THE ADVENTURES OF TOLU (TAOT) Episode 5

THE ADVENTURES OF TOLU (TAOT)

EPISODE 5

It all continued for two good years and one day, a particular event occurred that almost got me mad. I was already in JSS2, and my sister Dunni was in primary 5. Dara was already in the 'playgroup'.  Aunty Rebecca just came to pick us from school that day and when I got home,  I wasn't feeling too well. I went to my room to take a nap, I woke up three hours later,  and discovered that I felt better already. I jumped out of bed,  and went to Dunni's room since she was the only one I could talk to.  But she wasn't there. This was very unusual,  because since Aunty Rebecca made herself our common enemy,  that was the only place she would be if she was not in my room.  I looked round the house but did not see Dunni. So I went to Aunty Rebecca to ask her about Dunni's whereabouts. "Am I Dunni's mother?! Am I Dunni's keeper?! Get out of my sight now before I descend on you!" She yelled at me.  I got very worried,  because since we were young,  we don't go anywhere to play. We only stay in the house.  "Where could Dunni have gone?" I wondered. 

When it appeared that the search wasn't fruitful, after four hours of checking everywhere in the house, I went back to Aunty Rebecca "Ma,  please,  I don't know where my sister is.  I've been looking for Dunni for the past four hours,  you can't just sit here watching TV.  I'm very sure that you won't sit and cross your legs if it were to be Dara that has not been seen for four good hours!" I said with tears and so much anger.  She took the remote,  and threw it at me,  and I dodged it.  She rushed to the kitchen, took the mopping stick,  and headed towards my direction. I ran out of the house,  and stayed outside seizing that opportunity to ask around,  probably, anyone might have seen Dunni. I stayed outside,  by the gate,that was around 7pm.  It happened to be a Friday, my dad was going to be home soon. And I knew that going in would be a suicide mission. 

As my dad came back,  I rushed to him and shouted with so much panic and fear "Daddy, Dunni is missing! We haven't seen her for the past five hours!" As my dad was going to reply me,  Aunty Rebecca came, crying. "Sweetheart, can you imagine what your son said to me!  He called me names,  he insulted me and insulted my daughter.  In fact,  he insulted my unborn children!" She said,  shedding crocodile tears. "Daddy,  it's not true o,  Dunni is missing and..." I was interrupted by a slap,  it was my dad.  I can't remember the last time my dad slapped me.  "You this stupid boy! Why in God's name would you do that to my wife.  Don't you know that anything you do to her,  you have done it to me?" My dad yelled at me.  I didn't understand what was going on. Dunni was no where to be found but my dad did not even care about that. All he cared about was 'the woman'.  

My missing sister that was a joke started appearing more real. "Don't bother my dear,  we'll eventually find her,  just get some rest" Aunty Rebecca said to my dad.  And just as if a prophet spoke, my dad entered the room to sleep. It was then that I discovered that I lost my dad.  That wasn't my dad.  He'd been been brainwashed. 

I could not sleep that night,  I was really worried.  There was no one I could go to. My late mom was the only child of her parents who both died in a car accident when she was 19. So,  there was really no family that I know of.  My dad's family members were in Ekiti. He's the only one that left and came to Ibadan. He broke all the communication links with them for reasons best known to him. I really do not have any grandma or grandpa to go to.  I was stranded,  and I was just there. My sister is missing, but my dad is handling it like a joke. 

The next day,  there was nothing that was done. It was as if nothing happened. I was really worried,  when I discovered that there was nothing I could do, I just stayed in my room and cried bitterly.  My sister was the only friend I had,  how can she be missing and there is nothing I can do.  It was really a sad one for me. Aunty Rebecca was just acting as though nothing had happened. I was young and did not know I could go to the police.

Months after months,  I didn't find Dunni.  I just had to accept fate that Dunni is gone forever.  Whether she's dead or alive,  I don't know. i was just so helpless. My Dad kept behaving in ways I could hardly imagine. I knew something was wrong with him... 

What next?  Find out in Episode 6