She Spat on Her Chidulthood
Chi.dult.hood: The state or period of being a chidult.
Chidult: The ADULT who is still seen or (mal)treated as a CHILD by his/her parent(s).
- TEO ‘20
“Close that door and come here!”
“Kneel down there!”
***cold-shivers,heartbeats,sweaty palms,sleepy eyes,tired brain***
“What says the time?”
***silence***
“Why are you coming back at this ungodly hour?”
“I went to the library after I closed from work.”
“What time did you leave your office?”
“I left around past 5pm and got there around 6pm….I read for almost three hours and left the library few minutes to 9pm.”
“So how come you’re just getting home?”
⏰ 10.03pm
“I had to order Taxify….plus Lekki traffic”
“Is it me you’re telling traffic?……KPA!…that’s bullshit!…KPA!…BULLSH*T!…..KPA!”
KPA! : A heavy-handed slap across the face.
“***and the upbraid begins🙄,can we just get this over with? I want to sleep***”
“Who do you think you are,coming back by 10pm after I’ve told you that you must be back in this house by 8pm?”
“Even if you say you’re reading, can’t you finish reading by 7 and start coming home?”
***silence***
“Who even knows what you’re doing outside?,only God knows! You’d be telling me you are going to read meanwhile you’d be there going to meet men in their hotels after work to f*ck them.”
“It’s your life you’re living ooo,if you like let them be touching you,fingering you,sleeping with you and giving you money…..when you carry the béllé,it’s you that people will be laughing at.”
“Tomorrow now, you’d be going to church,carrying Bible…..angel at home,devil outside. Hyprocite! One thing I know is that ,God will expose everything hidden under the sun.”
“As you lay your bed,so you will sleep on it.”
“Get out of my sight…..I went to the library my foot,nonsense.”
***knees already on the floor,straight-faced,unremorseful***
“I am sorry sir.”
***with tired & slow footsteps,ascends the staircase,opens her bedroom door,closes it, takes off her work clothes,proceeds to go to bed.***
“Shouts her name…..shouts her name…come here!”
“Sir……Sir……I’m coming!”
⏰ 10.37pm
***changes to night dress in split seconds,opens bedroom door,meets him outside in the parlour upstairs***
“Sir?”
“Never in your life, come back to this house by this time again,do you hear me?!!”
***silence***
“KPA!,Did you hear me?!”
“Yessir.”
“Don’t think that because you’re 23,you can do as you like. You are still under my roof and I can even belt you if you misbehave…..until I drive out that spirit of foolishness and stubbornness from you.”
“Who do you even think you are? KPA!”
“I will keep saying my own,don’t smell what you won’t eat,there’s nothing those men are giving you that you don’t have in this house. A word is enough for the wise.”
“Gerrout”
***drops knees to the floor, cheek in hand, astounded***
“I am sorry sir.”
***walks back to her bedroom, opens the door,proceeds back to bed,lights off, blanket up, eyes closed,wipes stifled tears now dropping…***
“***God , what just happened?***”
“***Or,did I visit any man?***”
“***I thought I’m just coming back from reading for my exam at the library in Phase 1?***”
⏰ 11.01pm
“Siri, play me ‘Older’ by Sasha Sloan”
***allows the cascade of tears***
Sigh.
Dear Chidult,
When you wake tomorrow, remember that the only thing you did wrong, was Live Right.
Do it Again. Upbraid no upbraid. KPA! or no KPA!
Goodnight.
Xx,
Tee.
