The arguments with her mother had gotten so frequent that even Itohan was getting tired of it. They had another one that morning and she was seriously considering moving back to Abuja. But first, she had to get Mr Lucky out of trouble and expose the slimy snake, Monalisa for who she really was.
Mr Lucky had lawyers, mostly from the church but they were all loyalists to her mother. Itohan had gone to the best among them, Pastor Adeleke Balogun and what she got from him was shocking.
“You know I can’t represent deacon Lucky”, he had said. “Your mother would be totally against it”.
“So you would rather please my mother than see an innocent man get Justice?”
“The evidence is compelling IT”, he tried to explain. “And we are all disappointed in him because he has dragged the name of God in the dirt”.
Itohan had started to boil in anger. “Pastor Adeleke you are the one dragging God’s name in the dirt and I am very disappointed”, she said as she got up. “Innocent until proven guilty”, she reminded him. “May God forgive you as you continue to lick my mother’s feet”.
Itohan had gotten to realize all the lawyers from her mother’s church, House of Kings Ministries were all sucking up to her mother even the once that called themselves pastors and friends of Mr Lucky Odefe. It was so annoying how powerful her mother was that she could even make pastors compromise on their beliefs. That was exactly why people like Lisa taunted and mocked Christianity. How could the whole church abandon Mr Lucky at a time of need? Not even a single person could stand up against her mother and it was a disgrace to the faith.
The argument with her mother that day had gotten even the cooks and cleaners in the house out of their various rooms to try and calm Itohan down. It had ended the usual way, Dr Beatrice sending her out of the house, but this time she added a little spice. She called her security guards to carry her out and it was funny how a mother could treat her own daughter like a thief in her house. That just made Itohan more determined to set Mr Lucky free and she got a huge but dangerous idea. Barrister Cynthia Asemota!
Barrister Cynthia was the younger sister of Dr Beatrice but those two had not seen eye to eye for over six years. The last time they saw, was at the burial of Barrister Cynthia’s husband and Itohan’s uncle, Mr Odion Asemota. Itohan’s mother didn’t even have the decency to say her condolences directly to her only sister, but instead sent it through her pastor, which was a very petty thing to do. The ego of Dr Beatrice knew no bound and it had always been Itohan’s personal mission to have that ego deflated. Anything she could do, she was going try
Barrister Cynthia was the only one who had the guts to stand up to her elder sister, and due to this, Dr Beatrice despised her. They had fallen out 11 years back when Dr Beatrice was still in the senate. Cynthia was her sister’s personal lawyer and they had a big fight when Cynthia called her sister out for allegedly misappropriating funds meant for her constituency. Itohan could remember how her mother screamed on the phone while talking to her younger sister, calling her all sought of names and telling her how disloyal she was.
“You are not my sister”, Dr Beatrice had screamed, “I never want to see your face again!”
Extended family members had called meetings after meetings to settle the dispute but Barrister Cynthia had said she would never apologize to Dr Beatrice for telling her the truth. That was the kind of person Itohan needed to defend Mr Lucky. Since the dispute began between the two sisters, Itohan had always remained in contact with Barrister Cynthia, despite their mother forbidden it. Ehimen on the other hand was their mother’s son and did exactly what he was told. During Ehimen’s wedding to Monalisa, Barrister Cynthia had showed up uninvited and it took the help of relatives to stop Dr Beatrice from making a scene. After the death of Ehimen, the two sisters spoke for the first time in three years as Barrister Cynthia tried to console her sister. Many of them thought that was the end of the feud only for the former senator to start it up again after the burial of her son, insisting that Cynthia must apologize for insulting her.
Itohan had always loved Aunty Cynthia. In many ways, she felt they were alike. But one thing that strengthened their bond was their mutual dislike for Dr Beatrice’s ego. And when Itohan had called asking for help, Barrister Cynthia had arranged a meeting in her house that day.
The barrister lived in her late husband’s house at Aduwawa with her last child and daughter, Stella who was still a student of the University of Benin. Her four sons where all graduates and doing very well in their various fields. Itohan had just arrived the compound on her power bike and the gate man had suspiciously opened the gate for her. Stella was the first person she saw outside the house sitting with her laptop in front of her. Aunty Cynthia’s house was a big one, probably one of the biggest in Aduwawa but it was a hut compared to Dr Beatrice’s.
