged all. He was about to go back to sleep at about 7.00am when Kofo’s call came through. He picked up her call and was surprised when she wished him a happy birthday. “How did you know?” He asked. “Let’s take it as my little secret.” She said laughing. “So, what are you doing today?”“Nothing.” “Nothing. No way! It’s your birthday and we have to celebrate it.” She said. “I haven’t made any plans for the day.” “Well, I have.” “You did?” “Yep! Meet me at the Red Inn at 10.00am.” She said. “Okay?” “It’s not nice to keep a lady waiting.” “10 for 10.” Gboyega said before cutting the call. As he got dressed, he wondered what Kofo had planned. They had met in Lagos and now she was asking him out in Akure.Did that mean she lived in Akure and just came to Lagos to attend the party just like he had?He put on a navy blue polo tee shirt she had bought for him recently. As he stepped out of campus and took a bus to the Red Inn, different thoughts filtered into his mind.“Who was Kofo?”He had asked about her school and she had said she attended a university abroad and was on holiday in Nigeria. He had grown fond of her over the last three weeks with her constant calls morning and night. She was the first voice he heard in the morning and also the last when he hit his bed. She spoke in soft whispers at night and he began to look forward to her calls. When he tried to call her, she always asked that he dropped the call, so she could do the calling. He walked into the Red Inn at 9.55am. He was glad he was able to make it before 10.00am. He took a seat at a corner in the lounge and made sure he was positioned where he could see her when she walked in. At 10.00am on the dot, Kofo walked into the inn. She was looking prettier than she was the last time they met. Her weaves fell on her shoulders and she walked with majestic gait. She was wearing a plunging V-cut black short dress which hugged her body in all the right places and Gboyega couldn’t help being captivated by her beauty. The inn was quiet and empty, making it easy for Kofo to quickly spot him. As she slid into the booth and sat beside him, she gave him a light kiss on his cheeks and wished him a happy birthday. “We should make today special.” She said smiling. “Let’s go order breakfast.” She stood up and held his hand as she led him to the restaurant. As Gboyega walked behind her like a sheep led to a slaughter house, Kofo swayed her hips with every step she took causing blood to flow through Gboyega as his whole being warmed from looking at her backside. He looked away and tried to concentrate on the restaurant ahead. She was beginning to mess with his mind. They served themselves from the buffet arrayed in the restaurant and Kofo made sure her fingers brushed Gboyega’s at intervals. She sat across him at the table and as she adjusted her dress to make herself comfortable, Gboyega could not help noticing her buxom bust which looked like they needed to be free from the bondage she put them. Kofo smiled as she caught Gboyega staring at her assets. Every move and every step she took had been intentional. And she was happy that her plan seemed to be working so far. They made little talk as they ate breakfast, Kofo leaning over the table once to get crumbs of bread off Gboyega’s mouth. As she caressed his mouth with her fingers in a bid to take off the crumbs, her bust stared in his face. Gboyega knew he could not handle the gestures anymore and he struggled to keep his little member in check.When they were through with breakfast, Kofo took Gboyega by the hand and led him towards the rooms. Gboyega followed quietly without saying a word. She pulled out a key card from her bag and stopped before a room. She inserted the card into the keyhole and the door opened. As she slid the card into its slot by the door, the lights and the air conditioning in the room powered on. Gboyega walked in, closed the door behind him and stood with his back to the door. Kofo dropped her handbag on the floor and as she moved towards him to kiss him, Gboyega pulled her close to him and ravaged her lips with a hungry passion. She had it coming and she savoured every bit of it returning passion for passion. Gboyega’s body was on fire and he hungered for a release of the tension already built by Kofo. But she was not ready to give in easily to him. She was determined to test his endurance. She undressed him slowly as she teased his body with her mouth, her body and her fingers. She caressed every part of his body causing him to shiver under her touch. Gboyega dropped her dress from her shoulders and he was surprised that she wore no underwear. Kofo continued to push him to the limit until he could no longer restrain the tension. He dragged her by the waist as he moaned in ecstasy. Standing right there by the door, he lifted her off the floor easily and they gave themselves wholly to each other. When Gboyega had satisfied Kofo’s pleasures, he