e with

. She would always insist that ‚cleanliness was next to godliness‛ and believed if you would seek God, you must first be very clean. Ever since a Sunday school teacher told us during our childhood that we wouldn’t be able to hear God’s voice in a dirty classroom, Abebi had become very intolerant of dirt; so much that she took her bat

put an end to this

m our secondary school days, I di

eminder that we once used to look like street kids; things

in our days, we almost couldn’t breathe the same air our parents did, talk

album I was g

understand what is going on in their minds most of the times. I mean look at Teni that grew up right under my nose telling

direction

d up. Teniola has very firm principles as to certain things; at most, s

t she hates to figh

she wants to leave but she should do it quickly so I can rent out her room please. I cannot have empty space in my house and not ma

ng and prayerfully consider the man she has brought? I lobbied and Abebi sighed. ‚Ronke, it is easy to throw your eggs when they are many in the basket but when you have only one, you cannot afford to play games. Maybe if I had known and consulted Woli when the twins were going for that Richard Ladejo University exam in Abuja, he would have warned us about the tragedy that was about to befall us. I blame myself every day for not

ng clarity t

t she will appreciate it in future, she just has to be patient. In fact, I just sent Woli some

head immediately

‛ I exc

his century? I’m certain; this Woli will kill the goat, boil it, fry it and u

t you lik

i said packing out the dirty laundry. I stared at my friend in disbelief of how she has allowed fear to cloud and cripple h

o be worr

ave not seen her all m

out?‛ I asked but A

on Teni and also get something to drink. I stopped by the fridge in the kitchen and grabbed something to drink before proceeding upstairs to see Teni. On my way up, though

caring and highly intelligent. Teniola is a lawyer who held a double fi

wards and was even a

nd litigation. I hardly see women who are so disciplined, confident and filled with charm and character such as Teniola; it was easy to wish she

un

ltiple times but it wa

om ins

added deafness to her muteness?‛ Abebi said go

to confirm if she w

‛ Abebi asked the gate keeper who confirmed she had not left the

this girl will not put me into trouble.‛ Abe

d to voicemail as her

re is my daughter for God’s sake. Ah! What if something happened to h

hter away! Ronke

on’t raise your bloo

this house if she left at all. Let's keep trying her number whilst we wait.

securit

grammar. No matter how serious the situation, it was always funny how he confidently yet ignorantly interchanged ‘I’

he turned

re is my daughter, she is the reason I'm still liv

ginning to wonder what was going on when Teni came into the living ro

asking if she

at happened)? What happened t

gh all this trouble looking for you!‛ I said, not bei

tepped out to buy airt

k up some loaves of b

s been saying you did

ed, voicing out m

p to lock the gate and he was still asking me how I left the house when I r

issed as Abebi vi

orried about you and s

ving the house next t

s not worried about

hat I will get missing soon.‛ Teniola said sarca

n any other day but

Teni took the liberty of making sure she sat at a considerable distan

hin

mother to Teni and I pray that you will reap th

, moving forwar

my judgement, you would not have invited me into your home at all. I know you love your daughter and you are protective of her but Abebi, your o

ld art work that sat be

t my friend convenie

s at least lis

't change her mind so

ni said, arising

urn to your seat? Do we

other has honoured my

manded Teni for the first time in a long time; I understood her frustrations well but I also cannot pretend to support her f

iti

re I decided by the prompting of the Spirit to