Feburary1997)
My mum was in the house when the nanny brought me back from school, and I was excited at the same time happy. I ran to hug her immediately; I missed her much.
"Oko Mi," she said in our native dialect as she lifted me the ground happily. It meant 'my husband' I'm so happy too. It's long since I last saw her at him in broad daylight. Its either she's in Dubai on a business trip or in America getting new goods. I got used to it anyways.
When I noticed that we were left alone, I quickly voiced my thoughts ."mummy, what are you doing at home?" She seemed taken aback by the question, but what was she expecting from a three-year-old who doesn't see his mother frequently and then she decided just to come home one afternoon, afternoon for that matter, not night.
"Er..your daddy said I should rest today," she says, still smiling to me as she led me by the hand to my room. I started wondering why she was resting, and she never got to do that..at least since I was two and knew my left from my right, I knew only my nanny very well. When I noticed she's done helping me change my clothes, which was quite different, as my nanny does that every day, I asked again with a worried look, "mummy, are you sick?" I said, touching her neck as she was bending down, adjusting my shoelace. She was surprised I knew so much. People do tell me I'm smart, and I think I'm not as stupid as other children in my class.
"I'm not sick, 'Oko Mi' I'm carrying a baby already" I looked at her with utter confusion. There wasn't a baby on her back. She laughed a little at my ignorance, and I was slightly offended that she was laughing at me. I made a face, and she started apologizing. "'Mabinu Oko Mi,' I'm sorry. I meant that I'm pregnant" she touched her tummy " there's a baby inside my stomach. I felt sad that she decided to keep away the baby inside her belly when I always whined about having a baby brother. my mother seemed to notice my distressed look as she ventured into explaining.
"Akintoye, can you remember that woman in our church that her stomach was very big?" I tried remembering. "Yes, mummy, that we went to her house that day that they were doing a party," she smiled. "Yes, it's just like that " I was now extra confused. What has that got to do with my mummy hiding my brother inside my stomach? Wait, how did she put him inside? I grimaced at the thought of it being me. I would have kicked her stomach open by now.
"Akintoye, she said again. That woman, there was a baby inside her stomach. That was why it was big. God put the baby there to grow . after nine months, the baby will come out, and there would be the naming ceremony. That's the party we went to that day." " I understand now, mummy" I truly understood, but I still saw no reason why God will decide to keep a baby in someone's stomach to grow. I that I'm not in someone's stomach am I not growing? I chose not to ask that anyway so that she won't get tired of my questions. But one thing baffled me. "Mummy, the baby will grow abi." "Yes, dear," she replied. "So, the baby will be big abi." " yes," she said, carefully now wondering where my question was leading.
"Your mouth is small mummy, where will the baby come out from? That woman's mouth is big. Maybe that's why it didn't tear," I said. She just looked at me.
"Akintoye, let's go and eat. Your lunch has been served.
***********************************************************

(March 2015)