carried her in his arms and gently dropped her on the bed. She smiled as she looked at him. He had even been better than she had imagined. Gboyega sat on the chair opposite the bed and looked at her. “I guess that was what you wanted.” Gboyega said. “No.” “So, what do you want?” “I want you for keeps.” “I can’t sustain you. That is obvious, right?” Gboyega said as he looked round the room. “I don’t need you to. Come over here.” Kofo said as she tapped the bed. Gboyega stood up but did not move. “So, what am I to you, then?” Kofo tapped her forefinger on her nose. “Hmm….let’s just say, you are my boyfriend.” “A boyfriend that cannot cater for the needs of his girl?” Gboyega asked raising a brow. “You ask too many questions, Gboyega. I did not come all the way from Lagos to answer questions.” Kofo said as she stood up from the bed. She walked towards him and began to caress his body again, kissing him as she did. She was determined to reawaken his little member. In a few minutes, they became entwined in each other’s arms again; panting from another bout. Kofo refused to let Gboyega out of her sight the whole day. She made him pleasure her again and again and Gboyega had been up to the task. She ordered room service and they stayed in each other’s arms. By evening, they were both worn out. Kofo dropped Gboyega on campus with her sports car and he officially became Kofo’s toy boy. Kofo eased into her car in anger. No one had ever crossed her path and gone scot free. Gboyega was crossing her path and he was doing it without giving a hoot. She had travelled out of the country for about three months and by the time she came back, so many things had changed. She tried ringing him but his number was unreachable. She began to wonder what the problem could be. Since he had graduated from school, going to campus to check on him had not been an option. She had never bothered to know where he lived. Their rendezvous had always been at places she chose. She got her informant to get her all the details she needed and she had been shocked to hear that Gboyega had dropped her for a school girl.What was he thinking?She made more inquiries and found out who the girl really was.A church girl. She had been surprised when she found out. She smirked as she tapped the steering wheel.Gbosgaga, a Christian?She laughed derisively and shook her head as she thought about him. So far, he had been the only source of happiness in her life and she could not let him go.No, not now. Not ever.He was hers and hers alone. No one else could have him. She hoped Bola would heed to her threat to stay away. She had been nice to her when she visited her room. Her next encounter with her may not be pleasurable if she refused to keep her hands off Gbosgaga. Her happiness started and ended with him and she was ready to go into the deep recesses of her heart to wake up her past life in a bid to hold on to him. Kofo grew up in one of the slums of Calabar with her prostitute mother. She never knew who her father was. Every night, her mother locked her up in her room while she went out for her business. Unknown to her mother, one of the neighbours in their face-to-face abode had made a spare key to their room. While her mother went out to service her clients, the man came in with the spare key and serviced himself with Kofo. He was a young man of about twenty-two who lived with his parents who were drunks. He had no source of living and he hung around the house every day making a nuisance of himself. She was just eight when he initially forced himself on her. She had cried all through till morning. He had warned her never to mention it to anyone; as that would result in her death and that of her mother. She had been too scared to tell her mother and she lived with that fear until she ran away from home at the age of thirteen. At thirteen, she had become fully matured and well-rounded and could pass for a twenty-one year old.Even though, her mother did not lock her in any longer whenever she went for her business, her abuser still visited their room every night to fulfill his pleasure. The night she ran away, the man had come into her mother’s room as usual but this time, he came with three of his friends. He had smiled wickedly as he caressed her body and told her she was going to enjoy this session specially. She nodded as her soul died that night. The men had been excited as they groped her. Her abuser had proudly told his friends that he was only giving them this opportunity as she solely belonged to him. He told them to take their turns as he was having her the whole night. He beat his chest as he told them that he had made Kofo capable of going many rounds. His friends had been a little envious and each of them had tried to woo her with sweet words.The three friends got down on her; each unable to hold his urge. Every opening in her body became a tool of abuse. Her abuser stood by her watching