26 FAMILY ISSUES

"You didn't tell me this on the phone." said Tunde as he stared at Aisha's belly. She had explained to us the circumstances of her pregnancy but it didn't seem real. As cliche as it sounded, I couldn't believe my eyes or ears.

"It's not just something I can say over the phone." Aisha defended. "And besides, this pregnancy would only remind of how that animal abused me." Aisha's words showed how she felt.

"I'm sorry." Tunde mumbled. There was an uncomfortable silence in the room for awhile.

"Rachael, please say something and stop looking at me like I'd fallen from the sky." said Aisha.

"What do you want me to say?" I looked from Aisha to Tunde and back. "I'm just feeling sorry for you and a little angry at your parents." I said. "I mean, look at your face!"

"I was his ninth wife." Aisha said. "I actually look good compared to the other girls... My co-wives." Aisha shook her head slightly. "As for my parents, they learnt their lesson after they got a call that I was in the hospital. I was already three months pregnant when that... Bastard nearly beat me to death..."

We had exchanged pleasantries with Aisha's parents before coming up to her room. They appeared to be good people and according to Aisha, they were. The more reason why I couldn't understand why they did what they had done. But they never played with culture and religion.

"But you know your parents only had good intentions. They must've thought the Alhaji was a good man and would take good care of you like any husband is expected to." Tunde said in defense to her parents' actions.

"That does not justify the fact that they married off a sixteen year old to someone possibly older than her father." I said.

"Rachael, it's they're culture." Tunde argued. "Just like we Yorubas have our culture and you Igbos have yours, the Hausas have theirs too."

"Well, it's a stupid tradition." I snapped. "No offense, Aisha." I added, quickly glancing at her.

"Stupid is a strong word." said Tunde. "It's just outdated. That's all."

"Okay, that's enough. I didn't call you guys here to debate on child marriage." Aisha said before I could say anything else.

"Well, we can't talk about child marriage but we should talk about teenage pregnancy." I tried to sound as polite and gentle as I could knowing fully well that the topic was too delicate.

Aisha heaved a sigh and said; "There's nothing to talk about. I'm not planning on aborting the baby or anything. My parents are going to help me raise the child." she smiled. "I mean, it's going to delay my studies but it will be worth it."

"I'm really glad you have that mindset." I smiled in relief.

"Thank God you're back." Tunde said.

"It's good to be back." Aisha replied. "I know it's not going to be easy but I know you guys will visit me frequently, right?"

"Of course," Tunde and I chorused in unison which made Aisha chuckle in return.

"Em... Tunde, could you please go downstairs and get me water in the fridge?" Aisha asked.

Tunde furrowed his dark eyebrows in confusion but agreed, "Okay...."

As soon as he left, Aisha adjusted to properly face me on the bed where we sat. "Okay, so gist me. You guys are dating, right?"

That was the reason why she'd sent Tunde out of the room. I smiled shyly. "No."

"What? Why not?" asked Aisha. "It's been months since I left and 'Rande' is still not a thing?" I was surprised she'd already given us a ship name.

"It's not easy like that..." I trailed off with my cheeks burning up.

"He likes you, you like him. There's nothing complicated there!" she exclaimed. "There's something you're not telling me."

"Well... He has a girlfriend." I said.

"What?!" Aisha exclaimed on top of her voice. At the same time, Tunde had just walked into the room.

"What's going on?" asked Tunde with a glass of water in his hand.

"You have a girlfriend?" Aisha raised her eyebrows at him. "I mean, you have a girlfriend that is not Rachael?"

Tunde chuckled awkwardly. "She has a boyfriend."

"What?!" Aisha turned to me with wide eyes.

"Jay is not my boyfriend!" I defended, glaring at Tunde.

"Then how did you knowing I was referring to him?" Tunde looked amused and I was dumbfounded. I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out. He'd won.

"Wait, is it the Jay I know?" Aisha asked and I nodded. "Wow, that's nice. But I'm team Tunde!" she exclaimed and for a moment, I caught Tunde blushing. "So, how is school?" she asked after awhile.

"As dramatic as ever."I replied.

"Can't wait to graduate." Tunde added.