That was all past tense now. I'm grown, and I surely do know where a baby comes out from. I smiled st the thought as my best friend, Busola, called out to me.
"Toye, what are you doing here, smiling to yourself?"
"Nothing really, just reminiscing on the past." "You and these your past ehn. 'Oga o, anyways, I'm going to the cafeteria. Would you like to tag along?
"Sure, Lunch's on me," I said as she smiled and went off chattering on and on about nothing in particular. Busola is my best friend and has been for the past five years. I met her in my ss3, and even though I naturally keep to myself, she got through and became my best friend. I love her as a friend who loves his best friend. Most people find it hard to believe that Busola and I aren't dating, that which isn't true but seems like it cos right now I'm staying back in school because she's still defending her final year project. It's no big deal, though; I go home every weekend from school because I can't bear to stay more than a week without seeing my sister.
We settle down at a cafeteria and reel out our orders to the hostess. What were you expecting? 'Mama put'?? If my mum sees me there, both the mama put and the person that put her there will spend the rest of their lives behind bars. My mum is just that strict, taking care of her only son. My parents are very wealthy, and even though I don't ride a car in school to attract unnecessary attention., I still live like a rich kid. Me not getting a car also made my mum angry. After eating, I decided to go home since I kind of live close to my university. I attend the University of Lagos, and I live at lekki. Maybe it's not that near, but I had to see my sister, I was missing her already.my best friend makes a sad face, and I just hug her not to get angry and hail a cab to my house straight. In the booth I allowed my thoughts float back to when this sister of mine who I dot on so much was born
(September 1997)
"Mr. Ajayi, your wife, just delivered of a bouncing baby, " The doctor beside me said on the phone to dad because, as usual, he was at Abuja. I think my dad asked for the gender of the child because the doctor said, " a bouncing baby girl, sir. " I didn't even listen to the remaining conversation as it dawned on me that my mum was kidding me all this while. She told me that the baby God put in her stomach was a boy, and he would play with me and my toys. I suddenly burst into loud tears as if I've been hit with a plank on the head.
My nanny ran beside me, asking what happened. It was so annoying that we weren't allowed into where my mummy was. We were made to sit inside the reception hall. "Toye, what happened?" The nanny asked with confusion ruffling her features
The people in the reception Hall were now getting pissed at my behavior as some started murmuring. One woman beside us spoke up, " Give him what he wants now" I just continued my loud weeping unabated. When i would not stop crying, one man got so frustrated, went to the hospital's store, bought a handful of sweets, and came to give them to me. I looked at him with irritation. Do I look like I wanted sweets right now? I started crying a little louder. The man just stared at me, probably wondering what kind of child I was.
The nanny asked again what was wrong. Then I said, "I don't want a baby sister," I cried again. Some of the people at the reception started giggling. 'Eeyah, ko fe gba aburo' (pity, he doesn't want a younger one), one man muttered. I further intensified my weeping. A nurse came to tell my nanny that I was disturbing the patients in the ward. She was forced to take me outside. Some hours later we were told that we could check on mummy, I resolutely refused to see her saying she lied to me. So I went home crying until I eventually slept off.
The next day my mum came back home, I was happy to see her after three days, but I was still angry. She comes back with the baby, my dad, and some people I didn't recognize. I found our later that they were my uncles, aunts, and cousins. I wonder why they went to the hospital first instead of our house. But I still don't care about that. I wanted a brother, not a whiny crying sister. A brother that we could watch Superman and spiderman together, not a little girl watching Dora the explorer or what's the name of all those stupid girly cartoons the girls in my class mention. I wanted a boy and not a girl. I went to meet my dad and started crying.
"Akin, why are you crying? You should be happy your mother gave birth safely" "daddy, mummy lied to me, I asked her before if it would be a boy she said yes, and now she brought home a girl. I don't want a girl," I concluded and started crying again. My mum was either too tired to care about my behavior or told about my drama in the hospital and was expecting this. She went upstairs to her room, and my aunties followed her.one of them was carrying the baby and a nanny carrying the baby's bag: my dad and my uncles. Two sat with me on his Lap and started explaining why I should like my new sister.
"You know akin, and it wasn't your mother who decided the sex of the baby. It's God, not her, she probably just told you it was a boy, so you'll either stop disturbing her or make you happy," he said with a little smile on his face. he continued, "when you knew you wanted a baby boy, you should have told God who put it there."
" that's not my fault, daddy. Mummy told me after God has already put him there. she should have told me God could remove and put another one" I had stopped crying now, but I was still sad. "It's okay now akin. There's nothing we can do about that any longer, your mum and I aren't creating another child, and we cannot change the gender of the baby either."
"But mummy didn't tell me that you and she created the baby. She told me God put it there," I said, trying not to cry again that my mum lied to me. "Toye, when you are older, you'll understand what I'm saying" from the corner of my eyes, I could see my uncles giggling. I didn't like it when someone made fun of me. "But daddy, you used to say that I'm a big boy, and so I understand," I said to stop my uncles from making fun of me even though I didn't understand anything. I guess I'll honestly know when I'm older. Whichever way, I still don't want a sister, and I'm never going to accept her.