his friends as he excited himself, caressing her bust and awaiting his turn. Kofo continued to endure the abuse waiting for the right time to strike. When she noticed that their pleasure was hitting a crescendo, in the heat of their passion, she pulled out the chopping knife she had kept under the single mattress in the room and sliced each one of them wherever she deemed fit. Shock registered on their faces and before they could get a hold of themselves, she hit the knife on the head of her main abuser, opened the door and bolted out. She never went back home. She picked a top and a trouser spread on the line outside the house and ran as fast as her legs could carry her. The night was eerie and she was covered in its darkness. She had stolen a few cash from her mother’s underwear bag and as she got dressed in an uncompleted building, she hid the cash inside her brassiere. She took a bus to Lagos that night. She did not care where she was going. She just wanted to be far away from home. The bus was carrying goods but she had begged the driver to allow her ride with him to wherever he was going. She could barely stretch her limbs in the crammed bus but she hadn’t been bothered. As long as she left the city, she was ready to bear anything. She had arrived in Lagos as a newbie to street life. She slept in parks with a jackknife in her pocket and used it freely on anyone who tried to take advantage of her. She was quickly noticed by the men of the underworld and they saw her as an asset. She was used as a bait to lure men before they were robbed and she got her share of every operation the men handled. During one of their operations, she had pretended to be in distress and knocked continuously on the door of an apartment. A man asked who was at the door and she had answered that she needed help. The man had opened the door and her two-man gang had pushed the man inside holding a gun to his head. They asked the man to bring out every cash he had and also asked his wife to handover all her jewelry. After robbing them, one of her gang members looked at the man’s daughter as he licked his lips. The girl was about Kofo’s age. He asked the girl to lead him to her room and her father knowing what was about to happen began to plead with him. The man pointed his gun at the girl’s father and told him to shut his mouth. The girl started crying as she was rough-handled by the gang member.As he was about leaving for the girl’s room, Kofo called him and asked him not to touch her. He got angry and told Kofo that if she had allowed them to have their way with her, he wouldn’t have to look for pleasure somewhere else. If she would not allow them to touch her, then he could touch anyone he wished without her consent. The second gang-member laughed and told Kofo he was going to have his turn after his friend. Kofo warned them a second time to leave the girl alone as their mission was to rob and not to rape but the men only laughed her to scorn. As one of the men carried the girl like a sack, she screamed and memories of Kofo’s past came rushing back to her. Kofo put her palms over her ears trying to block out the screams but they only grew louder. She opened her eyes and saw the girl’s parents sobbing. She became enraged and walked into the girl’s room. Her hands had been tied and they were raised above her head. Her legs were also tied to the sides of her bed post. Her night gown had been torn and it lay on the floor by the bed. She lay on the bed naked and helpless. Tears streamed down the girl’s cheeks and Kofo saw fear in her eyes. The men smiled when she walked in and urged her to watch and enjoy their romp. They were both half-naked. As the first man moved towards the girl, she screamed again and he slapped her hard in the face. Kofo felt the sting of the slap on her own face. The man grabbed the girl by the neck and was about to force himself on her when Kofo pulled out her gun and shot both of them point blank in a fit of fury. She walked out of the house alone with their booty and decided she was through with men of the underworld. She moved on to become a pimp for politicians and this became the source of her wealth. Gboyega had to come back to her. She did not care about his new love for Christianity. He belonged to her and she was going to have him back by all means. Gboyega sighs deeply as he thinks about Kofo. He wishes he could erase his past with her. She was the reason why he continuously asked God daily for forgiveness. He wasn’t proud of his past and he found it difficult to discuss it with Bola. Now that Bola was aware, he had to come out clean with her. He smiled. Thoughts of her always brought a smile to his face. She had given him a reason to look forward to a bright future. The text message she sent last night had endeared her more to him. He loved her and he was ready to protect her from Kofo. He gets to the bus-stop and waits for a bus that will