“IT!” Stella called as she saw Itohan’s bike drive into the compound. She carefully placed her laptop on the chair she sat and ran towards the bike. Stella was a beautiful 21 year old student of optometry in the University of Benin and Itohan’s favorite cousin. She nicknamed Itohan ‘The Rebel’, after hearing so much news about her constant fights with Dr Beatrice. “Your hair is amazing!” She screamed as Itohan removed her helmet.
“But your mother will never like it”, Itohan giggled as she came down from the bike and hugged her cousin. “How are you?” She inquired.
“Not bad”, Stella replied with a smile. “Exams are coming and I am just a bit stressed.”
“You are one of the smartest in the family sweetheart”, Itohan reminded her as they walked into the house, “don’t stress too much”.
“Thank you IT”, she smiled.
Stella Asemota was probably everything Dr Beatrice expected her daughter to be. She was very beautiful but still very intelligent and gentle. She did everything her mother said without question and as the only daughter of Barrister Cynthia, she was the pride of her mother. “Mummy is asleep”, Stella informed her, “but said I should wake her up when you come…”
“I’m already up”, Barrister Cynthia cut them short as she staggered down the stairs with heavy eyes. “The noice coming out of that Bike of yours is terrible”, she complained.
Itohan giggled. “I am so sorry aunty”, Itohan apologized.
“No need for that”, Cynthia waved her off. “You’ve always been a pain. You were a terrible baby, did I tell you that?”
Stella was already laughing loudly and Itohan joined her.
“Your mother was always busy with her politics so I had the sole job of babysitting you”, Cynthia said, “and you never stopped crying.”
“Thank God you didn’t throw me away”, Itohan said between laughter.
“The thought crossed my mind once”, Cynthia laughed as she gave her niece a very tight hug. “How are you my dear?”
“Good afternoon aunty”, Itohan replied. “I am very fine”.
Cynthia Asemota was sometimes mistaken to be Dr Beatrice’s twin sister due to their amazing resemblance. Itohan was told many times she couldn’t differentiate her mother from her aunt when she was a lot younger. She was told she called both of them “mummy” and the truth was that Barrister Cynthia had been more of a mother to her than Dr Beatrice ever was.
“Go and continue your reading Stella”, Cynthia instructed her daughter and the young girl duly obliged. “Join me in the kitchen IT, I want to prepare vegetable soup. I hope you still have those magic hands of yours”.
“I guess”, Itohan replied. “I haven’t cooked in a while”, she confessed.
“Disappointing”, Cynthia frowned as they walked into the kitchen. “You are the best cook I know”.
Itohan had always been told she was an amazing cook right from her teenage age. Her late brother even claimed she could cook sand and make it edible. There were very few delicacies she couldn’t prepare and at a point she had even started to perfect foreign delicacies. Her friends always felt she should have taken cooking more seriously like a career, but that was something her mother would never approve of. Instead she went ahead to read Engineering like Ehimen and while he excelled, she struggled until she dropped out of her university in Russia and came back home.
Barrister Cynthia handed Itohan a bunch of vegetables to slice as she took tomatoes to blend. Itohan grabbed the knife from the wall and after washing the vegetables at the sink, she began to slice in silence
“I heard about Mr Lucky”, Cynthia broke the silence. “But before we talk about him, let us talk about you and that terrible hair of yours”. Itohan began to laugh. “That is not funny,” Cynthia frowned. “That hair is terrible and you should change it”.
“But aunty…”
“No buts! You are changing it or I am not listening to anything you have to tell me”, Cynthia warned.
“Yes aunty”, Itohan agreed reluctantly. There were very few people Itohan could obey at a snap and Barrister Cynthia was one of them.
“Good”, she nodded. “I heard disturbing news about you”, Cynthia went on. “I have known you to be capable of many things IT, but lesbianism?”
Itohan’s heart almost sank in her stomach.
“Really?” Cynthia wondered staring at her. “Itohan that is just…”
“I am not a Lesbian aunty”, Itohan confessed. “I don’t think I am”.
“You don’t think?”
“I don’t know”, Itohan cried dropping the bunch of vegetables in her hand.
“When you were a teenager I remember that boy, Osarobo you used to run after…”
“I remember aunty”, Itohan recalled. “But for years now I haven’t felt anything for any boy and it’s strange”.
