Abayomi and Betty called Lola to the sitting room , in the dead of the night , eleven years old Lola was feeling so sleepy , but her parents wouldn't let her sleep . Grandma sat beside her mum.
"Why are you always the one giving us headache? you don't respect your nannies , you don't respect your teacher , you don't see the driver as a human being , now you've extended your disrespect to your daddy's aunt ." Betty said to her daughter, eleven years old Lola sat quietly watching his parents. "Should we take you to see a therapist? because this is becoming unbecoming." Her dad said .
"But dad must I like who you like ? I am not rude ." She insisted. "Shut up your mouth , your teachers only complain about you , but not your sister and brother." Her father said .
"My love you have to change ." Grandma said , Lola was busy twisting her fingers . "You have to apologize to mama Fumi , you behave badly today ." Grandma said .
"Never Grandma! that old woman is a witch!" Lola said , her parents mouth were left agap , jaws almost dropping to the ground , "what did you just say ?" Betty asked .
"I said I don't like her , she's old her skin looks dirty , she looks like a witch!" Lola said Betty got up and almost slapped her face, but her husband and mother in-law held her . "Tomorrow after breakfast you must go to her house and apologize to her like a proper Yoruba girl . you this little rat , what do you know about witch?" she blurted.
"Go to your room , no allowance for you until we get back to Abuja ."Her father said , Lola kept mumbling as she climbed up the stairs . She couldn't sleep the whole of that night , she kept seeing terrible dreams of herself falling from a skyscraper, she would wake up before she hit the ground , she tried not to wake her parents with her cries .
She was happy when she heard the roosters announce the break of a new day , and bleating of the goats outside her room , she ran outside to help her grandma sweep the compound, she followed her cousins to the nearby tap to fetch water , before her parents would wake up , grandma wondered if she wasn't the same girl giving everyone trouble the previous day .
True to her mother's words ,after their breakfast of Akamu and Akara , her mother matched her and twin sister to Mama Remi's house .
"My daughter have you people returned ?'' the old woman said with a weak voice , she was in her kitchen , which was outside of her house ,a zinc structure held by four wooden post . ''Haaa mama we said we should come and greet you ." Betty said looking for a place to sit .
"Morenike! Morenike!" She called out to her grandchild, who ran out of the house , a wrapper wrapped around her chest . "Please go and bring the long bench for Abayomi's wife and children ." She said arranging her firewood and blowing the fire until the red flames began to dance .
The old woman went into her store and got an old Yam , she put it under the charcoal of the fire . "So where is Abayomi?" She asked . "He went to see his friend in Ota he'll be back in the evening." Betty replied .
Morenike brought the bench , her brother Joshua brought a jug of water. "Mama we came back to come and apologize for what happened yesterday." Betty said , the old woman was confused. "What happened yesterday?" She asked Betty .
"Well mama Lola was rude to you , I want her to tell you how sorry she is ." Betty said , the old woman burst into laughter. "My daughter you shouldn't have bothered, your children are city children, I guess she has never seen an old woman like me , that's why she was uncomfortable, I didn't take it to mind , you don't need to apologize." The woman said .
"Mummy am sorry for what I did yesterday, please forgive me ma ." Lola said kneeling down. "My daughter you're already forgiven ehn , please be nice to old people, we were once young like you ." The old woman said , Lola nodded .
"I'm roasting yam here for you people, you have to wait and eat before you go ," The old woman said . "Aaah mama , we want to go to my village to visit my parents ." Betty said .
"No I insist you must stay and eat , it's just yam , I have pepper and red oil ready ." she said . Betty and her kids waited , the yam was delicious, Lola was the only one who didn't enjoy the meal , she just forced herself to pick the a few piece of yam to please her mother .
Before they traveled back to Abuja they went to visit mama Remi, she was nice to them , Lola couldn't understand why she was seeing a face of a monster when she looked at the old woman , her head looked like that of a black cow , with many eyes , and noses , she had a horn in the middle of her eyes.
"Come and take a piece of chicken, I fried it specially for you people, you can take some so you eat on your way to Abuja." The old woman said , with her clawed fingers , Lola retracted her hand . Her dad cleared his throat and gazed at her ,she collected the piece of chicken from her grand aunt , she handed one to Lara and Timi, before she wrapped the rest in a foil, for Betty , the nanny collected it and put it in the car , Abayomi had bought so many food stuffs from Mama Remi, she had lost her son and his wife in an accident , a few months back , his four children moved in with her , Abayomi had been the one taking care of her and her grandchildren.
"Mama when you need anything don't forget to ask me ." Abayomi said , Mama Remi thanked him before seeing them off to the car , Grandma had gone to the farm that morning, mama Remi waved at her brother's grandkids until they disappeared.
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