Days became weeks and weeks became months, no one talked
about what baba told us. We resumed our normal life until Ope came visiting.
Ope is the younger sister of Kassim who came to seek for admission into Kogi
State University, Ayangba.
Ope had made several attempts to secure admission
into University of Ilorin but was unsuccessful. Toyin’s father was a senior
lecturer in KSU and he had helped many of our friends relations to get
admission. Kassim advised Ope to come down to Lokoja so we can help her speak
to Toyin to speak to her father.
Ope’s visit was the beginning of revelations to the
abomination that caged my marriage for over ten years. Ope’s parent must have
released her to us with the mindset that Kassim is now born again and may have
overcome his unspeakable weakness. The first two weeks of Ope’s stay was
blissful. At least I got someone we could gist together and play games
together. Ope was lovely and friendly but very hostile to her brother. Her hostility
toward Kassim was my first worry but I couldn’t approach any of them to explain
the reason behind the hostility.
I was coming back from work one day and I overheard Ope
shouting, “Brother, so you have not Stopped this evil”?. I should have stayed
back a bit to hear which evil Ope was referring to but they both pretended and
composed themselves when I barged in on them. I managed to ask ” what’s going
on here?” But non of them responded, so I decided to let it go, after all they
are brother and sister and they can sort themselves out.
I left them in the sitting room and headed to the bedroom. In
the night, I tried asking Kassim what they were talking about that warranted
that statement I heard from Ope but he waved it off with a romantic kiss that
made me forget to ask further Ope’s admission didn’t click on time and I
thought that must be the reason for her recent emotional changes. She became so
moody and isolated this time unlike when she came newly. I really understood
because I have been there before and I knew how it felt. I left her alone after
much attempt to make her cheer up.
Ope began to lock herself up even when we were around. She
will hardly come out for dinner or do her regular chores. I told Kassim to let
us buy Kogi State Polytechnic form for Ope instead of her missing this year
again but he refused. But can’t you see she’s losing her mind over this
admission stuff? I argued. There is still one admission list that will be
coming out next week, I believe her name will be there, Kassim was optimistic.
The life brought into my home by Ope became a shadow
suddenly. I returned to my loneliness as usual
because my husband is not the talking type. We can be
together in the house for several hours and he won’t say anything. Most times,
he only talks when I initiate it. His answers to my questions are always in
words and phrase, “yes”, “no”, “okay”, “alright”, “I will”, “Go ahead” etc. I
can be so irritated sometimes hence I spent more time with Toyin.
Why did Ope suddenly become moody? Was it just because she
couldn’t get admission or there is more to it?
The event that broke the Carmel’s back is in episode four…..