(March 2015)
In less than 2 hours, the cab was in front of my gate, already honking for the gateman to open the gate. I alighted and paid him off. "Oga Mi, hope to say the journey no too dey stressful."  
"Not at all, thank you, baba gateman," I said, smiling as I gave him two one thousand naira notes from my wallet. "My handsome, sweet oga, any other oga na fake," he said as he tucked the money safely into the faded-almost-turning white, black trousers he was putting on. I smiled to myself and made my way inside the house.
"Akintade!" I called out as soon as I got into the house.
"Ah,oga. You no even tell us to say you go come home. We go don cook plenty for you."
The nanny says immediately she sights me. I still see no reason why they make a fuss out of me coming home. I come back every weekend, and now, I'll go home finally in the next few days as I was done with exams, submitting projects, and defending it. Just still chilling around in school. "Where's akintade ?" I asked the nanny when there were no signs of her coming out of the room.
"Er..one yellow boy come find for house, she con follow him go junction"  I felt my muscles tense up. What the heck is Tade looking for with a guy? She's just 18 for crying out loud. Why does she need any guy in her life.? Am I not enough? I wince at that last question I asked myself. "Okay, I'll see you later then," I manage to say through my teeth. With clenched fists, I headed to my room. "Oga, shey make I cook rice.abi spaghetti?"  "Anyone you like," I said above my voice as I was already up the stairs. I'm sure she noticed my change in mood, but I'm not concerned about whatever she thinks
I lay on my bed and try to point out the exact reason why I'm angry about my younger sister escorting a guy out of the house. Could he be her course, mate? But she just got into university, and she can't have made friends close enough to come to her home. Could he be her secondary school friend? I smirked at the thought cos he could also be her boyfriend. I tried not to have that in mind again cos I got so angry I was sweating already.

(September 1997)
I woke up to ease myself at midnight and heard the baby crying. "This baby is so wicked, won't allow mummy to sleep." I'm sure that had it been they 'created 'a boy as I wanted, he'll have grown up, and we'll be able to watch Superman together by now. I said, borrowing my dad's word. But this baby is still small. Since last week Tuesday that mummy brought her home, isn't she supposed to be big already? All she knows how to do is suck mummy's breast. I wonder why mummy allows her. And she Cries a lot too. When I'm eating noodles, she'll not come and eat. Mummy said she's feeding on her breast that I did it also when I was like her. Number one I'm sure I was never small like her and number too I didn't eat my mummy's breast. Why would she even be big when all she does is cry every time. She won't taste good food. I jump down from my bed and make my way to the bathroom. Good for mummy too, next time she'll listen to me when I say I want something.
When I'm done in the bathroom, I see the nanny sleeping in one corner of my room. She didn't even wake up when I went to the toilet." nonsense nanny, sleepyhead," I muttered. Now, this is the most annoying part of it all, I usually used to sleep in my mum's room, but now only that baby sleeps there. I refuse to call her my sister. Anyways, it's all good. Mummy said there'll be a party at our house tomorrow that they'll be giving the baby a name. I like her for that. She made us have a party in our house at least that will be two parties in one month. My birthday was celebrated a week before then.

(March 2015)
My train of thought was abruptly interrupted by a soft knock on my door and almost immediately opening it. The only Tade can do that as my parents aren't home as usual, and no one else has the guts to do that. Really... Just like I already knew, she came inside the room. Immediately my angered features softened, only Tade can do that
"Bro Toye, this your sudden home visiting ehn.you'll not even tell anybody that you are coming home, you'll just enter the house as if your school is beside your house." "You don't want me to come home again ?" I asked, smiling a little. "Not that now, but at least you'll call us."
"When last did mummy sleep at home?" I asked, changing the topic. "The day before yesterday, she slept at home and then left around 12; 00 pm the next day. I think she said she'll go to u.s soon . why are you asking me? When last did you talk to her?"
" yesterday, but I can't be asking her things like that, you know. Anyways, where did you go when I came back home". "A coursemate came to say hi," she said casually.
" In your second semester?? First-year. You already started making Friends close enough to come to visit you at home?" I said, trying to suppress my anger. *but it's no big deal bro Toye, he's just a friend," she said, shrugging her shoulders "it's a big deal, Tade. you don't know his intentions " I said, and she just looked at me like I fell from the skies "what did you bring from school for your sweet sister" she asked trying to change the topic
"Nothing," I said plainly. She made a sad face and then turned to leave. "I'm sorry dear, I came home straight from a cafeteria. I sure won't forget next time". "I trust you, "she said as she came back to hug me and then left.
"Bro Toye, your food is ready," she screamed from down the stairs.  
"Okay, "I muttered even though I knew she wouldn't hear. I just lay down on my bed, trying to sort out my thoughts...