call his destination. He remembers when he only transported through taxis. He once asked Kofo to get him a car. Her response had been that if he needed one, then he needed to steal one. He had been shocked at her response but that was the last time he ever asked her. She was satisfied with paying for his taxi trips to their rendezvous. She would cringe now if she was him in a public bus. But that was all in the past now. He decides to ring Bola. Right now, she was all that mattered. Bola picks up on the second ring. “Hey beautiful.” He crooned into her ears. “Hi.” She replies groggily. “Looks like I woke you up.” He says laughing. “Yes, you did.” “No lectures this morning?” “No. Besides, I’m not on campus. I’m home.” Bola replies. Gboyega is surprised. “Are you okay? Is there a problem?” Bola sits up on her bed. “I’m fine. I had missed home and just wanted to see my mum.” “How is she?” Gboyega asks smiling. “She’s good.” Gboyega sighs. “About Kofo?” “Kofo?” Bola asks confused. “Yes, the lady that came over to your hostel. I am sorry I haven’t talked about my past but it is because I am not proud of it.” Bola listens quietly. “I used to be her boyfriend.” Gboyega breathes deeply. “Actually, I was her toy boy. A lover who warmed her bed for pecuniary gains. I won’t say she seduced me because I made a choice to continue with the relationship. I was getting paid for laying her and I guess the pay became too attractive for me to look the other way.”Bola sighs. “But, I am not that man anymore. I have left my past behind. I even decided to change my mobile number so she would not be able to reach me any longer. You are everything I need now and I mean every word when I tell you that I love you.” Bola takes a deep breath. “Thanks for trusting me enough to tell me about your past. But it is a lot to comprehend right now, Gboyega.” “I understand. Life has not been fair. I know it is not an excuse and I accept responsibility for all my actions. I just couldn’t get myself to tell you about my sordid past. I assumed the time was never going to be right. I never wanted you to find out this way.” Gboyega says soberly. “I just…I just wish things were different.” “I don’t understand.” Gboyega says confused. “We can’t toe the same path, Gboyega. We are poles apart.” Bola says as hot tears sting her eyes. Gboyega feels like his heart is being ripped apart. “Bola, please, don’t break my heart. I love you and need you. I want to spend the rest of my days with you. I can’t change my past but I can recreate my future.” “We can’t have a future together.” Bola says as the thought of what she just said stabs her in the heart and she breaks down into tears. She had fallen in love with Gboyega but his past was too tainted for her to ignore. She could not imagine being with him anymore. “Good bye Gboyega.” She says as she cuts the call. Gboyega tries to call her back but she refuses to pick up. He looks around him and realizes he is still at the bus-stop. A look at his wristwatch shows that he is already behind time and he is definitely going to be late to the office today. He sighs as the next bus that approaches calls his destination. He flags it down and enters it. He tries to call Bola again but her phone rings out.“Bola, please don’t do this to me.”He begins to type.“I love you.” He sighs deeply as he lays his head on the head rest in the public bus. Today is already turning out wrong for him. He is going to be late to work. The two ladies in his life have placed a huge burden on his heart. One he has rejected and who wants him back at all costs and another who he loves but has rejected him.******** Bola sobs quietly after she cuts the call. Gboyega keeps calling her but she refuses to pick up his calls. She reads the text message from him and that brings more tears. She suddenly wishes she had not heard about his past. She only wants to retain sweet memories of him. Memories of them in fellowship worshipping God, memories of them sharing the word, memories of his graduation when she was the only one by his side. She stands up from her bed and picks up her school bag lying on her reading table. She opens the bag and takes out their picture together. Tears roll down her cheeks as she looks at him. He had captured her heart. And now, she had to let him go. She lay on her bed and curled into a fetal position holding the picture to her b---m.Why did I have to fall in love with him? She wipes her tears as she determines in her heart. This is the end of the road for Gboyega and her. Her roommate Miriam, had been right after all. He was a toy boy. It was difficult to comprehend how a lady as sophisticated as Kofo could have Gboyega as a boyfriend. He was just a student and the lady standing before them that day oozed class from every pore of her skin. I have to let him go. But the thought of that action tore her heart into shreds and she started sobbing again until she fell asleep.