“Or are you not my Mother? Are you not the one that brought me into this world?” I sobbed, choked in tears “Am I not your daughter?” I asked holding firmly unto the knife as my hands quivered “Are you not the one that gave birth to me?” those questions flowed freely out of my stuttering mouth
“Take away that knife,” she said pitifully.
“I won’t mother, until you tell me the reason why you hate me this much, the reason you kept my real identity away from me, I want explanations. I’m tired of living this shadowy life, tell me or else I will kill myself here right now” I threatened to pull the knife hard on my neck as tears flowed freely out of my eyes
“Wait! Calm down. I promise to explain everything to you, just take away that knife” she said soberly, carefully taking the knife off my hand, gently. She took me by my shoulder and made me sit on an old rickety chair.
“I will tell you everything you needed to know about your real father, your village and your family,” she said.
I sat attentively ready for her explanations
“Your family lives in Kubwa village in Abuja, where your father and your father’s family lives” tear flowed out of her eyes as she began to narrate “I met him when my Aunty came to Abeokuta where I lived with my poverty-stricken parent and she took me to Kubwa village where she lives with her husband. She employed me as their maid; running errands for them, cooking and taking care of the house chores and her kids. She wasn’t in any way nice to me, she always beats me and curse me and sometimes denied me healthy meal” she sniffed and continued “I met Shuaib; your father, also a native of that village; we both lived in the same compound. He cared for me and catered for my needs. I fell for him and we started a secret affair, some months later I became heavily pregnant for him. My Aunty got infuriated and she sent me packing after several merciless beatings. Shuaib accepted me and took the responsibility for the pregnancy, he later introduced me to his family, and they gave us their blessings and showered me with the love I could ever crave for” She paused, wiped off her tears with the helm of her wrapper “Everything changed from better to worse; I lost everything, my dignity, and my marriage the moment I gave birth to you” she confessed as I pitifully watched her teary looking eyes “He got angry, his family members were so angry at me, they deserted me to my doomed fate.” She paused, wiping her tears with the helm of her wrapper “It has been the tradition of the village that any albino or twin given birth to within the village will be killed because it is their belief that they always bring bad luck to the family and also to the village as a whole. Out of fear of losing you to death, I managed to sneak out of the village at night and ran for our dear lives” She wept as tears flowed heavily out of her eyes.
I felt sorry for everything I have said against her, I felt sorry for biting her hands while all she was trying to do was just to feed me. She took my hand and held it tight; I could feel the warming sensation.
“You think I hate you?” she asked, I shook my head as she dropped her pitiful gaze on me.
I watched her lips parted for a smile before she plastered my forehead with a passionate kiss.
“I truly love you, I never for once hates you, I’m sorry for treating you badly, I’m truly sorry for hurting you, for casting my frustration on you” she paused “I’m truly sorry for everything” she sounded remorseful
“You don’t have to apologize to me, Mother. I only got you wrong. I love you mother, I know you truly love me” we both wept bitterly as she held me tight in her heart-warming embrace.
I missed my Dad. I determined to study hard, and be successful. I want to become a lawyer, a human right activist, who will stand up boldly on her feet and speak against injustice, against brutality, against the cannibals. I will one day go back to that village to tell them their wrongs, to educate them, to turn the wrongs to right, I will surely tell them to stop the killing of twins and albinos, it is against humanity.
“Promise me you won’t go back to look for your father” my mother interrupted my thought.
I lifted my teary-looking eyes and smiled
“I won’t” she made me promised.
She drew me closer to her warming embrace and joyously hummed. It was the very first time I saw her happy. I will surely take her with me to Kubwa when the time is right, they have to know their grievous sins.
“You are indeed beautiful” she chuckled. I felt so happy; I have always expected her to whisper those beautiful words. I was happy I never begged for those words but she told me clearly how beautiful I am. I’m never ugly, not lacking in any way.
I AM PROUD OF MY BEAUTIFUL SKIN – PROUDLY ALBINO.
THE END
Written by Agele Ayo
ageleayo@gmail.com
