Tiwatope’s Redemption – Episode 6
Tiwatope’s Redemption – Episode 6
By Kayode Odusanya
The ride back to their school campus the next day was a quiet one. Tolu and Tiwatope didn’t speak much to each other throughout the trip, except for when they passed by Satguru Maharaj Ji’s Ashram on the Lagos-Ibadan express. Tolu had caught Tiwatope staring at the big sign board with the picture of the old, black Indian looking man at the entrance of the camp, and he asked her if it was her first time seeing the place; she nodded. She said she had just read about the man dispelling his death rumors and saying he couldn’t die. They went on to engage in a short discussion of what they both thought about the man. Tiwatope said she found him creepy, and spoke on the fact that Tolu had on a red t shirt, which was the man’s favorite color. They laughed about that, and Tolu went on to say he was curious to know if the man actually gets his powers from the same God Christians pray to.
Both of them got lost in their individual thoughts and they went quiet again till they got to their school premises. Tolu noticed she had dozed off and quietly called out her name, “Tiwa! Tiwa!”
“What?” she said in a tired voice as she stretched in her seat. “Oh! We are here.” She added and looked out the window. The car park was scanty, with just a few cars here and there. She saw a tall, light skinned pregnant lady walk out their faculty building, holding onto a little boy. Tiwatope thought her blue floral print dress was really pretty. She was about to look away when the little kid got out of his mom’s hold and started running towards their bus with excitement on his face. He fell half way to the bus and started to cry. A man hurried over, picked up the boy, and held him to his chest. Still crying, the little boy held on tight to the man. And then the mother got to where they were, kissed the man on the lips, and hugged him. Tiwatope smiled, but when she got a better view of the man and saw it was her professor’s assistant she shook her head. “Men!”
“What’s wrong with them?” Tolu asked.
She turned around and looked at him with a frown on her face before saying, “Some of them are assholes.”
“Hmm!”
“Not you though. You are…” she was saying and stopped mid-sentence, as if looking for the word to use, all the while, holding their eye contact.
“It’s time to get off the bus Tiwa.” He said and got up to pull out their bags from the luggage rack above.
……….
Tiwatope had parked her Nissan Micra at the faculty car park the day before, so she drove him home. As they pulled up to the driveway of a cream colored bungalow in the staff quarters, an Alsatian came running along; wagging its tail and barking at the same time. “So, you really do have a dog?” She said and squinted.
“Oh! You thought I was lying?” He said as he got out of the car with his bag in hand. He carried the bag behind him before assuming a crouching position to play with his dog. Tiwatope got out of the car and walked over to his side. She leaned on the car’s front door, smiling at the bond between Tolu and the Alsatian. She looked like a lawyer in the white button up shirt, and black skirt she had on. “Sit!” Tolu said, and the dog promptly obeyed the command, as its long tail kept wagging.
“So, I guess he is your best friend.” She said, with arms folded and eyes on the dog.
“You can say so.” Tolu said and leaned on the car. They were side by side now.
“I guess I have to take some lessons from him.”
He smiled before saying, “Her.”
“What?”
“The dog is a she. Her name is Suzy.” As he said that, the dog’s ears stood up.
“Oh! Nice. That would make it more interesting.” She said and he smiled at her. They went silent for a couple of seconds before she broke it with, “I’ve never connected with anyone this fast before.” He turned to look at her but said nothing. “Thanks for walking into my life.” She added and slowly reached for his hand. Their fingers were intertwined now as they went silent again. After a while, Tolu gave her a quick hug and said, “I’d see you on Monday,” disentangled from the embrace and headed towards his house, with the dog trailing behind him.
She stood there, watching his black back pack bounce here and there, waiting for him to look back at her, but he didn’t. He walked to the front door, knocked twice, stood still for a few seconds, and then followed his dog as she ran around the house to the backyard area. “That was weird.” Tiwatope said, shrugged and walked around to the driver’s side of her small blue car.
___
Monday came and Tolu was a no show in class. She called his phone that night, but he didn’t pick up. When she called the next morning, his phone was switched off. She went off to see her guardians, the Ogundeji’s later that day, and slept over at their place. When she left their house early Wednesday morning, she planned to drive straight to Tolu’s house.
Ever since she got back from the field trip, everything that used to give her pleasure didn’t excite her anymore. The drinking, the partying, boys; they were all meaningless to her now. In fact, she wondered if they ever really gave her joy, or they just helped as medication for some issues she kept buried deep within her.
A couple of cars were parked just outside Tolu’s house and she had to drive a little further down the road to park. She turned off the car engine and practiced what she was going to say in her head for a few seconds before stepping out of the car. She had a blue t shirt, and a long, red, floral patterned Ankara skirt on. She didn’t know if she was going to run into his mom and wanted to appear as decent as possible.
Suzy came running along as Tiwatope walked into the compound and she wondered why the dog was never kept on a leash; she was such a healthy looking dog. She guessed it was true what they say about dogs never forgetting people’s smell as Suzy was wagging her tail all excited as she ran up to her. Tiwatope robbed the Alsatian’s head lightly and proceeded to the house entrance. The front door was open, and she could see a lot of people inside. She felt like turning back as she didn’t like crowds, but it was too late as a slim middle aged woman in black caftan was already approaching the door. Tiwatope took the two steps up to the front door’s platform before saying, “Good afternoon ma. I came to see Tolu.” She heard an echo of ‘aww’ inside the house. The woman sighed and started shaking her head slowly with her eyes closed, as if fighting back tears. When she opened her eyes, she said, “Tolu is gone.”
Tiwatope held on to the burglary gate in front of the door for support as she felt she was going to slump. She heard what the woman said loud and clear, but she didn’t want to believe it. “Gone? You mean he has gone to class?” Tiwatope said. Another chorused ‘aww’ could be heard in the house.
“Tolu died in India yesterday.” The woman said.
“Ma, I’m talking of Tolu Adegoke.” Tiwatope said with a shaky voice. “I dropped him off here last week Friday. He is slim, tall, and likes to smile.”
“I’m his mother. Tolu is dead.” The woman said and burst into tears. A chubby lady appeared from inside, held Tolu’s mom and slowly led her back inside the house.
Tiwatope was in a state of shock now as she walked into the house. There were about a dozen people in the living room, mostly women, wailing and crying. She recognized Tolu’s father and walked up to him. He was sitting by the dining table, looking drained. “Sir, please is Tolu in his room? Please tell me he is in his room.” She said with a quivering voice. The man looked frail in the grey suit he had on. He looked up at her and shook his head. Tiwatope finally broke down in tears. Tolu’s mom walked up to her and held her in a tight embrace as the two of them cried uncontrollable. “Please tell me Tolu is okay.” Tiwatope kept repeating between tears.
To be continued