Oh no! It is 8am and I have a test by 9am an important one at that. I slammed the door behind me as I made swiftly for the basement of my hostel to pick up my attire for the day as I couldn't get them a day before as a result of coming home late from my part time jobs during the previous night. As a first year student of the University of Lagos I couldn't be relaxed about this test, as I had a lot to gain from it . I hurriedly dressed up and made for the gate of my hostel few minutes later to grab a taxi and luckily as if it had been waiting for me I spotted one right in front of me as I came out of the gate. I immediately entered and blotted the door behind me , "Main campus of UNILAG sir" I said to the driver as I grabbed the seat belt to use .It was morning ,being stuck in a traffic was inevitable,as people also made for their various place of earnings and students made for their lectures.
I gave a quick glance at my watch and it was 8:45am, it was meant to be a ride of twenty minutes to the campus from my hostel but I bet we couldn't get there in that space of time as the road was blocked due to the traffic. "Madam we need to divert from the main road and go through another route so as to avoid the traffic jam." The driver said to me, "okay sir" I replied sluggishly after giving a deep sigh. The driver made for the Yaba market road as there was a way from there to the campus, I wish we didn't have to pass through the market as I knew it was always crowded and noisy .If only I was in a position to make choices I could've bluntly said a "NO" It was a Monday morning ,I couldn't expect less as the market was filled with sellers who came to sell their wares and buyers were not left out. The air was filled with chattering and giggling from passerbys, buyers from different part of the town and market women who happily put their wares up for display.
Please could you wind the window down sir ?" I said to the driver .I suddenly became curious as to how people cope with the noise and loud chattering in the market yet displayed a welcoming and energetic spirited mind as you could see almost all sellers smiling ear to ear as they try appeasing and convincing different buyers to patronize from their various shades and stores . While staring through the window,the driver made a sharp halt ,I was in awe as I imagined what could have made him stop abruptly,alas he had a flat tire. I began to wonder if I've been jinxed cause things haven't been going smooth right from early hours of the day . "Madam please spare me few minutes to change my tire " he pleaded with me, of course I ain't got no choice than to give in. I sat in the car when suddenly my eyes caught the attention of a certain trader, she was surrounded by customers wanting to make patronage admist the fact that there were other traders with the same wares as hers.
I kept on pondering over it "Why couldn't just they save themselves the stress of waiting and buy from the next store as there were other places that sold same thing ?, "Was it her smile that got their attention?" Cause other traders were definitely not keeping a straight face. "Did she do some good deeds in the past?" Rhetorical questions ran through my mind as I tried figuring out what her charm could be in captivating their attention, She must've probably been the Mother of an important personality in her past life to have bern able to gain this amount of audience, I said aloud to myself sarcastically.
The driver whom I left agape as he probably wondered what it was about,gave a long stare as he kept on driving . I was too preoccupied in my thoughts that I didn't even notice it was 9:15am already, and was already late for the test. As I was trying to figure out a way to weasel out of this situation,my phone rang out loud, it was the course representative for the course we were to hold a test on,David.
Hello " I said as I picked up the call ."Hi Olivia, are you on your way to school for the test? I noticed you haven't been online ,so I decided to put a call across , the lecturer said to postpone the test as something came up at the VC's office and he needed to report there" David you should've called earlier,I thought to myself as I clenched my teeth. "Oh,thank you David for passing the information across,I owe you one ." "You welcome Olivia."He replied as he hung up the call.
Oh no! Not after all these stress,I murmured ,as I was fixed on if to return back home as I had no lectures for the rest of the day or to keep on heading towards the school campus. Oh well, it was worth the stress as I couldn't stop thinking about what happened at the Market. "Sir,could you take me back to my hostel?" I said to the driver as I made up my mind to head back home ,I decided to take a nap while we went back home as I didn't have enough sleep before heading out for school.
I got home and was having a hard time sleeping when my phone suddenly rang out loud , it was my mum . "You need to come home this weekend Olivia" my mum said almost crying , I could hear her voice shudder behind the phone . "Mum what's wrong?" I asked fidgeting, "Did you and dad get into a quarrel again ?" ,before I could get an answer the call got disconnected.
I became uneasy, as I knew what it always felt like whenever my mum and dad gets into a disagreement. I made for a small suitcase and packed some clothes that would last me for the weekend and ordered for a ride to take me home . My parents lived in the same state where my school was but it took about two hours to get there .
I got home feeling anxious and made for the door ,it wasn't locked , that was very unusual as my parents were always keen on being security conscious. "Mum! Mum!!" I called out hoping to get a response but got none , I hurriedly went to their room and alas there they were, at each other's throat .
"Get out!" My dad yelled in a loud voice at mum , I could see his face brimming with anger while peeping through an opening from the door to their room .
"Yes I would leave." Mum replied in a rather calm voice . This was weird I thought to myself , my mum has never been this calm during arguments with my dad ,she was always hyper and her voice were always loud that you could hear them from miles away .
Mum made for her closet and began packing her belongings into a large suitcase she grabbed from underneath her bed, soon the suitcase was filled and she walked towards the door with the suitcase in her hand . She blurted out of the door and almost bumped into me , "Olivia you here already." She asked. "Yes mum, where are you headed to with a suitcase ?" I asked as if I was oblivious to what was going on , She gave a long sigh and told me she would be back soon as she needed time away from my dad .
"Get out and don't ever come back!" My dad yelled for the umpteenth time, as he came out of their bedroom. His face looked like he was going to beat her at any moment if she didn't leave his presence, I never knew it had gotten to the extent that they loath each other so much and couldn't stand being in the same abode. "Dad!", I called him ,trying to at least notify him of my presence,he turned back to give a glance at me but noticing the look on my face ,he stopped bickering at mum and made for me giving me a hug, "I'm sorry Olivia ,that you had to see all these", he said with a calm voice sounding so different from how he was with my mum few minutes ago. While he hugged me,I heard the door slam so hard, mum had left .
"Olivia,your mum and I are getting a divorce ", my dad told me . I was too shocked to speak,I never expected it to end in a divorce , I always prayed and prayed for them to go back to being a happy couple that they once were.
"Dad, please don't get a divorce with mum." I begged him ,but it was as if my plea fell on deaf ears as they had already made up their mind.
This was the beginning of everything...