"University isn't less stressful you know." I said to Tunde who had joined us on the bed.

"Who said I was going to university?" Tunde asked. Aisha and I looked stunned at his confession. "I'm joking." Tunde said before laughing at us. "Even if I didn't want to go, my mom would literally drag me there her self."

"What do you want to study?" Aisha asked immediately.

"Petroleum Engineering." Tunde replied. "But my mom insists that her only son must be a surgeon so at this point, I don't know."

"Wow." Aisha and I said in unison.

"What about you, Rachael?" Tunde asked. "What do you want to study?"

The question had come to me as a surprise. It was then that I'd realized that I absolutely had zero plans about my future. I knew that I would definitely be in the university the following year but the question was; studying what?

Growing up, I never found interest in any occupation. My parents' careers never inspired me. My mom was a nurse before she died and my dad, I never really knew his job. I knew Mrs. Jacobs was a lawyer but like I said, I never found interest in it.

"I don't know." I mumbled.

"You don't know?" Aisha sounded surprised.

"Well, I think you'd make a good barrow pusher." Tunde joked and Aisha burst into a fit of laughter.

"I reserve my comments." I said shamefully, knowing fully well that I didn't have a worthy comeback for Tunde.

"But seriously, have you considered pharmacy?" Aisha asked after her laughter had died down.

"Do I look like a pharmacist to you?"

"It will suit you. Think about it." Aisha said and I nodded.

"I think we should get going." Tunde said before getting up to leave and I did the same.

"You guys should visit me frequently o." Aisha said as we walked out the door.

"Yes, ma." Tunde and I chorused in unison and we all laughed at that.

I'd quickly gone straight home at the thought of Miss Helen's long cane coming in contact with my buttocks if I'd failed to write the five hundred words article she'd asked us to submit the following day which I'd barely started.

"Well done, ma." Jay said as soon as I'd walked into the sitting room to meet him and Sebastian watching a Nigerian movie. "You promised to help me with the English assignment and this is the time you're coming home."

"I went to see a friend I haven't seen in months. What did you expect?" I said in my defense.

"You didn't spend this much time with me after I came back from SA." Jay said.

"I was in a mental hospital." I said with a 'Duh' tone.

"Okay, okay." Jay gave up. "Sebastian is already helping me with the article anyway."

"Sebastian is helping you?" I asked with amusement. "Get ready to get zero. They're going to write your zero with a red marker."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sebastian finally looked away from the TV. "For your information, I came first in English last term."

I scoffed. "Yeah. Whatever. I'm going upstairs." I headed towards the stairs while Sebastian changed the channel and Jay looked like he was confused about Sebastian helping him write his article.

I climbed the stairs lazily and managed to make it to my room and jump on the bed. The time was past six on a Sunday and usually I would be sleeping at that time but thanks to Miss Helen, I would be awake all night.

I decided to take a shower before coming back to start my homework so I took a five minute bathe and wore my pajamas.

I sighed before looking over my study table to get my textbook and notebook. The white envelope Jay had given me earlier that day was on the table and remained unopened. I was curious to know who had written to me.

For a second, I thought it would be my dad writing from prison but I immediately dismissed the thought. My dad never wrote to us, why would he start now?

I took a deep breath and opened the sealed envelope. As I thought, it was a letter. A handwritten letter.

Dear Rachael,
                  We've never met before but I didn't want that to stop me from keeping a promise I'd made years ago.
                  After I'd disowned your father as a result of his immoral and careless behaviour in his youth, he pleaded with me that if anything were to happen to him, I would take care of his children. To my surprise, he hadn't impregnated any girl as of then but I decided to keep that promise if he ever had children.
                I never saw your dad ever since then but I kept close tabs on him and I discovered he eventually had children. When he was arrested, I decided it was time to keep that promise since your mother also died.
                   I've been taking care of your education from a distance but now I think it's time you come home— You and your brother, Sebastian.
              I've made preparations for you and your brother to come and stay with us in Abuja and when you're done with your secondary education, I've also made preparations for any course of your choosing in Harvard University.
                I will be expecting your reply soonest. Send my regards to your brother and your guardian.

Your Grandfather,
Marshal Graham.