SUCH IS LIFE
(True-life story)
“Tochukwu,” Chima calmly called.
“Yes.”
“If you have parents,” said
Chima. “And they treat you like a slave…”
Tochukwu listened attentively over the
incoming tale.
“How would you feel?” He landed.
“How do you mean?”
“Didn’t you get the question?” the 19-year-old Chima enquired.
“What kind of question is that?” quoth Tochukwu. “The question is too
complicated.” He confessed.
“Okay,” Chima reiterated. “If your parents treat you like a slave, how
would you feel?”
The misleading and vague inquiry related to paradox was undoubtedly so
complex that Tochukwu couldn’t fathom a bit of it let alone figure out a
suitable answer.
Tochukwu and Chima who were age mates were childhood friends and
neighbours in the city of Enugu in Enugu State of Nigeria; ‘neighbours’ in the
sense that, they, under the care of their parents, lived in the same street
though about ten yards apart. Amidst their usual discussion which was taking
place at Tochukwu’s home, Chima thought it wise to share with him an ordeal he
had been passing through which was seriously telling on his emotions.
The truth of the matter remained that Chima who was the first child of
his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Okoro was undergoing hell in the hands of the said
couple. The scenario appeared as if the said couple regretted ever bringing the
poor chap (Chima) to the world; in other words, his birth was not unlike a
mistake to them. Funnily enough, prior to the birth of their subsequent
offspring, which came when Chima was already seven owing to inability to conceive
by Mrs. Okoro, the little Chima was pampered as well as treated like gold just
to say the least. Suffice it to say that before the birth of Chima’s immediate
younger sibling, Chike who came into the world when the former was already in
primary four, the former was indeed adored by his supposed parents; but the
moment the latter was born among two others, which included a boy and a girl, that
followed suit afterwards, the drumbeat automatically changed.
The most awful part was that
Chima managed to finish his secondary education whereas the other three, his
younger siblings, were schooling in one of the best primary schools in town.
All these made Chima to be of the notion that something was definitely wrong
somewhere. Hence, at that moment, he decided to disclose the unbearable
experience to his best friend, Tochukwu since it’s popularly cited that ‘a
problem shared is half solved’.
“Chima, this your question is
still confusing.” quoth Tochukwu.
“I know this might shock you,” Chima
persistently rode on. “But I need to share this with you...”
Tochukwu was silent and very
attentive.
“Maybe you could be of help.” He added.
“I am all ears.” informed Tochukwu.
“I am living with my parents,” said Chima, paused. “But it seems I am
living alone.”
“How do you mean, Chima?” the listener said. “Please go straight to the
point.” He urged apprehensively
“My dear,” continued the intriguing storyteller. “I have been facing
hell in the hands of my so called parents.”
“What!” exclaimed Tochukwu in a low tone, quickly adjusted his posture.
“Are you serious about this?” He added, confused.
Many other disclosures accompanied with requested clarifications continued
for several minutes.
“My dear,” said Chima after about forty minutes amid the discussion.
“Myself, I am even confused.” He confessed, paused. “All I wish now is to drink
acid and die.”
“No, don’t talk like that,” Tochukwu quarreled. “It hasn’t gotten to
that point.”
“Tochukwu you don’t seem to understand,” said the complainant. “I am
dying in silence.”
“Still, that doesn’t call for suicide.”
“So, what would I do?”
“Believe me,” said Tochukwu. “Your problem has come to an end.” He
hinted frantically.
“How do you mean?” Chima anxiously said.
“There’s a Pastor I will take you to,” responded Tochukwu. “He’s a very
powerful man of God.”
“Are you sure about this?”
“Surely, Pastor Okeke is the only
one that has the final answer to your problem.” Tochukwu enthused. “He’s my
family pastor.”
“Since you said so,” quoth Chima. “I am damn willing to see him.”
The following day, both of them arrived at the priest’s worship centre.
“You are a great child.” the priest rightly informed Chima the moment they got
seated in his office.
“I don’t understand, sir.” replied Chima.
Therein, the priest told him the
story of his life that sounded like a mere dream.
The truth was that Chima wasn’t a biological child of Mr. and Mrs. Okoro.
They adopted him because they were yet to have a child having waited patiently for
twelve years. Miraculously, after seven years of the adoption, the couple had
their first biological child, Chike coupled with two other kids that came
subsequently.
The aforesaid couple adopted him nineteen years back by the consent of
his real mother, Mrs. Ogiri right in the hospital where he was delivered, but
his biological father wasn’t aware of the abominable gesture. Amazingly, Chima
was a twin but his biological mum sold only him to enable her take good care of
his twin brother who was later named Amaechi due to abject poverty that was
ravaging her matrimonial home; thereafter she lied to her husband that the sold
baby (Chima) who was yet to be named died in the hospital mysteriously.
The god-sent clergyman further
revealed to him that that his twin brother, Amaechi was killed many years back
by his mother’s evil sister-in-law, but his parents were yet to know the cause
of his abrupt demise. Ironically, according to the anointed man of God, his
biological mum couldn’t conceive again after Amaechi’s untimely death; needless
to say that his biological parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ogiri were seemingly childless
at that very moment that they were faced with no other option than to treat
their male house-help, Rumu as their only child. One would assert that the
servant in question (Rumu) was adopted by the couple going by the nature of the
relationship between the two parties.
Something very remarkable transpired some months after Chima was sold
out to strangers owing to poverty, although unknowingly to his dad; therein his
biological parents who were reckoned to be the epitome of poverty became
extremely rich; his wretched father, Mr. Ogiri won an overwhelming contract in
his little farm business that positively transformed his life for eternity. This
implied that they were stinkingly rich at the moment but had no child to enjoy
the wealth. Till this point, Mr. Ogiri was yet to be told by his wife that one
of their twins was actually sold out, thus he was still kept in the dark.
Consequently, the cleric disclosed to Chima the exact direction that
would lead him to his biological parents, Mr. & Mrs. Ogiri who hailed from
Rivers State. The following day, in the company of his friend (Tochukwu), Chima
began his journey to meet his real parents without the knowledge of the fake
ones, Mr. and Mrs. Okoro. There and behold, he successfully got to his father’s
compound that seemed like a haven.
His mother, Mrs. Ogiri who came out to receive the guests having been
notified on their arrival fainted as soon as she was told by Chima that he was
the innocent baby who was sold nineteen years back.
Rather than being resentful over his wife’s weird and dastardly attitude,
Mr. Ogiri who got the overall news afterwards thought it wise that the reunion
called for celebration.
Thereafter, Chima could boast of not only materials a child of his age
wished to possess but anything he could lay his hands on to include a Jeep,
classy wears and what have you. Subsequently, he went back to his fake parents
in his personal Jeep to let them know that he had discovered his lineage; they
were densely shocked to see him as a totally changed person. Prior to this
time, they had been searching for his whereabouts only for him to resurface in
a different mood some days later.
Four years on, the intelligent Chima became a graduate of Linguistics
& Communication Studies from the University of Port-Harcourt, Rivers State,
Nigeria under the care of Mr. and Mrs. Ogiri. Undoubtedly, such is life.
N.B: Actual names of the real characters as well as localities in the
story were withheld by the writer.
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