Aunty shade scolded me for having to leave my siblings alone for over an hour, I apologized to her and we headed for home immediately. I joined aunty shade in the kitchen but I was absent minded. All I thought of was uncle Seun and how he dismissed me in church. I traced my mind backwards and I can’t remember ever offending him the last time he was here. Aunty shade noticed my strange behavior and asked me what the problem was, I lied. I told her I was having menstrual cramps. If I had known that lying to aunty shade would earn me 3hours lecture on sex education, I would have just said the truth. Aunty shade taught me how to fix a pad properly, she taught me about ovulation and my menstrual cycle. She made mention of pregnancy and sex. She emphasized on sexual purity as God’s command and said if I loved God, then I should obey his commands. I listened to her with rapt attention. I was beginning to like her, though at one point she appears strict and at the other point just like now she appears so calm and lovely. Lunch was still being prepared when I heard the honk of a car outside, it didn’t sound like dad’s car and so I wasn’t in a hurry to dash out of the kitchen not until I saw mum come out of the other side of the car, I threw away the onions I was asked to peel and skittered away like a kitten. I fell into her arms and hugged her tightly. I noticed I was weeping for I haven’t seen her in three months. She had changedmuch from the mummy I used to know. She no longer cared about her looks, nothing matters to her anymore apart from the work of the father. She took turn in carrying my siblings while I greeted my father. I hugged him tightly too and I noticed I’ve really missed my dad; my look alike. I rushed into my room to get my result, and just before I could come out to the sitting room, mum and dad had driven out again. Aunty shade said they were going out for counselling. A family had called dad, it was an emergency and so mum and dad dashed out again; it was 8.00pm. I sat on my bed with my eyes filled with tears, I needed to talk to daddy, I needed to show him my final results, I needed to tell mum about Harvey (my oyinbo boyfriend), I needed to tell her that her baby girl is now a young woman but she was nowhere to be found, she had gone for counselling when her daughter needed her most. I thought of running away, but to to pet me and she did right away!. where exactly? I can’t afford to miss my Harvey and so running away was not an option. I raised my head up to wipe my tears with the hem of my nightie and I saw aunty shade, I don’t know how long she has been standing there but I wanted her I didn’t have dinner that night, I lost appetite and I spoke to no one either. My siblings took turns to sleep off on the couch while they waited for our parents; it was 9.00pm and our parents were not yet home. Aunty shade sat on the couch reading her bible while I walked into my room. As I laid on my bed, my thoughts shifted to uncle Seun, “my church boyfriend” “I can’t wait for Wednesday to attend my first choir practice” I muttered to myself. I imagined singing soprano and uncle Seun corrects me and then I would deliberately make the mistake again just to have him come close to me. I imagined beginning piano lessons too and also having him as my teacher.” it really gonna be a wonderful sight”, I said to myself as my thoughts shifted again to my oyinbo pepper; Harvey. I remembered his hug, his cologne and the attractiveness of his hair. I quickly reached out for my school bag and reached for the piece of paper where he had written his phone number for me. I didn’t have a phone and so there was no way to reach him. I decided to meet aunty shade to ask for her phone but that was the worst mistake I ever made. Aunty shade got to know that I tried using her phone to call a boy by that ungodly hour of the night and she beat the hell out of me. While I sat on the floor weeping, she came close to me and made me sit on her laps. She told me the dangers of having a boyfriend and gave me reasons why I should stay away from Harvey. But how do I stay away from the only person who listens to me? How do I stay away from the only person I get to talk to apart from Mrs. Badmus; our form teacher. dad that night…… Aunty shade explained that it’s better to be close to my form teacher and tell her whatever it is I want to talk to Harvey about, than getting so attached to Harvey, that I would face the consequences later in life. She prayed with me and sent me back to my room, I continued weeping until I slept off, I didn’t get to see mum and dad that night .
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