Barrister Cynthia grabbed a stool and sat down. She stared at Itohan for a while as her niece tried to dodge her eyes. “Do you have lesbian friends?” She wondered.
Itohan was silent.
“I asked you a question IT”.
“A few”, she replied and Cynthia giggled.
“Evil communication corrupts good manners Itohan”, her aunty scolded her. “When you keep such friends why won’t they influence your thinking? Look at you Itohan, just see how you look. You were raised a Christian…”
“I am still a Christian”.
“Like this?” Her aunty asked pointing at her dressing. “I agree deep down you might actually be one, but the world does not see your heart IT. They see your appearance and make judgements and what do you think they will say?”
Itohan was silent as she stared at her feet.
“You are not a lesbian Itohan and this is not who you are”, Cynthia went on. “This Biker lady is not the niece I raised.”
“I haven’t felt anything for any guy for a while now…”
“Lose those friends Itohan!” She instructed her. “Loose them and make good friends and watch your orientation change. Your environment determines what you become and the environment you are is having a negative influence on you. What happened to the free spirited Itohan I knew? The one who made me laugh so hard and who’s cooking I couldn’t get enough of?” She wondered. “Is she still in there?” Cynthia asked pointing at her and Itohan was silent. “Is she?”
“Yes aunty”, Itohan replied.
“Because that is the niece I will give a leg for”, she went on. “Not what I am seeing now”.
They went on their work in relative silence. Itohan had expected a few scolding from her aunty but not to that extent.
“Are you doing this to punish your mother?” Cynthia broke the silence and Itohan remained silent, slicing her vegetables. “Because I noticed your rebellious behavior started when you started falling out constantly with your mother”. Itohan remained silent. “You do realize that your mother is a very successful woman right? She will die an achiever but what about you? You are 32, unmarried, a drop out, without a job and practically wasting your life. You are basically punishing yourself and not her. Whether you believe it or not your mother loves you and she just needs you to show…”
“That’s a lie aunty”, Itohan spat almost in tears. “Ehimen was always the prince. The treasured child, I grew up thinking I was a mistake!”
It was Cynthia’s turn to be silent.
“Ehimen could do no wrong but everything I did disgusted my mother”, the tears had started to roll now. “I grew up hating that boy. I grew up hating my own brother because my mother treated him differently from me. And when we were young he took advantage of that fact and turned me into his punching bag. He beat me so much and my own mother always found a way to blame me whenever it happened. She basically turned a blind eye”. She dropped the vegetable again. “Ehimen was always first in his class while I struggled in mine. My mother never one day tried to help, instead I received insults upon insults. I remember one day”, she forced a smile amidst the tears, “I came 6th. It was the highest I had gotten in class. I ran home to show my mother, thinking for once she would be proud of me. But what did my mom tell me when she saw it? Threw the report sheet at my face and asked why I couldn’t come first like Ehimen”. She sniffed. “It was Mr Lucky who comforted me and told me how proud he was of me. Even bought me a new dress as a gift. I never got up to 6th again because I needed my mother and she was far away from me”.
“I know your mother hasn’t been the best”, Cynthia confessed. “I know my sister and I know how irrational she can be. She loved Ehimen so much I could see it but failed to pay attention to you. But IT, I think it is time to start living for yourself”, she instructed. “You are awesome in the Kitchen, build a career around that, your mother won’t stop you now. Prove to everyone that you can be useful and stop this charade of trying to punish her. You have done enough”.
“Yes aunty”, she nodded in agreement.
“Anything you need to start a business in cooking, let me know”, Cynthia offered. “I will give it to you, Ok?”
“Thank you ma”, Itohan smiled. “I promise to start up something”, she said as she continued slicing her vegetables.
“Now to Lucky”, Cynthia changed the topic. “Does his family not have someone representing him already”.
“All the lawyers they know are from the church and they are all loyal to my mother”, Itohan replied. “And they are certainly not as good as you”.
Cynthia nodded proudly. “Talk to the family about it”, she said. “My fees will be subsidized because I am doing this for you”.
“Thank you aunty”, Itohan smiled. “God bless you”.
“Plus the added bonus of provoking my big sister”, she laughed.
THIS CHAPTER WAS EDITED BY GLORY NWANNA KENNETH.
NOTE: chapter seven titled "Belief systems" shall be posted on the seventh of October. Seriously, you don't want to miss chapter seven. God bless.
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